Emu B3

[rookie mistake]

Hello -
My question first:
I got my hands on an emu b3 - it's pretty cool. When I "spin the wheel" to go through the preset sounds, it keep reverting back to the same one...ever hear of this?
When I listen/"audition" the presets, I love them, and want to try one, so I scroll through, and spin the wheel to that number, but it never gets there...(i.e. - if I start on #126, and want to try 67, as I move the wheel, the numbers change...get to about 85...and then it just goes back to 126). What gives?

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, or not doing something simple.
(I have read the manual, and watched a lot of online videos, but they all seem to be just examples of all the awesome sounds I cannot make!)

Bright side: I figured out how to use Midi, and can play this emu b3 by plugging a cable into my electric piano, and the emu, and plugging the emu into my amp.

I am not interested in using a computer, etc, or recording...I just want a good organ sound to accompany my piano when I play out.

Thanks in advance.

 

[CowboyNQ]

I wonder if yours is faulty? I have no familiarity with this unit (I hope someone here does) but there doesn't seem to be any great trick to it from reading the manual.

Ujiie-san seems to be just flicking the wheel around too without any drama in this vid.

Hope you sort it out - looks like a fun module.

 

[happyrat1]

It might be a dodgy encoder wheel. Those things tend to break down and exhibit that sort of behaviour. Especially when the manufacturer cheaps out on parts and uses low quality ones.

If it's still under warranty I'd send it back.

Otherwise, I'd open it up and do a little quick solder work to replace it.

Gary

 

[rookie mistake]

I wonder if yours is faulty? I have no familiarity with this unit (I hope someone here does) but there doesn't seem to be any great trick to it from reading the manual.

Ujiie-san seems to be just flicking the wheel around too without any drama in this vid.

Hope you sort it out - looks like a fun module.[/QUOT

I wonder if yours is faulty? I have no familiarity with this unit (I hope someone here does) but there doesn't seem to be any great trick to it from reading the manual.

Ujiie-san seems to be just flicking the wheel around too without any drama in this vid.

Hope you sort it out - looks like a fun module.

Thank you for your reply!
Yes , this dude is just spinning away!

 

[rookie mistake]

It might be a dodgy encoder wheel. Those things tend to break down and exhibit that sort of behaviour. Especially when the manufacturer cheaps out on parts and uses low quality ones.

If it's still under warranty I'd send it back.

Otherwise, I'd open it up and do a little quick solder work to replace it.

Gary

Gary - I saw this video...I hope you're not right... : 0 the thought of removing that wheel and messing it up forever scares me!

 

[happyrat1]

If you're not comfortable with a soldering iron then my advice is don't do it yourself.

Find a local tech who works cheap or a local ham radio club and ask one of those guys to do it for you.

Much less likely to mess up than a first time solderer.

Gary

 

[rookie mistake]

If you're not comfortable with a soldering iron then my advice is don't do it yourself.

Find a local tech who works cheap or a local ham radio club and ask one of those guys to do it for you.

Much less likely to mess up than a first time solderer.

Gary

Good thinking, sir. If this is, in fact, the problem. I'm gonna give myself another day or two to mess around with buttons and manual, and then try the wheel (with help).

 

[delaware dave]

Try either pushing the wheel "in" while turning it OR pulling the wheel out while turning it. It's a faulty wheel assembly.

 

[rookie mistake]

Try either pushing the wheel "in" while turning it OR pulling the wheel out while turning it. It's a faulty wheel assembly.

Thank you. I think it is the wheel....so far, if I am really gentle, I can make it change presets, but eventually, I will probably have to use soldering trick mentioned above...

 

[mleffler]

There is another way around this - I have the B3 module, as well as the vintage keys, and also the proteus. There are a series of about 9-10 different synths from 2000 that are all compatible with each other. Go to: http://www.creative.com/emu/company/history/timeline/ and scroll down to "B3 Organ". Each one of those 1U rack modules has 4 "personality" slots. (What makes up the B3 itself is just one plug in DIMM that looks like a PC memory stick.) I have seen some of the less popular units (like Mo'Phatt) locally for $150 or so. If you could find one for a reasonable amount you could just plug the B3 stick into it. I originally purchased the 61-key keyboard vintage keys version. After a while that started getting flaky, so I bought a Proteus rack module and put the vintage keys stick in, and later bought the B3 stick on eBay. I've used all them successfully for the last 12 years or so.

 

[happyrat1]

Actually I don't know just how sophisticated Rookie's piano is, but if it's capable of sending program and bank changes over MIDI then all he'd have to do is assign a channel to the EMU on his piano and send patch changes using the controls on his keyboard without ever having to touch the control wheel.

He's have to dig a little bit into the MIDI specs of his keyboard to do so but I'm almost certain it's doable.

Gary

 

[rookie mistake]

Thank you to Happyrat and mleffler, (and cowboyNQ and Delaware Dave, and Gary).
First, I got it working, and actually used it on a few songs this weekend while playing out.

Happyrat is right. My keyboard is not that sophisticated, (and neither am I, lol). I feel like a little league player talking to Ted Williams about hitting.

For now, I got the emu working by having one midi cable going out of my (1991 Roland electric piano), and into the emu. Then an amp cord from emu into amp. The amp has 2 channels, so I also plug Roland Piano into other channel. When I want to play B3, I turn the piano volume down, and emu up - and it works! When I want to play piano, I switch the volumes.

I must sound like a caveman...I will definitely look into both of your ideas above, folks. 150 doesn't sound like too much $. Thank you all for your help!! Very much appreciated!!

 

[Doug Lanier]

I’ve got one of these, though I haven’t used it in a while, but I think you spin the wheel to find the preset you want, then push it in to choose it.i never used it like this, I had it midi’d to a Roland A-70, and chose my presets by midi.