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50
years of the Hammond B3
"The
Hammond Organ is Alive & Kicking....there's just no substitute for the
real Thing!" British Broadcasting
Corporation
PURE
Hammond
"1955. Introduction of the model B3" one small line in Hammond's
history, but so greater statement for popular music. In the past 50 years
the Hammond B3 has been; and continues to be the keyboard instrument of
choice for some of the greatest names in the world of Music.
B-3
design specifications
A "Back to the drawing board" approach means the fundamental
design ideas of Laurens Hammonds most famous of all Hammond Organs is back
to stay!
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Sound
generator system
The unique B-3 sound is reproduced by a revolutionary
newly designed sound generator system (96DigitalToneWheels™),
which recreates all of those wonderful idiosyncrasies of the Tone wheel
generator which have eluded all previous digital systems.
Almost
all comtemporary electronic musical instruments generate their sound "on
the fly" : this means that wheneven a note is pressed, the computer figures
out which key and sound-characteristics are needed and fetches this information
out of a sample-table from the computers memory-banks.
This information is then processed to produce the actual sound. All of this
happens within milli-seconds after any key is pressed.
In contrast to the above the New B-3 has an " all-note
continuous " sound-generator: Inspired by the original Hammond
tone-wheel generator in which 91 wheels are spinning continuously, the new
generation Hammond is producing every single one of 96 sine-waves all the
time...
Each of these 96 signals is mapped to the multi-contact system, which is again
inspired on the original B-3 : whenever a key is pressed each of the 9
corresponding drawbar sine-waves is "un-blocked" by its individual
contact...
The implications of this are staggering...
just think about it for a while...
think about the dynamics involved... instead of any note needing to be retrieved
any generated after the key is pressed, the sound is actually already
there, but is being detained by the key-contact, ready to spring out...
This explains the incredible dynamic sound experience that only Hammond
creates... you will be impressed by the sheer massive pressure-wave that this
instrument can release...
It all has to do with "continuous tone-generation "
Another aspect is the polyphony : over are the days of 16, 32, 64, 128-note
polyphonie... over are the days of "note out-phasing"... every single
drawbar-note is there... all the time... that's what we call "
all-note generation".
Only Hammond, inspired on the longest tradition of drawbar-generation, can offer
you the experience and emotion of such truely "virtual tone-wheel
generation"...
Waterfall
keys & harmonic drawbars
Two, 61 note, B-3 style, waterfall key, keyboards allow for the essential
performance characteristics of the Hammond masters, especially effortless palm
glissandos. While four complete
sets of nine traditional harmonic drawbars and twenty four reverse colour key
presets achieve total ease of set up.
Mechanical
multi-contact system
It is by utilising several tone varying features that the B-3 performs so
uniquely. Upper and lower pitch foldback subtly effects the overall sound,
while, probably, the most important and interesting feature is the nine key
contact system operating on each key. These contacts connect from each of the
nine drawbar pitches and by pressing a key slowly each pitch level can be
determined, high to low. This system created the earliest form of touch response
for tone variance as well as expression. This
mechanical contact system is also responsible for Hammond´s famous key click
noise, an unintended feature that became an essential component of
the B-3 character. The new B-3 incorporates a complete mechanical contact
system, totally unique in a modern instrument.
B-3
expression curve
Sound dynamics are controlled by an exact copy of the original B-3 expression
curve incorporated in the new
instruments foot volume controller.
Knowledge
The challenge for many years has been to recreate the look, sound and feel
of this legendary keyboard instrument. Only Hammond has the qualifications
and knowledge to accurately achieve this
Now the
B-3 is re- born...
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Prestige
Performance
Quality
These are the terms that best describe the Hammond
New B-3 Organ. This brochure is dedicated to all
performers
and lovers of organ music who demand nothing less than
the
finest in tonal reproduction whether their appreciation
is for
the classic masterpieces of Bach or the sparkling modern
arrangements of contemporary composers and artists.
The Hammond New B-3 Organ offers conservative styling
that lends gracious dignity to any décor. Notice the
variety
of timeless finishes carefully executed on choice hand
selected woods. Observe the superb craftsmanship that
represents the epitome of the cabinetmaker’s art.
You can literally "feel" the built-in quality
that characterizes
all of the craftsmanship that is represented in the
Hammond
New B-3 Organ- from the finish on the superb cabinet to
the
precious metal palladium contacts in the heart of this
truly
magnificent instrument.
Finally!
Someone got it right!
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The
Heart and Soul of the New B-3
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Digital Tone Wheel™ Sound Engine
and
Direct Analogue Keying™
Let us now
consider the new digital tone generator and see how it produces the sound.
The unique Hammond B-3 sound is reproduced by a revolutionary newly
designed sound generator system (96 digital Tone Wheels). This new digital
Tone Wheel generator perfectly generates pure tones that is tones which
have no harmonic content of their own. This purity is essential in order
to attain a desirable tonal cohesion between the fundamental and its
harmonics when they are mixed through the use of the drawbars.
When a manual
key is pressed, it closes 10 small electrical switch contacts. These
contacts are connected to the digital Tone Wheel generator as well as to
the drawbars. The positions of the
drawbars (which are under control of the player) determine the intensities
of the individual electrical currents corresponding to the fundamental and
its harmonics.
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 After
leaving the drawbars,
the various electrical currents are connected together (or
"mixed") to form a single complex current which flows from the
console to the Leslie cabinet where it is amplified and caused to operate
the
speakers. The swell pedal varies the intensity (or volume) of this complex
current before it reaches the speakers. |
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Pre-Set
Combinations
 Each
manual of the organ is equipped with nine pre-set combination keys. In
addition, there are two sets of manually adjustable controls for each
keyboard, thus making twenty-two different registrations which are
instantly available, in addition, of course, to the many thousands of
variations available by adjustment of the "harmonic drawbars."
"VIBRATO AND CHORUS" has six possible positions corresponding to
three degrees of vibrato and three degrees of vibrato chorus. The control
pre-selects the extent of vibrato or vibrato chorus which will be obtained
when either of the manual vibrato "ON-OFF" stops is used.
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Touch Response Percussion
Control
 Percussion
tones may be produced with a key-controlled "touch-response" in
which desired notes of a melody may be accentuated. Now at your touch are
effects like harp, chimes, orchestral bells, celeste, xylophone, marimba
and a whole new world of fascinating percussion tones, which may be
expressively introduced in a manner not found on any other organ.
Information
Center
The drawbars,
control tablets and rotary controls affect the operations necessary for
performance on the organ. Advanced features such as drawbar voice mode,
pedal sustain length etc., are accessed using the Information Center. This
allows the player to see and make changes. The Information Center Display
and touch buttons are located on a drawer unit positioned under the right
side of the lower manual.
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The Selective Vibrato
Stops
 The
great and swell manuals are provided with separate "ONOFF"
vibrato
controls in the form of tilting stop tablets. The rotating control
"VIBRATO AND CHORUS" has six possible positions corresponding to
three degrees of vibrato and three degrees of vibrato chorus. The control
pre-selects the extent of vibrato or vibrato chorus which will be obtained
when either of the manual vibrato "ON-OFF" stops is used.
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| Rotary Control
Panel
The new Hammond B-3 has a
Rotary Control Panel which is located underneath the manuals on the
extreme left side. The organist can use these controls to adjust the sound
of the instrument such as: master volume, bass, treble, reverb, overdrive
etc.
MIDI
The New Hammond B-3 has a
MIDI OUT jack which is located underneath the organ on the left side. To
control another MIDI instrument (synthesizer, sound module, etc.) from the
organ, connect the MIDI OUT from the organ to the MIDI IN of the
instrument you want to control.
Due to the unique tone-generation system of the New Hammond B-3, it does
not implement MIDI IN or MIDI THRU.
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The Registration Principle
of the Hammond
Organ
This is the
original, unique feature of the Hammond Organ which makes it completely
different from any other organ. In the Hammond Organ, the basic elements
of all musical tones (the fundamental and its harmonic overtones) are made
separately available to the organist. Furthermore, their relative
strengths may be adjusted at the will by the organist. The drawbars of the
Hammond Organ are provided for this purpose. Flute-like tones, for
instance, may be produced by a certain combination of these drawbars;
string-like effects by another combination; or the effects of both strings
and
flutes by still a different combination of the same drawbars. Thus, the
drawbars provide the tonal ingredients from which the various
registrations may be compounded.
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Multiple 
Speaker Connection
The New
B-3 Hammond Organ has two 11-pin Leslie connectors, one marked
MAIN and the other marked ECHO, making it easy to connect multiple
Leslie Speakers to the organ.
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Speed
Switch
 A
Leslie Speed Switch is provided with the New B-3 Hammond Organ to
allow control of the Leslie Speaker rotors from the organ console.
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Main/Echo Switch
 When
two Leslie Speakers are connected to the organ, the optional
Main/Echo switch will allow the sound to come from only the Main
cabinet, only the Echo cabinet, or both cabinets simultaneously.
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NEW B-3 |
ORIGINAL B-3 |
| KEYBOARDS |
61-61-25 |
61-61-25 |
| PRESET KEY |
12keys |
12keys |
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Mechanical Latch |
Mechanical Latch |
| SWELL DRAWBARS
(UPPER) |
9 pitches 2 sets |
9 pitches 2 sets |
| GREAT
DRAWBARS (LOWER) |
9 pitches 2 sets |
9 pitches 2 sets |
| PEDAL
DRAWBARS |
2 pitches |
2 pitches |
| PRESET MEMORY |
Compact Flash card |
Change by Preset
Panel |
| KEYING METHOD |
Direct Analog
Keying |
Direct Analog
Keying |
| CONTACT |
10-Mechanical
contacts |
9-Mechanical
contacts |
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+Rubber contacts
w/velocity |
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| POLYPHONY |
Full Polyphony |
Full Polyphony |
| GENERATOR (Manual) |
96-Digital Tone
Wheels |
91-Tone Wheels |
| GEN. WAVEFORM |
Changeable by
CFcard |
Fixed |
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(Flash ROM) |
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| GENERATOR (Pedal) |
VASE II |
Tone Wheels |
| VIBRATO/CHORUS |
V1, V2, V3, C1, C2
,C3 |
V1, V2, V3, C1, C2
,C3 |
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SWELL ON, GREAT ON |
SWELL ON, GREAT ON |
| LESLIE |
SLOW, STOP, FAST |
SLOW, FAST |
| CONTROL |
OVERDRIVE |
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REVERB |
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| TONE CONTROL |
BASS , TREBLE |
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| TERMINAL |
LINE IN ,LINE OUT |
PHONO INPUT |
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11P LESLIE SOCKET |
6P LESLIE SOCKET |
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HEADPHONE |
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MIDI OUT |
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| EXT MEMORY SLOT |
COMPACT FLASH CARD |
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| DISPLAY |
20x2 digits LCD |
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| WEIGHT |
132 kg |
190 kg |
| DIMENSIONS |
Closed,
without pedal keyboard 123 cm wide, 73 cm deep, 97 cm high.. |
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Open and
with pedal keyboard and bench 123 cm wide, 126 cm deep,
117 cm high.
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