B4 II OPERATION MANUAL
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH.
Table Of Contents About the Native Instruments B4.......................................................... 5 Introduction..................................................................................... 5 Installation under Windows XP............................................................. 7 Software Installation......................................................................... 7 VST plug-in Installation.....................................................................
The B4 User Interface........................................................................37 Using Presets.................................................................................41 Saving Presets............................................................................... 42 The Preset View............................................................................. 43 Keyboard Splits.............................................................................. 46 MIDI Response................
About the Native Instruments B4 Introduction The B4, in perspective... Congratulations on your purchase of the Native Instruments B4. The B4 combines the classic and robust tonewheel organ and rotating speaker sound with the convenience of software. The original B3 organ set many standards with its beefy sound and unique interface. This instrument spans all genres – from R&B to Jazz, House to Gospel – and is a valuable tool for any player or producer.
Of course, there are a number of advantages the B4 has over the original tonewheel organ, including: • Reduced size and weight • Increased preset storage • Velocity sensitivity • MIDI automation of all parameters • Multiple organ models in one package • Integrated reverb • A ample selection of cabinet models The Native Instruments B4 integrates seamlessly into the computer-based virtual studio.
Installation under Windows XP Software Installation • • • • Insert the B4 II CD into the CD drive. Use the Windows Explorer to view the contents of the CD. Start the installation by double-clicking B4 II Setup.exe. The setup program will suggest C:\Program Files\Native Instruments\ Product Name\ as the path for the destination folder. You may also choose another folder if you wish.
DXi 2 plug-in Setup DXi 2 is a plug-in interface for software synthesizers and instruments based on Microsoft DXi technology. Sonar from Cakewalk and Fruity Loops are the most well known host sequencers that support DXi. Installation • Insert the Installation CD into the CD drive of your computer. • Use the Windows Explorer to view the contents of the CD and doubleclick the B4 II.exe file to start the installation. • Continue the B4 II installation until you come to the Choose plug-ins page.
MacOS Audio Unit plug-in Installation • Launch the B4 II Installer from the CD • Select the Custom installation type. • Select only Audio Unit from the list of components to install. RTAS plug-in installation • Launch the B4 II Installer from the CD • Select the Custom installation type. • Select only RTAS from the list of components to install. Product Authorization Part of the B4 II installation is a Product Authorization which has to be fullfilled in order to make permanent use of the software.
Note: Exchanging your audio card, MIDI interface or external equipment will not start the request for a new Authorization Key. Only exchanging a basic hardware component in your computer or installing a new operating system might produce a new Product Authorization request. In this case the Registration Tool will reflect the change by displaying a new System ID and you have to repeat the Product Authorization.
Conducting the Product Authorization Native Instruments has set a high value on making the authorization procedure as easy and comfortable as possible. In the following sections we describe three methods of conducting the Product Authorization. We recommend Method A and Method B since these result in the easiest and fastest way of receiving the Authorization Key.
Native Instruments or if you want to do an Additional Registration. • Depending on the option you have chosen on the first online page you now get a login page asking for your username and password or a form where you can fill out your address data. Please fill out all required fields and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the registration. • On the last online registration page your Authorization Key is directly shown in the browser.
• Click ������������� on the Complete button. After completing the Product Authorization the Registration Tool looks like this Now the B4 II Product Authorization has been completed. The authorization message at every B4 II start has disappeared and you can use the software permanently: Method B: Internet Connection on another computer Important: This method requires a valid email address to complete the Product Authorization, since the Authorization Key will be send to you by email.
• A click on the Save Registration File button opens a Save dialog for saving a HTML file. Save the HTML file to any storage medium. • Transfer the HTML file to another computer where you have internet access (via floppy disk, CDR etc.). • Open the HTML file in your internet browser. • The HTML page contains a link for the registration page on the Native Instruments website. When you click on this link an internet connection will be established according to your system settings.
attachment. This email also contains the password which is required for using the online services. • Transfer the text attachment to the computer where you have installed B4 II. • Start the Registration Tool again and use the Open File button in the Registration Tool to open the email attachment which you previously have saved to hard disk. • Click on the Complete button.
If you do not have access to the internet or if you do not have a working email address, the Product Authorization can also be done via postal mail or fax. Although Native Instruments goes after a fast handling of your authorization requests, it is generally recommended that you prefer Method A or Method B for shortest return times and most comfortable operation.
If you write a letter please attend to a legible handwriting to avoid mistakes at the Native Instruments registration team. Illegible email or postal addresses can cause problems with the Authorization Key delivery.
Audio Interfaces Audio interfaces, which include software routines called drivers, allow B4 II (and other programs you have installed, if present) to communicate with your computer’s audio hardware. This section describes how to use various audio interfaces with B4 II. There are two main ways to implement B4 II: As a “standalone” device that requires no host software. The application’s audio and MIDI connections interact directly with your computer’s audio/MIDI hardware interface.
• MIDI sequencing of B4 II and audio mix-down of the MIDI tracks within a single program • Comfortable automation of B4 II parameters in the sequencer • Further processing of B4 II signals using additional plug-ins • Sample-accurate timing with MIDI controllers (when used as VST 2.
was developed by Steinberg. It is highly recommended for its low latency, multi-channel audio card support, and high performance. DirectSound: Developed by Microsoft, this is a is a component of DirectX 5.0 or higher for Windows. How well DirectX works well depends on your sound card. If you adjust the interface for an acceptable amount of latency, you may hear glitches and clicks in the audio output that can only be fixed if you increase latency.
computers are generally not set up for low latency; attempting to play in real time through B4 II will probably be unsatisfying because of the delay. Any computer-based audio system has some delay between the audio input and output. As a result, if you’re playing a MIDI keyboard through B4 II, you may hear an annoying delay between the time you hit a key and hear a sound.
polyphony or number of effects you can add while still retaining glitch-free audio. So, here are some tips on living with latency. About Samples and Buffers Audio cannot be handled continuously by a computer, but has to wait its turn while other operations are being carried out. As a result, sound cards create a “buffer,” which can hold a certain number of samples, where data can be stored and released as needed to create a smooth flow of data.
In this screen shot, note that Creamware’s ASIO control panel simply lets you choose the desired latency; buffers are adjusted “behind the scenes” within the Creamware Scope application (in this case, to 128 samples). The Device Setup panel in Cubase confirms the latency, which is about 4 ms, but doesn’t indicate the buffer size. Warning: Different Types Of ASIO It’s extremely important to use the ASIO driver written for the card you’re using.
Tips On Minimizing Latency • Set latency to the highest comfortable value. 256 samples/buffer is very responsive yet gives your computer some “breathing room.” 512 samples may also be acceptable; anything more will create too much delay. If you can’t get reliable audio with 512 samples, it’s time for a better computer! • If your ASIO Control Panel shows latency in milliseconds, you’ll find that anything over 10 ms or so gives an audible delay.
B4 II as standalone When used as a plug-in, the host program has already set up its audio and MIDI connections, and B4 II simply “plugs in” to these. However, with standalone operation B4 II communicates directly with your audio interface. It’s therefore necessary to specify audio and MIDI settings, as well as the preferred driver protocol (of course, plug-in format is not an issue). Setup for Mac and Windows machines is essentially identical, except where indicated.
Sample rate: The drop-down menu will display compatible sample rates for your audio interface. 44.1kHz is the same sample rate used for CDs, and is the most “universal” choice. However, some audio interfaces offer 48kHz and 96kHz (B4 II accepts up to 96kHz sample rates). These higher rates stress your computer more, but offer somewhat better high frequency response. If you are using B4 II standalone, choose whichever rate you prefer. When used as a plug-in with a host program (e.g.
Routing Using the drop-down menu, Output 1/2 is assigned to an output from a multioutput sound card. If your sound card offers multiple outputs, you can choose which ones connect. Click on Outputs to select the outputs from drop-down menus. Similarly, use input to select the audio input if you wish to use B4 II as an effect. If you experience a humming or buzzing, maybe even feedback, when you start B4 II, it is likely that you have the B4's input set to your computer's built-in microphone.
MIDI If your MIDI interface offers multiple ins and outs, you can choose which one connects to B4 II. When you click on the MIDI tab you’ll see a list of MIDI I/O. Initially, each one will be Off. This field is a toggle – click on Off to turn an input or output On, click on On to turn an input or output Off. If you enable more than one input, they will be merged.
B4 II as Instrument Plug-in Plug-ins come in two forms, virtual instruments and audio effects. Most of you will use B4 II as a virtual instrument, but that shouldn't discourage you from also using it as an effect. Just plug B4 II into any audio track to use the various cabinets and speakers for signal processing. The instructions in the following section can be used to get started with B4 II instrument and your host. VST 2.
there, then it may not be installed correctly. ����������������������������� Please refer to the previous section on installing the plug-in for both Windows and Mac platforms for more assistance on setting this up. After having loaded an Instrument from the library you should be able to trigger it via MIDI using a keyboard controller. B4 II’s sound will generate through the VST mixer and directly to your sound card.
• Record enable the MIDI track. Note: If a product does not appear in the list of available VST instruments inside Nuendo 3, then you may need to enable it manually via the Devices/plug-in information window. If the product does not show up there, then it may not be installed correctly. Please refer to the previous section on installing the plug-in for both Windows and Mac platforms for more assistance on setting this up.
do so, click onto the insert slot, hold down the mouse button and choose Stereo AU Instruments Native Instruments B4 II • The B4 II interface opens and now appears in the instrument slot and is ready to use. The instrument mixer channel will allow you to mix, pan, and process the software's output just like any other existing audio track in Logic. • If the B4 II interface is not already open, double click on the mixer’s insert slot to call up the B4 II interface.
Use in Digital Performer 4.6 • Launch Digital Performer and create an instrument track by selecting Project Add Track Instrument Track B4 II. • Create a MIDI track by selecting Project Add Track MIDI Track. In Digital Performer’s track overview window (or in the sequence editor window) assign the ouput of this MIDI track to “B4 II-1” and a MIDI channel. • The plug-in is now ready to use.
Digital Performers mixer and directly to your sound card. If the plug-in does not receive MIDI or generate audio, then make sure to check the following two areas: • Make sure MIDI Patch Through is enabled in the Studio menu of Digital Performer. • The MIDI channel of your MIDI track must correspond to the receive channel of the loaded instrument. • Make sure that the instruments track output is correctly set. • Make sure that you have properly configured your sound card for use with Digital Performer.
DXi 2 plug-in DXi is a Microsoft DirectX technology based plug-in format Use in Sonar 4 • Launch Sonar • In the synth rack choose B4 II DXi 2. Loading the DXi 2 plug-in in the synth rack • Route a MIDI track to the DXi 2-Plug-in by selecting B4 II in the Out drop down list. Assign a MIDI track to the B4 II -DXi-Plug-in After having loaded an Instrument from the library you should be able to trigger it via MIDI using a keyboard controller.
Using B4 II with Pro Tools The RTAS format is an interface protocol for Mac OS and Windows that allows you to use plug-ins with ProTools independently from additional TDM hardware. In this case, the host processor alone performs all of the computations for the plug-in. • Launch Pro Tools • Create a new Instrument track : File New Track • Locate the channel mixer : Windows Show mix • The dark grey box at the topmost section of the Instrument channel is the RTAS insert section.
The B4 User Interface The B4 “Manual View” You can adjust all of the front panel controls with your mouse. Additionally, you can test the current sound by clicking on the keys of either manual or the foot pedals. The B4 Control Center The B4 Control Center is always displayed and contains the interface to guide you around your virtual organ. You can quickly select presets with the Preset Menu and switch to the different views to accomplish the tasks at hand.
The Manual View is an “organ keyboard” view, which includes all three manuals (the upper and lower as well as the pedals), the three drawbar sets, the expression pedal and the performance switches. This is a good view to use when you are doing manual drawbar editing, and want to be able to “manually” strike the keys. These editing controls are covered in more detail in the “Creating Your Sound” section of the manual. The Organ View displays the most important editing controls used for programming your B4.
The Expert View displays an additional set of controls for the tonewheel models, percussion and vibrato details, reverb, and the rotary effects. The major organ controls, like the drawbars, the Rotator controls, and the vibrato/percussion buttons are also available in the Expert View. These settings are also covered in more detail in the “Creating Your Sound” section of the manual. The Preset View shows everything you need to organize your organ sound library.
Last but not least, the Setup View helps you with setting up various MIDI channel options and with assigning MIDI controllers to the dials and switches of the B4. You will also use it for setting up MIDI channels, keysplits and manual transpositions. Most of the time you will work with the Manual- and Organ Views, as these contain the more performance-oriented controls. The Expert View is geared towards in-detail editing.
Up : Loads the previous preset on the list. Down : Loads the next preset on the list. Store: Immediately stores the current setting in the current preset and overwrites it. The Preset View gives you more controls for handling presets and is described in the next section of this manual. Using Presets The B4 puts a broad range of organ sounds at your fingertips, giving you rapid access to a library of 120 presets, divided into 10 banks of 12 presets each.
Of course, you can also use the preset section displayed in the Control Center to change presets or navigate to the Preset View to get a better overview over your currently available presets. Organ and Expert View Use the preset menu/ arrows buttons to change and the Store button to overwrite presets. Presets can also be selected using MIDI Program Change commands. Program numbers determine the bank and program to be selected.
Exporting Presets In sequencers, the preset memory is saved as part of the song that uses the B4 plug-in. But you will probably also want to export your presets to a file. You can save all 120 presets in memory as an “export” file using the Save function on the Preset View. If you only want to export the current sound as a single preset, you can use the Save Single function. These files allow you to share presets with other B4 users or to store settings for later use.
If you want to rename a preset, double click on its name and type in a new one. To store a preset you should use the Store To command. This important command lets you store presets in a location other than your currently selected preset. After clicking Store To you select the desired preset slot on the preset list and your new sound will get stored. Be careful, though, you will overwrite the preset that formerly dwelled in that location The B4 also sports a small MIDI file player.
List Operations Store To: After clicking Store To you select the desired preset slot on the preset list and your current settings are stored into that preset slot. Delete: This command deletes the currently selected preset, leaving an empty preset slot. Compact List: This command pushes all empty preset slots to the end of the list. All presets will get renumbered accordingly. Protect!: If toggled on, this option prevents all presets from being overwritten. The memory is protected.
Keyboard Splits Unlike most instruments, the B4 must implement multiple keyboard ranks (called manuals in organ parlance). This is accomplished in two ways: either by responding to multiple MIDI channels, or by supporting keyboard splits. When using multiple MIDI channels (No Keyboard Split), the default response to MIDI information is as follows: Notes, Controls, and Program Changes received on MIDI channel 1 are used by the entire instrument.
On the resulting menu choose Set Upper Keyboard Split to define the upper split point. This key and all above it will play the upper manual from now on. The keys below it play the lower manual. Similarly, use the menu entry Set Lower Keyboard Split to set the split point between the bass pedals and the lower manual. When Keysplit is activated, the split points are shown with markers on the upper manual in the Keyboards View.
As an alternative, you can modify the split points on the Setup View. Each manual can also be transposed up or down by one octave by rightclicking on the respective on-screen keyboard and choosing the appropriate transposition settings from the context sensitive menu. This also works for the pedals. MIDI Response The MIDI response of the B4 is similar to any standard MIDI instrument. Once you have MIDI reception set correctly, you will find that the B4 will respond to the complete range of MIDI notes.
The B4 is also able to have all of the on-screen controls manipulated by MIDI controller messages. The MIDI controllers used are listed on the Setup View. They can be changed to your needs. You can do this either on the Setup View (which is described in the next section of this manual) or by right clicking on the control and choosing MIDI Learn… from the pop-up menu. Afterwards just move the hardware controller you want to assign to that specific B4 control and you are done.
In standalone mode the external signal comes from the audio input of your soundcard. Please refer to the Setup View section of this manual for more information. The FX plugin version of B4 will receive audio input from the host software it is running in. Please refer to the respective section of this manual and to the documentation of your sequencer or plugin host for information on how to route audio into the B4 FX plugin.
The Setup View is for assigning MIDI controllers, managing controller maps and for setting some further details affecting the behaviour of your B4. Controller assignment On the left you have the Controller Assignment list representing the current controller map. The CC column shows the currently set controllers for the B4 parameters shown in the Name column. Click on the controller number to change its value. Press enter to commit the change.
footswitch means run mode. It depends on the parameter to be controlled and on your personal taste which Mode setting you should choose. For the rotor brake both settings can be useful but you will probably want to use things like Percussion on/off with toggle mode. Export and import of controller maps is provided via the following commands: MIDI Learn: With this control you can assign MIDI controllers interactively. First you select the parameter to be re-assigned on the controller assignment list.
Rig-Kontrol-2 Active: This is for proud owners of the Native Instruments RigKontrol 2. Activate this option, if you want to control the B4 with the RigKontrol. Please be sure that no Guitar Rig is running when activating Rig-Kontrol for the B4. It cannot be used for both at the same time. The default state of this control is off. Furthermore you can only use the Rig-Kontrol 2 with your B4 in standalone mode.
2 Pedal Drawbars: When active, the B4 pedals get only two drawbars (16’ and 51/3’). This does not mean that only two of the normally six drawbars are active but that the two drawbars control a mixture of tones. This emulates a feature of the original B3. Upper Drawbars On Left: When this control is active the upper and lower drawbar sections swap their positions in all views. Pedal Drawbars In Middle: Activate this if you want the pedal drawbars between those for the upper and lower keyboard. Percus.
Transpose: With the Transpose switches you can transpose each of the three manuals one octave up or down. Alternatively, you can switch the octaves of the respective manuals by right clicking them in the Manual View and choosing the respective option in the pop-up menu. Upper/Lower Keysplit: If you want to control multiple B4 manuals with one keyboard you can define keysplits. Click into the value field and move the mouse up or down to change the note number.
Creating Your Own Sounds Manual View Controls The B4 organ in all its glory… The B4 provides complete editing functions for all three manuals (upper, lower and pedal). This programming is provided by the drawbars and controls on the Manual View panel, and the adjustments located on the Organ and Expert Views. Using these edit functions, you can create new and exciting sounds to accentuate your music.
Vibrato Setting The Vibrato Setting switch allows for quick changes to the depth of the chorus or vibrato effect. The switch has six settings: V-1, C-1, V-2, C-2, V-3, C-3. These settings determine the depth and mix of the Scanner Chorus/Vibrato effect. In fact, changing these switches will change the Depth and Mix settings found on the Expert View. V stands for Vibrato effect and C is Chorus. The number indicates the depth of the effect.
Lower Manual Drawbars 9 drawbars setup the sound for the lower manual channel. Two brown drawbars (called 16’ and 5 1/3’ in organ parlance) provide the sub-octave tone for a powerful sound. The white drawbars (8’, 4’, 2’ and 1’) mix in the pure octave harmonics. The black drawbars (2 2/3’, 1 3/5’ and 1 1/3’) provide extra timbral coloration. The combination of these tones allows a huge range of different sounds to be created.
When activating Percussion on an original B3, the 1’ tone becomes silent. The default setting for the B4 does not account for this. You can, however, activate the Perc disables 1’ drawbar feature on the Setup View to get your B4 act like the original in this aspect. The speed of decay and the percussion volume can be adjusted in the Expert View. As an enhancement over the original B3, the B4 allows any drawbar to be selected as the source for the percussion tone.
Bank Switch This rotary switch selects one of 10 banks of presets. Ready for immediate use, there are all the popular sounds for jazz, rock and classical play, as well as some more extreme settings. A change to the bank selection will cause an immediate change to the preset in use (and the drawbar, effects and Rotator settings displayed). Each bank holds 12 presets, one on each Preset Selector key.
Rotator Controls The rotating speaker simulation (Rotator) speeds up and slows down realistically when operating this switch (which responds to the MIDI Mod-Wheel control). The rotation speeds and acceleration characteristics can be adjusted with complete flexibility in the Expert View. The Rotator effect can also be disabled for straight organ sounds by using the rotor brake.
Organ View Controls The Organ View Panel… The Organ view is split into several sections: Organ, Tube Amp, Microphones, the cabinets selector, and an overview of the Manual View settings (reviewed above). The Organ section sets details in the tone generation model. In the Tube Amp section you can control the tone of the Amplifier model and the Microphone section deals, well, with microphone details.
Keyclick amount adds an initial bite to the sound that is a popular part of the tonewheel sound. The “bite” provided by higher keyclick volumes will add definition to the organ tone (especially good for soloing), and is useful when the B4 needs to cut through a dense mix. The original B3 is not velocity sensitive. With the B4, however, you can add variable velocity sensitivity by turning the Velocity knob. This is a nice feature to play accentuated riffs and can greatly enhance your organ voice.
The Tube Amp Volume sets the output level sent from the amplifier model. This determines the overall volume of the organ, and is used to provide volume compensation between presets. This is strictly a volume adjustment, and has no effect on the tone of the amp. The Bass and Treble knobs control two shelving equalizers helping to shape the sound of the amp. Tube Amp Bass boosts or cuts the bass frequency range and can give amplifier distortion a fuller sound.
Citrus: This setting simulates an on-axis condenser microphone on a guitar cabinet and represents a well-balanced all-around tone. Tweedman: An on-axis dynamic microphone picking up a 4 x 10 guitar box. It is nice for a jazzy sound with pleasant bass tones. Think Jimmy Smith. Jazz: If you are looking for that dirty Jimmy McGriff sound, this cabinet can come close. It simulates a 2 x 12 speaker setup with a condenser microphone. Twang: This can sound soft and warm.
The Balance control determines the relative mix between the treble and bass speaker outputs. This provides control of the tonal characteristics of the speaker output (and, therefore, the entire plug-in). When turned all the way to the right you hear only the treble rotor. Fully left and only the bass rotor is heard. With the knob centered you get an even mix of the two rotors. The Pan control can place the treble to one side and bass to the other side of the stereo output.
Expert View Controls Advanced controls on the Expert view… The Expert View also displays the regular performance controls on the lower part of the screen. However it is more geared for programming sounds. Tonewheel The B4 goes beyond what is possible with an old Hammond organ in many ways. One important feature is that it is equipped with a replaceable tonewheel generator as standard. This means you can easily take out the whole set of 91 tonewheels and replace them with a new set.
Just like the old tonewheel organs, the B4 has no master tune control because tonewheels run at a fixed synchronous speed that cannot be changed. The only way to change the master tuning is to change the transmission ratios in the tonewheel generator, something that’s completely impractical in hardware but easily achieved with the B4’s replaceable tonewheel generator. You can now choose the B3 Classic Tonewheel Set in different tunings. The B3 classic set is in standard 440Hz tuning.
and a Harmonium simulation right at your fingertips. Percussion The Percussion Volume control determines the amount of percussion effect in the sound. The use of percussion provides a lightness to the sound, and is particularly useful for jazz and house organ sounds. Percussion Volume has only two positions on the B3: “Soft” and “Normal”. On the B4, this is continuously variable over a wide range. The position corresponding to the B3 setting “Soft” is labeled S and “Normal” is labeled N.
Vibrato The Vibrato Mix control determines the type of effect. This is continuously variable from Vibrato (Mix knob right) through Chorus (Mix knob centered) to almost no effect (Mix knob left). The Vibrato Depth control determines the amount of vibrato applied to the sound. Note: The Vibrato And Chorus knob on the Manual View (as with the original B3) allows only Vibrato or Chorus effect to be selected (at depth settings of 1, 2 or 3).
the signal chain after the Rotator. Have a look at the following diagram to get a better understanding of the reverb signal flow.
Treble Rotor The indicator lamp provides visual feedback of the current treble rotation rate. The Slow speed sets the rotational speed of the treble rotor when the Rotator Speed switch is set to Slow. This setting is continuously variable between 0 and 85 rpm. When the knob is centered you get a typical chorale effect. The Fast speed setting determines the speed of the treble rotor when the Rotator Speed switch is set to Fast. This setting is variable from 85 to 700 rpm.
Operation of Spread and Distance controls.
Drawbar Programming Basics Theory The key to understanding drawbar programming is to understand the use of harmonics. Harmonics are the basis of complex sound generation, and are present in almost every sound you hear. The most basic sound is the pure sine wave. It consists of the “fundamental” tone only. The fundamental is the base frequency of a pitch. For example, the frequency of the A above middle C is 440 Hz.
It would be convenient if tonewheel organs used harmonics to describe the drawbars settings. However, the terms used for describing the harmonic content of organs historically comes from pipe organs, where the use of various lengths of pipe determines the tonal characteristics. Hence, organs have come to use “pipe length” rather than harmonic number to describe sound settings. Additionally, it is quite useful to have tones that are not part of the basic harmonics series to “fatten up” the resultant sound.
Practice Now that we’ve reviewed the technical and historical aspects of the tonewheel organ, let’s use this information to create some useful sounds with the B4. We will use the upper manual to experiment with the organ sound, although all of the following concepts will work equally well with the other manuals. The only exception is pedalboard programming, as the drawbars provided for the bass pedals are missing the highest three drawbars. Let’s start with a very basic setting.
Now, let’s work with some of the other harmonics. Again, reset the drawbars with only the 8’ bar pulled out. Then start adding tones using the black drawbars. Notice how the sound becomes more “angular”, and there is less of a pure tone nature to the sound. In fact, you can even eliminate the 8’ drawbar, and only hear the high harmonics. Since there is no fundamental in the produced tone, the note is only “implied”. By varying the amount of fundamental, you can get a variety of standard jazzy organ sounds.
Both jazz organists and house producers tend to use similar drawbar setting – primarily using lower drawbars with just a touch of higher harmonics, and the addition of the percussion sound. The difference in use is based on details: jazz cats will make a significant number of changes to the Rotator while playing, while a house player will typically leave the Rotator at the slow setting (using the organ sound as a grooving pad).
Appendix A: Keyboard and Mouse Control Keyboard control standalone Mode F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12 Space Shift-Space Alpabetic Keys Numeric Keypad 1 Numeric Keypad 2 Numeric Keypad 3 Numeric Keypad Enter Numeric Keypad 0 Function Preset +1 Preset -1 Preset -12 Preset +12 Vibrato Lower on/off Vibrato Upper on/off Percussion on/off Percussion Volume Percussion Decay Percussion Harmonic Manual view Organ view Expert view Preset view Setup view Full Screen mode Learn lower keysplit Learn upper keys
Appendix B: Recommended Reading and Listening Suggested Reading Keyboard presents: The Hammond Organ, Beauty in the B by Mark Vail, published by Miller Freeman Books ISBN 0-87930-459-6 Keyboard Magazine: June 1999 Article: Master Class, featuring Joey DeFrancesco Hammond Organ Complete: Tunes, Tones, and Techniques for Drawbar Keyboards by Dave Limina ISBN 0-63401-433-1 Hammond Links on the WWW The Absolute Beginner’s B-3 Newsletter http://theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/files/b3-letter.
Leslie Speakers and Hammond Organs - Rumors, Myths, Facts and Lore: http://www.mitatechs.com/leslierumors.html The Hammond Forum: http://www.zeni.net/~hf The International Archives for the Jazz Organ (IAJO) http://iajo.jwolf.com/# Hammond Tonewheel Organ WebRing: http://u.webring.com/hub?ring=hammond Suggested Listening • • • • • • • • • • • Organ-Ized: All-Star Tribute to the Hammond B3 Organ Kickin' The 3- The Best of Organ Trio Jazz Any recording by Jimmy Smith. Any recording by Jimmy McGriff.
Genres: Jazz Well-known artists: Jimmy Smith, Jimmy Mc Griff, Barbara Dennerlein, Funk Brothers, Brother Jack Mc Duff... Jazz was the first contemporary musical genre using the Hammond in a completely new context. Laurens Hammond originally presented his organ as a portable and affordable replacement for the church organ. Thus, it got introduced into the gospel music of the black community and finally into jazz! Rock Well-known artists: Procul Harum, Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Stevie Winwood...
The Hammond can already be heard on the legendary Studio 1 recordings, from the times when reaggae still was called ska. Transistor Well-known artists: Pink Floyd, The Doors, Can, Iron Butterfly… At that time a Hammond/Leslie combo was as expensive as a family car. But there were alternatives: transistor organs made by Vox, Farfisa and others. The above mentioned bands helped these organs to gain a psychedelic underground reputation.
Appendix C: The B4 Signal Flow 84 – B4 II
Index A ASIO.................................. 19, 22 AU........................................... 20 Audio + MIDI Settings................ 25 Audio Input............................... 53 Audio input............................... 50 Audio Interface.......................... 25 Audio Units......................... 20, 31 Plug-in Installation.................... 9 Authorization............................... 9 Key.......................................... 9 B B4IIFX......................................
E Effect plugin............................. 49 Expert View......................... 39, 67 Expression pedal....................... 61 F Fill Out Form button................... 16 Full screen mode....................... 55 G Garage Band............................. 34 H Harmonics................................ 74 I Interface................................... 25 K Keyboard delete keyboard split................ 47 set lower keyboard split.......47, 55 set upper keyboard split......47, 55 split..............
Presets banks.................................... 41 export all................................ 45 export single........................... 45 import all............................... 45 program change...................... 46 renaming................................ 44 selection.......................... 41, 60 store...................................... 41 store to…............................... 44 Preset selection......................... 60 Presets Menu...................... 40, 43 Preset storage.....
V Velocity............................... 63, 78 Vibrato................................ 56, 70 depth..................................... 70 mix........................................ 70 View Menu................................ 37 VST.......................................... 20 VST 2.0 Plug-In.........................
