B3X B5 Comparison

[ElmerJFudd]

Messing around this morning.

 

Lead - 88888888, CV-C3 On, Perc on Normal, 122 Leslie Fast

Harmony - 80800000, CV-C3 On, Perc on Normal, 122 Leslie Slow

 

Pedals - 40 

 

No other plugins. 

 

I did my best to match mix and output volume so not scientific.  

 

Which is which and which do you prefer?  

[JamPro]

Valerie by the Zutons - I give points for keyboard playing done well enough so I can identify the material played.  Well Done.

 

Myself: I prefer the first (Left side) audio sample.  The organ sounded fuller and more bold to my ears.

[Stokely]

I also liked the left side, though it sounded louder in the headphones I'm using (and so probably fuller).

That isn't a setting I use (I tend toward more of a rock tone with only a bit of higher end drawbar, no perc, moderate overdrive, very little fast leslie) so I'm not the best judge.

[brenner13]

Bass and harmony comp are a touch louder on the second (right) audio clip. I like that one better for the sake of balance, but the lead sound of the first (left) on its own has more fullness as suggested by others.

[stoken6]

2 hours ago, JamPro said:

Valerie by the Zutons - I give points for keyboard playing done well enough so I can identify the material played.  Well Done.

Yeah, great playing. Of course that's Amy's version (needs to be added to the list of "best ever covers").

 

Cheers, Mike

[ElmerJFudd]

Thanks thanks.   I like the sound of both these emulations and am very impressed with how much tweaking is possible.  But due to the different methods used in producing their tone, I'm not sure they could be lined up to sound exactly the same.   Which is fine, both have their pros and cons.  

 

The first example is B3X.  The lead sound is really full and round, where the same settings on B5 are definitely thinner even when matching volume.  I take that to be due to B3X having more frequency content in the drawbars.  

 

If listening with good headphones or speakers - B5's bass has more ballz.  It also is a bit edgier sounding.  

 

The comping section is very similar to me.  

[ElmerJFudd]

Throwing Logic Pro X's B3 emulation into the mix.  

 

Settings: 88840000

Leslie 147 cab and amp, some overdrive, set to fast

No CV

No Perc

No FX, no inserts, no EQ, no compression. 

 

3 examples.  B3X, B5, Logic B3.

Which do you prefer? Which is which? A, B and C.

 

 

 

 

[vanderSchoot]

Hi Elmer, very nice topic and you inspired me greatly. I don't play in a band for a decade now and only have a Kawai MP11SE with software. It has been some time that i played an organ, but i couldn't resist to upload a software organ i like most. I noodled around and i wonder if anyone can guess it right. sorry not meant to highjack your topic, but as i said hearing those blues riffs i could not resist.  

 

 

[ElmerJFudd]

1 hour ago, vanderSchoot said:

Hi Elmer, very nice topic and you inspired me greatly. I don't play in a band for a decade now and only have a Kawai MP11SE with software. It has been some time that i played an organ, but i couldn't resist to upload a software organ i like most. I noodled around and i wonder if anyone can guess it right. sorry not meant to highjack your topic, but as i said hearing those blues riffs i could not resist.  

 

 

 

Hmmmm…. Dat geluid is lekker! what software organ is that?  The high note sounds pretty legit.  But then again, back in the day my U220 had a preset tone rock organ that seemed to have been designed to do that one singing high note really well.   What are your drawbar organ and Leslie settings? 

 

I enjoyed that a lot!  I hope others can share sounds and scenarios that are really working for them.  

[vanderSchoot]

6 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Hmmmm…. Dat geluid is lekker! what software organ is that?  The high note sounds pretty legit.  But then again, back in the day my U220 had a preset tone rock organ that seemed to have been designed to do that one singing high note really well.   What are your drawbar organ and Leslie settings? 

 

I enjoyed that a lot!  I hope others can share sounds and scenarios that are really working for them.  

Nice a bit of Dutch flavor !!!! The organ is the UAD Waterfall B3. In the past i had hardware Hammond XB-2 ,EMU B3, KeyB, Nord, Hx3 , Neo Ventilator and a real Leslie. Software Acoustic Samples B5 (now at version 3) and i had most of the familiar brands or tried them out like IK multi media, B4 , VB3 etc.

I only still have and sometimes use the AS B5 and my most recent purchase this UAD waterfall B3 for Hammond parts in my own composed music. As backing parts only.

 

I am no Hammond organist, but pianist in nature and i only used right hand Hammond parts in bands .

But i absolutely love the instrument , but never play much left hand ( apart from a walking or comping bass) and can’t play pedal board.

 

My experience is that most simulators sound pretty good when holding a full chord and changing speed from slow to fast. But most are less accurate when soloing on fast with licks and runs. That was my only minor disappointment with the Neo Ventilator which was otherwise stunningly accurate.

This software UAD, which is not so rich as the AS B5 in the bass registers, is the first internal simulator, both hard and software which got it absolutely nailed on -fast- ! 
But it’s hardly talked about and fairly expensive. I think it’s better than the much hailed IK multimedia B3-X with it’s also superb leslie. But when playing all parts combined the UAD , to my ears, sounds superior.

 

[ElmerJFudd]

Thank you for sharing.   Yes, piano.  I don't have many years on organ.  Only playing it for church and when needed in band context.  But it's been a hobby since learning so much about it from this community.  

 

I have only tried the UAD Waterfall briefly when they were running their 14 day trial of Spark.  We have a lot of simulations to choose from and most are quite good these days (including the stock Logic B3), so I didn't spend a lot of time with it.  But it's good to know that Waterfall gets a thumbs up.  

[davinwv]

While I still own VB3-II and B5v3, I currently only use B-3X and Waterfall. They both can sound great, depending upon the context and the track.

 

I've tweaked B-3X fairly heavily to get the sound I want, but Waterfall isn't very tweakable (other than Leslie mic options that B-3X lacks and a few other things), but it sounds pretty great out of the box.

[Jim Alfredson]

Both B3-X and B5 are great plug-ins and both offer several models of vintage consoles to choose from. I own both but I usually reach for B3-X if I'm too lazy to mic up my vintage Leslie and start up the Hammond console. Or if the track calls for a really grungey rock organ, I can get that with ease on B3-X and not on my vintage console, so that's another reason I use it.

[Delaware Dave]

2 hours ago, Jim Alfredson said:

Both B3-X and B5 are great plug-ins and both offer several models of vintage consoles to choose from. I own both but I usually reach for B3-X if I'm too lazy to mic up my vintage Leslie and start up the Hammond console. Or if the track calls for a really grungey rock organ, I can get that with ease on B3-X and not on my vintage console, so that's another reason I use it.

Yep, i've been waiting for the b3-x leslie sim in a pedal format but i guess it isnt coming.  

[ElmerJFudd]

Hmmm.  I wonder if that’s because Hammond sells a hardware Leslie pedal. 

[Jim Alfredson]

26 minutes ago, Delaware Dave said:

Yep, i've been waiting for the b3-x leslie sim in a pedal format but i guess it isnt coming.  

We’ve all been waiting.

[Baldwin Funster]

Since B3x is more an IK product than hammond as far as the actual development and sales, I wouldn't expect anything except product abandonment and neglect from IK.

They do keep some products current but many like iLectric Piano get finished and left to rot in non-updated purgatory. 

A hardware leslie pedal is so unlikely, I'd expect a leslie sim app first. And I don't expect that at all.

[Analogaddict]

B3-X also works perfectly with my XK5, all controllers mapped immediately. 👌💪😃

[Jim Alfredson]

9 hours ago, Analogaddict said:

B3-X also works perfectly with my XK5, all controllers mapped immediately. 👌💪😃

 

Yes, that's also a big 'selling point' for me using it in the studio. I can connect my SK2 as a controller and everything is mapped out automatically.

[JoJoB3]

Currently still AcousticSamples B5 all day for VST based.  More realistic and offering the greatest bang for buck  Doesn't mean B3-X is terrible. I dig the sound, it's just a bit limited.

[HammondDave]

I never thought that a software clone would ever be convincing, but I have been playing B3-X (in stereo) in my small rig for over a year, and it sounds incredible. 

[sosho]

On 8/19/2023 at 9:37 AM, vanderSchoot said:

Nice a bit of Dutch flavor !!!! The organ is the UAD Waterfall B3. In the past i had hardware Hammond XB-2 ,EMU B3, KeyB, Nord, Hx3 , Neo Ventilator and a real Leslie. Software Acoustic Samples B5 (now at version 3) and i had most of the familiar brands or tried them out like IK multi media, B4 , VB3 etc.

I only still have and sometimes use the AS B5 and my most recent purchase this UAD waterfall B3 for Hammond parts in my own composed music. As backing parts only.

 

I am no Hammond organist, but pianist in nature and i only used right hand Hammond parts in bands .

But i absolutely love the instrument , but never play much left hand ( apart from a walking or comping bass) and can’t play pedal board.

 

My experience is that most simulators sound pretty good when holding a full chord and changing speed from slow to fast. But most are less accurate when soloing on fast with licks and runs. That was my only minor disappointment with the Neo Ventilator which was otherwise stunningly accurate.

This software UAD, which is not so rich as the AS B5 in the bass registers, is the first internal simulator, both hard and software which got it absolutely nailed on -fast- ! 
But it’s hardly talked about and fairly expensive. I think it’s better than the much hailed IK multimedia B3-X with it’s also superb leslie. But when playing all parts combined the UAD , to my ears, sounds superior.

 

 i also bought Waterfall after briefly demoing it . I will have to test the B3-X again , I used it on a production and liked that one too after some tweaking .I probably should compare them again. Currently I am using a GSI /crumar hardware clone and Hx3/vent but I will soon try the waterfall live . Never used a laptop live before....