Use Vintage B3 preset keys in MainStage

The Hammond B3 is equipped with 12 buttons, located below the draw bars. These preset keys are laid out like a keyboard octave, but with black keys and white sharps. They are used to recall draw bar registrations (draw bar positions). Vintage B3 replicates these features.

Upper manual preset keys are to the left of the Upper Morph slider, and lower manual preset keys are to the right. Vertical lines on each key indicate draw bar positions. These miniature draw bar representations update in real time. You can edit the draw bars of recalled presets immediately, with changes to draw bar positions being automatically memorized as you make them. You can, however, use the Save To function to save a registration to a specific preset key. See Use Vintage B3 Morph controls.

Important: The presets relate only to the registration (draw bar) settings of a single manual. They do not store vibrato or other parameter settings. If you want to save and recall the overall instrument settings (including effects), use the Settings pop-up menu in the plug-in window header.

On keys C# to A#, the percussion works only if the Perc parameter is set to Always. See Vintage B3 Percussion effect.

The default range for preset (registration) keys spans MIDI note numbers 24 to 35 (C0 to B0). This means that the lowest playable MIDI note number is 36 (C1). You can transpose the keyboard range in MainStage or Vintage B3 itself. A 61-note keyboard—which spans notes C to C—can be played across the entire range when the Transpose values of your host application are set to 0. The preset (registration) keys are positioned one octave below this transposed or non-transposed range. See Use a single-channel controller with Vintage B3.

Choose a registration

In MainStage, click Main in the control bar, then click the Preset button at the lower right.
Click a preset key shown to the left (upper manual) or right (lower manual) of the Upper Morph slider.
Play one of the preset key MIDI notes (MIDI note numbers 24 to 35).

Initialize a registration

In MainStage, click Main in the control bar, then click the Preset button at the lower right.
Click the lowest preset key (shown as “C”) for the upper or lower manual. The other 11 keys, from C# to B, recall registrations for the upper or lower manuals.
Play MIDI note number 24.

Switch Vintage B3 registrations while playing (organ gate effect)

In MainStage, click Main in the control bar, then click the Preset button at the lower right.
Hold the Clear key (C) on your master keyboard with the small finger of your left hand, while sustaining a chord with your right hand.
Press the preset keys with the other fingers of your left hand.
The chord being played with your right hand is retriggered (with the new registration) each time you play one of the preset keys. This two-handed technique results in an organ-specific gate-type effect. Each time you switch to a new registration, the chord is retriggered.

Disable MIDI preset key switching

Disable preset switching with MIDI notes 24 to 35, thus eliminating problems that may arise from transpositions.

In MainStage, click Main in the control bar, then click the Preset button at the lower right.
Turn off Select via Keyboard.

Switch Vintage B3 registrations with a two-draw bar controller

When you use a two-draw bar hardware controller, there is an additional mode that allows Hammond-like switching between two registrations. By default, moving draw bars always changes the registration of the currently active preset registration key. This works differently in a real Hammond organ, where the draw bars affect only the A# (upper manual) and B (lower manual) preset registrations. Use the “draw bar affects” feature to prepare a new registration while playing, then switch to the new registration later.

In MainStage, open the Options window, then choose the Edit Preset Key A# and B only switch position.
The upper manual draw bars can now change the registration of the A# preset key, and the draw bars of the lower manual affect the B preset key.
Change the draw bars of the A# preset key. You can play the keyboard while doing so, without changing the currently chosen registration.
Switch to the prepared registration with the A# preset key.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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