Setting Up the EVB3 for Your MIDI Equipment

The EVB3 is unique among the Logic Pro instruments in that it can be played with three simultaneous controllers—namely, a MIDI (bass) pedal unit and two 73-key MIDI keyboards. This mirrors the two 73-key manuals (organ terminology for keyboards) and the (2-octave) pedalboard configuration of the original B3.

The EVB3 can, of course, be played with a standard 61-key (5 octaves C to C) MIDI keyboard. See Using a Single-Channel Controller with the EVB3 for more information.

The EVB3 also emulates the B3’s preset keys—the lowest octave of attached MIDI keyboards can switch between EVB3 registrations. This is identical to the behavior of the original B3, which features a number of inverted (black) keys in the lowest octave of each manual. These inverted keys are used as buttons that recall preset registrations (a preset of your drawbar settings). Fortunately, the EVB3 doesn’t require the use of a screwdriver to change the registration settings—a definite improvement over the original.

Details on the setup and use of dedicated MIDI drawbar controllers are covered in EVB3 MIDI Controller Assignments (and the following sections).

Using Multiple or Multi-Channel Controllers with the EVB3

The EVB3 receives the notes for the upper and lower manuals, and for the pedalboard, on three consecutive MIDI channels—mapped as follows, by default:

  • MIDI channel 1:  You play the upper manual sound.

  • MIDI channel 2:  You play the lower manual sound.

  • MIDI channel 3:  You play the pedalboard sound.

This allows you to simultaneously play the EVB3 with up to three MIDI controllers. You can also use a single-manual master keyboard—with different keyboard zones, or a keyboard split feature—that sends data on different MIDI channels, to address all three EVB3 sounds simultaneously.

You can use any of your MIDI interface inputs for your master keyboards or pedalboard. Regardless of the input devices used, the only relevant factor is the MIDI send channel.

Note: See the users manual for your master keyboard to learn how to set up splits and zones, or how to set its MIDI transmission channel (often called “TX Channel”).

Changing EVB3 MIDI Channels

You can set the EVB3 to receive on MIDI channels other than the default configuration.

This is done with the Basic Midi Ch parameter in the Controls view. This parameter assigns a MIDI receive channel to the upper manual.

  • The receive channel number for the lower manual is always one channel number higher than the channel assigned to the upper manual.

  • The pedalboard receive channel is always two channel numbers higher than the channel assigned to the upper manual.

For example, if you set the Basic Midi Ch parameter to 8, the upper manual will receive on channel 8, the lower manual will receive on channel 9, and the pedalboard will receive on channel 10.

To adjust the Basic Midi channel parameter
  1. Choose View > Controls in the EVB3 plug-in window.

  2. Change the Basic Midi Ch slider (in the General section at the lower right) as desired.

    Important: Basic Midi Ch works only if the Keyboard Mode parameter (see the next section) is set to Multi.

When Basic Midi Ch is set to 16, the lower manual receives on channel 1, and the pedal register on channel 2. When Basic MIDI Ch is set to 15, the lower manual receives on channel 16, and the pedal register receives on channel 1.

Note: This parameter is useful in live performance situations—notably if you need to change the MIDI transmit channel of your keyboard, in order to play other sound generators.

Using a Single-Channel Controller with the EVB3

If you don’t have a master keyboard that allows multi-channel transmission, you can use a MIDI keyboard that is capable of transmitting on only one MIDI channel. You can use the EVB3 Split parameters to split the keyboard in order to play upper, lower, and pedal sounds—in different keyboard zones.

To set the keyboard mode
  • Click repeatedly on the Keyboard Mode parameter field, at the bottom center of the interface, until Split is displayed.

Figure. Keyboard Mode and Split parameters.

You can determine the range of keyboard zones with the UL Split (upper/lower split) and LP Split (lower/pedal split) parameters, in conjunction with the Set buttons.

To set the keyboard zone, do one of the following
  • Click the appropriate Set button (it will turn orange), and press the desired note (the split point) on your MIDI keyboard.

  • Drag the value field.

    If you select the same value for both split points, the lower manual is turned off. If the LP Split is set to a value above the UL Split, the other split point is moved (and vice versa).

Transposing the EVB3 by Octaves

You can use the Trans UM, Trans LM, or Trans Ped pop-up menus to individually transpose the Upper, Lower, and Pedal registers up or down one or two octaves.

These transpositions are independent of the global Tune parameter or transposition features of the host application. They also have no impact on the preset keys.

This facility is particularly important when you want to use preset switching (see Using the EVB3 Preset Keys) when using the Split keyboard mode.

Figure. Pitch parameter transposition.