Hammond XB-2 Keyboard

An inexpensive and lightweight (relatively) alternative to the classic B3 organ, this Hammond XB2 is ready for a new home.  It is in very good condition overall (a couple of the keys are a little "wobbly") and appears to be working properly.

Based upon the "King" of all Hammond Organs, the B-3!

The Hammond B-3 is considered the "King" of all Hammond organs due to it's extensive use by professional and church organists worldwide throughout its production from 1955 to 1974. Today, over twenty years after the last Tonewheel Generator B-3 was produced at the Hammond Organ factory in Chicago, IL., the B-3 is still played by many touring and local performing professional and church organists. Along with the tube-amplifier equipped Leslie Speaker Model 122, the 400 pound Hammond B-3 has rightfully earned a place in music history. The size and weight problem has always been a factor for many musicians who desired an alternative to moving and storing a B-3.

A new member of the Hammond P! orta ble Organ and Keyboard family

Since the late 1960's, several Hammond portable organs and keyboards were developed as light-weight alternatives to the B-3, such as the Porta-B (really an L-100 in a portable case), X-2, X-5, and B-200. These Hammond models offered Hammond players several options to carrying the B-3 or other full size spinet and console organs. Each successive model offered the latest in available technology and narrowed the tonal differences between the B-3 and themselves.

Recently, Hammond developed the XB-2 keyboard which features a 61-Note keyboard equipped with Drawbars, Percussion, Reverb, Chorus / Vibrato and full MIDI implementation, plus direct plug-in to 11-pin Leslie Models including the cl! assic 122XB, and other Leslie models with appropriate connector kits. The Hammond XB-2 is the first choice of professionals worldwide who absolutely require the classic Hammond sound, but in a full feature keyboard. Many touring professionals use custom XB-2 Touring Packages.

Designed in Conjunction with Hammond Organ and
Hammond Keyboard Players

Working in conjunction with professional Hammond organists, keyboard players, church and home organists representing every style of music, Hammond engineers designed the latest latest member of the long family of quality Hammond portables - the XB-2. Utilizing Hammond's own new state-of-the-art DRH sampling technology, the classic sound and tonal qualities of the original B-3 were carefully incorporated into the new XB-2 and it's larger sister products, the XB-5 Pro-Portable organ, the XB-3 and the XC-3, which is identical to the XB-3 but housed in a church cabinet.

Recreating the Original Sound

All previous attempts by other manufacturers at "s! ampl ing a B-3" and adding Drawbars were simply not good enough to satisfy Hammond portable and keyboard owners interested in a replacement for their aging Hammonds. The new Hammond XB-2 includes all of the idiosyncrasies of the electro-mechanical Tonewheel Generator which formed the basis for the classic Hammond sound. These tonal nuances were successfully captured in a digitally based keyboard, the Hammond XB-2.

Back to Basics

The XB-2 digitally generates the pure harmonic sound of the classic B-3, including nuance characteristics of crosstalk, tonewheel bleed, etc., and other important features such as the Drawbar foldbacks at the top and bottom octaves, ! key click, and adjustable overdrive. User adjustable presets, percussion (adjustable), chorus and vibrato, and other B-3 options were designed into the XB-2.

Some very early Hammond organ models lacked "foldback" found in the B-3 and similar models. These models had keyboards which were wired internally different with extra bass tones normally found only on the pedals of B-3 and other organ models with foldback. Other later Hammond organ models had additional tones above the highest frequency tone found in a B-3. The XB-2 can easily be configured to recreate these earlier or later organs to suit the organist's playing needs.

The XB-2 has earned solid acceptance from touring professional and church organists, home and studio players worldwide by deliver! ing the classic Hammond sound and performance. The original B-3 weighed approximately 400 pounds. The new XB-2 weighs just 30 pounds and is the best choice for players requiring top keyboard performance at very reasonable cost.

New Features

In addition to the original features of the B-3 such as percussion, vibrato / chorus, etc., the new XB-2 has incorporated many new features at the request of portable organ and keyboard owners:

• Full MIDI Implementation
• The Hammond XB-2 can perform in virtually any MIDI environment. SEND and RECEIVE ch! annels are programmable. LOCAL keyboard control can be turned ON or OFF, and the keyboard can be split into two MIDI ZONES with separate SEND channels, program numbers, and high and low limits for each ZONE.
• The XB-2 will also transmit MIDI velocity information and outboard MIDI modules or devices can be silenced with the ORGAN SOLO control. A SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE DATA OUT feature allows the user to send complete Preset and Patch information in batch form to external MIDI devices.
• The XB-2 can be used as a master controller for the Hammond GM-1000 MIDI Sound Module or any other standard MIDI ! device, or can be used as a slave and controlled from the Hammond HA Series 88-Note, Weighted-key Digital Pianos or any other standard MIDI keyboard, module or controller.

• On-Board Hammond Drawbar Patch Library
• The Hammond XB-2 contains a built-in library of 128 Hammond drawbar patches. Twenty-four are factory preset and represent the most commonly used B-3 drawbar settings in Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Country, Rock and other music styles. The remaining patches can be user-defined custom patches and saved either as ! patches or as one of eight presets controlled individually from the front panel.

• Bass, Treble, Overdrive, Overall Volume, Reverb Controls
• Bass and Treble, Overdrive, Overall Volume and Digital Reverb controls are adjustable through controls mounted on the front and rear of the XB-2. These controls allow the user to tailor the sound from the early "mellow" Blues and Jazz, or a later Hammond "bright" to the Hammond "growl" of Rock.
• Also Equipped with! Les lie Simulator and 1/4" Stereo / Mono Line-Out

  A specially designed internal Leslie simulator allows the user to utilize the XB-2's 1/4" Line Out jack and a standard amplifier / speakers, mixing or PA equipment. When an 11-pin Leslie is connected to the XB-2, the on-board simulator is automatically disconnected. If the 1/4" Line Out jack is used with a Combo Pedal Preamp and Leslie, or another rotary horn device, it is very important to turn the on-board Leslie simulator OFF through the control panel. Although the simulator is excellent, if possible, for the best classic Hammond sou! nd, a Leslie is required.