Best Hammond B3 VI

Prime Mover · Post by **Prime Mover** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:47 am

Hey, I've been using the Native Instruments Vintage Organs plugin for a while, but something about it just isn't QUITE doing it for me. I switched to the C3 patch after I realized that the B3 was out of tune and the percussion was practically non-existant, and it's been better, but it still isn't quite right. I still find myself fudging with the drawbars, scrambling to get the right sound, sometimes mid-show, but it really doesn't have the immediate gratification that plugs like the Scarbee keys have for me. NI B4 is long in the past, and in the tooth, but I'm wondering what everyone has found to be the best Hammond VI, or whether there are things that one can do with Vintage Organs that have helped. Sorry for being non-specific, but I really can't pinpoint what exactly is bothering me. I think the percussion isn't loud/punchy enough. I'm not an organ man, but in trying out some of the common registries, they feel OK but not amazing.

Gravity Jim · Post by **Gravity Jim** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:14 pm

Funny you mention this: I was just wondering if NI B4 II would still run on my system (it's on the hard drive, it just stopped showing up in my Instrument Track list after a recent rebuild... I suppose if I just installed the component again, it would probably still work). I loved that thing to pieces, and you can really dial it in. I'm no good for comparisons, because I got everything I every wanted from B4, and so never tried another one.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:16 pm

"Best" is a tough description. People might have a favorite, but everyone's tastes differ so much that one person's favorite might not be the best for someone else.

I know what you mean, though: the current NI organs miss some of the gravy that I liked so much about B4, but these are currently the "best" organs I have-- and that doesn't really help you very much.

I've been meaning to download the VB3 Demo to do some comparisons, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe the demo version might help you narrow down what you're missing from the NI organs.

The audio demos are really pretty decent, imho.

Otherwise, maybe there's some trick with adding a comp with a fast release just to push those percussion transients a little further forward. I've had to do something similar to get a little more "point" on timpani attacks when doing orchestral mock-ups without having the timp eat up the whole mix.

Just some thoughts.

David Polich · Post by **David Polich** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:28 pm

If you have the installer disc for NI's B4 II, or Komplete 5 (the last
version of Komplete that contained B4 II), you can install B4II on your
system if you're on Leopard or Snow Leopard. When you next launch the
Service Center you should see the B4II or Komplete 5 serial number displayed and you can activate it. Then run the Service Center again and download the last update for B4II which is 2.0.4.x.

I did run into a problem when I first installed B4II on my current system -
the Service Center didn't display it as a product that needed to be activated.
I shut down my Mac, powered up again, launched the Service Center again and
this time it found the serial number and I was able to activate.

B4II will run as a VI within DP. On my system it won't run as a standalone,
though...it can't find my audio interface. Not sure why, but at any rate I
don't use it as a standalone anyway.

SixStringGeek · Post by **SixStringGeek** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:29 pm

Prime Mover wrote:Hey, I've been using the Native Instruments Vintage Organs plugin for a while, but something about it just isn't QUITE doing it for me.

I'm still using B4 II for organ everywhere. I have downloaded the VB3 demo and I find it just isn't quite as "present" or something. As far as I know, those are the only models of Hammonds around.

bayswater · Post by **bayswater** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:38 pm

SixStringGeek wrote:I'm still using B4 II for organ everywhere. I have downloaded the VB3 demo and I find it just isn't quite as "present" or something. As far as I know, those are the only models of Hammonds around.

Frodo is right about this being a matter of individual preferences. When I hear the NI, I think, yes, I can tell that's supposed to be a B3, it'll do. When I hear the VB3, I get flood of old memories from a playing in a band that used a B3. You just have to try them out for yourself.

jlaudon · Post by **jlaudon** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:22 pm

I have all of these organs, and mostly end up going to the VB3, just feels so much more playable. I recently had to do a remake of brain salad surgery, and the VB3 got me closest to emerson's organ, FWIW

.

However, I have to use VB3 in Bidule, as it seems to still crash DP when I insert it directly.

HCMarkus · Post by **HCMarkus** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:02 pm

Brain Salad Surgery... NOW I get the cat picture!

Little Known · Post by **Little Known** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:25 pm

However, I have to use VB3 in Bidule, as it seems to still crash DP when I insert it directly.[/quote]

I leave the VB3 window open on order to keep it from crashing DP. It still hangs DP on quit/close of the project or DP

---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.248790,-55.052722" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dwetmaster · Post by **Dwetmaster** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:54 am

VB3 nuff said...

BUT since I would be interested in hearing any organ emulation played through Amplitube 3 EXCELLENT Leslie speaker emulation. I've been using it exclusively with my Hammond A-100 for 2 years now. Nobody ever complained...

Armageddon · Post by **Armageddon** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:24 am

I still own, love and use my old B4 II. It still works fine here, as does Pro-53 ... one of the many reasons I don't wanna upgrade to Lion.

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:18 am

If you happen to have MachFive.2, there's a great Hammond model in it. Sliders and all. I don't know if I trust the future of MachFive at this point, but that's only because I haven't seen anything about it on the MOTU site for a long, long time. If they revise it soon, it may well be worth the money. I'm just pointing out the B-3 thing in case you already happen to have it.

Shooshie

Pappy725 · Post by **Pappy725** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:21 am

Didn't they just come out with Mach Five |3? MOTU's home page is what Safari opens for me when I start it up. And an 896 mkIII!

Pappy

Prime Mover · Post by **Prime Mover** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:25 am

Sadly, I jumped on the Komplete bandwagon with K7, so I don't have B4-II, and I don't have MachFive. VB3 sounds like an interesting thing to check out though, I haven't heard much about it.

UPDATE: Upon further inspection and inquiry, it looks like VB3 is a really good option. Looks like it is known to crash DP7

but I'm MOSTLY going to be using it live in Jambalaya (SixString, you heard of any problems with it?) I don't have Bidule, so I'll want to check out DP7s compatability. It would suck to have a great live sound that I can't use in the studio! (what a reversal!)

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:21 pm

Crashes are no small matter, but keep in mind that different systems crash for different reasons.

That said:

GSi Support FAQs wrote:Q: VB3 is crashing Digital Performer.

A: Yes, it's a known issue. VB3 for Mac has still some incompatibility issue with some versions of Digital Performer from MOTU. There are users that are using it without problems and others that are experiencing crashes with apparently no specific reason. For this reason, it's highly recommended to test drive VB3 before eventually purchasing a licence.

I'm not sure what versions of DP they mean or what system-specifics are at play in each case. Neither do I know how long ago that post was made.

More specifically.....

If nothing else, I thank those in the UK for their wonderful and hysterical colloquial phraseology:

21stcenturykid wrote:Shame its such an arse on!

If something akin to "all" or "the vast majority" of DP users experienced issues with VB3, it would cast a different light.

BUT... it would concern me greatly if DP were being unfairly singled out if VB3 for Mac itself led to the same results with other Mac-compatible DAW hosts.

MOTUnation.com