KVR Audio

dickiefunk · Post by **dickiefunk** » Mon May 09, 2016 6:57 am

Maybe a new contender for GSI's VB3!?

https://www.acousticsamples.net/B5

Twrogstudio · Post by **Twrogstudio** » Mon May 09, 2016 11:11 am

It's fantastic! I haven't spent much time with it yet, but so far I think they've done a wonderful job with this.

bill45 · Post by **bill45** » Mon May 09, 2016 5:35 pm

How is it on the cpu?

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Mon May 09, 2016 5:45 pm

Very likely not as CPU efficient as VB3

No_Use · Post by **No_Use** » Mon May 09, 2016 5:50 pm

EvilDragon wrote:Very likely not as CPU efficient as VB3

Why not, as it's samples(*), not physical modelling, it could actually be more CPU efficient (in theory), no ?

Haven't checked it out either yet though.

(*)edit:
Actually not sure what this means exactly, they say "Synthesis model based on samples, to get the authentic sound and the real mechanic behaviour."

No_Use · Post by **No_Use** » Mon May 09, 2016 5:52 pm

doublepost, sorry

Spitfire31 · Post by **Spitfire31** » Tue May 10, 2016 9:05 am

It took about fifteen seconds after I'd installed and launched Acoustic Samples' B-5 Organ on my MB Air before I had a big smile all over my face. It just feels completely fat and authentic, including the Leslie effects and a pleasantly creamy overdrive that can scream if you turn the dial fully up.

The B-5 Organ is work of organic art, plain and simple. The overdrive, the Leslies, the tone – they all feel like the real thing. My smile turned into a grin when I heard the click of rotor solenoids, and the woosh of the horns and the baffle. Awesome attention to detail.

The 'sample modelling' technique used makes for a fast load and the instrument itself is 276MB in addition to the free UVI Workstation Player host's 84MB. In Live 9, it takes about 15% CPU on my MB Air 2013.

The B-5 is going to be my go-to Hammond (sorry, VB3, you will always be a good friend…).

I have a few minor gripes.

Unfortunately, the rotary model apparently precludes variation of belt tension, so the hardwired acceleration/deceleration is what you get. If you've got special wishes, you can always use, for example, PSP's L'Otary and connect it to the 'direct out' option of the B-5.

Also, I haven't found a way of connecting a foot pedal (CC64) so that it works as a toggle (my preferred mode). By default it's pedal up = chorale and pedal down = tremolo. Maybe we can get a toggle option in an update?

Finally, the button and knob legends are hard to read on my 13" (non-Retina) screen. I guess the GUI size is fixed to the UVI Workstation standard window, but it could be quite a bit bigger. The legends on the rotary knobs are fixed to the dial, so quite difficult to dechipher in some dial positions. OTOH, you quickly learn what's what.

Anyway, these are minor points. The B-5 Organ is the current Queen of software Hammonds. IMHO, of course…

/Joachim

EDIT: I just got an email from Arno at Acoustic Samples that CC64 now works as a toggle. That was quick…

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue May 10, 2016 9:16 am

No_Use wrote:
EvilDragon wrote:Very likely not as CPU efficient as VB3
Why not, as it's samples(*), not physical modelling, it could actually be more CPU efficient (in theory), no ?

Haven't checked it out either yet though.

(*)edit:
Actually not sure what this means exactly, they say "Synthesis model based on samples, to get the authentic sound and the real mechanic behaviour."

Because UVI engine (no disrespect to them - I love the guys!) is not the most CPU-efficient sample playback engine that exists. Effects in it sound great, but there is a price to pay for that sound.

See above, 15% CPU and over 300 MB of RAM for a single Hammond plugin (althought that IS a pretty weak mobile i5 in there, either 1.3 or 1.7 GHz by default). VB3 barely registers here on my i5 at 3 GHz, and uses about 30 MB of RAM, while still sounding really great... That said, if those 15% are from Live's CPU meter, that's not an accurate figure either.

At any rate, VB3 v2 is going to kill them all for sure

Spitfire31 · Post by **Spitfire31** » Tue May 10, 2016 9:21 am

Re above: Actually, it's a 1.7 GHz i7 in my MB Air.

/Joachim

Spitfire31 · Post by **Spitfire31** » Tue May 10, 2016 10:14 am

I should add that B-5 Organ, like all Acoustic Samples' instrument, is protected with PACE/iLok.

However, it's handled in the nicest possible way – you get no less than three (3) licenses and you can choose either an iLok 1 or iLok 2 dongle or your HD in any combination. You can also drag a license from HD to dongle back and forth, so I really don't se this as a disadvantage.

/Joachim

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue May 10, 2016 10:38 am

They should add more rock audio demos. What's up there currently didn't "rock my boat" so to speak (not in a way VB3 does effortlessly, at least)... No truly overdriven sounds there. It's almost as if they intend to sell this only to jazz, gospel, pop, R&B people out there, but not those of rock or metal "persuasion".

Fantasie · Post by **Fantasie** » Tue May 10, 2016 11:55 am

Now they added some Deep Purple-ish rock tracks to their demos.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue May 10, 2016 11:57 am

Yep, heard them, that's far from Lord's Hammond-into-Marshall-stack tone, though. Or at least fully overdriven Leslie amp tone...

dickiefunk · Post by **dickiefunk** » Tue May 10, 2016 12:41 pm

EvilDragon wrote:
At any rate, VB3 v2 is going to kill them all for sure

How do you know that? Is it in beta?

Spitfire31 · Post by **Spitfire31** » Tue May 10, 2016 1:30 pm

Anyway, VB3 v.2, if it arrives as software only (I've got it in my PC based Crumar MOJO) it will only be for Windows, not for Mac. I got that from the horse's mouth.

And the more I play it, the more I love the meaty tone of AS B-5 Organ. It's definitely a keeper for me.

/Joachim

Acoustic Samples B5 - Hammond Organ VSTi