Programming Tips; Using A Kb3 Program In A Setup; Shaper Amp (!Amp) - Kurzweil K2500 - RELEASE NOTES V2.5 Release Note

Programming Tips

Programming Tips
This section provides some starting points for creating your own KB3 programs. Remember that you'll have to
start with one of the existing KB3 programs.
As described below, the most prominent difference between organ vintages is the number of tone wheels used.
Keep in mind, however, that the sound of an actual tone wheel organ will depend not only on its age, but also
on how well it has been maintained.
"Octave folding", where an octave (or part of an octave) is repeated at the top or bottom of the keyboard, will
be handled automatically by KB3 Mode, and will emulate the folding done on actual tone wheel organs.
Early Tone Wheel Organs. Instruments of this period had 91 tone wheels. To get this sound, go to the
TONEWL page, select 91 tone wheels, and set lowest pitch to C 1. Start with the "Junky" Wheel Volume Map
and "Bob's" Organ Map. You may also want to increase the Key Click level, since this tends to become louder
on older organs.
Middle Period Organs. To model one of these instruments, set 82 tone wheels and a low note of A 1. Use the
"Mellow" Wheel Volume Map and "Eric's" Organ Map. Set Key Click to a moderate level.
The Classic B-3. For this sound, choose 79 tone wheels and set the low note to be C 2. The best settings here
are the "Bright" Wheel Volume Map and "Peck's" Organ Map. You may also want to reduce the Key Click
level.

Using a KB3 Program in a Setup

When using a KB3 Program in Setup Mode, you must first set a few parameters on the Effects Mode page. This
is necessary so that the K2500's internal effects (non-KDFX) rotary speaker simulator will work properly. Set
FX Mode to "Program" and FX Chan to the current drum channel.
Emulating a Two-Manual Organ
You can use Setup Mode to emulate a two-manual keyboard. However, you can only use a KB3 program in one
zone of the setup. (Use a regular K2500 organ program in the other zone.) Also, you will have limited
polyphony on the non-KB3 channel. The actual number of voices that will be available on the non-KB3
channel depends on the number of tone wheels used by the KB3 program. (You may be able to reduce the
number of tone wheels used, depending on the note range of the zone.)
Programs Using 2PARAM SHAPER
If you are running a KB3 program, then you will not be able to simultaneously play K2500 programs that use
the 2PARAM SHAPER DSP function on another channel. (Actually, the program will still play, but the
2PARAM SHAPER DSP function will be bypassed.)

Shaper AMP (!AMP)

Although the !AMP DSP function is not part of the KB3 editor, we have used the !AMP to help "dirty-up"
several programs. This allows us to re-create the tube distortion characteristics of classic drawbar organ pre-
amps.
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910304, Rev. B