Vintage tonewheel organ: GG Audio-Blue3 has been updated to 1.3

[vic_france]

Having compared the demo tracks of Blue 3 to those of B-5 from AcousticSamples, I would say that B-5 sounds somewhat more natural, more "organic", so to say. But of course I know that demos can be quite misleading. Does anyone own the two and care to give us their opinion on that?

I have both (and love them both ).
If you've never been lucky enough to have the following experience.. you'd be amazed at just how different two real (hardware) B3s can sound from one another .

[chris.r]

... you'd be amazed at just how different two real (hardware) B3s can sound from one another

very true

[digitalboytn]

Well, it's just amazing how close a (virtual) plugin can get. In the end, samples are just (static) samples.

I find samples fairly uninspiring these days and even though most people are loading themselves up with "super size me" libraries,I prefer to get the sounds out of well coded virtual instruments where possible...

Although they don't work as well in every instance,they are more alive and "in the moment" than the same snapshot over and over again...

Wavetable synths are also cool like that...

You get the initial attack @ just a few kb's and build the sound around it..

Why carry a heavy tool box around when you can get the job done with a couple of spanners ?

Bigger is not always better

[tapiodmitriyevich]

I am interested. I tried to find some Youtube footage, but didn't (there is none)... I realized the name is too generic and occupied which is a problem for internet citizens but after all also sales. I guess.

[SMH]

I am interested. I tried to find some Youtube footage, but didn't (there is none)... I realized the name is too generic and occupied which is a problem for internet citizens but after all also sales. I guess.

It's pretty new so there probably aren't any YT demos yet. (And yes, not a very searchable name.)

I found one more thing that could stand some improvement. The Ambience control adds a short slapback echo instead of a typical reverb or early reflection algorithm. Very distinct, regular repeats, as you turn it up. Not a show-stopper for me, I just turn it off entirely and use my favorite reverb plugins. Would be nice if it was useful though.

[Leee1102]

Does anyone have any favorite presets? Especially in the rock category?

Even though I still only have the demo, I'm finding that every preset can be multiplied into many other presets simply by selecting a different tonewheel set. Most of the presets (at least in the rock category) use the Blue3 tonewheel set, but there are around 30 tonewheel sets to choose from (1956 B3, 1965 B3 red mylar, wax, recapped, etc.) that gives very different sounds to all the presets.
It's almost TOO much, LOL, I have a hard time deciding, from all the choices, which ones I like the best.
But Late Night and Big Full are two of my favorites, especially when you try different tonewheel sets with them, and experiment with the other various adjustments.

I can't wait until I can save up enough money to actually by it already. The Demo noise interruption is quite annoying.

The other thing I've found is that to really appreciate the sounds of Blue3, you should play it in a song (project) with drums, bass, and guitars. It really blends in nicely and is much better than just playing it by itself.

[chris.r]

There you go... my first shootout, please be gentle

Blue3 https://www.dropbox.com/s/a997q9kb1e6x3 ... 0Blue3.wav https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-nr8d ... Wd4YmpfUHM
VB3 (shareware) https://www.dropbox.com/s/19v5th91tbrcj ... %20VB3.wav https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-nr8d ... khLbDhGUVE
B4 https://www.dropbox.com/s/2qphf5nyng617 ... t%20B4.wav https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-nr8d ... HpfVUp3Ulk
B4 through Amplitube https://www.dropbox.com/s/uy4ev9ghlwhn3 ... 4ampli.wav https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-nr8d ... jZFOFh4a0k

I tried to do fair comparison as much as I could. All drawbars behave in exact same way, as do the swell pedal and leslie switch. Same chorus C-2 for all. Overdrive around 30% for all, 20% for VB3 as it tends to distort more. Key click, rotor accel/decel, or any extras, mostly in default positions. There's no way to match exactly every detail but my goal was to get the best sound out of default settings. Only adjusted mic positions slightly for best effect.

So how's the Blue3's sound against old icons... To me? More of an upgrade, rather than replacement. You may disagree though... Let your ears be the judge

[electrosim2001]

Hi all,

I am a hobby player ( old school theatre style organ and keyboard player ) with a fascination in most things regarding the old tonewheel organs including one that didn't find much favour with blues and rock players like the Hammond X66 with its extra two drawbars and distinctive vibratos.
Similarly I also liked the x77 H100 models.
I currently own a Ferrofish B4000+ that I use with a Yamaha AR80 organ and also a Hammond SK-2, plus NI's B4 II, with its B4D drawbar unit and also VB3, a GSI Burn for the B4 organ and a Vent II for the Ferrofish.

I just play at home for fun.
Naturally I was intrigued when I read about Blue3 and immediately noticed that it had a superb rotary speaker emulation and that it had a fat strong sound that I previously enjoyed from a Hammond T200 Organ.

As it's my birthday coming up I thought I might quite like to add Blues3 to my zooalogical garden of beasts.
I downloaded the demo and was hooked.
I love it, well actually I love them, as there are so many models to choose from.

I struggled at first to get the UI to the right size on my display as the options button at the bottom was out of sight and out of reach.
Go-Audio's support was first-class and Ray got me sorted by pointing to a txt file that I could alter to get to 70% to fit my HP netbook' display.

Yes it runs well on my modest netbook running ASIO4ALL.

The midi parameters matched 95% of the controls on my B4D and SK-2 so I can remotely control upper and lower drawbars live and switch to bass drawbars when required.
I have set up a few presets that when saved to the Midi folder respond to PC messages.
So far I am really impressed. For me the one thing missing is reverb which I would prefer to Ambience so for now I am running Blue3 into a GSI Burn where I have programmed a straight stereo reverb.

I recorded this after half an hour of setting up a few presets and put together this little video.

Whilst, no doubt, the music may not be to your liking, the organ sounds mighty fine to me, and it feels good to play. It feels, dare I say it, like playing a Hammond Organ .


https://youtu.be/flKeF2BKwJg

[Fleer]

Thanks to both of you

[chris.r]

Is there any better way for hosting the mp3/wav files, than the basic dropbox? Some people are having issues with it.

[chris.r]

Links updated, plus added new runners!

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=488585

I found one more thing that could stand some improvement. The Ambience control adds a short slapback echo instead of a typical reverb or early reflection algorithm. Very distinct, regular repeats, as you turn it up. Not a show-stopper for me, I just turn it off entirely and use my favorite reverb plugins. Would be nice if it was useful though.

I find it very useful. I don't think it was supposed to be a reverb or alternative, those we can add afterwards, on the plugin output or in mixing. This ambience here is very effective for me, when I want to change the perceiveness of the rotary effect. Try it on fast rotary, really changes the way leslie sounds.

[SMH]

I found one more thing that could stand some improvement. The Ambience control adds a short slapback echo instead of a typical reverb or early reflection algorithm. Very distinct, regular repeats, as you turn it up. Not a show-stopper for me, I just turn it off entirely and use my favorite reverb plugins. Would be nice if it was useful though.

I find it very useful. I don't think it was supposed to be a reverb or alternative, those we can add afterwards, on the plugin output or in mixing. This ambience here is very effective for me, when I want to change the perceiveness of the rotary effect. Try it on fast rotary, really changes the way leslie sounds.

Yes, of course a short delay with lots of repeats changes the sound, but does it change it in a good way? It will tend to comb filter the tone as well. It's basically a flanger with modulation turned down to zero.

Anyway, not a big deal, I just turn the feature off now and use a more sophisticated reverb effect after it.

[chris.r]

Both have a grounded way in producing. And very different. It's difficult to apply a proper reverb to the hammond organ, unless you have some more sophisticated solutions, like you said. Rematrix works for me very well, has a nice ir that sounds lovely when applied gently.

But... recent times I'm discovering short delays! Does it change the sound in a good way? Absolutely Every mixing engeener has it in his arsenal, even in the simpliest form can do wonder sometimes, widens the stereo field and gives the first sense of space. I suppose the comb filters might play a role here too, it's like in the nature in the end. I was shocked once when watching how applying a most basic short delay gives very professional sound to the mix, very inspiring

[someone called simon]

Whilst, no doubt, the music may not be to your liking, the organ sounds mighty fine to me, and it feels good to play. It feels, dare I say it, like playing a Hammond Organ .
https://youtu.be/flKeF2BKwJg

Nice retro loungy vibes! could be background music to a scene in Madmen or twin peaks

[Leee1102]

......
I know there's no demo available, but the Acoustic Samples B5 for UVI Workstation gets my vote for best Hammond plugin. A lot of the same tweaks are available, and it has tonewheel/vibrato/chorus samples of 4 different Hammonds (all phase aligned). I like the Leslie and drive more on B5, and it has a nice natural "organ in a room with some air" vibe to it. Out of the box it doesn't have the bass of Blue3 or VB3, but with the tweaks available you can easily get it there.

I'm wondering if you are talking about Acoustic Samples B5 Version 2?

Because I own version 1 (I'm downloading the update to version 2 right now), and IMHO it is the worst sounding B3 emulator out of all of the most popular ones. It's muddy and the rotary speaker is just weak and horrible.
However I read one reviewer who claimed that Version 2 is so much better than first. He claims they did a complete makeover of the leslie/rotary speaker amps and the actual organ sounds are much better too.

I own Native Instruments-B4 II, GSi's VB-3 and AS B5 v1. VB-3 is the best sounding one out of the lot, but I think Blue3 can definitely give it a run for it's money. Blue3 punches through the music and gives a powerful sounding Hammond sound. But I'm going to check out version 2 of the B5 and see if matches up to the others.

But as of right now, it's a toss up between VB-3 and Blue3 for the best sounding B3 emulator.