Years ago I played Hammond B3 organs (played as a duo with my brother a drummer) and along the way I sold it (like an idiot). Well I've been waiting for years for a company to come out with a digital version of a B3 that really has guts (for my studio)---Roland tried it, Hammond tried it etc., etc.

Finally, it's here!!! It is a 'virtual" B3 on the PC by a company called NATIVE INSTRUMENTS--the software is called "B4". Let me tell you, this thing rocks!! It can be accessed via the midi port in on the PC (stand-alone) or it can be used as a plug -in. I've been using it on a project I'm working on and my client insisted that we remix (4) other songs to replace the organ that was on them originally---fortunately I have full fader automation, so it is quite an easy thing to accomplish.

the best part--I paid $159. This is absolutely the best B3 since the real thing. In some ways it's better--no bad tubes or humming pre-amps or leslies, which reminds me, the leslie simulation is also the absolute best I've ever heard. To tell you the truth, I would have paid $1500 for a keyboard that sounded this good, just for the B3 sound.

FYI---Mat D.

Dear Mat,

BTW, Korg makes a CX-3 which is a great digital representation of the B-3. It remembers registrations and has 128 presets that are also programmable.

Why won't Korg make a digital BX3?( I don't care if you can access the second manual via midi I like double manuals!) Btw, I still have, and am keeping my analog BX3. On stage, with a band, you can't tell it's only a wannaB, (except in looks). As for NI B4, all I can say is ain't computers great?!!!! We the consumers are getting better gear all the time and it will only get better Thanks Mat

The Roland VK7 & VK77 (with two manuals), the Korg CX3 and the Native Instruments B4 are all based on Acoustic Modeling technology. This is a quantum leap forward in technology and is still being perfected. I've played all three and in a perfect world, I'd own all three!!! The VK series is very versatile but lacks the "growl" that the CX3 has. The B4 is amazing, but is not as practical for live performance. Can't wait to see what comes out at NAMM!!!!!

Nobody but Hammond and Nord have created a good Hammond replica. Korg are especialy dire!

That B4 sounds great. I've seen it advertised but never thought much about it at $159 sounds like a bargain.

I too like an idiot sold a B3 years back. I was sick of having this huge instrument. But it was pretty beat up when I bought it. I spent about 6 weeks stripping it and refinishing it. Should have kept it. But here's something that really made me sick. A good friend of mine plays music at nursing homes. This one nursing home had a prisitine B3 that was donated to the home. The manager of the home said he would never sell it. Short story is after 3 years it went into storage, this friend of mine asked about it and the mananger of the home said, you interested in buying it. The manager sold this pristine B3 only played at home for are you ready for this ..............$300. US dollars. Can you believe it. It came with a PR40 speaker cabinet, no leslie.

I recently bought a Hammond XK-3.
It isn't a B3, but the sound and feel sure is close!

Running it through a Hartke KM200 amp (nice) sitting right here in my Piano World office.

The office is only about 10x10 so it's kinda overkill, but I love it :-)

I frequently use a Native Instruments B4, and yes, it can sound very authentic in a mix. Most recently, I have taken an audio of the B4 out of the Mac, and fed that into a genuine Leslie 145. The result can then be recorded in the traditional manner and the result is incredibly convincing. I figure that in a traditional Hammond/Leslie combination, 75% of "that sound" is generated by the Leslie.

As a stand-alone item, the B4 is both fiddly to use and sounds 'thinner' than the real thing.