What are VB3 II people using (if) for switching from B to Bflat presets?
A and B buttons. You will also see the other key buttons with normal presets.
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MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HAMMOND VSTs - PART 1
Sometime ago, I made a commitment to myself to get under the hood of these VSTs, just to see what secrets lurk in the crevices. I’ve discussed several things with some developers, and shared settings with users, just to get the well rounded whys and hows of the plugs. Below are facts I’ve learned from developers, users, and my own experiments.
One preset fits all…of course it doesn’t. Just like the real thing, you have to shape the tones you like. Same with VSTs, you have to experiment. But, unlike the real thing, we can use many different Hammond models, with different aging, and different Leslies with different amps, with different tubes, and different rotor speeds. Do that with the press of a switch on a real Hammond/Leslie combination.
The cross-over in a real Leslie is never considered in VSTs.
Actually, they ARE considered. I have confirmation most developers have a properly configured crossover in their plugs. Just ask them.
There needs to be separate mic placements for top and bottom Leslie.
B5 and Blue3, for sure, has separate top and bottom mics with accurate leakage between the two. VB3 II parameters are much different, but have top and bottom mics.
There is never enough distance between sound at the mic and sound 180 degrees away from it.
Most live, and studio micings are a few inches away from the Leslie, maybe a foot or two in some recordings. Blue3 allows a distance from 3 inches to 6 feet. Micing is the single most important adjustment for a great Leslie sound. Distance greatly affects the amount of doppler, amplitude modulation and many other factors.
I am looking into many other things, and plan to share more info, racks, and presets in the near future.
Regards
Corky
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Hey Al
B5 uses some samples. VB3, VB3 II, and Blue3 use no samples. I don’t know who you talked to, but I could possibly understand their confusion, since they are not working with samples. The market determines many things. You can buy a new XK for about $3700, or buy an emulation for roughly $100. A very small niche market. These organs are much better than 2 years ago, even better than 8 yrs ago, so time will tell.
In the day, when I had a different Hammond provided at most gigs, there was something I either found annoying, or found great about each one. I would run through a few passages just to get the feel, and had a good time at the gig. I surely didn’t have the time to test every nuance and stress over the fact it wasn’t perfect. All Hammonds are different, in one sense or another, and I find that to be a beautiful thing. That’s just how I am. I find wonderful things in all the Hammond vst’s, well… except the Arturia. I still get to play on the real thing occasionally, and love it, but I know most gigs now will be done with a VST. Not a cop out…just a necessity.
That is my absolute favorite thing about VB3 1.4. The ambient doppler hiss gives me a huge chubby. It’s so good I’m tempted to run it in the background with the IK Leslie just for the hiss, nothing else. And I love it live. It drives sound guys nuts and the ones that have worked with real Leslies get a good chuckle. I can’t believe it went away on VB3 2.0.
Also I agree on the switching solenoid click. It’s undesirable on the real thing and I don’t want it on a virtual one, even if it’s “realistic”.
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Please tell me you stay seated.
That’s always fun to watch.
Hmmm. I’ve never heard the phrase “huge chubby” before but I think my (dirty) imagination can hazard a guess… 
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It is a U.S. thing, although I think it is a little overinflated, Har Har Har.
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Turning to something completely different, for your consideration:
Interesting. I read this somewhere else a long time ago. It did give smaller churches a way to get organ music in their modest surroundings. Hammond faced big challenges when calling it an organ. Kinda like 2 nights ago, the conversation I heard a purist guitarist having with one of my bandmates about amp sims and virtual instruments, knowing damn well I used them. “Clapton, and Page don’t use that crap”, to which I said, “and THEIR predecessors didn’t use those Marshal amps and wah-wah pedals, and light gauge strings. But times do move on, and old ways remain old.”
I do get feisty occasionally. 
Glad Hammond made it through those times.
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You have company on that quality Corky! 
As far as amp sims go I know S-Gear has changed my opinion of the quality of these and I know some other amp sim brands are great too. It records easily without the mics, phasing and unwanted noise and for live work it easily keeps pace with modeled amps like Roland Katana or equivalent. I have only heard a Kemper Profiling Head once that a fellow brought by the store to show off and it slayed but was way out of my price range. Next to a real Marshall it was incredibly convincing. So the purists can check that out too before judging I think. FWIW I get great results with my pagan rig both live and on recordings.
Dave
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Ya know it all started with me the first time I showed up for a studio session with my Rick bass and got attitude about, “don’t you have a Fender sigh”. And recently running sound, “can’t you just setup 1 mic and let us stand around it like the Grand Ole Opry”. Every sax player has heard the “anybody any good has a Selmer Mark VI”. So here we are with models/samples/simulations of choice instruments and it still happens. I get history and tradition, but just because “Hank done it that way” doesn’t mean time and tech hasn’t moved on. I thought this article was interesting because of the hidden agenda with the traditionalists. And here I am in Austin where the name of Townes VanZant has to be invoked at any gig.
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I still play Bass occasionally, but a few years ago I was busy playing Bass with a band, and showed up with my Ibanez 5 string, active electronics and all. It really pissed off the diva guitarist, and he had the gall to walk over to me and started adjusting settings on the amp, and the Bass I was wearing. He said, “that’s what it should sound like”, and walked off. As I stood in a silent rage, I decided not to act on my thoughts of giving him a five-string enema. Instead, I reset my amp, and Bass. I slapped and thumped a great funk sound all night to his rock classics. He was pissed all night.
I use my sax much less these days. Unless I am doing a lot of solo work, I go to my keyboard, even though I get asked why I didn’t bring it. It wasn’t that long ago I also hauled a sax, a trumpet, a flute, and a bag of harmonicas with my regular gear. Two keyboards, a guitar, and a couple of harmonicas is about the limit now.
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first … the whispered complaint followed by a cluster of pitchforks and torches … topped off with a visit to the flaming pylon … 
… it’s my burden …
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Remind me not to piss you off … 
my ballads would suffer for sure
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As I said…I tend to get feisty when facing a diva.
AND …here’s your required pic:
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my old rig … how did you …
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