dedicating an older keyboard as a VSI

[all thumbs]

I am planning on using my older korg pa500 as a second keyboard to my current pa600, however I'd like to set up the pa500 as a dedicated Hammond B3 and/or Fender Rhodes instrument, using software instruments. I have a spare 14" Win 7 pro laptop to use as the software source.
My existing setup uses Mobilesheets and a Page Turn pedal with the pa600. Mobilesheets, on an HP 14" laptop is displayed via a 24" monitor, (the HP laptop does not open wide enough to view the music without blocking too much of the keyboard area, so I added the monitor) and because the HP will not link to the pa600, I had to patch it with a midi input from the Roland UM-ONE, so unfortunately the midi link is occupied. I still own 2 old home theater organs, an Eminent 2000, and an orphan Hammond EX2000, which both sound awful, however I'm used to working with 2 manuals, so I intend to fabricate a flip up/down upper pa500 keyboard that I can lower to play, minus the monitor, of course.
My problem is that I have no idea how this process works, so I'm looking for a text book or an in-depth on-line article that will assist me.
I do have several organ voices on each keyboard from Korg, but I'd really like to add something like the IK Multimedia B3X plug-in which sounds very realistic, and I'll also consider a similar plug-in for the Fender Rhodes. Can someone direct me to a good source for this kind of information?

Thanks,

 

[anotherscott]

I'd like to set up the pa500 as a dedicated Hammond B3 and/or Fender Rhodes instrument, using software instruments. I have a spare 14" Win 7 pro laptop to use as the software source.
...
I'd really like to add something like the IK Multimedia B3X plug-in which sounds very realistic, and I'll also consider a similar plug-in for the Fender Rhodes. Can someone direct me to a good source for this kind of information?

Connect PA500 to Laptop via a MIDI-to-USB interface, like your Roland UM ONE. (In theory, you could connect with just a USB cable, but Korg's site doesn't show drivers for versions of Windows before 8, so you might run into a problem there). Get a VST hosting/routing environment like Camelot Pro, Gig Performer, or Cantabile (they all run on Windows 7). Get the organ and Rhodes software of your choice. You'll almost certainly need to add an audio interface, in order to avoid latency (the organ and rhodes sounds playing slightly late compared to when you hit the keys). The interface may come with its own driver, or you can use ASIO4ALL from http://www.asio4all.org/

For organ, some good choices to look at would be B3X as you mentioned, and also Blue3 from GG Audio, B5 from Acoustic Samples, VB3 from GSI. Some have free demos you can try. Some may work better than others on your old hardware.

For Rhodes, Scarbee and Lounge Lizard are probably the big players, though there are quite a few others. People aren't always looking for the same thing in a Rhodes sound (Rhodes themselves could vary quite a bit).

 

[all thumbs]

Thanks for the info. I will chase down the components and software you mention, and find out how this comes together.

 

[anotherscott]

BTW, if you happen to own an iPad (or aren't averse to buying one), you can get nice organ and Rhodes there (including B3X for organ), and it's less complicated than doing it on a PC. The software side of it is a lot cheaper, too. (And you probably don't need to buy an audio interface, another savings.)