Re: Voce Micro-B info

[bpb@bpbsn.cca.rockwell.com (Brad Baker)]

I scrounged around and found these messages:

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  From: MELB::BPB          "BRADLEY BAKER, ROCKWELL INT'L, 407-768-7467"  
5-NOV-1993 09:32:59.44
  To:   WINS%"clapham@maine.maine.edu"
  CC:   BPB
  Subj: More on the VOCE Micro-B
  
  10/1/93
  
  
  This is in response to your rec.music.makers.synth posting.
  
  I posted something similar to this last week but since I'm not sure if
  my postings are getting out I've taken it upon myself to mail you
  directly.  I home you don't mind.  :)
  
  I was interested in the same thing...  a light weight Hammond B-3 with a
  heavyweight sound.  The Keyboard review of the VOCE Micro-B Organ Module
  was rather complimentary.  I called VOCE and had them FAX me a package
  of information.  During my call to them I spoke with someone there about
  something that has concerned me regarding Hammond B3 emulators and the
  VOCE Micro-B in particular. 
  
  My particular concern was whether the Micro-B uses natural harmonics or
  equally tempered harmonics (as the Hammond B3 approximates) for the
  drawbar overtone series. 
  
  Voce told me that the Micro-B uses *natural harmonics* for the drawbar
  overtones. 
  
  The effect of this is that a frequency difference exists between the
  natural harmonics of certain note combinations.  This effect is audible
  when I program my TX-802 to algorithm 31 to simulate, say, drawbar
  setting 888800000 and play two notes a fifth apart.  The 3rd harmonic of
  the sub-fundamental (2nd drawbar) of the lowest note is beating with the
  equally tempered note played a fifth scale degree above.  Other note
  combinations and drawbar settings are much worse.  The Voce spokesman
  claimed, honestly I believe, that he'd not heard the effect in actual
  practice, but then, that would also be the "company line". 
  
  Keyboard Magazine mentioned this (undesireable ?) effect in their review
  of the Hammond XB2 and the Roland VK-1000 (?) and stated that both of
  these machines do this.  I'm not sure if the CX3 uses natural harmonics
  for the tone generation. 
  
  After playing with my TX-802 through a Leslie I decided that I can live
  with the difference for a module that weighs substantially less than the
  *real thing*... 
  
  The Voce spokesman also told me that they will be introducing a
  half-space Leslie simulator that should be more realistic than the
  Dynacord unit.  Also, at the end of next year they will be introducing a
  module that actually has 91 equally tempered tone generators in it. 
  This new module will have real-time drawbar control capability as well. 
  I don't believe their current top-end module provides this feature. 
  
  As an aside, consider what happens when a Hammond B3 (equally tempered
  overtones), is driven into distortion, either the internal preamplifier
  or the following power amplifier.  Natural harmonic overtones are
  produced! While I've never noticed the beat note, it should be present. 
  Perhaps extreme distortion is required to make this effect audible. 
  
  Cordially,
  - Bradley
  
  
  10/5/93
  
  P.S.
  
   I received the Micro-B yesterday.  I played it through a modified 122
  Leslie.  The patches they've include are convincing and realistic.  The
  patches can be changed in real time.  That is, a patch changed in
  mid-note will immediately change the sound of that note; the note does
  not have to be re-keyed.  The beat note problem mentioned above IS
  audible, though only at certain drawbar settings and with certain note
  combinations.  I find this characteristic objectionable but something I
  can live with since the sound is so convincing. 
  
  The distortion control might be effective with a solid-state amplifier
  (I didn't test that) but with the 55W Marshall (tube) driving the Leslie
  it produces no desireable effect. 
  
  The key click control provides an adjustable and reasonably convincing
  click for the contact-make portion of the note envelope.  However, even
  with the key click control off there is a click present on both make and
  break portions of the envelope.  This click is not LOUD and is at a
  different pitch than the one provided by the key click control.  It is
  probably generated by the abrupt turning on and off of the tones
  internally in the module without providing any attack and decay shaping. 
  This, to me, is the most objectionable characteristic of the module, I
  don't recall my B3 having a similar characteristic and in fact my TX-802
  simulation doesn't produce it as loudly either. 
  
  The chorus/vibrato setting is effective though not as deep as some I've
  heard.  It must be enabled and disabled by rotating a front panel switch
  from OFF to the appropriate V1, C1, V2, C3, etc.  as there is no
  provision to remotely switch it on and off.  (This will be modification
  #1).
  
  The percussion portion of the module was nicely implemented. Both
  adjustable decay and volume controls are provided. Again, no remote
  control of this effect is offered. (This will be modification #2).
  
  The Leslie simulation is poor/unuseable and sounds, to me, peculiar. 
  They did simulate both upper and lower rotors in the Leslie and they do
  have different acceleration and decceleration speeds but there is an
  interference between the upper and lower rotor simulations' sounds that
  occurs at a sub-sonic rate that is very bothersome.  This occurs once
  the simulations have spooled up to their final speeds.  The simulation
  in a Korg M1 is better.  I will probably never use this feature.  It is
  not, incidentally, simultaneously useable with the chorus/vibrato
  feature.  Since VOCE is going to be introducing a half-space Leslie
  simulator they didn't go to extremes to implement a realitic simulation. 
  (It probably would have been bad for their Leslie simulator sales if
  they had). 
  
  The key click and the natural harmonic beat note anomalies are really
  only noticable when you take time to listen for them.  I wouldn't want
  them on a recording, but for live performance (why I bought the thing in
  the first place), the Micro-B delivers.  I will however still haul the
  Leslie to the gig. 
  
  I may experiment with following the Micro-B with an elliptic low-pass
  filter to try affect the note-off key click... on the other hand, I may
  not even bother.
  
  Result: Overall, I like it and would buy it again. You may want to
  listen to one to listen for the characteristics I've mentioned.
  
  Bradley
  
  
  
  From: DLLWS::WINS%"CLAPHAM@MAINE.maine.edu"  5-NOV-1993 11:23:35.70
  To:   BPB
  CC:   
  Subj: Re: More on the VOCE Micro-B
  
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  Subject: Re: More on the VOCE Micro-B
  Message-Id: <CLAPHAM.931105111902@maine.maine.EDU>
  From:    CLAPHAM@MAINE.maine.edu
  To:      BPB@dllws.cca.cr.rockwell.com
  Date:    Fri, 05 Nov 93 11:19:02 EST
  
  Bradley,
  Thank you for the review.  It is the most informed that I have gotten.
  I read Keyboard's but it really didn't help me too much.  I have never
  had the opportunity to play a real B3, and have been gigging with the
  Korg BX3 and using its Leslie effect.  I do not make extensive use at all
  of the Korg's drawbars and rely on the presets using mostly the "Jazz" preset
  which is the low range sound.  (I know that that description is hardly
  explicit).  If you were gigging with the Micro B, how would you control
  volume?  You mentioned modification #1 and #2 is this something Voce is doing,
  or they Should do?  I do not own a Leslie, is their effect that bad? or
  passable?  I am interested in your experience.
  Bill
  
  From: MELB::BPB          "BRADLEY BAKER, ROCKWELL INT'L, 407-768-7467"  
5-NOV-1993 13:01:17.56
  To:   WINS%"clapham@maine.maine.edu"
  CC:   BPB
  Subj: More on Micro-B
  
  Bill,
  
  The most useful (to me) drawbar settings on the Micro-B are, as you also
  seem to prefer, those using the bottom 3 or 4 drawbars all the way out
  or some combination thereof. I think these are most people's preferences
  actually. VOCE has provided these and other combinations in the selection.
  
  The volume must be controlled by some external means.  I am using an
  in-line active volume pedal.  I have yet to find a commercially
  available volume pedal that has a pedal travel close to the 45 degrees
  or so that a Hammond swell pedal gives.  For this reason I have modified
  a guitar volume pedal such that the pedal hinge point is about 2" above
  the top of the unit's base and has about 45 degrees of rotation stop-to-stop.
  
  The unit provides stereo outputs but I can't at this time tell you much
  about what the stereo enhancement to the sound offers (no experience
  other than headphones). 
  
  The modifications I mentioned are the things I will have to do to the
  unit if I wish to use it located some distance from my controller. Since
  the unit is new I probably won't do it for quite a while.
  
  Regarding the Leslie effect.  The unit has a demo inside that plays 4 or
  5 different things using different patches and vibrato etc.  If you
  can't get to one to listen to it, I will glad to record the demo for you
  on cassette.  I should probably try a few setting of key click and
  distortion so that you may hear the difference those effects provide. 
  Since their demo was devised to present the best features of the unit I
  should probably record something that demonstrates the objections I
  mentioned earlier, the natural harmonic beat note phenomenon and key-on
  key-off click.  Listening to the unit would be the best way for you to
  evaluate the Leslie effect. 
  
  Cordially,
  
  Bradley
    
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I hearby rescind the offer of a cassette tape :)

PPS:  The software upgrade for the Micro-B provides MIDI control of
all features _except_ volume, key click, and distortion.

PPPS: I did no modifications to it other than install the software
upgrade and the bottom plate.


Regards,

Bradley Baker
bpb@mlb.cca.rockwell.com