KEYBOARDPARTNER HX3 Drawbar Controller User manual

KEYBOARDPARTNER UG
HX3 MIDI Expander Version 5
HX3 MIDI E
xpander
is a tonewheel
organ emulation with all B3 features
in a small box, creating the legendary
unmatched HX3 sound. Controlled
via MIDI, it offers selectable CC-sets
for various keyboards. Unlimited
polyphony, presets, parameters
tweakable by simple menus - like key
click response, percussion punch
and more. In addition, General MIDI
sounds like piano and strings are
available.
As an option (extended licence required), the new 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), mechanical and electronic keying available
simultaneously. ADSR envelope available on all drawbars, also H100 percussion and
"Harp Sustain". Various tone generator waveforms selectable, for "cheesy" combo
organs as well as fully fledged concert organs.
Features
 Compact organ emulator in aluminum box, 222 x 150 x 42 mm
 Authentic reproduction of generator, tapering, key contacts, percussion and
vibrato by FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and physical modelling
 Tunable in range of A = 433 through 447 Hz
 Extremely low internal latency of 50 microseconds Key-to-Audio. However,
MIDI transmission delay is about 1 ms per note played.
 Natural key click by "rattling" contacts
 Accurate rotary and 122 amp simulation
 Dual MIDI IN for 2 separate keyboards or bass pedal
 LEDs show vibrato and percussion setting
 LCD display and menu system
 Swell (expression) pedal and footswitch jacks
 Mini-USB for MIDI use
 Effects DSP with 3 reverb levels
 24 voices GM Synth
 Hand-crafted in Germany
Default MIDI setting is channels 1/2/3 for upper/lower/bass, MIDI CC NI B4 with
Sustain on CC #64.
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.
Please read this manual carefully before using the HX3 Drawbar
Expander.
Only clean with damp soft cloth. Using detergents or solvents may
deteriorate finish and lettering.
Wood parts are unique, so deviations in colour and texture may
occur. Maintain finish by using medium dark wood wax or wood oil.
Do not allow water spills to stain into wood.
Keep packaging in case of service shipment.
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.
All information given herein is given to describe certain
components and shall not be considered as a guarantee of
characteristics. Rights to technical changes reserved.
EU conformity declaration
This device conforms to EU regulations
EMV-Richtlinie 2004/108/EG
Niederspannungsrichtlinie 2006/95 EG
RoHS-Richtlinie 2011/65/EU
Made in Germany by
KEYBOARDPARTNER UG
Entwicklung elektronischer Musikinstrumente
Carsten Meyer  Ithweg 37  D-30851 Langenhagen
Web: www.keyboardpartner.de Instructions: wiki.keyboardpartner.de
EMail: [e-mail]

1.0 Jack Connections
The HX3 expander module has two 1/4" mono audio output jacks, one DC input
jack, one USB mini connector and two accessory jacks on back panel.
 AUDIO1/AUDIO2: Main audio stereo output. Output level is approx. 300 mV at
full swell.
 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. Please use
latching foot switches; momentary (button type) switches are not supported. If
single footswitch used, Rotary is always on RUN (no plug ring, input grounded
by plug sleeve).
 MIDI IN primary input from MIDI keyboard.
 MIDI IN/OUT factory default secondary MIDI input for additional lower manual,
bass pedal or MIDI controller. Internally jumpered to supply +5V/200ma to our
Drawbar Controller (phantom voltage). May be changed to act as MIDI OUT
by internal jumper swap. See our wiki page for details.
 DC IN: 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:
positive voltage on inner tip.
 USB: Mini USB connector for MIDI over USB and GM Soundbank updates.

1.1 Volume Control
Output level of all output channels is controlled by Master volume setting in menu
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. HX3 resembles a loudness curve 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.
Press menu panel encoder knob briefly twice to switch to Rotary Tube Amp Gain
control. If gain is set to high levels, the simulated tube amplifier will distort/overdrive
on full swell. Press menu panel encoder knob again twice to obtain Main Volume
overall output level menu.
MIDI CC #11 and #7 may be changed by menu to any other valid MIDI CC number.
2.0 Panel Buttons
(only on HX3 Drawbar Expander)
3.0 Menu Panel
The Menu Panel knob Data Entry (incremental encoder) will change overall preset
numbers from 0 to 15, upper/lower/pedal voice presets 0 to 39, Master Volume or
rotary TubeAmp Gain, parameters in other menu entries, depending on menu mode.
On power on, the presets/drawbar menu is present; knob selects overall presets 0
to 15. Press up/down buttons to access upper (U), lower (L) or pedal (P) voice
presets; a white “<” arrow indicates active entry.
Press Up/Down buttons several times to reach other menu entries (press and hold for
auto-repeat). Alternatively, you may press rotary knob once briefly for quick menu
select mode. In this mode, turning the knob will select menu entries; Up/down arrows
are white (active) and parameter arrow is outlined (inactive). Pressing Up/Down
buttons will change selected parameter step by step.
Press rotary knob again briefly to return to parameter change mode. In this mode,
turning the knob will change parameters; Up/down arrows are outlined (inactive) and
parameter arrow is white (active). Pressing Up/Down buttons will change menu
entries step by step.
A “*” star indicates that a parameter has been changed and now differs from saved
preset/voice. To save a changed parameter, keep encoder knob pressed until a
“saved… to…” prompt appears. A capital letter (U/L/P/T/C) indicates where the
particular parameter will be saved; U = upper manual voice, L = lower manual voice,
P = pedal voice, T and C = overall tab/common preset.

Overall presets consist of voice numbers, all tab switch settings (percussion, vibrato
etc.), volume and 122 amp gain as well as all other sound defining parameters,
except rotary run/fast/slow. LEDs show current percussion and vibrato setting.
Shortcut: To return to main preset menu or change to Rotary Tube Amp Gain,
Master Volume and back, press knob briefly twice.
Note: Rotary Volume acts like the potentiometer found on classic Leslie™ cabinets: If
set to high levels, the simulated tube amplifier will distort/overdrive on full swell.
40 voices (0..39) are available for each manual and pedal. Voices 0 to 15 consist of
organ drawbar settings. Voices 16 to 39 select a GM Synth preset. GM presets may
be predefined by use of the HX3.5 Editor application.
The menu system consists of up to 120 entries, depending on licence.
3.1 Main Display Upper/Lower/Pedal
 DrbXXXXXXXXXXXX - voice menu, shows upper/lower or pedal drawbar
settings as numbers 0 to 8 (here represented as "X") for 12 drawbars (9
harmonics plus 3 mixtures). To alter individual drawbar settings, step further in
the menu.
 Rotary Motor On/Off control
 Rotary Slow/Fast control
3.1.1 Upper Manual
Menu entry count depends on selected basic organ model (default: B3). Other
organs (H100, Böhm/Wersi, Versatile Electronic Gating, Conn Single Note
Generator, CheesyCombo) are available with extended licence only. Navigate to
Organ Model menu to change basic organ model. Upper manual drawbars are
saved to active upper voice preset.
3.1.1.0 B3 Organ Model
 UPR< LWR Vibr - Vibrato/chorus ON/OFF for upper manual
 UPR LWR Vibr< - Vibrato knob setting V1 to C3
 Percussion - will step through available percussion combinations of
NORM/SOFT, FAST/SLOW, 2nd/3rd (8 options) plus OFF. Available for B3
organ model only.
 UpperDB 16 to UpperDB 1 - drawbar settings for upper manual
 Organ Model selects basic organ model
3.1.1.0 H100 Organ Model
 UPR< LWR Vibr - Vibrato/chorus ON/OFF for upper manual
 UPR LWR Vibr< - Vibrato knob setting V1 to C3
 UpperDB 16 to UpperDB 1 - drawbar settings for upper manual
 UpperDB Mix1 to UpperDB Mix3 – mixture drawbar settings for upper
manual. Mixtures consist of up to 3 higher harmonics in individual levels.

Please note: As opposed to the original H100, HX3.5 provides three mixtures
instead of two.
 H100 HarpSust - activates Harp Sustain effect, 4’ harmonic decays after key
has been released
 H100 2ndVoice – selected percussion harmonics will not decay. As on H100,
all percussion voices are bypassing the vibrato circuit. If drawbar voices are on
vibrato and 2nd Voice is active, this will yield a nice chorus effect.
 Perc/EG Mask – selects harmonics to enter the percussion/2nd Voice circuit.
Each “o” symbol represents a single harmonic from 16’ to Mixture 3. An
underscore indicates the harmonic to be changed. If activated, the “o” symbol
is filled white.
 Organ Model – selects basic organ model
3.1.2 Lower Manual
Menu entry count depends on selected basic organ model (default: B3). Other
organs (H100, Böhm/Wersi, Versatile Electronic Gating, Conn Single Note
Generator, CheesyCombo) are available with extended licence only. Navigate to
Organ Model menu to change basic organ model. Lower manual drawbars are
saved to active lower voice preset.
 UPR LWR< Vibr - vibrato/chorus ON/OFF for lower manual
 LowerDB 16 to LowerDB 1 - drawbar settings for upper manual
 LowerDB Mix1 to LowerDB Mix3 – (non-B3 organs only) mixture drawbar
settings for upper manual. Mixtures consist of up to 3 higher harmonics in
individual levels. Please note: As opposed to the original H100, HX3.5
provides three mixtures instead of one.
3.1.3 Pedal
Pedal drawbars including ADSR setting are saved to active pedal voice preset.
 PedalDB 16, PedalDB 8 - drawbar settings for pedals
 PedalDB 16H, PedalDB 8H - drawbar settings for pedals, brighter tone
 Pedal Attack - changes pedal ADSR envelope attack time.
 Pedal Decay - changes pedal ADSR envelope decay time
 Pedal Sustain - changes pedal ADSR envelope sustain level
 Pedal Release - changes pedal ADSR envelope release time (often called
string bass “sustain” on other organs)
 Pedal Harmonc – sets harmonic breakup of individual harmonics over time.
Set to lower values to obtain a „picked bass“ effect.

3.2 Defaults Group
Step downwards to reach various defaults settings; change to desired value by
turning incremental encoder knob. Save changes to current overall preset by
pressing knob for more than 2 seconds.
 ToneTrimPot – mimics TONE pot on simulated AO28 amp; well, a little bit
more on high values.
 Master Volume – sets final volume of all outputs. For best noise performance,
higher values are desirable.
 TubeAmp Gain – sets volume of internal rotary tube amp simulation from 0 to
full (overdriven tube amp). This menu entry may be reached directly from main
menu by pressing encoder knob briefly. Amp will get into decent saturation on
increased swell amount and higher gain values as seen on ‘real’ amps.
Amount of distortion is controlled by swell pedal.
 TubeAmp Insrt – activates 122 amp simulation, otherwise amp is bypassed.
Tube amp gain has no effect if off.
 SpkrSim Insrt – activates rotary cabinet simulation, otherwise horn/rotor
simulation is bypassed (recommended for use of external rotary cabinet).
 Reverb Prgm – selects one of 3 different reverb programs. For each program,
amount of reverb may be adjusted.
o Reverb Lvl 1 reverb amount of reverb program 1
o Reverb Lvl 2 reverb amount of reverb program 2
o Reverb Lvl 3 reverb amount of reverb program 3
 Transpose – allows transposition by up to +24 or -24 half note steps. Notes
beyond 5 octave limits of console organ will not produce any sound due to
accuracy of physical model.
3.2.1 Split Configuration
Keyboard split default is “pedal mapped to lower manual” on first 25 keys (console
organ pedal range, two octaves). Default split modes may be changed by menu:
 Split Manual – switches split mode on or off.
 Split Mode – default split setting on power-up, engaged when split set to ON.
o 'PedalToLower', map pedal to lower manual up to split point
o 'LowerToUpper', map lower to upper manual up to split point
o 'PedalToUpper', map pedal to upper manual up to split point
o 'LowerToU +1', map lower to upper manual up to split point, transpose
lower +1 octave
o 'LowerToU +2' map lower to upper manual up to split point, transpose
lower +2 octave
 Split Point – sets split point (when split is on) as key number (24 is second
„C“ on manual).
Split mode may also be changed by one of the following procedures:

 Pedal to Lower: Press and hold desired lower manual key while switching
SPLIT on to obtain a custom split point (useful for playing pedal bass lines on
dual manual keyboards without bass pedals).
 Lower to Upper: Press a single key on upper manual while switching SPLIT
on to map lower to upper manual up to this key (useful for playing 16’ bass
lines or 4’ accompaniment chords on single manual keyboards).
 Pedal to Upper: Press two keys simultaneously on upper manual while
switching SPLIT on to map pedal to upper manual up to highest of both keys
pressed (useful for playing pedal bass lines on single manual keyboards
without bass pedal).
 Lower to Upper +1: Press three keys simultaneously on upper manual while
switching SPLIT on to map lower to upper manual up to highest of all keys
pressed. Lower notes range is transposed one octave up (useful for left-hand
8’ accompaniment chords on single manual keyboards).
 Lower to Upper +2: Press four keys simultaneously on upper manual while
switching SPLIT on to map lower to upper manual up to highest of all keys
pressed. Lower notes range is transposed two octaves up (useful for left-hand
16’ accompaniment chords on single manual keyboards).
3.2.6 Generator Group
 TG WaveSet – selects harmonic content of tone generator. Will be changed
according automatically with organ model selection, but may be overridden by
this menu:
o 0…3 – B3, lean to rich harmonics (new to old organ), increasing
harmonic distortion on lower notes
o 4 – Clean LSI/transistor sine generator
o 5 – Sawtooth-like tone
o 6 – Squarewave-like tone
o 7 – Cheesy Combo organ
 TG CapSet – sets tone generator age and characteristic:
o 1955 (very aged caps, mellow sound)
o 1961 (aged wax caps, jazz-type sound)
o 1972 (new “red” caps, rock-type sound)
o Recapped (more aggressive)
o Straight (no tapering, equal loudness)
o Cheesy (emphasises higher notes)
 TG Gears Tune – sets organ generator tuning in range from A = 433 through
447 Hz
 TG Flutter – adjusts tone generator "sloppyness" (spring clutch tension,
bearing precision).
 TG Leakage – sets tone generator leakage (crosstalk noise of adjacent notes,
“growl”)
 ContSpringFlx – adjusts key contact spring flex, affects click frequency
 ContSpringDmp – adjusts key contact spring damping, affects click length
 No DB1 @Perc enables drawbar 1’ cancelling when percussion ON (as
original B3®)
 DB16 Foldback – controls foldback behaviour on 16' lowest octave. Foldback
is configurable in 4 settings:
o foldback with full level,

o foldback with muted level (original B3 behaviour),
o no foldback ("all way down") with full level (like H-100®) or
o no foldback ("all way down") with muted level.
3.2.7 Preamp Group and Misc.
Along with ToneTrimPot (see above), adjusts behaviour and response of the
emulated AO28 preamp chassis and transformer/tube saturation.
 Swell Type – controls preamp loudness behaviour on swell pedal changes:
o Hammond AO28 (“deep” loudness curve)
o Böhm/Wersi (shallow loudness curve)
o Linear
 SwellTrimCap – adjusts organ output volume like the trim cap in B3 swell
pedal control. Higher values add more punch and output transformer
saturation effects.
 Minimal Swell – adjusts minimal organ output in swell pedal heel position.
 AO28 TubeAge – controls emulated AO28 preamp tube aging (higher triode
distortion k2 in 12BH7 output stage).
3.2.3 Commons Group
 MIDI Channel – sets MIDI base receive channel 1 to 10 (upper manual, lower
manual is on +1, pedals on +2).
 MIDI Option – sets MIDI routing behaviour to:
o Local Tx – own MIDI events are sent on MIDI OUT
o Inp 1 Thru – MIDI IN 1 is routed to MIDI OUT as THRU
o Inp 2 Thru – MIDI IN 1 is routed to MIDI OUT as THRU
o USB InThru – USB MIDI IN is routed to MIDI OUT as THRU
 MIDI CC Set – sets recognized MIDI CC set to
o NI B4 d3c - Native Instruments B4, Doepfer d3c controller (default),
o VoceDrawbar',
o 'KeyB/Duo,
o Hamichord,
o Hammond XK,
o Hammond SK (Note: Hammond changed MIDI CC set between XK and
SK series, so try out which will fit)
o BoehmSempra (full MIDI implementation of all parameters, see MIDI
documentation)
o Custom CC (not implemented yet).
 MIDI Swell CC – sets accepted swell/expression CC number (default #11).
 MIDI VolumeCC – sets accepted overall volume CC number (default #7).
3.2.4 Vibrato Group
Detailed modelling of scanner vibrato features lots of adjustable parameters. Avoid
randomly changing parameters; they are intended for real organ enthusiasts – you

should know what you’re doing.
 Scanner Gears – adjusts scanner drive gear and thereby vibrato frequency.
 Scanner Leak – adjusts leakage of higher notes in scanner compartment due
to parasitic capacitances.
 VibCh ModFac – adjusts amplitude modulation caused by delay line on all
vibrato/chorus knob settings.
 VibCh PreEmph – adjusts treble increase when vibrato/chorus is switched on.
Effect on chorus is obvious, while increase on Vibrato is more subtile.
 VibCh Reflect – sets amount of reflected signal on LC linebox due to aged
caps. Higher values lead to a ‚celeste’-like effect as found on model M100.
 VibCh Respons – sets upper frequency response of LC linebox.
 Ch LineboxLvl – adjusts ‚wet’ modulated amount when in chorus mode.
 Ch BypassLvl – adjusts ‚dry’ unmodulated amount when in chorus mode.
3.2.5 Percussion Group
 PercNormLvl – adjusts percussion level in PERC ON, NORMAL tab setting.
 PercSoftLvl – adjusts percussion level in PERC ON, SOFT tab setting.
 PercLongTm – adjusts percussion decay rate in PERC ON, SLOW tab setting
(higher value = faster).
 PercShortTm – adjusts percussion decay rate in PERC ON, FAST tab setting
(higher value = faster).
 PercMuteDB – sets drawbar muting amount while in Perc NORM. No mute
will happen if value set to 125.
 PercPrecharge – sets percussion circuit recovery time; if set to lower values,
staccato notes yield muted percussion.
3.3 Rotary Group
 HornSlowTm - Rotary simulation horn revolution time when set to SLOW
 RotorSlowTm - Rotary simulation rotor revolution time when set to SLOW
 HornFastTm - Rotary simulation horn revolution time when set to FAST
 RotorFastTm - Rotary simulation rotor revolution time when set to FAST
 HornRampUp - Rotary simulation horn acceleration from SLOW to FAST.
 RotorRampUp - Rotary simulation rotor acceleration from SLOW to FAST.
 HornRampDown - Rotary simulation horn brake time from FAST to SLOW.
 RotorRampDown - Rotary simulation rotor brake time from FAST to SLOW.
 Rotary Throb - Rotary simulation "throb" modulation factor
 Rotary Spread - Rotary simulation stereo spread (width).
 Rotary Balnce - Rotary simulation volume balance horn/rotor.
3.3 Updates/Scripts
Setup scripts (.INI files) may be executed from SD card. Scripts consist of a series of
text commands; they can change a series of parameters or invoke a firmware update.
To select a script file, turn encoder knob; to start the script, press and hold encoder
knob for at least 2 seconds until “Run Setup file” message appears.

 Setup File – selection of setup script from SD card (adaptor required)
A new controller firmware and FPGA image (Sound Engine) may be installed using a
standard SD or SDHC card. For this purpose, an SD card adapter is provided with
every board. Attach SD card adaptor cable to HX3.5 board connector PL17.
Firmware images are made available through our HX3.5 Github repository. Unzip and
copy all files from appropriate ZIP file "SDCARD" to empty SD or SDHC card. Please
make sure that all files are located in the card's root directory. Insert SD card in
HX3.5 card adaptor and power up HX3.5 (Reset/Restart).
An update will start automatically on power-on when a file called "autorun.ini" is
present on SD card. Once the update is completed, this file will be renamed to
"_autorun.ini" to prevent further obsolete updates.
3.4 Factory Reset
To retrieve the factory defaults, press the MenuPanel encoder knob when powering
on until “Factory Reset” prompt appears, then confirm by pressing “up” button.
3.5 Serial Numbers and Licences
HX3 is protected against forgery by licence numbers. If not set appropriately after
firmware update, HX3 will refuse to work after 2 minutes. Licences may be re-
installed at any time. Please contact KeyboardPartner to obtain a valid licence key.
We need your serial number (issued on startup and by HX3 Editor application) to
generate new licences for you.

4.0 MIDI Control
HX3 expander accepts MIDI key on/off events (default: channel 1 to upper manual, 2
to lower manual, channel 3 to bass pedals) as well as various MIDI CCs with
selectable compatibility sets. MIDI dynamics slightly influences key click noise. SysEx
data is always ignored. Both MIDI jacks act as MIDI inputs with equal priority, so that
you may connect two separate MIDI keyboards or controllers at the same time.
HX3 expander may be remote-controlled via given MIDI CC set, but some settings
are available via menu system only. If a valid MIDI CC command is received (despite
expression/volume changes) for current MIDI CC set, MenuPanel will briefly show the
changed parameter.
General
Please connect MIDI out of your MIDI controller/keyboard to one of the two HX3 MIDI
inputs. HX3 does not introduce any audio latency, so delays are only due to MIDI
transmission.
Since MIDI is a one-way interface, HX3 cannot determine the setting of any MIDI
controller value until you touch/use it once. As default, all HX3 controllers are OFF.
Do not use any controller button or drawbar unless HX3 is ready to accept its data
(drawbar preset displayed). It is a good idea to power up HX3 before your MIDI
master keyboard or master controller.
MIDI CC #7 controls the rotary amp volume which only affects the rotary or rotary
amp simulation, not plain organ output. MIDI CC #11 controls swell pedal/expression
if no expression pedal connected to HX3.
If you use your HX3-attached swell pedal, any MIDI expression message will be
overwritten. Otherwise, by not touching the attached swell pedal, MIDI expression
messages are accepted.
Note: Some MIDI controllers as well as organ keyboards (like Hammond XK and SK
series) allow 2nd and 3rd harmonic percussion ON at the same time. HX3
implementation regards "2nd ON" as "Percussion ON" tab in this case.
See Menu Panel section to select the desired MIDI CC set. Factory default is Native
Instruments B4, which provides the most versatile command set.
Using HX3 with Voce MIDI Drawbars
Using your HX3 board with Voce MIDI Drawbars is straightforward, as the Voce
module supports only one MIDI channel (i.e. upper manual). Please note that Voce
MIDI Drawbars does not send drawbar data unless you press the “Drawbar/Save”
button, so it’s LED lits up.
You may change the Voce MIDI Drawbars send channel (back rotary HEX switch) at
any time to lower (2) and bass channel (3), although this is somewhat inconvenient.

Have your technician install a toggle switch on the back side so channels may be
changed easily.
Using HX3 with Doepfer d3c or other NI B4 drawbar controller
The Doepfer d3c drawbar controller is a very nice and rugged piece of gear, so we
recommend it for use with our HX3 board. It has support for foot controllers and foot
switches. The Keyswerk/Böhm db4 is also compatible with NI B4 CC set.
Upper, lower and bass drawbars work as usual. It is a good idea to set all to zero
before switching on as this is a “known state” for HX3. Also the Percussion and
Vibrato buttons work as described in d3c manual. There is a small drawback,
anyway: Default HX3 Vibrato setting is V1 (but upper/lower vibrato OFF), while the
V1 LED will not light when powering up the d3c (there is no “V0” on a real
Hammond!). So pressing the V1 button will not change the sound – just it’s LED turns
on.
The “Brightness” knob controls AO28 “tone” parameter in HX3. There is no key click
emulation in HX3 (it is just there!), so you may not adjust key click (a real Hammond
does not have key click adjustment, either). The “Key Click” knob controls the bass
sustain instead. You may argue “a real Hammond does not have a bass pedal
sustain, too”. Right, but many aftermarket kits are installed, so this is OK (for me). Do
not use the “Harmonic content” knob as it sends the “Percussion” button’s controller
number like a continuous controller. Why that? No idea. This is definitely of no use.
Preset buttons may be used, but in a restricted way. First, HX3 yields 15 presets per
manual, not 127 like NI B4. When selecting “Bank 1”, all 12 available preset buttons
work on upper manual. When selecting “Bank 2”, all 12 preset buttons work on lower
manual. Doepfer d3c resends the program change message when changing the
bank, which may be annoying. Choose bank 2, lower preset first, then bank 1, upper
preset. BTW: Bank buttons do not send bank select messages, they just add an
offset to the preset buttons. Blame Doepfer for that.
Doepfer d3c preset 1 is the HX3 “Live” (preset 0) position. It will be saved temporarily
(until HX3 switched off) when switching to a preset sound (2 to 12). If you return to
preset 1 “Live”, your last drawbar/button setting will be recalled. Please note: HX3
tracks drawbar and button changes even when in preset position 2 to 12, so it keeps
itself updated all the time.
There is no way to save an upper or lower preset/program remotely; you have to use
the MenuPanel’s Save function, see below.
Using HX3 with Hammond XK/SK series
HX3 supports most of Hammond XK MIDI controller functions. For convenience,
some controllers have been relocated to other HX3 functions:
 XK Overdrive knob controls HX3 Rotary tube Amp Volume
 XK Reverb button controls HX3 lower manual Vibrato On
 XK Tube On button controls HX3 Reverb

Using HX3 with DrawbarController
HX3 Drawbar Controller is specially designed to be used with HX3 MIDI Expander
and provides convenient operation. It will merge incoming MIDI data on MIDI MERGE
input to its own controller data.
For use with HX3 Plexi Expander, you may utilize its “phantom” power supply feature
(power over MIDI cable). Phantom supply is usually set by factory – check if your
expander supplies phantom voltage. In case it does not, you may use a separate wall
wart for the HX3 Drawbar Controller or need to open the device and set two jumpers
to enable phantom supply on the HX3 MIDI Expander.
Remove four Philips screws on back and
carefully pull out chassis a few inches.
Insert two jumpers supplied with Drawbar
Controller to jumper header PL10 on
positions 7-8 and 9-10 as shown in picture.
Re-assemble USB interface and back plate
in reverse order and you’re done.
Connect 5-wire MIDI cable (supplied) to HX3 MIDI Expander MIDI IN/OUT and to
HX3 Drawbar Controller MIDI OUT. HX3 Drawbar Controller will now be phantom
powered by the HX3 MIDI Expander through the MIDI cable.
Attention: Always connect wall wart to HX3 MIDI Expander. Never connect the
wall wart to Drawbar Controller when phantom power is enabled. Doing so may
damage the devices.

5. HX3 Apps
HX3.5 Editor for Windows application is a convenient way to update or maintain your
HX3 drawbar expander. It allows for firmware and sound engine updates, parameter
tweaking and preset setup for experienced users.
Programs and complete documentation are available through our wiki pages on
http://wiki.keyboardpartner.de
Join the HX3 community at http://forum.keyboardpartner.de!
KEYBOARDPARTNER UG
Entwicklung elektronischer Musikinstrumente
Carsten Meyer  Ithweg 37  D-30851 Langenhagen
Web: www.keyboardpartner.de Instructions: wiki.keyboardpartner.de
EMail: [e-mail]
All information given herein is given to describe certain components and shall not be
considered as a guarantee of characteristics. Rights to technical changes reserved.