The B4 software organ broke new ground when it was released in 2000 and was an instant success. It reproduces the sound of the legendary B3 and its rotary speaker cabinet with unmatched accuracy. Its expressiveness and immediate playability continues to amaze even the most experienced organ players. The B4 II raises the bar considerably, generating a much wider sonic range and a far richer, even more authentic sound.

Extended information

Through The Tube - The latest version of this award-winning virtual organ sees the addition of many extra components. A tube amplifier and a selection of classic speaker cabinets offer you greater freedom of expression. Spring and studio reverb modules lend the sound more depth and atmosphere. From silky soft to relentlessly rockin', the sound is stunningly precise and more versatile than ever before.

Attention To Detail - From the drawbars, the vibrato and chorus to the tube distortion and rotary speakers, the B4 II delivers the sound of the original in incredible detail. The cross-talk between the tonewheels is adjustable and 11 additional tonewheel sets are also included: 'Cosmetically age' the B4 II or transform it into a Farfisa, a Vox Continental or an Indian Harmonium.

A Joy To Play - The B4 II is instantly playable. Its convenient Preset Manager coupled with a large selection of presets offer a wide range of styles. The new bass pedal legato and string bass features make using the foot pedals easy: a walking bass has never been simpler. The B4 II is a rounded, enthralling and easy-to-use software organ that instantly delights– start playing and you won't stop.

Let The Tonewheel Turn - The additional tonewheel sets vastly expand the B4 II's sonic potential. Adjust the age of your B4 II: From factory-fresh to old and worn after years on stage - the choice is yours. Or turn the B4 II into a completely different organ altogether: the Farfisa, Vox Continental and Indian Harmonium are all included.

Technical specifications

Integrated into the B4 II are additonal tonewheel sets, so you can make it sound like a B3 that is sparkling-fresh from the factory, or like it was more than 100 years old. You can even replace the B3-modelled tonewheels with those of a Vox Continental, a Farfisa Compact, or a Harmonium to give your B4 a totally new character.

Vox Continental:
The classic British Vox Continental organs were played by many of the great bands in the sixties and seventies, such as The Doors, The Animals and The Monkees. NI have extracted the tones from the Vox Continental and converted them into B4 Tonewheel data to change the B4 into the classic transistor combo organ. Choose from three Vox Tonewheel Sets: Soft, Hard, and Mix, which faithfully correspond to the different tones sounds of the original Vox.

Farfisa:
The highly-collectable Farfisa Compact was played by Pink Floyd, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Blondie. Included on this CD are 2 Tonewheel Sets, one with the Farfisa's Tone Booster switch activated and one with it off.

Harmonium:
For something a bit unusual we have also taken an Indian Harmonium and converted its reed sound into a B4 Tonewheel Set. With just one or two drawbars pulled out and lots of pumping on the expression pedal, the B4 sounds quite close to a real Harmonium. With more drawbars, vibrato-chorus, and the rotator turned on, it’s something else!

Master Tune - Classic tonewheel organs were limited to a fixed tuning, since the tonewheels run at a fixed synchronous speed that cannot be changed. The only way to change the master tuning is to change the transmission ratios in the tonewheel generator. That’s completely impractical in hardware but easily achieved with the B4's replaceable tonewheel generator. We are now offering the B3 Classic Tonewheel Set in versions tuned to 436Hz, 444Hz, 448Hz, and 452Hz to complement the standard 440Hz tuning.
The Ageing Process
The filter capacitor in Hammond tonewheel generators deteriorate with age, which over time leads to an increase in leakage and rattle in the basic tone sound. At Native Instruments, we have found a way to artificially age the tonewheel sound. We can also run the process backwards to rejuvenate the tonewheels. To simulate B3 organs with different degrees of aging we offer Tonewheel Sets with varying amounts of purity or dirt:
* B3 classic – well matured
* B3 clean – good condition
* B3 pure – better than on day one
* B3 dirty – excessive ageing
* B3 filthy – very crunchy
* B3 trash – far beyond repair