Using HX3 with MIDI controllers

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. There is a slight influence to key click noise be MIDI dynamics. 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. As MIDI being 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.

MenuDisplay and HX3 Remote allow setup of MIDI Channel as well as MIDI CC set. Step down to MIDI menu section to alter settings. Press Encoder knob for 2 seconds to save to power-up defaults.

• MIDI Channel <1> - sets MIDI base send/receive channel 1 to 10 (upper manual, lower manual is on +1, pedals on +2).
• MIDI Option <RcvSendMerge> - sets MIDI routing behaviour to
  • 'ReceiveThru' (MIDI OUT is THRU),
  • 'ReceiveSend' (MIDI received, only own MIDI key events to MIDI OUT),
  • 'RcvSendMerge'(MIDI received, own MIDI key events and incoming MIDI events merged to MIDI OUT) and
  • 'RcvSndMgNoCC' (as before, but MIDI CC commands discarded). On expander module, only valid setting is 'ReceiveThru'.
• MIDI CC Set <NI B4> - sets recognized MIDI CC set to
  • 'NI B4' Native Instruments B4 (default),
  • 'Voce' MIDI drawbars,
  • 'Hamichord' (or 'KeyB Duo' on special request),
  • 'Hammond XK',
  • 'Hammond SK' (Note: Hammond changed MIDI CC set between XK and SK series, so try out which will fit),
  • 'KeyB Duo' or
  • 'Custom' (controllers to be set by HX3 Remote)

MIDI CC Sets

HX3 has 6 pre-configured MIDI CC sets plus one fully customizable set, selectable by Menu or by HX3 Remote application. Factory default is the Native Instruments B4 set, supported by many MIDI controllers.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

NI B4 d3c

Channel	CC#	Type	Function	Remarks
1	001	Switch	Rotary Slow/Fast	Modulation Wheel
1	12..20	Slider	Upper Drawbars
1	21..29	Slider	Lower Drawbars
1	30	Switch	Vibr Lower ON
1	031	Switch	Vibr Upper ON
1	33	Slider	Bass DB 16
1	34	Slider	Bass DB 8
1	66	Switch	Percussion ON
1	68	Switch	Rotary RUN	"Rotary On/Off" on B4
1	70	Switch	Percussion SOFT
1	71	Switch	Percussion FAST
1	72	Switch	Percussion THIRD
1	73	CC	Vibr Mix	Chorus if < 96
1	74	CC	Vibr Amount	Threshold 0 for V1, 56 for V2, 88 for V3
1	75	Slider	Bass Sustain	"Key Click" on B4
1	76	Slider	Amp 122 Volume	"Tube Amp Drive" on B4
1	78	Slider	Swell Trim Cap	"Tube Amp Body" on B4
1	79	Slider	Tone	"Tube Amp Brightness" on B4
1	84	Slider	Reverb	< 24 OFF, > 23 Rev 1, > 48 Rev 2, > 63 Rev 3
2	12..20	Slider	Lower Drawbars	Same as 21..29 on Channel 1
2	30, 31	Switch	Vibr Lower ON	Same as 30 on Channel 1

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

Settings

Obsolete - for older boards reference only. See HX3 Expander user manual and HX3 Remote/Update Application for newest information.

HX3 may be remoted completely via MIDI. If no drawbars/pots/knobs/switches attached to HX3 board, make shure you have disabled all analog controller inputs with MenuPanel "ExpanderMode ON" entry, by HX3 Remote application or serial commands:

wen=1
521=255
(477=255 on FW #3.5 and up)

HX3 firmware supports Native Instrument B4 (0), Voce MIDI Drawbars (1), Hamichord (2), Hammond XK (3), Hammond SK (4) and italian KeyB (5) MIDI CC sets. Default is NI B4 (supported by Doepfer d3c drawbar controller and Böhm/Keyswerk d4b controller). MIDI CC set may be changed by menu on XB-2 retrofit kit, by MenuPanel "MIDI CC" entry or serial commands:

wen=1
531=X
(435=X on FW #3.5 and up)

with X = the number shown in MIDI CC list above. The MIDI CC sets will only support those controller functions that HX3's sound engine offers; in some cases, controllers are remapped/renamed for convenience. For example, "key click" on Doepfer d3c is remapped to pedal sustain on HX3.

HX3 accepts and sends key on/off events on three consecutive MIDI channels 1 (upper), 2 (lower) and 3 (pedals). HX3 does not send own controller messages, only key on/off events. Default base channel 1 may be changed by MenuPanel "MIDI Channel" entry or serial commands:

wen=1
511=X
(433=X on FW #3.5 and up)

with X = desired MIDI channel minus one: 511=5 yields upper on 6, lower on 7 and pedals on 8.

For serial command description, see HX3 Board Installation#Connecting Serial USB cable, HX3 serial syntax table and Inbetriebnahme der Bausatz-Platine (sorry, german only) for details.

MIDI implementation tables can be found in our Github Repository, see folder DOCS_PDF.

Important note: Firmware #3.6x and FPGA #20072014 or newer provide a secondary MIDI input (merged with other) and also sends MIDI CCs from all local controllers (drawbars/buttons/switches). FW #3.6x also has a "custom MIDI CC" set which may be altered to your needs by using HX3 Remote application. By factory default, it is set to accept Nord C2 MIDI data (also compatible with Ocean Beach DB-1 controller).