Re:

["Daniel D. Haden" <hadendan@esuvm.emporia.edu>]

The answer to your question is YES.  If you're in a hurry, just skip to the
last paragraph.

Save an acceptable bass registration on as a keyboard split consisting of
1C which is the first note on the keyboard.  The split works on Midi
channel 2, so assign the midi controller and the footpedals to Midi channel
2.  You can even do pedal sustain through the drawbar sustain ability, but
this does sustain all sounds on Midi channel 2.

If you have ever played the pipe organ or listened to the orchestra, you
will not want to use the bass generated by any of the Hammond sound
keyboards.  The bass consistes of muffle muffle muffle muffle--sine waves. 
Maybe you can get bass guitar out of this, but that's about it.  Everyone
complains about Hammond's bass sound and that's why the Trek II bass sound
replacement is so popular for the vintage Hammonds.

If you're going to the expense of an additional controller, possibly adding
drawbars, etc, why not use a Korg or Roland synth for the bass sound and to
drive pedals??  The XB2 can direct the Korg or Roland between 33 suitably
matching registrations, and send it layering information seperatly from the
left and right on midi channels 3 and 4 respectively.  You can have the
string orchestra playing backup to the Hammond Jazz voice, horn section
sounding where appropriate.  A piano-Hammond duet is readily available. 
The organ solo button on the XB-2 lets you silence the backup band and soar
into a really aggressive organ solo although bass pedals would still sound.
 If you already own a midi controller, then you could use a Korg OR5W
module or a Kurzweil Micro Piano (on a string or Rhodes setting) to provide
high quality bass tones.

The XB2 is the most aggressive and spirited of the keyboards that produce
Hammond sound.  Whatever keyboard you decide on, you will need a rotary
speaker setup.  For multi-timberal use, you will need multiple speakers:  A
MotionSound with vacuum tube, and a seperate keyboard amp that has two
channels.  If you use a Leslie 122 for the XB (that's best), you'll still
need a seperate keyboard amp for the synth sounds.  This difference in
sounds works best for longer pieces and where you're not accompanied by a
band.

The Hammond keyboards and their competitors as well are designed to play a
part in a band.  By themselves, they can sound like a really loud FM sound
card.  If you want a real organ out of one of these, play left hand on a
synth and right hand + layer on an XB2.  

Either the synth or the XB2 can provide the pedal tones, and if you let the
XB2 drive them, then you'll have pedal tones (sustained if you want)
through the Leslie.  The XB2 has one left hand split.  If you put it on the
lowest note and drive pedals with it, then the left hand must use a
different keyboard if you want a different sound.

Using a 122-- You'll want to use a pedal preamp to get greater volume. 
Roland's XB2 copy should sound fine through your 122 if the upper driver is
new.  The Roland product is far inferior (actually a rehashed Rhodes Vk),
but no one would know it was inferior if you ran it through a 122.  I
mention this, because Roland's product drives a midi controller and bass
pedals both at the same time because it has three channels instead of two. 
OF course without the 122, you would have to put up with Roland's sound. .
..  I bought an XB2 for its spirited performance and I intend to buy a Korg
or Roland synth to accompany it.

The first question.  The XB2 is multi timbreal in the Hammond way.  As the
expression pedal nears the floor, the brightness increases.  As you
decrease the volume, the brightness decreases.  You are in constant control
of the timbre.  For this reason, be sure to buy the expression pedal if you
go for the XB2.

The last two questions.  The effects loop doesn't do anything.  The XB2 is
capable of producing bass pedal sound.  Both will come out of the line out,
or Leslie out.  If you have a synth, a synth plus pedals could be run into
a minimixer, then to a Trek II and finally to your Leslie.

Adding a set of drawbars.  That's easy enough.  Since the lower Hamond
sound is muffled garbage on all B models and their clones, use a cheesy and
less expensive Hammond copy like Oberheim's, or find a used Korg CX3.  The
sound is a bombastic muffle muffle anyway, Really, nobody will know if the
lower manual is utter cheese.  Not using Hammond sound for the lower manual
is a popular option.  

Most prefer to use a Rhodes for the lower manual while having the XB2 drive
pedal tones with its lower split on 1C.

Good luck!
----------
: From: Torsten Haemmerle <torsten.haemmerle@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de>
: To: 
: Subject: 
: Date: Tuesday, April 01, 1997 9:15 AM
: 
: Dear XB-2 users,
: 
: I'm considering to purchase an XB-2 and just wonder
: whether it is multi-timbral in a way that you can hook
: up a second manual and a pedal keyboard.
: I know that the XB-2 has a keyboard split function,
: but I don't know if the second manual can be operated
: "from outside".
: It would be a viable option to let the pedals drive
: a synth, but then it's not possible to use the 122 for
: the pedals, is it? (Eventually through the XB-2's effects
: loop?)
: 
: Second point: Any possibility to add a set of drawbars?
: 
: Thanks in advance
:   Torsten