Hammond B3 MKII  

The New B3MKII is the king of popular organs and the latest copy of the fantastic Hammond Classic B3. Every facet, detail and nuance of both the inside and outside of the Classic B3 has been carefully replicated. As a result, the touch, feel and sound of The New B3 MKII will feel as familiar as any B3 you've ever played. Every detail has been considered to differentiate the new B3 and make the sound and performance better. 

The Tonewheel Generator in The New B3 MKII

The New B3 MKII uses a brand new digital tone generation system to faithfully replicate all the sound characteristics of the tone wheel generator. In 1935 Laurens Hammond developed his first original organ. This organ had a complicated electric mechanism in which 96 wheels were driven by a synchronous motor developed and patented by him. The new B3 has exactly the same design as the first design by Laurens Hammond. However, this version has been released in the digital world, so without moving parts, but retaining all the nuances, imperfections and peculiarities of the original. The wheels “spin” continuously, so that all 91 pitches are generated continuously and are always ready to be used. When a note is played, the notes pass as smoothly as water through a tap.

However, the tone wheel generation was not Laurens Hammond's only great invention and no Hammond organ is complete without the entire spectrum. The organ has two manuals of 61 keys each. A crucial aspect of the organ's great performance is the technique beneath the keys. Normally nine small electronic contacts close when a key is pressed. Each contact provides the tonal depth of a drawbar. However, Hammond has developed the patented Direct Analog Keying technique for the new B3. This technology also has nine contacts. However, these contacts open and close separately from each other. The click of the key is therefore produced in exactly the same way as on a tone wheel Hammond organ and therefore it is not necessary to add a sample.

Functions

All switches and buttons function exactly as the original B3. There are four sets of Hammond harmonic drawbars plus two pedal drawbars. There is a button with which you can choose from six vibrato and chorus effects.