dbran

I went down the rabbit hole on this topic about a year ago and stumbled upon this site: https://mvsep.com/en You upload your track into a queue for processing, and it lets you choose from a menu of different algorithms to do the separation, and after a time (maybe 10 to 30 minutes) you get another page with links to your separated tracks. All for free. There is also information there about which algorithms do better at certain kinds of processing. I don't understand all of it, but I find it very interesting. There are competitions that these algorithms get entered into, and scored based on how well they separate a standard set of test tracks into their component parts. The scores have been creeping up over the years. Many of the apps out there, like Moises and so forth, are just different wrappers with the same handful of underlying algorithms. And some of them are better than others at certain tasks -- for example, the ones that are best at separating out the vocals may not be the best at distinguishing keyboards from guitars, and so forth. However, they all seem to be getting better and better, so it may be that these differences matter less and less as time goes on. In order to be able to use .wav files (which I believe should give better results than using mp3's although I have no evidence for that) I went ahead and made an account there and have suffered no ill consequences as a result (no spam or other malware). I've used it to isolate certain sounds and sound effects for a tribute band that I play in, and also, to hear the vocal arrangements and guitar/keyboard arrangements more clearly. I really like listening to music and doing this kind of separation with my own ears, but there are certain things that the machines are better at, and also, when you want to convince your bandmates (or yourself) that "this is what that instrument is doing," it's a big help.

I also had a KBR-3D for many years, and never had a good experience with those XLR outputs. They were too hot for mic levels, so you couldn't run them into the mic preamps at a board, but they were very low for "line level" signals. To the OP: I don't think a standard DI box will help you because the step-down transformers will give you a weak mic signal as the output, derived from the weak line-level signal that you have now. If you had a couple of mic preamp inputs to spare on your board, you could go into those after attenuating the signal somewhat, to get it down to normal mic levels, with something like the Radial Trim Two. I think you would want something with variable attenuation. However, with only line-level inputs to work with, I guess you would need some kind of a preamp instead, to boost the signal to a healthy line level. Unfortunately, this complicates the setup. I wish you luck!

I can confirm that lawman's method in the previous post works great, have been doing it for years. You can get "Slow/Fast" switching (and nothing else, no stop or bypass) with a simple footswitch this way. I stumbled across the method in this thread: https://organforum.com/forums/forum/electronic-organs-midi/hammond-organs/33638-diy-swtch-for-neo-vent-2?32998-DIY-swtch-for-neo-vent-2= You do have to put the Ventilator II into the correct switching mode for it to work. In my case, using a Boss FS-5L latching switch, I set switching to mode 4 (what the ventilator manual calls "momentary," but actually is appropriate for a LATCHING remote switch), and then set remote switch mode to "Switch 1" (secondary knob function to 7:00) which is again described as "momentary" but actually is correct for LATCHING switches -- the Vent's response is what's "momentary," so the switch itself needs to be latched so that the connection stays on or off. For these switching modes, the manual describes the connections as: "Ring to Sleeve: Slow/Fast Tip to Sleeve: stop" And that's exactly what you get when using the "ring" half of a TRS insert cable. Because no tip-to-sleeve connection is ever being made, the stop command never happens, and the ring-to-sleeve connection (or lack thereof) switches you back and forth from slow to fast. For an unlatching switch as in lawman's post above, I would guess that you need to put the ventilator into "latching" switch mode, so that its response "latches" to a momentary command sent by an unlatched switch.

Reezekeys, thanks for the reply. Coming back to this thread a few months later just to report that I solved the problem described above, in case it ever vexes anyone else. The whistling sound was a result of inadvertently sending the organ sound through two leslie emulations, one after the other, in the AUM host. The first rotary, in vB3m, I had disabled (setting the rotary effect to "none") so that it could be sent out over AUM into the GSI rotary app. However, I finally figured out that when changing patches on my control keyboard, a MIDI patch change command was getting sent to the vB3m app as well, sending it back to the "default" patch with its own rotary engaged. Therefore, two rotaries were being used in series. I am not an expert, but I believe part of the characteristic Leslie sound includes some narrowband peaks at certain frequencies. I guess that at least one of these peaks lined up on the same frequencies in both rotary apps, so that any noise in those narrow bands would be hugely amplified. That does fit with the feedback-like sound I was hearing. I am now having AUM filter out patch changes to the vB3m app, and the problem has not recurred.

I am still fairly new to the vB3m and GSi rotary app. I love the sound of the vB3m rotary, but I wanted to get control over the ramp up/down times, so I bought the standalone GSI rotary app and route the dry vB3m into it using AUM as a host. I can't get the standalone to sound as good (to my ears) as the vB3m rotary, but I am still experimenting. The vB3m has a kind of grittiness to it, while the standalone sounds "cleaner" (and therefore less exciting to listen to for what I'm trying to do). Also having a strange problem that occurs maybe every ten minutes of playing or so, where a painfully loud whistling sound will start and become self-sustaining through this combination and last for about ten seconds before dying out. It seems to be triggered by the percussion on a certain key or two, near the G above middle C. Still trying to figure it out.

The "In The Cage" medley from Three Sides Live immediately came to mind. Definite "wow factor" there. Also, Second Home By The Sea is just awesome.

Wow, thanks Viv. Incredibly useful if I can get that to work! Much appreciated!

Hey Viv, not to derail this thread too much I hope, but... could elaborate as to how exactly you are making the MIDI connections you describe here? As I understand it, the MODX7 cannot use MIDI on both the 5-pin DIN port and the USB port at the same time, you have to choose one or the other. So.. how are you wiring these three things together? I ask because I'm interested in doing something similar with my MODX7 and another lower board, and an iPad Pro (which has a USB-C port). Thanks!

Thank you!

I grew up with piano lessons and started playing synths in bands in the late 80s. Always thought the guitar was a cool, mysterious thing but just never took the plunge to try to learn it. I remember hearing Zeppelin's "Over The Hills and Far Away" on my car radio one day in high school and thinking, "what a cool riff... and you know, it doesn't sound THAT hard..." Finally one summer I decided to give it a try. I heard Edgar Winter's "Free Ride" on the radio, and that was it -- that riff was so cool, I just had to see if I could learn to play this instrument. Started with a Mel Bay book of chords and an acoustic guitar... that was hard as heck to play, so a friend helped me pick out an electric, a Squier Strat, and the first guitar song I played in front of people was Jumpin' Jack Flash. From that point on, I've always played both keys and guitars in most of the bands I've been in -- as the Real MC says, it's really handy to not have to force keys into a song where only guitars are required. I love playing the guitar. So many cool sounds, pedals, amps, modelers, the whole thing... I'll never be a hot lead player, but I've become a pretty good rhythm player by learning from the (way better) guitarists in the bands. Actually I've had this dream for a long time of just being the rhythm guitarist -- life would be so simple at the rehearsals and gigs! -- but of course the keys are what get my foot in the door with bands to begin with, so I doubt it will ever happen. So I'm always schlepping twice the gear everywhere, to maintain this flexibility. It's gotten better over the years as guitar modeling has improved and allowed me to play both instruments through the same amps, so the load is lighter than it used to be. 30 years later, I'm still working on "Free Ride!" What a fiendishly difficult little riff that is... but I've gotten to play both that one and the Zeppelin in various cover bands, and it's quite a thrill!

There are three bands whose albums have been like constant friends to me throughout my life -- Genesis, Boston, and Rush. I've gotten to see the latter two several times each, so I'm good. But for whatever reason, I've never been able to see Genesis, and thought that ship had sailed. If they come anywhere near me this time, I'm going! And I may drag my family along with me. Even if Phil is not anywhere near his peak, I'm still going to get to hear those huge Tony Banks keyboard sounds, and watch Mike Rutherford play those parts that are so deeply burned into my brain. Duke and Abacab were the albums that turned me on to them, though I like and appreciate their whole catalog. I like Peter Gabriel as a solo performer (agree completely about Secret World, it's amazing), but I prefer the Collins-fronted Genesis by far. I hope this tour really happens!

double ditto!

I have to agree, the low end on these is really surprising, in a good way! I've done some low synth drones for one song with them, and they sound plenty deep and full... people in the band looking around, and at me, like, "whoa, that is cool!" I'm sure a sub would take it up to "ridiculously cool" in that situation, but for everything else, I think a sub would be overkill. In fact, in one of my bands I've had cut some of the bass response, because our bass player said I was putting out too much low end on pianos, EP's, etc. I think he was right. I made this cut using the "Monitor 2" DSP setting. But I've just noticed that there are some other settings where you can engage a high-pass filter at various low frequencies, so I might try those as well. By the way Chuck, it was your early advocacy for these K8.2's (and detailed descriptions) that put me onto them, and I've never once regretted it. Thank you!

Points very well taken. Absolutely. The Vent is worth every penny! I just wish I had enough pennies for a couple more of them!

Ayup. This is why I'm perpetually on the hunt for a cheaper solution with almost-as-good results -- because I could really use several of these pedals, installed at different rehearsal spaces, but can't shell out that kind of money repeatedly for them. So far, I think the best "bang for the buck" rotary emulator has been the Lester K -- not as complex as the Vent to my ears, but it has a real warmth and charm and "aliveness" that just works, particularly with electric pianos, but also with organ. At $140, they're a steal. The only issue for me is that it can't be controlled via an external footswitch, and I can't keep looking down at the floor to be sure I'm hitting the little switch on the face properly, so it's unworkable for me in a real playing situation.