It’s a versatile unit, and it sounded great… that being said, despite all its attempts to encroach on Hammond territory, it always sounds very Farfisa-y and can’t really do the Hammond thing very well.

I came across these photos of my actual unit, taken back in 2007: I shot some images of the thing so that I could sell it on Craigslist.  At the time, we wanted more of a Hammond sound and the VIP-233 just was not getting used much.  The piece sold in a matter of days for… i think… $650?  A kid came up from Brooklyn and was thrilled at the deal he got.  OK so gonna get nostalgic for a minute: in this series of photos, you see the 233 in the piano booth at my old studio on Bridgeport’s far east side – the American Fabrics Building – the same bldg that is now the home of the Preservation Sound shop.  Subtle index of time-passing?  Check out the ashtray and lighter on the little end table.  I don’t think I know anyone who smokes anymore… and a mere seven years ago, pretty much everyone I knew, myself included, did.  I suppose we have Mayor Bloomberg to thank for that?

The space depicted above was completely gutted and transformed into an art studio years ago; while my new studio has certainly been a major upgrade, it’s great to see the old spot.  I don’t think I had the VIP 233 for very long; I could only find one production that features it.  Check out the track below.  This is the band Stylofone; you may know these guys from their later work with MGMT and The Acrylics.  At about :30 in, you can hear a little moog-esque glissando; this is the unique ‘Slalom’ portamento effect the the VIP 233 offers.