More information about the EVB3

The EVB3 is not available, unfortunately, as a single instrument anymore but packaged with Logic Pro. At the time of this writing, the EVB3 is no longer available in existing Logic 5, 6 or up to license the demo. Though you may have a demo in your Logic program, recent decisions in the company at the corporate level have made the instruments only available to Logic Pro purchasers, that could cost, roughly, around 1000 dollars. That goes for the other instruments, such as the EVP88 that also cannot be licensed after the demo period in the Logic 5 or up. You cannot now buy Logic, such as, the 5 version and then add the EVB3 unless you are buying Logic and the EVB3 in one package authorized by the XS key, that is, a USB hardware device needed to run the program. If you want the EVB3, do not buy Logic 5 or up unless you are sure that the EVB3 program has been permanently authorized in the program package

The live use of software instruments can offer exciting options, such as, using a vintage Leslie speaker like a 122 ported out from a Hammond-clone-dedicated, Speakeasy tube preamp. The fact that it is not available as a standalone for my use doesn't matter as I enjoy recording with it in Logic and is a terrific practice tool to sit back and listen to yourself play. In live instrument mode, there is no CPU bandwidth being used by the unused sequencer so it is a non-issue, in my opinion. The presets, that come with the EVB3, are programmed by Pit Loew, a well respected and noted keyboardist.

There are a few reasons for this, in my opinion, for this incorrect perception. One reason is the person is listening to the earliest version of the EVB3 with the rotor in the stopped position that has kind of a unHammond-like, in my opinion, tiny-nuance of a chorus effect trying to emulate the ambiance of a wood or other cabinet with the rotor in the stopped position. The effect disturbed me enough to run the organ without, the otherwise breathtaking, Leslie simulation to get the fat Hammond lead tone I wanted, at times, before I used a real Leslie.

"The problem with the brake is, that the leslie model goes to a static state, where it produces some peaks and notches, that color the sound. While the model is rotating, all those colorations are evened out. There are two options to overcome this: switching to brake crossfades to the dry signal, or the model parameters are defused to decrease the coloration in the brake state. I'm voting for the second option, since you won't loose the cabinet feel, if it works right. But the other option is easy to make."

Another reason one can perceive the B4 sounding more accurate, is the person, perhaps just to try it, has improperly, gotten a hold of the illegal, not-full-functioning, cracked version where the keyclick is known not to work. This was found out by legitimate owners of the organ taking a look at this, for emergency purposes, if the dongle failed at a live performance to have a backup, a common but technically wrong thing to do for a purchaser playing live software. To add another theory for this view of the B4 sounding more like the B3, incorrect in my opinion, also, is the myriad of tweaks and adjustments, in the instrument have not been optimized. There are different opinions of clones but sometimes the objective overrules the subjective. I would say that to anyone with a developed ear for tone, they will always be more impressed with the EVB3 than the B4.

Another issue that occurs, that I first noticed on Logic forums, is the sound dropping off with incorrect midi signal routing. This seems not to come up when not using the Leslie simulation as I could not get the program to do it and is easy to correct. You can tell this has happened by clicking on the bypass switch at the top of the GUI and the sound becomes louder. To this the developer wrote:

"That's very simple to solve. This phenomenon pops up, if the EVB3 gets more than one Note On command for the same note. This is the case, if you use a masterkeyboard with midi layers. Avoid this scenario and the EVB3 will scream along!"

Like I said, the organ is continuously improved. The Windows version does not have the fixes and updates and sounds best through a real Leslie. Recently, the developer has announced that he has tweaked the keyclick more to his liking. Unfortunately, the best way to run the organ at this time is with a MAC computer that requires no Leslie, though a real Leslie always sounds best with any clone, having all the fixes and updates on the recent MAC versions, especially, when using no Leslie with the stopped rotor, added enablements.

It is basically a software Hammond B3 emulation based on modeling. One of the features found on the instrument not available on other clones, either software or hardware, is the tunable and adjustable, velocity sensitive keyclick copying with realism, the famous Hammond organ keyclick. Others have keyclick, but not velocity sensitive, like the real organ. Though I do not use it having a 122 Leslie speaker, the EVB3 has an incredible Leslie simulation.

The vibrato scanner emulation is perfect, in my opinion. The tone of the software organ is warm and thick like the tonewheel that can be adjusted to the taste of the player. It is best controlled by a hardware clone with drawbars for full playing enjoyment. Unlike the B4, Native Instruments' very dated software organ, this organ can be used with the single CC drawbar rack configuration. In my opinion, it is punchier, has a warmer tone, better scanner and features including reverb than the B4. It seems also to have a penchant to sound beautifully like the jazz sounds recorded by the Greats.

Unfortunately, you must buy Logic Pro, like I said at the top of this page, wanting the EVB3 in a lesser expensive version of Logic, it must be already licensed as you cannont buy Logic 5 or up and purchase the instrument to add to it, now. The lowest cost sequencer that it has been available on is Logic A/V. The instrument needs Logic 5.3 or later to run.

Though this information is now obsolete since you can no longer add the EVB3 to Logic A/V, unfortunately, to explain how I purchase it: when I looked for Logic A/V 5 as a budget sequencer needed to run the organ and the lowest-cost way, being similiar to the budget-priced, previous Micro-Logic that was sold by itself, it was not found anywhere but only packaged with other instruments.

When you could add the EVB3 and license it in earliar Logic versions, the most common available PC versions of Logic 5 A/V were released in a package called Big Box that is a hybrid of MAC and PC. Version 6 is a Big Box of MAC only when Apple acquired the company. It is almost impossible to find any new Big Box hybrid Logic A/V 5 today and doesn't matter since you cannot add the EVB3 now, but still can be found on Ebay, but like I said previously, only buy used if the organ has already been licensed in the dongle. The Big Box new was packaged with a sampler, synth, software Rhodes and the Logic program, manuals (looseleaf-bound, older Logic 4 manual with smaller booklets with Logic 5 material) samples, and a bonus CD of more samples.

Originally one only needed to run the EVB3 for the trial period and purchase a license. There is no EVB3-only CD. It is always imbedded with Logic 5.3 and up and available as a demo for a short period in these programs. The boxed EVB3 (no longer being shipped to the resellers) had, when it was available, a longer temporary authorization until Emagic emailed the permanent authorization, that was written to a USB dongle, that made it permanent.

My cost when this could be done: The Big Box cost around 200 to 250 dollars. The boxed EVB3 sold for 159 dollars, when you could buy it. I sold off the instruments that I did not want from the Big Box purchase since I had the two I would have kept already as E-Magic VSTs, that left me with a 80 dollar investment for the sequencer-only (budget version) and then 159 for the EVB3. The boxed version EVB3 was the same CD as Logic 5.3, to repeat, because, the instrument is imbedded in Logic and not available as a VST. The only difference was that you got a manual in the boxed version, as opposed to, just buying the license in your existing Logic when you could do that. In my case, I purchased Logic 5.3 from the Big Box. That was upgraded on the Emagic site to the final Windows upgrade to 5.5.1. Emagic has not made it easy for the Windows users or MAC/Windows who want the organ-only at a cost effective price. Now it is very hard to buy the EVB3 without buying Logic Pro since they are now not licensing the organ for use with previous Logic versions, like 5 and up.

The tube preamp adds the finishing touch to make it sound like the original in character. One way to describe the just-about-perfect B3 emulation is to describe the tone as ethereal like the original with a warm monolith of tone while holding a chord and a fat lead tone for Hammond organ lead lines. I have had the organ, along with a real well-tweaked B3 for a while now and it has never failed to disappoint me.

Until a drawbar controller is available, it is my opinion, that a hardware clone, particularly a legacy, older clone with drawbars is the best controller ergonomically - or shall I say with the German word, correct me if incorrect, without English translation used by an auto company: "Fahrfurnugen" (rough translation: feels correct and good) being, the ergonomic feel of real drawbars for the Hammond playing experience.

One controller appearing soon, made for controlling organ software is the Deopfer, Ham and Keys, though disappointingly, has sliders instead of drawbars (seems like the organist with alternative products to the Hammond itself, never gets totally satisfied), viewable at this site at the time of this writing http://www.doepfer.de/home_e.htm

They cite it for use with the B4, but should not be a problem for the EVB3 and that goes for the pricey Boehm MD42, also, at the next link in this article with the Boehm drawbar controller. The drawbar controller on this same page as the MD42 has no keyboard, obviously, and seems near-identical or identical to the NI unit, Boehm version seen here http://www.bohmusa.com/prod_md42.html NI drawbar controller http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?b4d_us

I am using my Korg CX3 keyboard as a controller for the EVB3. Incidentally, if you have a host program like V-Stack and a multi-client sound card you can run the EVB3 in Logic and other instruments at the same time for a total software approach for live playing.

I have my CX3 mapped perfectly using a program called Midiox and a sister program called Yoke available, both free, at their website. You need to create a map for Midiox, mapping their controlling clone keyboard or controller for best results to make the hardware controller appear to be operating like its native sounds. All the controls and buttons on my CX3 control the same sounds, respectively, on the EVB3. Midiox does not have a large learning curve to create a map. The map I use was created by another CX3/EVB3 owner who graciously gave it to me, but I made some changes to fit my real 122 Leslie as this person was running the Leslie simulation.

The CX3 is also capable and in the Midiox map of providing presets for the EVB3. I use the 6 large tabs on the left side of the CX3 as EVB3 presets.

Originally I found running Midiox, Yoke and the EVB3 in Windows XP, I was getting sound drop-off issues and computer crashes. To avoid this, one needs to edit win.ini as Logic grabs all the resources in the computer. As I previously wrote, when the EVB3 gets more than one note-on signal, for the same note, it has an anomally that will drop-out the sound. This is easy to fix by the following, so you do not get more than one command for note-on for the same note, respectively:

Configured using Midiox and Yoke. Doesn't matter what controller you are using if the map is defined, obviously.

When you first install Logic, nothing is claimed until you click on it and open Logic. After Logic has at least been opened once for the program to configure the routing: Using the 'run' command in Windows XP you type in 'msconfig' and you (obviously) will see folders one of which is win.ini

There is a 'Logic' folder. Double-click opens this folder. There are several lines that conclude with an "=" (equal) sign, that right after it is a number. One of these names will indicate your midi input device. Like for me that is"Midin_A_USB_MidSport_2x2" Set that to = to 10. You will also see somethinglike: Midi_In-MIDI_Yoke_NT_1=.x Edit that to equal 1.***Important: For all the other lines, set them to equal 0***The organ will only play with configured Midiox program running (using a midimap) with this solution on my machine. You will see check marks, also, in these parameters. Removing the check marks will not work if you think that. You have to make the above adjustments.

The CX3 will play the EVB3 like a dream. Almost like an OS upgrade, in my opinion. where the Korg becomes the EVB3 with the Korg controls, buttons and drawbars working so well with the program. If you are having trouble with the map, email me, as I will ask the map writer to help you, if available, though, my map has been changed from the original. Though easily editing the Midiox map, I could have spent the time to compose it myself - but did not -so 95 per cent of it is someone else's work that I do not have the liberty to provide.

The instrument set up with the tube preamp and Leslie has never failed to dazzle and impress the most experienced Hammond enthusiast. I am also, at this time running the software from my Mackie board through a sub-out utilizing the board tweaks and effects, but this is not necessary.