IK Multimedia B3X

I'm going to have to check this out.

I got excited when I saw this...then I listened to it. I mean it doesn't sound "bad"...but, better than LPX organ? Better than the B5? Doesn't sound like it to me. I'm sure I'll demo it eventually.

With all due respect to Drbill - I’m really bummed I bought the 8dio one. Maybe if it played correctly.

That being said, joelhamilton did a record with the logic amps and he sounded amazing. My biggest stumbling block is that I’m a mediocre player on everything.

I demo'd it. It's worthy. Thing is, though, I've got Logic pulled up right now--LPX Organ, B5, new B3x. It's fairly six of one. I've said before I bought the B5 because I don't always use Logic-so I wanted one that followed me wherever. Not because it's better. I mean it is...a little...but, man we're into hair splitting territory. It's hard to say the b3x is "better" even by a little than the B5. It uses the entire little MacBook i5 CPU to be "a little better" than the LPX organ...the B5 isn't that intense, as long as the files are on an internal SSD--it's drive heavy.

However, I will point out it lacks a specific feature that I find indispensable: the ability to flick(toggle) the mod wheel. The real one you flick one way...flick it the other-left hand down low)...I have a joystick (Korg) mod wheel...so, I can assign a slider to CC1, but it's no longer in the "right" place. Acoustic Samples implemented the Voce drawbar module I sent them in some revision...I can fully drive it now.

As a generalization, I'd say the B5 is superior if you do much in the top octave. That where both the modellers get "odd". The B5 will do that warbly screaming thing in that top octave. This new one does better than Logic up there...not B5 good. But, the new one certainly doesn't suck. Unlike some ehm, other options that have had me scratching my head as to why the exist.

Maybe if they blow it out on Black Friday, I'll buy it because I'm an organ geek...but, I figured I better deom it while I'm coincidentally in the middle of laying down organ tracks. So I can see how it does with a part I literally just played on the organ...

I played some more this morning.

One of the things I've found with the B5 is there is a lot of note variance. Because on real ones--at least real ones that haven't been "minty disassembled/restored"--there's not variance. Missing tones on certain keys means that some drawbars don't sound, but only on the one key....anyway--the organs of the B5 were straight up sampled, so whatever variance is there. I bet if they implemented more of a component level variable in the models, they'd come closer. I DO still think the new one and the LPX Organ seem to "play better"....as models of things seem to do. But, neither have that off kilter scream in the top octave of the real thing--for SOME reason....they're all very "measured and even".

But, I did tracks last night--I can't tell what I'm using. I'll tell you how I can tell the real--the pedal is musical. It can sweep HUGE volume difference, but my lousy (but from memory pricey) Roland/Boss expression pedal is....just not even. If ever I needed to go back to playing VI organs, I would NEED to seek out some heavy duty "meant to be like organ" CC pedal. It's bigger than a foot....and it has a lot of range "rock"....and it STAYS--it's firm, unlike a way or something--it's firm so it STAYS there, even with whatever "removing foot" pressure. So, you might turn down for the verse and use the foot for pedals or....nothing....where the expression pedals tend to sweep the same volume distance, but with a little fulcrum that's really touchy. Anyway--that's just my pedal--I imagine you can get "real" heavy duty ones, but....still--my point is, that's the way I could, in mix context tell the difference--the modelers tended to jump around "wrong" in volume. They tend to be more distorted than my real one--because I don't much like the sound of mine cranked. I just push it to where it's getting fuzzy when the pedal all the way down....the virtual ones tend to be built I think to cater to those "rock organ" sounds--they drive a lot more like a guitar amp.

Did. Hated it. A lot. The GSi one was a little better...but, still was not up to the big three. AcousticSamples B5 (my fave--use the two C3 samples)...LogicX's Vintage Organ--from 5 years ago? And then I'd put this up there. It uses exponentially more CPU and doesn't sound better to me. But, it plays like a model, which I think still feels more right'ish--and you don't need LogicX. The B5 still every now and again has a glitch on the MacBook. I tried to grab the latest UVI Workstation the other night for this demo--see if that got worked out, but their servers were not responding. I pulled it yesterday, but haven't updated. Gotta check compatibility--I'm still on OSX.12. 

Funny story--made a preset for a client (who has hired me to play organ a bunch in the past)--now he just uses that preset, static settings...and pencils in midi notes to the B5. It's godawful fake sounding, but I can't sound like I'm pissy about the lost work to tell him that, you know? That's how that would sound if I said it sounded fake. 

Playing tip: If anyone reading this doesn't understand this ONE principle--you NEED to play the leslie speed. Listen to good "soul/pop" Hammond parts--the leslie ramps up and down. I do it more than most, maybe--but, man it's important. I don't think that is appreant to everyone--like when you are playing with it on slow as a "pad"...and you go to the bar with the V chord? Hit the speed switch on say the 2--and if these are set right, it should take some TIME to ramp up. That lag is IMPORTANT. 

Tip2 : if you're NOT going to get drawbar controllers and manipulate them as you play, PLEASE get one that allows the morphing. I don't think the B5 does...but, I KNOW LPX organ does--where you use one CC to morphe between two drawbar settings as the song goes...it does the work of a bunch of fingers pulling and pushing with one CC "fader"...if one wants the proper "sound" without really having to learn to play them...learn to use that morph feature. You can actually just pad the chords in one pass...then come back with the expression pedal, leslie speed, and the "morph" CC in pass two. Because changing drawbars changes volume--which is why the pedal's there...and the speed ramping up and down are good times to be changing the drawbars...so...that's a nice "I'm not a organist" way to get an authentic sound without really getting it all "together".