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Chapter 15 Vintage B3 417
Vintage B3 Pitch controls
Vintage B3 provides several parameters that change its pitch behavior, adding exibility that isn’t
possible with the original instrument.
Vintage B3 is tuned to an equal-tempered scale. As a deviation from this standard tuning, you
can stretch the tuning in the bass and treble ranges, much like acoustic pianos (especially
upright pianos). The tones of clavinets, harpsichords, and pianos have inharmonicities in their
harmonic structure. The frequencies of these overtones (harmonics) are not exact, whole-number
multiples of the base frequency. This means that the overtones of lower (tuned) notes are
more closely related to the main frequencies of the upper notes. Due to the lack of strings, this
inharmonic relationship is not true of organs. The stretch feature was principally included for
situations in which you want to use Vintage B3 in an arrangement alongside a recording of an
acoustic piano.
You can also randomly detune the sound using the Warmth parameter, and you can even use the
pitch bend wheel of your keyboard to bend the sound. The latter isn’t true to the original, but it’s
a nice creative option.
Pitch parameters
•
Upper Stretch slider: Drag to set the amount of deviation from the equal-tempered scale in
the treble end of the sound. The higher the value, the further up the high notes are tuned. At
a setting of 0, Vintage B3 is tuned to an equal-tempered scale, with each octave up exactly
doubling the frequency.
•
Lower Stretch slider: Drag to set the amount of deviation from the equal-tempered scale in the
bass frequencies. The higher the value, the further down the low notes are tuned. At a setting
of 0, Vintage B3 is tuned to an equal-tempered scale, with each octave below exactly halving
the frequency.
•
Warmth slider: Drag to set the amount of random deviation from an equal-tempered scale.
Note: Use of both Warmth and Stretch may result in a detuned sound, which is similar to a
heavy chorus eect. Set Warmth to 0 if you’re after a purer sound.
•
Pitchbend Up/Down sliders: Drag to independently set the pitch bend up/down sensitivity in
semitone steps. The maximum sensitivity for upward bends is one octave. The Hammond
B3 has no pitch bend facilities. Therefore, use of pitch bend is not suitable for realistic organ
simulations, but it does provide a number of creative options.
Note: If you drag the Pitchbend Down slider to the far right, the tonewheels gradually slow
down until they totally stop—when your keyboard’s pitch bend control is at the minimum
position. This setting re-creates an eect heard at the end of “Knife Edge” by Emerson, Lake,
and Palmer. Keith Emerson’s virtuoso Hammond work was recorded on a reel-to-reel tape
recorder that was gently slowed to a total stop.