Now that would be one for Guido to tackle! A lot of complex stuff happens when you turn off the run switch. Pitch bend sort of gets it but it would be fun to have the authentic effect. I always wondered how Tom Scholz pulled off the upwards pitch bend on Smokin’. Either he had his Hammond plugged into a VariAC or he really just changed the tape speed as he was recording… Probably the last one 
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Scholz is on record saying it was him manipulating the tape with his fingers.
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Thanks for the info Torsten. I happen to be one of those crazy guys. 
Makes sense…
Blue3 updated for a second time today:
2.1.1
- Fixed a possible crash when bypassing the plugin very quickly
From the other thread, here is a rushed example of B5 thru it’s resident Leslie, and thru Amplitube Leslie. Again, using a Mini Keyboard which limits my playing. I just pulled up a random preset in B5 with a 122, and a random 122 setting in Amplitube. With a little time, I can make them sound exactly alike. I already know which one you will like better, so tell me what you think, and I will let you know which is which. I really love B5, but it is slow loading, and does put a little strain on load. It does a great job in live performance, and I can adjust it to get that amazing woody gospel sound, or hard driving rock. The biggest drawback is iLok. Occasionally, I will pull it up, and my license can’t be found. The only way to correct it is to reboot the computer. May just be a problem for me, but it is still a problem. At this point, it’s hard for me to trust it, so I have backup Blue3, or VB3 included in those songs
B5 Leslie test.zip (1.6 MB)
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Hi Corky, sorry I didn’t reply on the thread yet, I was still getting all my pile of commitments done lol. I am enjoying the presets you posted!! I only expected 2 setups so the extra “organ grinder” moves were a gift and also got me to thinking more about how I do it. I usually stick to one DB tone per song on our material and use drive and leslie tricks for animation and excitement but on theses old hard rock cuts like sweet child I knew there had to be more done so this is all good as far as helping me out. I am going to make an extra 2 tier C3 setup this winter just for learning that original 2 manual way! I have been trying different Marshall heads and really like what ‘Stealer’ by Scuffham S-Gear does to it on HWStar! Thanks again @Corky!!
Dave
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Yeah, I like B (even though it clips). But A sounds pretty good. The giveaway is the weird muting of the top end, the overdrive is dulled out (on A), plus the hum effect which is kind of cool but a little much. I love the air woosh on VB3 v1! Both of these have a better fast sound than the original VB3 Leslie did. I don’t think I’d have any problem playing out with B5 and its own Leslie based on that. Gotta say, that’s a meaty sound.
Yeah, like I said, I didn’t try to get them close, and I adjusted nothing. Just threw them in Cantabile, and ran with it. No doubt, I can closely dial in the sound of IK on the resident B5.
TAMING THE BLUE3
Blue 3 is something I’ve believed in since day one. Ray, the developer, listens and is very open to suggestions, thus, some new updates. I think us organ grinders expect these vsts to be a swiss army knife of all great organs, yet, in a past time, when we hauled these monsters around, we only got what sounds we could produce on that single organ. Spoiled, ain’t we ?
I still think the great sounds are in many of these plugs, you just have to dig for them and I’ve decided to give Blue3 the challenge. In Blue3, I still have problems with piercing high end tones. So, following tips by Ray, I was able to somewhat tame them, but I am still experimenting. I finally started making some progress on a heavy rock sound. It is not great, but it is a start.
Here is the preset, just unzip and import it into Blue3.
Blue3 2.1.1 11-3-18.zip (1.2 KB)
I do not like the distortion in Blue3, and I am not going to add one to it. I was able to shape it somewhat with the transformer parameter, and mid-range EQ parameter. There are many tweaks in this plug and I plan to find out the secret to every one of them.
I do not understand why, in some plugs, we are given a guitar amplifier with no way of adjusting that amp. And why, whenever we choose an amp, we can’t use it on the resident rotary. We have to add an outside rotary. VB3 II recently added a nice tube distortion parameter which really gave it some life. Thank goodness, cause I stopped using it. B5 has had a really good tube distortion on it’s rotarys for awhile now. Ray, if you are seeing this…
More to come…
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I decided Friday night to learn WSOP. After four 2 hour sessions this weekend I’m making it through on the right hand (gonna leave the bass line to 4 string) using Corky and Dave’s settings. It really helps when the sound is right! Two observations:
- Even though it’s simple, WSOP teaches you some magic happens when you hold a note while moving others.
- I want to play in a church!
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Yup - the distortion models are definitely a weakness in Blue3 - anything beyond a mild overdrive in Type A is just too edgy and scratchy. But try putting Blue3 (Line Out) → SDRR2 → Spin in sequence. Now we’re talking a different game! Whenever I want to give my organ more “bite” I activate SDRR2 in its two-stage tube configuration and dial in the right amount of growl - works a charm for me!
This is my standard live configuration - not as “beefy” as with the IK Leslie, but that also means I don’t need to cut so much low end out of the signal - that’s where the IK Leslie is just overwhelming in a band context. And the CPU strain is significantly lower than with the IK Leslie in the game.
Cheers,
Torsten
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That is why I hope Ray focuses on the distortion, then the high end. I have tried all the tonewheels, and some do tone down the highs a little. The transformer helps in that way, as does the mic positions. However, I haven’t tried customizing the tonewheels yet. I still really like Blue3 tho.
Hi Torsten,
I tried Blue2>IVGI>Spin, thanks for the suggestion, I’ve been meaning to try Adrian’s suggestion to control the IVGI drive with a pedal. Definitely adds warmth and takes the edge off. I know SDDR2 has a tube mode that would better match what a valve amp does - it’s not expensive so maybe I’ll get it.
One of the things on my punch list is to figure out which of these combinations works best live. I suspect the above combination using the Spin 3300 might sit well in a mid volume rock situation.
I strongly recommend getting SDDR2 - not only is it a great plugin, also Tony Frenzel, the guy behind Klanghelm, is a really cool guy and gives away his plugins at ridiculous prices…
IVGI simulates the saturation of a console channel, which is one of the saturation models of SDDR2. I think that the tube saturation model within SDDR2 is far more effective in really making an organ growl…
Haven’t tried Adrian’s idea of controlling drive via expression yet, sounds like a great enhancement!
Compared to the IK Leslie, Spin is a bit leaner, which is actually beneficial in a band context. the IK Leslie is a bit too dominant and takes up too much space in a mix, IMO. Spin may not be as accurate, but it works better in a mix for me. I tend to use the 122 model of Spin, though.
Cheers,
Torsten
First off this is an amazing gathering of users and a little overwhelming to take in all of the knowledge and experience displayed her, very exciting and encouraging. So here we go…
Acoustic Samples B5 Users experiences?
I just finished a video walkthrough of GSI VB3-II and have been working with trying to put something together for Acoustic Samples B5 but running into some sort of CPU processing issues and wondering if other users have had the same experience and if so what have been some of the best ways to deal with/work around things?
One of the biggest performance killers is when trying to adjust the KEY CLICK level. I know this is not something usually adjusted in a real time performance situation but it brings B5 to a halt when I adjust it ;^)
Thanks for the feedback.
Simeon
Hey Simeon
B5 does not like certain adjustments being made in real time. Understand, unlike VB3 and Blue3, B5 is a mixture of emulation AND samples, thus the higher CPU usage and some strange parameter changes during live play. It definitely has it’s nuances and ticks.
Corky
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Because Cantabile touts itself as " Serious Live Performance Software", the users here are mostly live performance musicians. The climate is very friendly, helpful, and sometimes slightly bent…in a joking way. The experience ranges from newbies to the beginnings of Rock n Roll. Hope you enjoy your time here as much as I do.
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Hi Simeon and Welcome,
I have B5 and as Corky said it does ramp up on cpu. The latest version (2.2.1) had the lowest cpu footprint, the ones before were worse. It takes a big rig with ssd and fast cpu speed. I use a 2.6 GHz 4core i7 with SSD and now can run B5 with multiple other vsti’s in the same song. The worse cpu culprit of B5 i found was the leslie ramp up and down processing. Never had greif with the perc but don’t adjust the level of that during a song so didn’t ever test it well. Thanks for chiming in here and hope you get your demo done! FWIW I play in a very present vocal group and this is my go to for getting the right mix with the vocals. It never gets in the way but warms up the whole event! 
Dave
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Book recommendation for thread participants (I bet some of you have it already).
“The Hammond Organ: Beauty in the B” by Mark Vail
I bought it on eBay for $5 shipped from Thrift Books. I figured it was going to be dog eared and tattered (which would have been fine) but its in better shape than my other music books.
It’s not a how-to book although there is one Keyboard Magazine article called 25 Licks for Hammond Organ (I think I’ve seen that online already). Whats great are the interviews with various Hammond luminaries over the years from both rock and jazz. Sprinkled inside those are some great tips and explanations for how sounds were achieved and sometimes why.
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