I’ve spent the last year building a Hammond B3 physical emulator plugin from scratch — additive tonewheel synthesis, not samples. I measured a real B3’s tonewheel crosstalk and per-key drawbar response by hand and built that into the model to achieve the way a B3 sounds the way it does, not just approximate it.
It’s free on Linux, no trial, no license — I wanted Linux users to actually be able to use it, not just a demo. I have been using Linux for many years and wanted to give something back. Windows/macOS get a 30-day trial then it’s €28 one-time if you want to keep it there.
13 MB install, CLAP support (I think the only B3 plugin with it right now), full drawbar/vibrato/percussion/Leslie model, MIDI CC learn on everything.
setBfree’s been the Linux Hammond option for over a decade and it’s free and open source, which is a real thing to respect. I think RB3 sound is competitive with the best out there. Also setBfree is a JACK app plus LV2 plugins, no VST3 or CLAP. RB3 is a VST3/CLAP plugin, so it drops straight into Ardour, Reaper, Bitwig, whatever, the same way any other plugin does, no JACK routing required. If you’re already happy with setBfree’s JACK workflow there’s no reason to switch — this is for people who’d rather have it as a normal plugin in their session.
Happy to answer anything about how the synthesis works, or take it on the chin if it doesn’t hold up for you. Also thanks to the moderators for the earlier feedback, genuinely — it made the post better.
I used the nih plug library’s VST3 and CLAP support. Didn’t need to write mine. Just configure cargo.
I guess I will need to remove VST3 support. Didn’t note that. Or write my own bindings. Evaluating now.
I am still really confused what the appeal of a CLAP version is for a plugin like this. There are no hosts that support CLAP and not VST3, and there are no features in CLAP not in VST3 that would be useful for this kind of plugin …
When I started CLAP was MIT and VST3 wasn’t. It was relicensed after I started and I am doing some other projects where Native per-voice/polyphonic modulation is important. And CLAP looks cleaner to me.
Also, It may have to do with the fact that I have been using Reaper on Linux for years and Reaper’s support for clap is very good and when I did my research clap seemed like the way forward. Also, I wanted to use rust, to learn rust (I used to work on C++) and the best library came with clap out of the box. So historic reasons. I guess.
I wrote a LV2VST wrapper a few years ago that allow to use LV2 plugins incl. setBfree in VST hosts such as Bitwig. Some ProAudio GNU/Linux distros ship it.
In any case, and this is clearly a subjective opinion, I think the sound of my plugin is far superior, comparable to IK and GSI hammond emulation plugins. SetBFree is not.
I have re released the vst3 binaries. Actually clap wrapper works well and it is very easy to use. Just build changes, no code changes needed. So I have added them back to the web. If you need VST3 now you have them. I have tested on bitwig and reaper and cubase.
Curious as to why “Written in Rust” (“Precision organ emulation. Written in Rust. Measured from real hardware.”)
is being used as a marketing claim? Does that make it sound better? (reminds me of the 8-bit games that used to say “100% Machine Code” I don’t feel the need to put “Written in C++” on my plugins…)
The measured from real hardware is the part that makes it sound better (or at least as close as possible to the real thing). And the written in rust tells you the code is modern, efficient and stable. That is a differentiator. I am not a marketing guy, anyway. Probably it would be better to promote it some other way Any suggestions? also, have you listened to it? what do you think about the sound?
The same could be said of competently written modern C++ as well. I’ve seen a lot of “written in Rust” recently. To me, as a dyed in the wool C / C++ programmer, it reads like some kind of ‘software developer virtue signalling’. I’m conflicted about Rust, Ironically when I think of rust it conjures a mental image of old decaying stuff
also, have you listened to it? what do you think about the sound?
I haven’t yet - I’m sure its likely very good. I do like the sound of a real B3, but I’m a guitar player not a keyboard player so I’m probably not best placed to fully evaluate it.
…and then again I get feedback from many users that setBfree sounds much better than IK B-3X and VB3m, and some hardware too; notably from various church organists who switched to setBfree. It got me a few invitations to churches too
But you’re right this is subjective. The same is true for actual B3 Hardware as well.
I cannot unless you release it as free/libre open source software.
I don’t feel the need to put “Written in C++” on my plugins…)
Any suggestions? also, have you listened to it? what do you think about the sound?