KEYBOARDPARTNER HX3 Drawbar Controller User manual

User Manual
HX3 Drawbar Expander
Standard License and Extended License
(as of firmware version 5.736, November 2022)
keyboardpartner.com

2 HX3 Drawbar Expander
Please read this manual carefully before using the HX3 Drawbar
Expander.
Only use appropriate power supply as advised. Input voltages exceeding
15V may damage the device.
Designed for indoor use only. Do not use HX3 Drawbar Expander in moist
places. Do not spill liquids or solvents into unit.
No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer to qualified technician or service
representative if problems occur.
Only clean with damp soft cloth. Using detergents or solvents may
deteriorate finish and lettering.
Keep packaging in case of service shipment.
EU conformity declaration
The producer/distributor
KEYBOARDPARTNER UG
Entwicklung elektronischer Musikinstrumente
Carsten Meyer
Ithweg 37, D-30851 Langenhagen
[e-mail]
hereby declares, that the product
HX3.5 Drawbar Expander
has been designed, produced and examined in compliance with the DIN VDE 0580 standard and in
accordance with the EU Low Voltage Directive.
Following directives, standards and guidelines have been used:
EMV-Richtlinie 2014/30/EU
Niederspannungsrichtlinie 2014/35 EU
RoHS-Richtlinie 2011/65/EU
Langenhagen, November 2022
____________________________
Carsten Meyer / Geschäftsführer

HX3 Drawbar Expander 3
Contents
HX3 Drawbar Expander...................................................................................................................4
Features...........................................................................................................................................4
Jack Connections.............................................................................................................................5
Controls............................................................................................................................................6
Volume Control.........................................................................................................................7
HX3 Apps and Tools........................................................................................................................8
HX3 Manager...............................................................................................................................8
TouchOSC for HX3 ......................................................................................................................8
Menu Panel......................................................................................................................................9
Saving settings .........................................................................................................................9
Menu Overview ..........................................................................................................................10
Presets....................................................................................................................................10
Upper Voice............................................................................................................................11
Lower Voice............................................................................................................................12
Pedal Voice.............................................................................................................................13
Audio Setup............................................................................................................................14
Rotary Setup...........................................................................................................................15
Percussion Setup....................................................................................................................15
Vibrato Setup..........................................................................................................................16
Phasing Mode.........................................................................................................................16
Reverb Levels.........................................................................................................................17
Generator Setup.....................................................................................................................17
Keyboard/MIDI........................................................................................................................20
MIDI Control...................................................................................................................................22
Panic button ...............................................................................................................................22
How To …?....................................................................................................................................23
Serial numbers and licenses..........................................................................................................24

4 HX3 Drawbar Expander
HX3 Drawbar Expander
HX3 is a tonewheel emulator with all the features of a classic electromagnetic organ. It is
controllable via MIDI with selectable CC sets for various keyboards. The CC sets are editable.
HX3 offers unlimited polyphony, 100 presets, 3 x 15 drawbar presets and CaM rotor simulation
with rotary speaker, scanner vibrato and amp 122. General MIDI sounds such as piano and strings
are also available.
As an option (extended license required), the HX3 RealOrgan engine is capable of emulating all
electromagnetic organs including the famous H100, combo organs, concert organs of the 70s and
80s like Böhm Orchester and Wersi Helios. This implies up to 15 harmonics, up to 12 drawbars
per manual with individual mixtures, including phasing rotor (WersiVoice). An ADSR envelope is
available on all drawbars, also H100 percussion and "Harp Sustain". Various tone generator
waveforms are selectable, for "cheesy" combo organs as well as fully fledged concert organs.
Features
Compact organ emulator with two sets of drawbars plus pedal
Authentic reproduction of the tone generator. Key contacts, percussion, rotary effect, scanner
vibrato and TubeAmp realized using physical modeling in pure hardware.
Extremely low internal latency of 50 microseconds Key-to-Audio. However, MIDI transmission
delays are about 1 ms per note played.
Natural key click due to 9 (B3 mode) or 12 (H100 mode) contacts closing in succession
Authentic ‘CaM Rotor’ simulation with 122 amp and separate output
General MIDI (GM) Synth, 54x polyphonic
Tunable in range of A = 433 through 447 Hz
Effects DSP providing 3 reverb levels
Dual MIDI IN for 2 separate keyboards or bass pedal
Swell (expression) pedal and footswitch jacks
Separate outputs for amp and rotary simulation as well as plain organ
Connector for 11-pin Leslie® Speakers
Made in Germany
Default MIDI setting: channels 1/2/3 for upper/lower/bass, MIDI CC NI B4.
DC input 9 to 12V, 500 mA min., 5.5/2.1 mm plug, plus on center.
Trademarks Hammond®, B3® and Leslie® belong to Hammond Suzuki Corporation (Japan). Trademark NI B4
belongs to Native Instruments GmbH, Germany. Product and company names used in this document apply for
illustration and example purposes only. Keyboardpartner is not related to these trade marks in any way.

HX3 Drawbar Expander 5
Jack Connections
HX3 Drawbar Expander connectors on back panel, left to right:
SWELL PEDAL ¼” stereo jack. Expression pedal input is compatible with Yamaha FC-7 and
similar expression pedals (direct connection preferred for speed/accuracy, but may also be
remote controlled by MIDI control change, controller 11). Plug connection: Sleeve = ground /
potentiometer start, ring = potentiometer tap, tip = potentiometer end.
FOOT SWITCH ¼” stereo jack. Single or double footswitch controls simulated rotary speed:
SLOW/FAST on plug tip, RUN/STOP on plug ring. By default configured for latching foot
switches; can be configured for momentary (button type) switches (parameter #1502, set bit 0
to 0. If single footswitch used, Rotary is always on RUN (no plug ring, input grounded by plug
sleeve).
MIDI IN 1 Accepts MIDI data from master keyboard 1 or bass pedal.
MIDI IN 2 Accepts MIDI data from master keyboard 2 or bass pedal.
9V DC Use stabilized DC wall wart 9 to 12V with at least 500mA current output, inner/outer
plug diameter 2.1/5.5 mm on DC input jack. Polarity: Plus on inner tip.
ROTARY SIM L Audio output left channel of internal rotary simulation.
ROTARY SIM R Audio output right channel of internal rotary simulation.
MAIN Plain Organ output, as sent to external Leslie® speaker, without CaM Rotor tube amp
simulation and rotary effect.
BASS Separate audio output of dry bass pedal sound (without CaM Rotor).
USB USB B-type connector for MIDI over USB, for updates and configuration by HX3
Manager application. USB and MIDI IN 1 cannot be used simultaneously.
MIDI OUT Sends MIDI data of HX3 Drawbar Expander’s own controllers.
HEADPHONE Stereo output of internal rotary simulation, headphone amplifier.
ROTARY STATUS 3 LEDs indicate status of external Leslie ®, green = on, red = slow, yellow
= fast.
EXTERNAL ROTARY Standard 11-pin Leslie® speaker connector for newer Hammond
Suzuki loudspeaker cabinets. Not suitable for 9-pin Leslie® speakers with passive adaptor due
to different polarity of switching voltages. We recommend using a Leslie® preamp for 6-pin and
9-pin Leslie® speakers.

6 HX3 Drawbar Expander
Controls
The HX3 Drawbar Expander has the typical controls of a classic tonewheel organ: two sets of
drawbars for shaping the organ sound, three bass-pedal drawbars, buttons for effects. The
VOLUME knob adjusts the overall volume of all 4 audio outputs.
The left drawbar set acts like the original on the upper manual, the left on the lower manual. For
the pedal, in addition to the drawbars for 16 'and 8' a drawbar for the pedal sustain ("Sustain")
exists.
Instead of rocker switches, the HX3 expander
has easy-to-use buttons, which also display the
settings called up via presets. The rotary switch
for vibrato setting has also been replaced by
three buttons. Another button switches from
vibrato to chorus setting.
PERCUSSION ON toggles percussion on upper manual on/off. When on, drawbar 1’ is
cancelled (see No DB1 @Perc parameter below to change cancelling behaviour). Percussion
is not sounding with each keystroke, but rather if all keys have been released before.
Percussion level may be changed in submenu Percussion Setup.
PERCUSSION SOFT toggles normal/soft percussion. Drawbar volume is muted in normal
position to emphasize percussion. Muting level may be changed by menu.
PERCUSSION FAST toggles slow/fast percussion decay between approx. 1 second and 0.2
second.
PERCUSSION THIRD toggles 2nd and 3rd percussion harmonic. No function in H100 mode.
VIBRATO offers three settings V1 to V3 (or C1 to C3 when the CHORUS button is pressed).
Vibrato / Chorus is only active when switched to the upper or lower manual.
VIBRATO UPPER toggles vibrato on upper manual on/off
VIBRATO LOWER toggles vibrato on lower manual on/off.
ROTARY RUN toggles rotary motors on/off. Rotary buttons control both internal rotary
simulation as well as a Leslie® speaker connected to 11-pin socket simultaneously. Amp and
speaker modeling remains active when the motors are off. So this is no a bypass function. If an
external foot switch or half-moon switch is connected, pressing the button inverts the function
set with it.

HX3 Drawbar Expander 7
ROTARY SPEED toggles slow/fast rotary speed. A flashing LED in the RUN button indicates
the rotary speed. If an external foot switch or half-moon switch is connected, pressing the
button inverts the function set with it.
REVERB I and REVERB II select 3 different reverb settings and reverb off. Press I and II
simultaneously to select reverb III. Reverb is not applied to the separate bass pedal sound.
CONFIG A/B routes the pedal signal to bypass CaM Rotor.
SPLIT switches the MIDI keyboard split function on and off (see section Keyboard/MIDI).
The buttons may be assigned deliberately with the HX3 Editor.
Volume Control
Output level of all output channels is controlled by Volume rotary knob or MIDI CC #7 “Volume”,
whichever occurs last.
Organ's swell pedal position is controlled by an expression pedal or MIDI CC #11 “Expression”,
whichever occurs last. The loudness curve is similar to the swell pedal of a classic tonewheel
organ, so expression volume will not reach zero. We recommend connecting an expression pedal
Yamaha FC-7 or similar (1/4" jack, 10k to 47k total resistance) directly to the HX3 module.
MIDI CC #11 and #7 may be altered via menu to any valid MIDI CC Number.

8 HX3 Drawbar Expander
HX3 Apps and Tools
The following chapter describes how you can control the HX3 device completely via the menu
panel. However, there are other, more convenient options: Use the Panel in the HX3 Manager for
operation via PC or notebook. Use TouchOSC for operation via tablet or smartphone.
HX3 Manager
The HX3 Manager supports the use of your HX3 device
with a variety of functions:
The Panel contains switches and drawbars for your HX3
device. In the panel window you can adjust sounds and
effects, create, name and save presets. When the panel is
open, you can recall presets live using the function keys on
your PC keyboard.
The Preset Mover makes it easy to manage presets. It lets
you try out, move, and rename presets. You can transfer
presets from a file to the HX3 device or save them to a file.
The Editor lets you set up the HX3 for all conceivable
hardware configurations, gives you access to all available
parameters, and lets you fine-tune sounds and effects.
With the CC Set Editor you can edit the MIDI CC Sets of
the HX3, create CC Sets or load them from a file from your
PC. This allows you to get the most out of your keyboard
controller, even if none of the included CC Sets fit right
away.
The Updater updates the operating software of your HX3
device completely in an automatic process or individual
selected parts. Use the Updater also to activate an
Extended License or to change the username.
TouchOSC for HX3
Control your HX3 device via tablet or smartphone with the TouchOSC mk1 app from Hexler, which
you can get for a few euros in the Apple App Store or Google Play. For wireless connection of iOS
or Android mobile devices we offer a WLAN interface. iOS devices can also communicate with
TouchOSC via MIDI over USB.

HX3 Drawbar Expander 9
Menu Panel
After power on the Preset/Drawbar Menu is present. Pressing the
rotary knob twice briefly will let you return to the home position from
any other menu position.
Turn the rotary knob to scroll through the menu. A hatched arrow indicates the menu position.
Press the rotary knob once to edit a parameter value. A white arrow indicates the selected
entry that may be altered. Turn the rotary knob to change that value. Press the rotary know once
again to continue scrolling through the menu.
In the preset/drawbar menu the rotary knob selects the Presets 0 …99. Presets consist of
drawbar settings and optionally tab switch settings (percussion, vibrato etc., including rotary
Run/Fast/Slow), volume and 122 tube amp gain as well as all other effects.
Scroll downwards (= turn the rotary knob clockwise) to the drawbar
presets (Voices) for Upper manual, Lower manual, and Pedal. The
top display line shows the drawbar positions as numbers from 0 –8.
Scroll down to the TubeAmp Gain setting. TubeAmp Gain sets the
internal tube amp simulation.
Saving settings
Parameter values tagged by the letter Care part of a single preset. Values tagged by Dapply to
all presets and are stored as defaults. The assignment can be changed in the editor of the HX3
Manager with parameter #1498 or on the Presets page of the Manager’s Panel.
Values tagged by U, L, or Pare part of the current voice for upper, lower, or pedal. These are
saved as Voice (Drawbar settings only) if you save them while one of these markers is displayed.
An asterisk appears at the bottom right of the display when a value has been changed. To save
the setting, keep the rotary knob pressed until one of the following prompts appears on the
display:
"Saved to Defaults OK" for default values.
"Save to Preset #XX" for presets ("XX" stands for the number of the currently active preset).
Change the number as desired and press the knob again.
"Save Upper to #XX", "Save Lower to #XX" or "Save Pedal to #XX" ("XX" stands for the
number of the currently active Voice). Change the number as desired and press the knob
again.

10 HX3 Drawbar Expander
Menu Overview
The HX3 menu is arranged in function groups and has two levels: The main menu, shown in
green, contains the parameters that are frequently used. In the submenu of the respective
function group, shown in blue, you will find parameters that are used less frequently.
Press the lower button to switch from a main menu to a submenu. An "S" symbol then appears at
the bottom right of the display. Press the upper button to return to the main menu.
The menus are arranged in a ring. The last menu item in the list is therefore followed by the first
again when you scroll down further, and the same applies vice versa.
Menu items that are only available with the Extended License are shown in italics in the following
overview. It also depends on which organ model is selected (default: B3). In the overview, a light
blue Hmarks menu items that only appear in H100 mode, and a red E marks menu items that are
available in EnvelopeGen (EG) mode.
As of firmware version 5.637, the menu is significantly shorter than in previous versions. Rarely
used parameters have been removed from the menu to improve clarity, but are still adjustable with
TouchOSC, with the Panel or with the Editor of the HX3 Manager. Please use this method for the
manifold settings in EG mode.
The editor can be used to remove other unwanted menu items from the menu or added to the
menu.
Presets
HX3 Preset: Selection of Common Presets 00 ... 99.
Common Presets include Drawbar settings and optionally Tab Switch settings (Percussion,
Vibrato etc.), Rotary Run/Fast/Slow, Master Volume, TubeAmpGain, and other effect settings. In
the HX3 Manager panel you can select which parameters are saved in presets.
Preset 0 determines the settings when the device is switched on. The drawbar and switch settings
are temporarily stored when another preset is called up and become effective again when preset 0
is selected again.
LED Dimmer: Brightness of the LEDs on connected boards and on the menu panel of the HX3
MIDI Expander (from mid 2020).
SD File Exec: Selection of a script file on the SD card when the SD card adapter is connected.
WiFi Init Def: Reset WLAN interface to factory default.
Preset Init: Sets the live preset 0 to a basic B3 organ sound.