Using Roland VK-8M to control VB3

[SirLanceALot]

Is anyone using Roland's VK-8M to control VB3 in Mixcraft?

VB3 cannot learn Roland's drawbars,buttons,etc. because the VK-8M is sending out short SysEX messages instead of CC#'s. However, Bome's MIDI Translator (MT) can convert those SysEx msgs to CC#'s. Yay!!! But......

So I've programmed MT to do that. Most things, like the drawbars and leslie controls, work just as they're suppose to. But percussion and a few others won't. The rocker switches you see in VB3's window change just as programmed, but you don't hear VB3 execute those changes. So my guess is some of VB3's needs more than one MIDI command, and in a certain order (sequence), to execute the change properly.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue with the VK-8M or any other Roland controller. I'm trying not to bug Guido the developer too much. He's already helped me on a couple other issues that the MIDI implementation chart didn't reveal.

[outteh]

Doesn’t this produce it’s own Hammond sound? Why use it with VB3? The only thing I can think of to find out the correct CC control is to use piano roll and experiment with different CC commands to see what might control the switches!

[jlouvar]

I use an Akai MPK249 to control the VB3 Organ in Mixcraft.

[SirLanceALot]

Tom,
Thanks for the reply!
Yes the VK-8M produces it's own Hammond sounds. But the Leslie effect is not the best. **VB3's Leslie effect however is awesome!!** It's the king of Leslies in my opinion. Take that from a guy who's owned 6 Leslies over the years.
I purchased VB3's pro version, and it's suppose to come with a separate Leslie effect (VST). I haven't tried it yet, but Guido did an awesome job programming his Leslies. Sometime I'll try the VK-8M thru it.
I always mic'd up my Leslies in stereo, and a couple of times in quad (Yes I had a quad PA). I mention that because with your headphones on, & listening to the VB3's Leslie effect, it pretty much sounds like your head is right in front of the Leslie cabinet. VK-8M's Leslie effect sounds like they just auto panned right & left. There's much more to it, the doppler and phasing effect, and of course reflections off the inside of the leslie cab. Guido figured it all out.
LA
PS The VB3 footprint sure beats hauling a C3 or B3, or RT-3 (Yes I had one) on the road. I'm too old to haul that all around now.
Thank you Dan and the guys at Mixcraft for including VB3 in your VST arsenal! I didn't know it existed until I found it in Mixcraft. Made me upgrade to the full version in a heartbeat.

[outteh]

Did you purchase the new version VB3 11? Throw a little tune out there with it!

[dpmusic]

Hi, I was wondering if you’d be willing to share your work with translating the VK8-M. I have a gig this weekend and am being rented a VK8. I’m just investigating how possible it might be to convert it’s sysex into CC to control another module. Have you gotten it working? hard thing for me is I won’t see the board till sound check… thanks! Darcy

[Drdish007]

Hi,
The switches on the hardware module may just be switches that don't send midi Info, but switch the function on the module.
I use a Ferrofish B3 module, and a real Leslie. I have a model 251, dual channel Leslie. It has the upper and lower rotors, and 2 6 x 9 stationary speakers.. I have a modified combo Leslie pedal that has outputs to both channels. I like to record it with 3 microphones , two in stereo on the upper rotor, and one on the bass rotor. I have the upper microphones panned hard right and left, and the bass rotor microphone panned to center. I like how that sounds.

- Myran