Native Instruments B4 II User manual

B4 II
OPERATION MANUAL

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does
not represent a commitment on the part of Native Instruments Software Synthesis
GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement
and may not be copied to other media. No part of this publication may be copied,
reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior
written permission by Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH. All product
and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners.
User’s Guide written by: Thomas Loop, Michael Kurz, Darwin Grosse
© Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH, 2004. All rights reserved.
B4 Is a trademark of Native Instruments Software Synthesis.
Germany USA
Native Instruments GmbH Native Instruments USA, Inc.
Schlesische Str. 28 5631 A Hollywood Boulevard
D-10997 Berlin Los Angeles, CA 90028
Germany USA
[e-mail] [e-mail]
www.native-instruments.de www.native-instruments.com

B4 II – III
Table Of Contents
About the Native Instruments B4......................................................... 5
Introduction.................................................................................... 5
Installation under Windows XP ............................................................ 7
Software Installation........................................................................ 7
VST plug-in Installation.................................................................... 7
DXi 2 plug-in Setup......................................................................... 8
RTAS plug-in installation.................................................................. 8
Installation under MacOS X................................................................. 8
Installing B4 II in OS X ................................................................... 8
MacOS Audio Unit plug-in Installation ............................................... 9
RTAS plug-in installation.................................................................. 9
Product Authorization......................................................................... 9
What is the Product Authorization?.................................................... 9
Conducting the Product Authorization...............................................11
Method A: B4 II computer has direct access to the internet ................11
Method B: Internet Connection on another computer..........................13
Method C: No Internet Connection available ......................................15
Registration support .......................................................................17
Audio Interfaces ...............................................................................18
Standalone Application ...................................................................18
More About Latency ...................................................................... 20
B4 II as standalone.......................................................................... 25
Soundcard (Audio Interface)............................................................25
Routing .........................................................................................27
MIDI............................................................................................ 28
B4 II as Instrument Plug-in............................................................... 29
VST 2.0 Plug-In ............................................................................ 29
Audio Units Plug-ins .......................................................................31
DXi 2 plug-in ............................................................................... 35
Using B4 II with Pro Tools.............................................................. 36

IV – B4 II
The B4 User Interface .......................................................................37
Using Presets ................................................................................41
Saving Presets .............................................................................. 42
The Preset View ............................................................................ 43
Keyboard Splits............................................................................. 46
MIDI Response ............................................................................. 48
The B4 as an effects unit................................................................49
Setup View ................................................................................... 50
Full Screen mode .......................................................................... 55
Creating Your Own Sounds ................................................................ 56
Manual View Controls .................................................................... 56
Organ View Controls ...................................................................... 62
Expert View Controls...................................................................... 67
Drawbar Programming Basics .............................................................74
Theory ..........................................................................................74
Practice ........................................................................................76
Appendix A: Keyboard and Mouse Control .......................................... 79
Appendix B: Recommended Reading and Listening ........................... 80
Appendix C: The B4 Signal Flow........................................................ 84

B4 II – 5
About the Native Instruments B4
Introduction
The B4, in perspective...
Congratulations on your purchase of the Native Instruments B4. The B4
combines the classic and robust tonewheel organ and rotating speaker sound
with the convenience of software.
The original B3 organ set many standards with its beefy sound and unique
interface. This instrument spans all genres – from R&B to Jazz, House to Gospel
– and is a valuable tool for any player or producer. The Native Instrument B4
honors this standard, and provides a software that maintains the classic look,
lush tone, and famous presets of the original.

6 – B4 IIB4 II
Of course, there are a number of advantages the B4 has over the original
tonewheel organ, including:
• Reduced size and weight
• Increased preset storage
• Velocity sensitivity
• MIDI automation of all parameters
• Multiple organ models in one package
• Integrated reverb
• A ample selection of cabinet models
The Native Instruments B4 integrates seamlessly into the computer-based
virtual studio.
It is important to note that the B4 is not another sampled organ, but a
complete software model of the tonal characteristics of the original tonewheel
and rotating speaker and cabinet system. Effects like harmonic foldback
(tones repeating in octaves at the high and low extremes of the keyboard) and
loudness robbing (the same tone triggered with multiple keys “compressing”
the tone volume) are faithfully reproduced as critical characteristics of the
instrument. This attention to the details of sound production make the B4 a
stunningly realistic and useful musical instrument.

B4 II – 7
Installation under Windows XP
Software Installation
• Insert the B4 II CD into the CD drive.
• Use the Windows Explorer to view the contents of the CD.
• Start the installation by double-clicking B4 II Setup.exe.
• The setup program will suggest C:\Program Files\Native Instruments\
Product Name\ as the path for the destination folder. You may also
choose another folder if you wish.
Installed Folders, Files, and Links
The setup program creates a new folder called B4 II\ in the installation directory
(Program Files\Native Instruments). This folder contains the les required to
operate the software. If you do not choose a different program group during
the installation, links to the Product and a ReadMe le are added to the Start
menu under Programs/Native Instruments.
VST plug-in Installation
• Insert the Installation CD into the CD drive.
• Use the Windows Explorer to view the contents of the CD. To start,
double-click the B4 II Setup.exe le.
• When the choice is given by the installer, select VST plug-in from the
list of components to install.
• You can now choose to automatically search for the VST plug-in folder
or manually select the VST plug-in folder of your choice. Please select
the option that best suits your installation requirements.
Note: If more than one host program for VST 2.0 plug-ins is installed
on your computer, the installer lets you install to multiple VST-folders
by shift-clicking them. If you decide to install them at a later date,
simply copy the “B4 II VST.dll” le into the VST plug-ins folders of
these programs. Windows: If the VST plug-in les are not visible in
the Windows Explorer, select the Show All Files option. This option is
located in the Explorer menu View Folder Options... on the View tab
below Hidden Files. Optionally, you can set up your programs so that
they all use the same VST plug-ins folder.

8 – B4 IIB4 II
DXi 2 plug-in Setup
DXi 2 is a plug-in interface for software synthesizers and instruments based
on Microsoft DXi technology. Sonar from Cakewalk and Fruity Loops are the
most well known host sequencers that support DXi.
Installation
• Insert the Installation CD into the CD drive of your computer.
• Use the Windows Explorer to view the contents of the CD and double-
click the B4 II.exe le to start the installation.
• Continue the B4 II installation until you come to the Choose plug-ins
page. Tick the checkbox DXi plug-in.
The installation program copies the B4 II plug-in to your hard disk and registers
it as a DXi 2 plug-in for use in DXi 2-compatible host programs. After the
installation, the software appears as a plug-in in the host program.
RTAS plug-in installation
• Launch the B4 II Installer from the CD.
• Select the Custom installation type.
• Select only RTAS from the list of components to install.
Installation under MacOS X
Installing B4 II in OS X
• Insert the Installation CD into the CD drive of your computer.
• Double-click the installation program B4 II Installer to start it.
• The start screen appears rst. After clicking Continue and conrming the
license agreement, a dialog opens where you can select the installation
location and the destination folder.
The installation program suggests a path for the B4 II folder; if you do not
select a different destination, the B4 II folder is created on the rst hard
disk. You can choose between Easy Install, where both the standalone and
plug-in versions are installed, or Custom Install, where you can select which
versions you want to install.

B4 II – 9
MacOS Audio Unit plug-in Installation
• Launch the B4 II Installer from the CD
• Select the Custom installation type.
• Select only Audio Unit from the list of components to install.
RTAS plug-in installation
• Launch the B4 II Installer from the CD
• Select the Custom installation type.
• Select only RTAS from the list of components to install.
Product Authorization
Part of the B4 II installation is a Product Authorization which has to be fulllled
in order to make permanent use of the software. We recommend that you
take notice of this chapter rst, then proceed with the software installation as
described in the following chapters and nally return to this chapter.
What is the Product Authorization?
The Product Authorization includes a full registration. After having completed
the authorization, you can make use of all online services related to the
registered product. On the Native Instruments website you can read online
tutorials, get technical support, participate in the NI forums and download
updates.
B4 II requires the Product Authorization in order to use the software perma-
nently. You can run B4 II for 30 days without any limitations. As long as the
software runs unauthorized a message at every program start reminds you
that the authorization has not been completed yet and indicates how many
more days the software is running without an authorization.
The Product Authorization is performed by a small application called
Registration Tool. The Registration Tool generates a so called System ID
which serves as request code for receiving an Authorization Key. The System
ID is based on some hardware components of your computer system, the
operating system version and the serial number you have entered at the B4
II installation.

10 – B4 IIB4 II
Note: Exchanging your audio card, MIDI interface or external equipment
will not start the request for a new Authorization Key. Only exchanging a
basic hardware component in your computer or installing a new operating
system might produce a new Product Authorization request. In this case
the Registration Tool will reect the change by displaying a new System
ID and you have to repeat the Product Authorization.
The System ID has to be sent to Native Instruments in order to receive the
Authorization Key which allows the permanent use of B4 II. Since the Product
Authorization is part of the license agreement B4 II will stop launching after
30 days if it was not authorized until then. Of course, it is also possible to
complete the Product Authorization after 30 days. In this case the software will
launch again as soon as the Product Authorization has been completed.
Note: The data transfer at the online Product Authorization is done via
a secure connection using 128 bit encryption. Native Instruments keeps
your personal data like email and postal address in condence. No data
will be passed to a third party.
Registration Tool