The ultimate virtual organ

B-3 V captures all the grit, grind, and greatness of the classic tonewheel organ and rotary speaker, then adds modulation, FX, and sound design options perfect for modern music.

Vital to rock, jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, reggae, and house, the iconic organ could go from gentle to roaring on a dime. Players carried the 400-pound beast to gigs. Any serious studio had to have one. With B-3 V, you’ll have all the character and attitude of the genuine article in a form that fits seamlessly into today’s musical workflows.

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The muscle car of keyboards

“That sound” even non-musicians recognize. Loved by jazz greats Jimmy Smith and Shirley Scott; rockers Keith Emerson, Yes, Deep Purple, and Santana; and soul giant Booker T. Jones.

A staple of reggae. The bassline on countless house tracks. And it was never supposed to be any of that.

The creators of the tonewheel organ saw it as the centerpiece of the family living room and a solution for churches that could not afford pipe organs. The world had larger plans.
The tonewheel organ was the brainchild of clockmaker Laurens Hammond and inventor John Hanert, who together released the first version in 1935. The most recognizable and sought-after model, the B-3, had an amazing production run from 1954 to 1974.

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Mechanical perfection

B-3 V emulates every step of this machine’s complex mechanical process for a virtual instrument that doesn’t just sound like the real thing - it behaves like it too.

The B-3 V’s namesake was electromechanical, combining spinning tonewheels with pickups to produce flute-like tones in octaves and harmonics for each note. These could be variably mixed via a set of 9 drawbars per manual for a variety of additive timbres, from soft and airy to pronounced and resonant.

But the B3 had a number of distinguished features up its sleeve. The percussion feature, which added a quickly-decaying sound at the second or third harmonic, gave each key press an edgy attack, perfect for solos and rhythmic playing. The unique modulation feature offered three different depths of vibrato or intensities of chorus.

The B to a Tee

Control layout and appearance exactly like the original.

When you’re emulating an instrument this legendary, there are some things you just don’t mess with. That’s why the drawbars, rocker switches, and other controls are located exactly where organists expect them to be. They look the part, too.

Modern Mods

Today’s tech makes this B better.

The Mod panel gets you under the hood of B-3 V in ways that would have required a soldering iron on the original — or not been possible at all.

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A Studio Worth of FX Power

Tweak the rotary speaker, rack up a pedalboard, and put B-3 V in virtual acoustic spaces.

B-3 V’s generous FX section lets you design the finished organ sound in your mind’s ear, all within a single instance of the plug-in.

Hear it in action

Part of what made the B so appealing was its flexibility — with the right drawbar settings it could work in literally any style of music.

These sound demos show how B-3 V is more flexible still.

Presets

Explore creations by the world’s foremost sonic artisans with B-3 V’s easy easy-to-use Preset Browser.

We are privileged to work with some of the best sound designers in the world. Search, tag, and filter their wares by type and style, and experience just how many different organs B-3V can be. Then, create your own Presets and add rich descriptions!

Artists corner

Included in
V collection

Legendary Keyboards Reinvented

This instrument is also part of the V Collection -your complete dream line-up of the legendary synths, organs, pianos and more that made keyboard history. They’re modeled with the most advanced technologies for authentic realism, and enhanced with new creative options. Whether you use it as DAW plugins in the studio or standalone at gigs, V Collection puts the greatest keys of all time at your fingertips for instant inspiration.

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TAE® Powered

The exclusive analog modeling technology that makes our emulations indistinguishable from the originals.

By accurately mimicking the characteristics of analog oscillators, filters, and soft clipping, we can provide astonishing component-accurate detail and authentic analog charm in equal measure.

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Gallery



All manufacturer and product names mentioned on this page are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Arturia. The trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose features and sound were studied during the development. All names of equipment, inventors, and manufacturers have been included for illustrative and educational purposes only, and do not suggest any affiliation or endorsement by any equipment inventor or manufacturer.