Nice test. I am using B3X on a Mac (not on iPad) and was wondering how is pricing method by those companies. Maybe someone allows you to have both versions (computer and tablet) with a single payment. Do you know something about that? Evaluating getting an iPad but currently a MacBookPro and GigPerformer make my gigs quite comfortable. It's challenging as a not native English guy detecting your words when you start speaking so fast...
I have only used these apps on iPad, so I'm unsure about whether there is an option to purchase a single license to use on both a Mac and iPad. You would have to look into each app individually to find out - I'm sorry that I don't have more information on this for you.
I think this is a factor worth talking about. IK Multimedia doesn't have a cross-platform licensing option, so if you want B3X on the tablet and on the computer, it'll cost $260. VB3-II (not out in time for this video it seems) is $100 and the license covers both.
Hoping someone can recommend a good quality 61-key controller (preferably with sliders) to pair with the B3-x app for IPad. Want a sturdy but light action. A little on the expensive side would be okay. Thanks.
@@stanley5394I’ve been using m-audio Oxygen pro 61 too - it has 9 sliders/faders (whatever you want to call them 🤣) that assign perfectly with the drawbars (I’m using the Blue 3 on iPad) the functionality is brilliant but takes a bit of getting used to. The keyboard action is semi weighted and has an excellent feel (only slightly noisy/ clunky- but no more than others I’ve tried). I would highly recommend this keyboard, at £198-00 you can’t go wrong. Hope that helps you a little 👍
Also consider the Alesis QX61 in lightest/portable, has 9 db sliders + more, usb and din, and likely found for peanut$. Keyboard keys, not waterfall key bed Better/Best controller: find an older XK2 or XK3 (has H/S designed waterfall key bed) and control Acoustic Samples B5 (imo the one that fools the most and is still currently the best Hamm VST available) or B3-X (also very good). The rest are ok but essentially skippable given the above already at affordable prices. I'm sorry but the presenter here should have hired a working Hammond organist to do the playing.
I did an organ shoot-out myself a few months back and got the same results as you. Although, I tend to use Blue3 the most for the amount of options, presets and ease of use. Plus it's $100 cheaper. But B3X sounds the best overall. Mixed into a track, I don't think anyone will notice between the 2 though.
Yeah - I struggle with my own opinions because they are just that. If I don't like something it doesn't mean that it has no value or that someone else may not find it useful. The landscape of reviews is so polluted with opinions that I wanted to try to be honest about it.
For sure - I definitely agree though with your comments that VB3M sounds muffled and Galileo sounds too thin. Overall I’m a bit disappointed with Genuine Sounds emulations, what about you?
@@GavinskisTutorials It's not my favorite, but I prefer it over Galileo II for the lowest cost option. I think it is really use-case dependent - I make a lot of music where the organ is a focus of the tune, but for something where the organ is supporting the arrangement, I think that VB3m would work just fine.
I'm going by experience for a live performance for a 4th July open air performance in a park... ANY one of these is good if you play some Booker T and the MGs green onion. We can argue all day which sounds best, but with proper EQ settings, speakers the audience will only notice if you play in the wrong key or wrong notes . If you're good and paying $130 for an app to you is 15 mins of a paid gig spend that money, if you're interested in just decent organ sounds get what your budget will allow and what can be improved with some EQ tweaking.
Oh man. Did you make this just before VB3-II came out for iPad? This is exactly the video I've been looking for, except with that one involved. 😅 Great work. I also wondered if you could comment on the CPU usage? I've read in a few places that IK Multimedia's app is a resource hog, and there hasn't been an update for 2 years (abandonware?); as much as I'd like to go that way, I can't drop $130 and find that it overloads AUM when I'm using a few more instruments at the same time. I *think* the new VB3-II wins there, but I'm waiting for some TH-camr to spend the money and try it out for me. 😆
Yes - VB3-II just came out and I've not had a chance to try it out or update the video. Yes, B3X is resource heavy, but in my opinion if you want the best possible Hammond tone then it's the way to go. If that's not the most important factor, then Blue-3 is a good alternative. I can't speak to VB3-II compared to Vb3m, unfortunately.
I think of these I most like the Blue3 actually. The B-3X is too distorted sounding for me. Galileo 2 and VB3m both sound pretty sucky in comparison to the others, it must be said. Blue3 also really has the nicest interface of all of these, for me, by far.
I realized during the editing that I had the expression pedal on B-3X all the way up, which increases the drive. It is definitely possible to get a more clean, truer tone out of B-3X, but Blue3 is also amazing at a far lower price point.
Yonak killed Galilleo on this second version, the first one was way better. The Blue3 kind of copied everything from Vb3m interface, it seems the same app with just a new look, including an specific app for leslie. I have the VB3m and its sound nice, but the UI and midi learn sucks, maybe Blue3 have fixed this. About the B3X this video was a bit unfair, because I can clearly hear a high amount of drive in this test. Anyway, IK Multimedia built B3x and have the original hammond b3 approval to publish this app, so it must be solid, But Im afraid to pay this much in a app which could be abandoned anytime by IK, which they already did it with many apps before. So I would go with VB3M or Blue3, and maybe try B3X when its on sale in a black friday or something.
There are multiple ways to adjust the loudness within B3X, and I had the expression pedal on full which would account for the additional drive. Thanks for watching!
@@DaveypooMMM I think VB3m would almost be the sweet spot except even in full volume it doesn't seem to push the sound through as onboard sounds. I thought this might have just been a quirk with the yamaha modx but someone has a complete review on youtube of just that and mentioned he had to have his volume set higher on the master keyboard for the organ than any other sounds as well.. if VB3m could have boosted the sound it would have been there.. Ive also heard more than once that the Hammond app, which I have used some but dont own, no doubt has the best overall features but it was not easy to find that powerful growl/balls sound like a real hammond.. maybe its in there but in just messing with EQ or overdrive, I could never get the sound consistent over the keyboard. Also someone did mentoned the the VB3m sometimes had popping sounds if you played several notes but my keyboard did not have that issue with it.
Good to see you again!
I’m watching this video now.
Take care!
Flo
Welcome back!
Thanks!
Excellent round-up. I fully agree with you: nothing beats B-3X. Thank you for sharing your comparison!
@@MrRbarbieri So glad you liked it - thanks for watching!
I wish I watched this video before purchasing the VB3m...
This 10:12, 11:38 and 13:02 are good points to compare them
Nice test. I am using B3X on a Mac (not on iPad) and was wondering how is pricing method by those companies. Maybe someone allows you to have both versions (computer and tablet) with a single payment. Do you know something about that?
Evaluating getting an iPad but currently a MacBookPro and GigPerformer make my gigs quite comfortable.
It's challenging as a not native English guy detecting your words when you start speaking so fast...
I have only used these apps on iPad, so I'm unsure about whether there is an option to purchase a single license to use on both a Mac and iPad. You would have to look into each app individually to find out - I'm sorry that I don't have more information on this for you.
@@DaveypooMMM No problem. Thanks anyway
I think this is a factor worth talking about. IK Multimedia doesn't have a cross-platform licensing option, so if you want B3X on the tablet and on the computer, it'll cost $260. VB3-II (not out in time for this video it seems) is $100 and the license covers both.
Hoping someone can recommend a good quality 61-key controller (preferably with sliders) to pair with the B3-x app for IPad. Want a sturdy but light action. A little on the expensive side would be okay. Thanks.
Hey! I've been having a lot of fun using an M-Audio Oxygen Pro 61 for awhile. IMO it's the best for the buck by far and is very versatile.
@@st.g Thanks.
@@stanley5394I’ve been using m-audio Oxygen pro 61 too - it has 9 sliders/faders (whatever you want to call them 🤣) that assign perfectly with the drawbars (I’m using the Blue 3 on iPad) the functionality is brilliant but takes a bit of getting used to. The keyboard action is semi weighted and has an excellent feel (only slightly noisy/ clunky- but no more than others I’ve tried). I would highly recommend this keyboard, at £198-00 you can’t go wrong. Hope that helps you a little 👍
I use an Arturia Keylab 61 Mark II -- a bit pricey but great quality and features.
Also consider the Alesis QX61 in lightest/portable, has 9 db sliders + more, usb and din, and likely found for peanut$. Keyboard keys, not waterfall key bed
Better/Best controller: find an older XK2 or XK3 (has H/S designed waterfall key bed) and control Acoustic Samples B5 (imo the one that fools the most and is still currently the best Hamm VST available) or B3-X (also very good).
The rest are ok but essentially skippable given the above already at affordable prices.
I'm sorry but the presenter here should have hired a working Hammond organist to do the playing.
Great news 😊
I did an organ shoot-out myself a few months back and got the same results as you. Although, I tend to use Blue3 the most for the amount of options, presets and ease of use. Plus it's $100 cheaper. But B3X sounds the best overall. Mixed into a track, I don't think anyone will notice between the 2 though.
They are definitely very close to one another, and in a track anyone would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.
Nice summary, glad to see the straight-talking ranking, all iOS TH-camrs need to be unafraid to give critical opinions, nice one Dave!
Yeah - I struggle with my own opinions because they are just that. If I don't like something it doesn't mean that it has no value or that someone else may not find it useful. The landscape of reviews is so polluted with opinions that I wanted to try to be honest about it.
For sure - I definitely agree though with your comments that VB3M sounds muffled and Galileo sounds too thin. Overall I’m a bit disappointed with Genuine Sounds emulations, what about you?
@@GavinskisTutorials It's not my favorite, but I prefer it over Galileo II for the lowest cost option. I think it is really use-case dependent - I make a lot of music where the organ is a focus of the tune, but for something where the organ is supporting the arrangement, I think that VB3m would work just fine.
I'm going by experience for a live performance for a 4th July open air performance in a park... ANY one of these is good if you play some Booker T and the MGs green onion.
We can argue all day which sounds best, but with proper EQ settings, speakers the audience will only notice if you play in the wrong key or wrong notes .
If you're good and paying $130 for an app to you is 15 mins of a paid gig spend that money, if you're interested in just decent organ sounds get what your budget will allow and what can be improved with some EQ tweaking.
Oh man. Did you make this just before VB3-II came out for iPad? This is exactly the video I've been looking for, except with that one involved. 😅 Great work.
I also wondered if you could comment on the CPU usage? I've read in a few places that IK Multimedia's app is a resource hog, and there hasn't been an update for 2 years (abandonware?); as much as I'd like to go that way, I can't drop $130 and find that it overloads AUM when I'm using a few more instruments at the same time. I *think* the new VB3-II wins there, but I'm waiting for some TH-camr to spend the money and try it out for me. 😆
Yes - VB3-II just came out and I've not had a chance to try it out or update the video. Yes, B3X is resource heavy, but in my opinion if you want the best possible Hammond tone then it's the way to go. If that's not the most important factor, then Blue-3 is a good alternative. I can't speak to VB3-II compared to Vb3m, unfortunately.
please please please do a video on apematrix and Xequence 2 , as long as you feel like ❤❤❤❤❤❤please please
Unfortunately I don't have Xequence 2. Sorry!
I think of these I most like the Blue3 actually. The B-3X is too distorted sounding for me. Galileo 2 and VB3m both sound pretty sucky in comparison to the others, it must be said. Blue3 also really has the nicest interface of all of these, for me, by far.
I realized during the editing that I had the expression pedal on B-3X all the way up, which increases the drive. It is definitely possible to get a more clean, truer tone out of B-3X, but Blue3 is also amazing at a far lower price point.
OK! I thought it must be impossible that that would be the default haha!
Yonak killed Galilleo on this second version, the first one was way better. The Blue3 kind of copied everything from Vb3m interface, it seems the same app with just a new look, including an specific app for leslie. I have the VB3m and its sound nice, but the UI and midi learn sucks, maybe Blue3 have fixed this. About the B3X this video was a bit unfair, because I can clearly hear a high amount of drive in this test. Anyway, IK Multimedia built B3x and have the original hammond b3 approval to publish this app, so it must be solid, But Im afraid to pay this much in a app which could be abandoned anytime by IK, which they already did it with many apps before. So I would go with VB3M or Blue3, and maybe try B3X when its on sale in a black friday or something.
There are multiple ways to adjust the loudness within B3X, and I had the expression pedal on full which would account for the additional drive. Thanks for watching!
@@DaveypooMMM I think VB3m would almost be the sweet spot except even in full volume it doesn't seem to push the sound through as onboard sounds. I thought this might have just been a quirk with the yamaha modx but someone has a complete review on youtube of just that and mentioned he had to have his volume set higher on the master keyboard for the organ than any other sounds as well.. if VB3m could have boosted the sound it would have been there.. Ive also heard more than once that the Hammond app, which I have used some but dont own, no doubt has the best overall features but it was not easy to find that powerful growl/balls sound like a real hammond.. maybe its in there but in just messing with EQ or overdrive, I could never get the sound consistent over the keyboard. Also someone did mentoned the the VB3m sometimes had popping sounds if you played several notes but my keyboard did not have that issue with it.