User Guide

PC2 Made Easy

14. Playing KB3 Programs

KB3 Mode is a special mode designed to work like a classic tone wheel organ (the B3)

does. Because of this, there are many differences in the functions of the various buttons,

sliders, and other controllers. You will notice that the buttons on the left side of the

keyboard and the sliders have labels in orange. These labels apply when you are in KB3

Mode.

1. Press the KB3 Mode button and then the #1 Sound Select button (or press 0 on the

numeric keypad and Enter). Notice that the display looks different. The top line shows

the bank and program number (4:000) and the program name (All Out). The bottom line

gives you information about the status of the organ drawbars and the Chorus/vibrato

setting.

2. A classic tone wheel organ has 9 drawbars, each of which controls the amount of

amplitude for the fundamental and various harmonics. Choosing the balance of the

harmonics and fundamental is the main thing controlling the sound of an organ program.

Since the PC has only 4 sliders, we have set things up so that they can control either the

first 4 or next four drawbars at one time. A button marked Drawbar Toggle switches the

sliders between controlling the first 4 or next 4 drawbars. The mod wheel functions as

the 9

drawbar.

Move the sliders and notice how the display changes for the first 4 numbers on the lower

line of the display. Press Drawbar Toggle and move the sliders again. Now the next four

numbers change. Finally move the mod wheel and notice that the last number changes.

Notice that the numbers move between 0 and 8, just like a real tone wheel organ, which

has those 9 distinct values for each drawbar.

If you have ever played a real organ, you know that as you pull the drawbars out

(towards you) that increases the volume for that particular harmonic. The sliders on the

PC2 follow this same convention, so they work the opposite of the way they work when

playing other programs or setups. In a regular (non-KB3) program, when the slider is all

the way down, it is at 0 value. But when playing a KB3 program, if the slider is all the

way down, it is at full volume, since this is the equivalent of having the drawbar pulled

all the way out.

Move some sliders so that at least some of them are set to a value other than 8. Now

scroll away from this program and then go back to it. Notice that all the display returns

to show all drawbars at a value of 8. Notice also that before the column of 8s it shows

ÒP:Ó. The PC2 gives you the ability to choose a preset setting of each drawbar so that

configuration is called up when you select the KB3 program. The ÒPÓ shows that the

drawbars are set to Preset mode. If you select program number 80 Live Drawbars (you

can press the #11 Sound select button), you will see that the ÒPÓ is replaced by an ÒLÓ.

In this program, the Drawbars have no preset settings Ð they are ÒLiveÓ. So sound you

hear when you select this program will depend on the current position of the drawbars.

Of course, even with a program that has preset drawbars, as soon as you move a slider,

the value for that drawbar will change to reflect the slider position. We will talk about

how to choose preset values for the sliders in tutorial #17.

3. Switch Buttons 1-3 allow you to alter the settings for the Rotary Speaker and

Chorus/Vibrato Effects. Press SW1 to turn the rotary speaker emulation on and off, and