Controlling B3-X?

[MrVegas]

For all you B3-X users out there, what are you using to control it? How do you trigger Leslie fast vs. slow? Can it be mapped to an older board like the CX-3?

[Baldwin Funster]

I have a bunch of midi controllers. Novation impulse, nektar impact, samson carbon, korg nanokontrol and more. All control b3x . I've even run the note on from my roland ds. I think any class compliant thing works. Old cx3? Idk.

[drawback]

I'm controlling from a Kronos 61 and have mapped everything. I use the switch pedal for fast/slow because I like to use the joystick for CV & brake, leaving the sustain pedal for sustaining LHB and other sounds from Kronos on splits. B-3X MIDI learns, so it will work with pretty much anything, so assuming your CX3 is a second generation it should be a great controller for B-3X.

[davinwv]

I control it with a Numa Organ 2. Everything mapped / MIDI learned just fine. I really with centering the modwheel triggered the Leslie brake, but no dice!

[Coker]

I"ve used a CP4 as controller, used a foot switch for fast/slow Leslie, and mapped the right 5 draw bars to the mod wheel so I could play 88800000 for jazz and dial in the rest for the big squabble at the end of a song.

[Jwave]

Kurzweil PC4. Created a PC4 multi which maps B-3X default MIDI controls to the PC4"s labelled B3 drawbars and switches, with footswitch mapped to fast/slow. Made sure to assign a KB3 program to get the high trigger point over MIDI.

[Stokely]

I have the ipad version and have now done 3 gigs with it. I have a Yamaha MODX7 which makes it very easy--one cable sends midi and takes in the audio, which then combines with the internal MODX sounds. I can use B-3X in splits (or layers) with internal sounds. I wish all keyboards had this internal audio/midi interface, it's a feature I'll weigh strongly with any future keyboard purchases.

 

I've been lazy and haven't brought out any pedals so I'm just using the mod wheel to control leslie speed. I've got gain on the "super knob" but don't have individual drawbars mapped, so this gain is not only for overdrive crunch but also to adjust volume. I'd prefer to have crunch separately (which is not realistic I guess but convenient!) I haven't really needed drawbars as much because I've been using the drawbar presets on the lowest octave--I'd like to tweak these, I haven't yet looked into whether I can. I also have to be careful of doing swipes/buildups that hit a preset!

 

I need to get in there and take down some low end too. Might be my tonewheel, amp and cab settings but the low end is very prominent, more so than what I'm used to from my Nord electro and other keyboards. For all I know this might be more authentic but it's a little overkill in a band setting.

[kenheeter]

Yes, I had to dial back the low end as well. It's mapped to my YC61. I use the mod wheel to control C3 and mapped a couple of other controls to do other things ( reverb, percussion on, etc. ). It will do nicely until Yamaha finally gets around to fixing the onboard Leslie on the YC61.

[vonnor]

Like drawback, I have an EXT setup on the Kronos with the sliders, switches and knobs mapped to the default midi-CC numbers in the B3-X. The only change I made to the default CC numbers in B3-X is the leslie slow/fast, I have a footswitch-2 in the Forte which is a hard-coded CC (i forget the number). The Kronos SW1 and the Forte Footswitch-2 both control slow/fast, depending on if I have a free hand at the time. Cantabile controls the routing and filtering so I can do both at the same time.

 

~ vonnor

[obxa]

I also use a bunch of different controllers depending on gig. Nord Electro, Nord Stage, Hammond SKx, Hammond x3c, Novation impulse, and even my old Voce V5!.

 

Google the PDF manual to your Korg, find out which midi commands it transmits, and you can easily map them accordingly to the B3-X and store it in the user midi preset. The software also has a midi learn feature. Leslie speed could easily be mapped to the Korg's leslie switch, footswitch, or entirely something else.

 

Forgive me for hijacking the thread, I'll continue my rant that IK needs to make more than one user configurable midi configuration preset, for those of us who use multiple controllers. The current ONE user custom setup works, but major PITA to re-map every time you need to switch controllers.

Can't fathom why they can't implement this simple bit of code. I've pleaded on their forums and to support- and wish that more people would do the same.

[Delaware Dave]

Forgive me for hijacking the thread, I'll continue my rant that IK needs to make more than one user configurable midi configuration preset, for those of us who use multiple controllers. The current ONE user custom setup works, but major PITA to re-map every time you need to switch controllers.

Can the preset be exported? If it can then you create a preset for each device, if you have 3 devices create a preset, store it on a storage device. create the next preset, overwriting the preset in IK then saving that off to a storage device, then do it again for the 3rd controller, saving it off to a storage device. So now some storage device, like your computer, has three presets, each one containing a different configuration. Load the one you are going to use on any specific day. PITA, but easier than remapping every time you change controllers. Of course this theory only works if you can in fact save off presets to an external device and reload them.

[Stokely]

Yes, I had to dial back the low end as well. It's mapped to my YC61. I use the mod wheel to control C3 and mapped a couple of other controls to do other things ( reverb, percussion on, etc. ). It will do nicely until Yamaha finally gets around to fixing the onboard Leslie on the YC61.

 

 

If you don't mind me asking, how did you go about it? I don't have the modx out of the case currently but I think I'm using the 147 for amp and cab...I think it sounded the fullest, but now maybe too full.

Or, I was thinking I'd use the EQ they provide and take it down there. I'm sure there's a number of approaches maybe even diving into the tonewheel settings too.

 

What I think it just needs is a gentle low cut, once I hit the middle octave the volume jump is pretty large. I've been staying a way from that a bit more than on my other keyboards, which again could mean I'm playing more like a real organ player now for all I know

[drawback]

Yes, I had to dial back the low end as well. It's mapped to my YC61. I use the mod wheel to control C3 and mapped a couple of other controls to do other things ( reverb, percussion on, etc. ). It will do nicely until Yamaha finally gets around to fixing the onboard Leslie on the YC61.

 

 

If you don't mind me asking, how did you go about it? I don't have the modx out of the case currently but I think I'm using the 147 for amp and cab...I think it sounded the fullest, but now maybe too full.

Or, I was thinking I'd use the EQ they provide and take it down there. I'm sure there's a number of approaches maybe even diving into the tonewheel settings too.

 

What I think it just needs is a gentle low cut, once I hit the middle octave the volume jump is pretty large. I've been staying a way from that a bit more than on my other keyboards, which again could mean I'm playing more like a real organ player now for all I know

 

EQ from the Leslie Amp page is where to start. You might also want to run through the Hammond models (on the Advanced page) to see which one works best for you. I like the 1971 A-100.

[obxa]

Hey Delaware Dave B3 Presets can be exported. But unless I'm mistaken, the Midi controller settings are stored within the program globally & limited to just one single user preset, plus the included Hammond controller presets only.

 

Your theory is a great one- thank you- it gives me an idea: I wonder as a work around if one could copy multiple instances of the B3x app and uniquely rename each of them. With each using it's own folder to store and point to the app's user files. Couldn't do this w/pad, but possible on the Mac/PC. Thanks!

[brenner13]

I"ve used the Numa Compact 2X to control it at a few gigs and nearly always got comments how good the organ sounded, but since getting the new pitch paddle installed on my VR09, it"s just so much easier having all of my bread-n-butter sounds at quick access on the keyboard itself. I do about 50% organ (95% of that is rock overdrive), 15% synth pads & leads, 15% AC piano, 10% EP, & 10% hornz, with the classic rock cover band.

 

If a more subdued gig comes along with more jazz influenced organ needs, NC2X / B3-X would be my choice of what I currently have to choose from. Some day I"m gonna get a more respected clone wheel, but right now my gig rig must cover many more sounds.

[benj2017]

Kurzweil PC4. Created a PC4 multi which maps B-3X default MIDI controls to the PC4"s labelled B3 drawbars and switches, with footswitch mapped to fast/slow. Made sure to assign a KB3 program to get the high trigger point over MIDI.

 

Wondering if you can give more details on this?

 

I just set up a multi on my PC4-7 to do this and it works fine, but I lose the high trigger as soon as I navigate away from the Multi. My procedure was to save a KB3 patch and lower the gain so there is no audio output and put that in the Zone 1 in the multi. I also set the midi channel and added a program change to select a preset on the B3-X. (The other three zones are muted with no programs selected. )

 

If I edit the multi and reselect the silenced KB3 patch, the high trigger comes back, but same thing happens when I navigate away.

[AnotherScott]

Created a PC4 multi which maps B-3X default MIDI controls to the PC4"s labelled B3 drawbars and switches, with footswitch mapped to fast/slow. Made sure to assign a KB3 program to get the high trigger point over MIDI.

 

Wondering if you can give more details on this?

 

I just set up a multi on my PC4-7 to do this and it works fine, but I lose the high trigger as soon as I navigate away from the Multi.

High trigger is determined by the presence of a KB3 sound assignment. If you navigate away from the KB3 sound, you're also navigating away from the high trigger. Whatever you're navigating away from the Multi to do, create a different Multi that lets you do it while maintaining the KB3 program assignment.

[benj2017]

Created a PC4 multi which maps B-3X default MIDI controls to the PC4"s labelled B3 drawbars and switches, with footswitch mapped to fast/slow. Made sure to assign a KB3 program to get the high trigger point over MIDI.

 

Wondering if you can give more details on this?

 

I just set up a multi on my PC4-7 to do this and it works fine, but I lose the high trigger as soon as I navigate away from the Multi.

High trigger is determined by the presence of a KB3 sound assignment. If you navigate away from the KB3 sound, you're also navigating away from the high trigger. Whatever you're navigating away from the Multi to do, create a different Multi that lets you do it while maintaining the KB3 program assignment.

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear on this, if I navigate away from the Organ multi to either a piano or synth sound, then when I go back to the Organ multi, the high trigger is no longer working. Is your suggestion that I use only multis with KB3 programs in them?

 

**Edit** So I actually just double checked this, as soon as i exit the edit screen for the multi, the high trigger is no longer working and I can push the key down almost halfway without triggering a sound.

[AnotherScott]

Sorry if I wasn't clear on this, if I navigate away from the Organ multi to either a piano or synth sound, then when I go back to the Organ multi, the high trigger is no longer working.

Oh! That's strange, I'd have thought that the high trigger would be restored whenever you again recalled that Multi. So are you saying that, for example, when you first turn it on, and navigate to the KB3 multi, you get the high trigger, but if you switch to another multi and then back again to the KB3 multi, there's no high trigger? I wonder if it's somehow related to the particular thing you're switching to between the two instances of playing the KB3 multi. (A bug?)

[benj2017]

Yeah, for whatever reason it actually happens once I exit the edit screen for the multi and not when I navigate away.

 

I do have to change the outgoing program change in that zone of the multi each time I reselect the silenced organ patch back to where I had it so perhaps that is a factor?

 

It's not the end of the world, but it would nice to have the punchier attack when I am playing the B3-X.

[AnotherScott]

Yeah, for whatever reason it actually happens once I exit the edit screen for the multi and not when I navigate away.

Oh that's different. So it only works while you're editing? And you're being sure to save your edit when you exit the edit screen?

[benj2017]

Yeah, for whatever reason it actually happens once I exit the edit screen for the multi and not when I navigate away.

Oh that's different. So it only works while you're editing? And you're being sure to save your edit when you exit the edit screen?

 

Yes, and saving the multi works fine, it happens when I exit the edit screen and go back to the QA menu.