The Clavinet switches on the left hand side of a D6 or E7 control the sound, but what do they mean? Brilliant, Treble, Mid, and Soft are high-pass EQ filters. When one is engaged it brings out more higher frequencies in the signal of the Clavinet.

But what do the letters mean? The switches C/D and A/B correspond to the pick-ups used to amplify the strings on your Clavinet. There are 4 combinations in total. It’s a little more complex than it needs to be (thanks Hohner), but simple to understand.

Clavinet’s have two pickups, one by the hammer tips (near the keyboard), and one higher up near the bridge. The C/D switch (which is actually the first switch in order), determines whether you use one or both of these pickups – “C” for individually or “D” for both (D for dual helps remember this).

The C Option:

With the C switch engaged, only one pickup is engaged. Which one is decided by the A/B switch. For the hammer or “rhythm” pickup its “A”, and “B” for the bridge pickup (B for bridge is really helpful to remember). The rhythm pickup “A” is bassier and rounder, whereas the bridge pickup “B” is has more treble and is slightly dryer. The tone changes in a similar way on a guitar when you play towards the bridge, which could also be helpful to remember.

The D Option:

With the D switch engaged, both pickups are engaged. Now the A/B switch changes to a setting that adjusts the phasing of the pickups. Basically this means whether they work the same way, or in the opposite way. When the switch points towards A, the pickups are working in-phase. This will give a rich full sound because both pickups are being used together. If the switch is set at B, the pickups are out-of-phase. This means the pickups are cancelling each-other out to some degree, causing the sound to be thinner (There’s no handy alliteration here, but A for in and B for out may help).

Summary:

Heres a description of each switch combination and how it sounds. Have fun exploring!

C/A: One pickup engaged – “Rhythm”; smooth and bassier, with a moderate attack.

C/B: One pickup engaged – “Bridge”; more treble and dryer, with a strong attack

D/A: Both pickups engaged – In-phase; rich full tone, well rounded.

D/B: Both pickups engaged – Out-of-phase; thinner softer tone, less smooth.