VOCE® Micro B II™ Product Manual

CONTENTS

Introduction Unpacking the MICRO B II Quick Start Front Panel Layout Diagram Rear Panel Layout Diagram Set-Up Using The MICRO B II MIDI OMNI ON Mode Multi-timbral Mode Using More Than One Keyboard Simultaneously MIDI Controlled Effects Specifications Warranty

Introduction

The MICRO B II was designed for both the purist B3 organ player or people who just need a great organ sound. The MICRO B II is real easy to use. It requires absolutely no programming. There are front panel rotary controls for volume,overdrive, keyclick and percussion volume. It has a built-in rotating speaker effect (front panel and foot switch controlled) with simulated upper and lower rotors which speed-up and slow-down just like the real thing.

The MICRO B II lets you select three levels of chorus or vibrato which can be used in conjunction with the rotating speaker effect and comes with 36 of the most popular drawbar settings. The first 22 presets are selectable via the front panel: all 36 can be selected through MIDI. In addition, the MICRO B II can operate in three part multi-timbral mode for any three adjacent channels as well as MIDI OMNI ON mode. There are high level stereo audio outputs, CH2 output may be used to drive stereo headphones. All this makes the MICRO B II very easy and intuitive to use.

Unpacking the MICRO B II

Inside the MICRO B II you will find:

• MICRO B II unit
• AC adapter
• Owner's manual
• MIDI implementation chart
• Warranty card
• Four rubber feet
• #8 screw and washer for rack shelf mounting

Please return the warranty card soon after your purchase. The information you provide will allow Voce to keep you informed about updates and new products.

Quick Start

I want to...

• Add the MICRO B II to my MIDI system:
  See Rear Panel, Set-Up, and MIDI OMNI Mode
• Access additional presets not accessible through the front panel control:
  See Presets
• Adjust the amount of key click on both the attack and release of a note:
  See Key Click and Click Soft/Hard; Key Click
• Use Chorus or Vibrato with the Rotary Speaker Effect Simultaneously:
  See Rotor and Effects
• Control the rotor speed through MIDI:
  See MIDI Controlled Effects example #3
• Use MIDI volume control:
  See Volume
• Use the MICRO B II in Multi-timbral Mode:
  See Multi-timbral Mode
• Use more than one keyboard or other MIDI Controller with the MICRO B II:
  See Using More Than One Keyboard Simultaneously
• Set different volume levels on separate multi-timbral channels:
  See Multi-timbral Mode and Using More Than One Keyboard Simultaneously
• Get the most out of your sound system using the MICRO B II:
  See Using the MICRO B II and Playing

Front Panel

• Volume: Rotary volume control. Turn clockwise to increase volume level. Volume can also be controlled via MIDI control number 7.
• Overdrive: Rotary overdrive control. Turn clockwise to increase overdrive (distortion effect) level .
• Key Click: Rotary key click control. Turn clockwise to adjust the MICRO B II's key click (attack) volume level. Key click is an electrical noise generated in tone wheel organs by the mechanical bounce of nine key contacts. It will be necessary to re-strike a note on the keyboard to hear the change made to the sound. Can also be controlled via MIDI, see the section on MIDI CONTROLLED EFFECTS for more information.
• Percussion Volume: Rotary percussion volume control. Turn clockwise to increase percussion volume. It will be necessary to re-strike a note on the keyboard to hear the change made to the sound. Can also be controlled via MIDI, see the section on MIDI CONTROLLED EFFECTS for more information.
• Percussion Decay: Toggles between slow and fast percussion decay. It will be necessary to re-strike a note on the keyboard to hear the change made to the sound. Can also be controlled via MIDI, see the section on MIDI CONTROLLED EFFECTS for more information.
• Percussion 2nd/3rd Harmonic: Toggles between two percussion waveforms for the percussion effect (2nd or 3rd harmonic of the fundamental). It will be necessary to re-strike a note on the keyboard to hear the change made to the sound. Can also be controlled via MIDI, see the section on MIDI CONTROLLED EFFECTS for more information.
• Click Soft/Hard: Toggles between soft and hard key click. Soft key click eliminates the release key click transient by allowing notes to quickly decay. The attack key click is also modified but does not affect the key click sound produced by the KEY CLICK control.
• Rotor Slow/Fast: This push-button allows the setting of the rotating speaker speed or "rotor speed". When the LED is lit, the rotating speaker effect is set to fast rotation. When the LED is off, the speaker's rotation is slow. The push-button toggles between the two states, allowing a gradual speed-up or slow-down of rotation to occur. The rotor speed can also be controlled by an external foot switch connected to the foot pedal input on the MICRO B II and via MIDI. See the section on MIDI CONTROLLED EFFECTS for more information.
• Effects: Used to select several different combinations of chorus, vibrato, and the rotary speaker effect. Can also be controlled via MIDI, see the section on MIDI CONTROLLED EFFECTS for more details.
• MIDI: LED indicator lights up when MICRO B II is turned on. The LED will flash off briefly when the MICRO B II receives MIDI transmissions from a MIDI controller. This feature provides simple and handy verification that the MICRO B II is receiving MIDI information from a MIDI controller.
• Preset: Rotary preset selector. Allows selection of any one of the first 22 presets as indicated by the positions marked 1 - 22. The position marked M selects multi-timbral mode (see page 11). The position marked P allows the MICRO B II to accept program changes from a MIDI controller.

There are a total of 36 presets in the MICRO B II. The first 22 are selected through the PRESET selector, the remaining 14 presets may be selected via program changes from a MIDI controller.

Rear Panel

• Power Switch: Push on / push off switch
• Power Jack: The AC wall adapter connects to the MICRO B II via this jack.
• Tuning: Rotary tuning control. Center detent is set to A440 standard tuning.
• MIDI CH: 16 position rotary switch. Selects basic MIDI channel (channel 1 - 15 only) by setting the switch to positions 1 - 15. MIDI OMNI ON mode is selected by setting the switch to position 0.
• Pedal: 1/4" phone jack foot switch input. A momentary foot pedal (such as a sustain pedal) may be connected to this input to toggle the rotating speaker effect between a fast or slow speed.
• MIDI THRU: 5-pin DIN MIDI thru output. This MIDI output may be used to send a "carbon copy" of the MIDI IN data to other modules.
• MIDI IN: 5-pin DIN MIDI input. This MIDI input accepts MIDI data from a MIDI controller (ie. keyboard or computer).
• CH1: Channel 1 audio output.
• CH2/Phone: Channel 2 audio output. Can also be used to drive stereo headphones.

Set-Up

To use your MICRO B II, please follow these easy steps:

1. Connect a MIDI controller

The MICRO B II requires a MIDI input from a MIDI device such as a MIDI keyboard, digital piano, or computer in order for it to be played.

2. Connect the audio outputs to an amplifier

The MICRO B II provides two audio outputs for a stereo rotating speaker effect. Both CH1 and CH2 outputs should be connected for stereo operation to suitable audio system (i.e. digital piano audio inputs, stereo mixer / sound system line level inputs). If mono audio operation is desired, connect the instrument amplifier (mixer etc.) to CH1.

A set of stereo headphones may be connected to the CH2 output. Depending on the type of headphones used, it may be necessary to raise the level of the front panel volume control.

3. Connect MIDI THRU Output (optional)

Useful in connecting more than one MIDI module in a daisy chain configuration. Use this output for sending a "carbon copy" of the MIDI data appearing at the MIDI IN connector to other MIDI devices.

4. Connect a pedal (optional)

A momentary foot pedal (such as a sustain pedal) may be connected to this input to toggle the rotating speaker effect between a fast or slow state. The front panel FAST LED indicator will toggle on or off when the foot switch is operated.

5. Connect the AC Adapter

The MICRO B II requires an external AC adapter. Make sure that you first connect the small barrel connector on the rear panel of the MICRO B II before connecting the AC adapter to the wall outlet.

6. Select the Basic MIDI Channel

Set the basic MIDI channel on the MIDI channel selector located on the rear panel of the MICRO B II. The basic MIDI channel should be the same as the channel that your MIDI controller uses to transmit MIDI note on/note off and program change information to the MICRO B II. Refer to the MIDI channel selection table on page 12 for a list of all valid MIDI channel combinations.

7. Select Tuning

A rotary control is provided in the event that it is necessary to change the tuning of the MICRO B II. The center detent position is A440 standard tuning. The pitch may be raised or lowered by one semitone.

Using the MICRO B II

Built-in Demo

A built-in demonstration sequencer will demonstrate some of the various sounds and effects the MICRO B II is capable of performing. It may be activated by holding in the fast button and simultaneously turning the preset selector to the M position. Here is a summary of the demonstration:

1. JG ROCKS - uses the rotating speaker effect with 3rd harmonic percussion, presets 1, 2, and 21
2. ALLELUIA - uses the rotating speaker effect, presets 2, and 22
3. 96? - uses vibrato effect and preset 36

Some of the units controls remain active during the demonstration. They are VOLUME, OVERDRIVE, KEY CLICK volume, and PERCUSSION VOLUME . To exit the demonstration mode, turn the preset selector to another position.

Our thanks to John Gatti for all the time and effort he put into creating this demo. If only we had one hour playing time instead of just two minutes.

Playing

After hooking up the MICRO B II as explained in the Set-Up section, you will be ready to begin playing. The MICRO B II was designed to be very easy and intuitive to use. The following is a brief description of the MICRO B II's controls together with an explanation of their usage.

• Volume: Before powering up the MICRO B II, make sure that the volume level is turned all the way down (volume control turned full counter clock-wise). Power up the MICRO B II, the MIDI LED should light up, then play some notes on your keyboard and gradually turn up the volume to a comfortable listening level.
• Key Click: Some of the controls which are provided on the MICRO B II set the level of "defects" present in the sound of the original organs the MICRO B II simulates. Key Click is the best example of this type of control. Originally Key Click was thought to be a defect in tone-wheel organs. Gradually people became accustomed to the sound as new musical styles developed around the playing of the electric organ. Many styles of jazz organ depend on some level of Key Click being used in the sound. The Key Click effect is normally heard on both the attack and on the release of a note being played. However, depending on the type of sound system being used, it is usually most noticeable on the attack. To adjust the amount of Key Click heard on the attack, repeatedly strike some notes and gradually turn the key click knob clockwise. Notice the key-click effect increases as you turn the knob. Adjust to taste. See Click in the following section for more information on controlling the Key Click on the release of the note.
• Overdrive: Overdrive may be used to simulate the sound of an amplifier driven into clipping. It realistically simulates the organ sound used by many "R & B" and rock bands. To adjust the amount of overdrive, simply play some notes and gradually turn the overdrive knob clock wise. Notice how the amount of overdrive increases as you turn the knob. Adjust to taste.
• Percussion: The percussion effect is enabled by turning up the percussion volume (PERC VOLUME). You can select between SLOW or FAST percussion decay and between the 2nd and 3rd percussion harmonic by pressing the PERCUSSION DECAY and PERCUSSION HARMONIC (HARM) push buttons. The percussion effect is very useful for jazz style settings. A standard one would be preset 1 with percussion on 3rd harmonic, PERCUSSION DECAY set to FAST , and the PERCUSSION VOLUME adjusted to taste.
• Click: As discussed in the Key Click section above, the type of note release and attack can be controlled. Set the Key Click to HARD by pressing the CLICK push button so that the LED indicator is lit up. Play a few notes in the low range of the keyboard using preset number 1 and notice that attack and release transients can be heard even with the KEY CLICK volume control turned all the way down. This is due the rectangular keying envelope. Set the Key Click to SOFT by pressing the CLICK push button again so that the LED indicator is off. Play a few notes, notice that the release transient click is eliminated by virtue of a quick decay. A difference can also be heard in the note attack as the waveform will always start from zero in the SOFT mode.
• Rotor: The rotating speaker effect is simulated by having a horn rotor and drum rotor speed-up or slow-down at different rates. Rotor speed can be set to either SLOW or FAST by pressing the front panel button, using a foot switch, or by MIDI control number 68. Note that the rotating speaker effect is only heard when the EFFECT selector is set to one of the ROTOR settings. Refer to the EFFECTS SELECTION TABLE for more information. The rotating speaker's rotors' speeds are indicated by the state of the ROTOR LED. When the LED is lit, the rotors speed-up with independent accelerations to the fast rate, when the LED is turned off the rotors slow-down with independent decelerations to the slow rate. Select between the two rotor velocities by pressing the ROTOR push button.
• Presets: The MICRO B II comes with 36 drawbar presets. The first 22 presets can be accessed through the preset selector on the front panel; to access all 36 presets you must use a MIDI controller capable of sending least program changes 0 to 35. Set the preset selector to PorM when using your MIDI controller to send program changes. This tells the MICRO B II that all program changes will now be set by your MIDI controller. See the chart for a list of preset drawbar settings.
• Effects: The MICRO B II comes with built-in chorus and vibrato effects as well as a rotating speaker effect. You can select various combinations of chorus, vibrato, and the rotating speaker effects.

Here is a list of all 36 MICRO B II presets and their tone-wheel organ equivalents:

Notice that split presets are provided to make better use of single manual operation. Split presets 21 and 22 provide a typical organ bass setting for the left hand, while presets 20 and 34 provide a suitable sound for left hand accompaniment. The percussion effect will only be triggered for the right-hand part of the split.

Two "combo" organ settings (35, 36) are provided: their sound is very different than the tone-wheel organ settings.

Here is a list of Effects settings:

Note that for the model 22 rotating speaker simulation the rotors decelerate to a complete stop while for the model 122 simulation the rotors decelerate to a slow rotation rather than stopping entirely.

Both rotating speaker effects employ "cabinet simulation" which simulates the sound which would be picked up from microphones placed in front of a speaker cabinet. You'll notice a change in timbre and distortion characteristics when the rotating speaker effect is enabled.

MIDI Omni Mode

When the MICRO B II is in MIDI OMNI ON mode, it will respond to all MIDI channels. Any NOTE ON/NOTE OFF information (within the note range utilized by the MICRO B II) and program changes (if the PRESET selector is set to P or M) will be recognized by the MICRO B II.

To enable MIDI OMNI ON mode set the MIDI Channel (MIDI CHN) selector on the rear panel to the 0 position.

Multi-timbral Mode

Multi-timbral Mode allows the MICRO B II to accept MIDI information received on three (3) adjacent channels as determined by the basic channel selected on the rear panel MIDI channel selector. Program changes may be sent to the MICRO B II to allow different presets to play on each of the three channels. The percussion effect will only be triggered by notes played on the basic MIDI channel. Overall MIDI volume will only be set by MIDI control number 7 sent on the basic MIDI channel. MIDI control number 7 sent on either of the two other channels will set the volume balance between the channel they are sent on and the basic MIDI channel.

To use Multi-timbral mode do the following:

1. Select the three adjacent channels to be enabled by first setting the MIDI channel selector to the basic MIDI channel. The basic MIDI channel and the next two higher channels will be enabled. If channel 15 is selected, channels 16 and 1 will also be enabled. See the chart on the next page.

2. Set the preset selector on the front panel to M. By doing this you are now telling the MICRO B II to accept MIDI data on the three channels selected in step 1 above.

OMNI ON mode and Multi-timbral mode are mutually exclusive. OMNI ON mode takes precedence over Multi-timbral mode.

MIDI Channel Selection Table

Using More Than One Keyboard Simultaneously

If you wish to setup the MICRO B II in a way which simulates a console organ, you'll need a couple of keyboards and a set of MIDI bass pedals. In order to connect these three MIDI devices to the MICRO B II you'll need a device called a MIDI merger. This device squeezes more than one MIDI data stream into a single MIDI output. Connect the keyboards' and bass pedal's MIDI outputs to the MIDI inputs of the merger. Connect the merger output to the MICRO B II. Note that connecting more than one MIDI output together with a "Y" cable will NOT work! Set each keyboard and bass pedal unit to consecutive MIDI channels. Follow the previous instructions for placing the MICRO B II in multi-timbral mode. You'll probably want to set the right hand manual to the basic MIDI channel. That will allow the percussion to be triggered by your right hand. The accompaniment (left hand) keyboard's volume can be adjusted with respect to the other manuals if it can send MIDI volume.

MIDI Controlled Effects

The MICRO B II allows control of several of its effects via MIDI control changes. The following table lists the effects that can be controlled by MIDI, their MIDI control numbers, and the associated control values:

Note the MIDI control numbers are fixed, therefore to control the effects mentioned in the table you will need a programmable MIDI controller. The various buttons, wheels, sliders, or pedals of your MIDI controller must be assigned to the control number corresponding to the effect you wish to control.

Because of the wide variety of MIDI controllers (keyboards, computers, or sequencers) available on the market today, you will have to determine which MIDI controller is appropriate for this particular application. For example, you may elect to use the MOD wheel on your MIDI keyboard to control the rotating speaker FAST/SLOW rate or you may decide to use one of the push button controls on your MIDI controller to select the PERC 2nd or 3rd harmonic. Examples:

1. Controlling the rotating speaker fast/slow speed via a MOD wheel

Program the MIDI keyboard's MOD wheel to send data on MIDI control number 68 instead of control number 1. Since the MOD wheel is a continuous controller, it will output a control value of 0 through 127 depending on what position it is set to. To select the rotating speaker FAST rate simply flip the MOD wheel all the way up (on most keyboards up means away from you) or all the way down (towards you) for the SLOW rate. The rotating speaker will begin changing speed after the MOD wheel crosses the midway point (when the control value switches between 63 and 64).

2. Using a push button to select the Percussion 2nd or 3rd harmonic

Let's say your MIDI controller has a push button control that can be assigned any MIDI control number. Set the MIDI control number of the push button control to 72. The MICRO B II will interpret MIDI control number 72 as the Percussion 2nd/3rd control. Most push button MIDI controllers will output a value of 127 when in the "on" position and a value of 0 when in the "off" position. If your MIDI controller allows you to program the control value, then make sure you set it to a value between 0 through 63 for "off" and 64 through 127 for "on". Now you should be able to select the PERC2nd or 3rd harmonic by pressing the push button.

3. Using a continuous controller to adjust the ROTOR FAST speed

Determine which controller you'd like to use to set the rotating speaker effects fast speed. Let's use the MOD wheel for this example. Program the MIDI keyboard's MOD wheel to send data on MIDI control number 90 instead of control number 1. Since the MOD wheel is a continuous

controller, it will output a control value of 0 through 127 depending on what position it is set to. Set the MICRO B II to one of the Rotating Speaker effects. Set the MICRO B II's ROTOR speed button to fast (LED on). You'll notice now that the rotor speed will track the position of the MOD wheel. Rotating the MOD wheel away from you will set the rotor speed quite high, moving it closer to you will set the speed to a slow rate. This function is handy for customizing the rotating speaker effect to suit your taste. It also allows for real-time control of the rotor speeds which can be used in place of the built-in acceleration / deceleration function.

Specifications

• Controls: Four rotary controls: VOLUME, OVERDRIVE, KEY CLICK, and PERCUSSION VOLUME. Two rotary selectors: EFFECT (chorus, vibrato, and rotating speaker combinations) and PRESET (22 presets, multi-timbral mode, program change enable). Four push-buttons: PERCUSSION DECAY, PERCUSSION HARMONIC, KEY CLICK SOFT/HARD, and ROTOR SLOW/FAST select. Rear: power switch, tuning control, MIDI channel (OMNI ON mode) selector, rotating speaker effect foot switch connector (PEDAL).
• Audio: Two 1/4" audio outputs provide stereo. +4 dBm nominal output level. CH2 output may drive stereo headphones with >600 Ohm impedance (used for test purposes only, not suitable for driving headphones at high output levels).
• MIDI I/O: MIDI IN, and MIDI THRU.
• Note Range: 78 notes
• Power: 12 volts AC @ 700 to 850 mA, 2.5mm connector
• Cabinet: Extruded aluminum chassis, aluminum front and rear panels, steel bottom panel. Can be mounted on standard 19" rack tray by fastening to tapped center hole on bottom panel, #8 screw and washer included.
• Weight: 4 lbs excluding AC adapter