Audio Demos and Release Notes of Master Hammond B3 Organ VST VST3 Audio Unit - Virtual Hammond B3 Plugins

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Master Hammond B3 Organ

 

 

Release Notes: The latest release note is a terse summary of recent changes, enhancements and bug fixes in this particular software release.
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Changes in Windows v3.0:

• Changed: The VST plugin has been completely redesigned with revamped presets with a vast array of essential B-3 organ sounds.
• Added: VST3 Plugin format.
• Added: Chorale/Tremolo Speed Modulator with rate, depth, switchable waveform and selectable modulation source to modulation destination.
• Added: Filter section with cutoff frequency, filter type box for ‘Low Pass Filter’, ‘High Pass Filter’ or none.
• Added: Amplitude Range parameters to control the loudness.
• Added: Panning potentiometer control to set the panning of the instrument.
• Changed: Improved spatial auralization. All presets brings a stereophonic widening sound to increase the audible perspective or perceived breadth, even without using the built-in reverberation.
• Changed: Predefined presets are accessed exclusively and quickly from selector area on the plugin interface.
• Changed: Renewed graphical user interface.
• Changed: Previous Glide improved with a new Pitch Bend.
• Changed: User Guide updated to fit current version and unified for Windows and macOS.
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Changes in macOS v3.3:

• Changed: The AU and VST plugins has been completely redesigned with revamped presets with a vast array of essential B-3 organ sounds.
• Added: VST3 Plugin format.
• Added: Filter section with cutoff frequency, filter type box for ‘Low Pass Filter’, ‘High Pass Filter’ or none.
• Added: Amplitude Range parameters to control the loudness.
• Changed: New LFO renamed ‘Chorale/Tremolo Speed Modulator’ with switchable waveform and selectable modulation source to modulation destination.
• Changed: Improved spatial auralization. All presets brings a stereophonic widening sound to increase the audible perspective or perceived breadth, even without using the built-in reverberation.
• Changed: User Guide updated to fit current version and unified for Windows and macOS.

 

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List of Preset Sounds

1

Fast Rotary Speaker Cab

2

Slow Rotary Speaker Cab

3

Soft Blues

4

Soul Jazz

5

Dark Gritty

6

Glassy

7

Prog Hard Rock

8

Overdriven Fuzzy

9

 Neo B-3

10

Mellow Vibes

11

Tonewheel Fusion

12

Full Bars

13

Swirling High Drawbars

14

Percussive Key Click

15

Percussive Smooth Jazz

16

Percussive Warm

 

Presets Sounds Demo ↓

 

 

 

 

 

The Hammond B-3: There were many varieties of the Hammond organ, some designed for home use, some designed for church use, and some designed for live gigs and studio recording. But the most popular variety, and the one still commonly in use today (if you can find one that isn’t too beat up) is the Hammond B-3. This organ has two 61 note keyboards, (manuals), sometimes called the swell (top) and the great (bottom), a variety of built-in special effects, (including "percussion" effects, several different chorus and vibrato effects, and adjustable attack and decay effects), 9 preset keys for both manuals, (the inversely white and black keys on the bottom octave of each manual), two sets of nine stops (drawbars) for each manual, a full two octave set of foot pedals with two pedal drawbars built in to the console, a volume pedal (expression pedal) built into the base, a solid walnut body with 4 legs and base, a built-in stool, and it weighed in at over 400 pounds. Also, it needed to be run through a separate speaker called a Leslie (which I will explain later), which also came in many varieties and sizes, but which was usually around six feet tall and weighed almost as much as the organ. To get a B-3 to a gig, you would probably need a truck or a van to transport it, a dolly or three to four guys to carry it, and then a prayer that you didn’t have to carry it up too many flights of stairs. Why, you must be wondering, would any sane musician want to take this piece of furniture with them out to a gig? If you have ever heard a good B-3, you would understand. A Hammond B-3 can all at once sound like a carnival, a big band, a horn section, a small jazz combo, a funk group, a percussion section, a flute, and/or countless other things. How does one instrument manage to do all this? The answer begins in the drawbars.The Leslie Rotary Speaker Cabinet: The Leslie speaker is a combined amplifier and loudspeaker that projects the signal from an electric or electronic instrument and modifies the sound by rotating the loudspeakers. It is most commonly associated with the Hammond organ, though it was later used for the guitar and other instruments. A typical Leslie speaker contains an amplifier, a treble horn and a bass speaker—though specific components depend upon the model. A musician controls the Leslie speaker by either an external switch or pedal that alternates between a slow and fast speed setting, known as "chorale" and "tremolo".The Real Hammond & Leslie

The Hammond organ, developed by Laurens Hammond and introduced in 1935, was the first commercially successful electric instrument. It was widely used in homes. It was also widely used in jazz, rock, blues, gospel and popular music performance.  Perhaps the success of the Hammond B3 would not be without the trusty Leslie Speaker Cabinet. Invented by Don Leslie, create a speaker cabinet that spins, or spins the speakers to provide a very non directional sound that when coupled with the B3, sounds very much like a church organ, without all of the messy tubing.

 

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