Viscount Voice Systems HP3 Vocal Harmonizer, 7 February 2000, made in Italy

Link: 

Effect for internal use via MIDI on the keyboard and provides a pleasant and clear output tone.

The Viscount Voice Systems HP3 Vocal Harmonizer is an instrument which can change the sound of your voice. The result obtained depends on the type of algorithm selected.

First of all, it important to note that there are 2 separate voice processing paths piloted from the MIDI point of view on two different channels. These operating options are defined as the MELODY CHANNEL and the HARMONY CHANNEL. The Melody Channel processes your voice on the basis of the notes present on the MIDI channel set. On the other hand the HARMONY CHANNEL is able to generate up to a maximum of 3 voices simultaneously in addition to the original voice, depending on the operating mode selected.

The Viscount Voice Systems HP3 Vocal Harmonizer has 6 operating modes:
- HARMONY MODE
- MELODY MODE
- MALE MODE
- FEMALE MODE
- RELATIVE MODE
- VOCODER MODE

FACTORY RESET

The Factory Reset allows restoration of the instrument’s internal programming values to the settings present on purchase. To recall this function, when the power supply lead connector is connected press the [HARMONY] and [FEMALE] buttons simultaneously.

The values set are the following:
MIDI CHANNELS MODE 1 DELAY SEND LEVEL REVERB VOL. 3 (on) DELAY VOL. 3 (on)

N.B.: once changes have been made on the panel, when the instrument is switched on again only the code for the DELAY SEND LEVEL will be sent, with the values assigned as follows:

NRPN MSB = 100 NRPN LSB = 08 Data MSB = 100

Инструкция есть в PDF:

One further feature of the HP3 Vocal Harmonizer is that it has 2 adjustable effects (Delay and Reverb) which are important in helping to give your performances depth and space.

Viscount is the Italian brand that produced many legendary instruments. Based in Marche, Italy, in the same area where Elka, Elgam, Eko, Farfisa, Crumar, Jen, Siel, Solton, CRB, etc. were born.

Power Supply: AC 9V 1,1A

Viscount ER-256 Digital Effect Processor reverb / delay mini half-rack (DAC: Burr-Brown PCM54HP), 1980s, made in Italy

16 amazing sounds x 16 rates = 256 potential sounds hence ER-256

DAC: Burr-Brown PCM54HP

Multi-EFX (it has different "patterns" of delaying in each of its 16 variations)

- Multi taps
- Short delays 
- Medium delay 
- Long delay 
- Regan medium 
- Regan long 
- Reverse!
- Small rooms 
- Medium rooms 
- Large rooms 
- Medium halls
- Large halls 
- Chambers 
- Plates 
- Gates 

Input output and all important mix dial 

mono or stereo 

has a handy peak/overloud light in case you are building a wall of sound and also a -20Dbm and +4 switch which can help if you want to keep things at a lower output with less distortion. 


A bypass footswitch output. 

Gate, Reverse, Chamber and plate are particularly interesting as reverbs and multi tap is a very cool delay since it has different "patterns" of delaying in each of its 16 variations.

Viscount R64 PCM Drum Machine

Oberheim Viscount OB3 2 squared Tonewheel Organ Module, 1995, made in Italy

Link: Service Manual [PDF] | User Manual [PDF]

In 1995, Oberheim released the OB3, a little-known drawbar organ module, subsequently eclipsed by Hammond and Roland's advanced electronic tonewheel organ emulations. Now Oberheim have teamed up with Italian organ specialists Viscount to produce the enhanced OB3². NICK MAGNUS squares the difference...

The Oberheim OB3 squared (OB3²) follows hot on the heels of the Hammond XM1/XMc1 (reviewed SOS May 97) in a bid to satisfy those looking for the famous vintage tonewheel organ sound in a rackmounting format. Both the XM1 and the OB3², unlike the standard 19-inch rack modules to which we are by now all accustomed, offer the benefit of physical, hardware drawbars that can be manipulated in real time whilst playing, or used to create various registrations to store within user memories. The principal differences between the Oberheim and the Hammond are twofold:

(1) Whereas the Hammond XM comes as two separate items (the sound module and a remote drawbar unit), the Oberheim takes an all-in-one approach; it's a single unit resembling the sawn-off left-hand control panel of a keyboard-based organ, such as a Hammond XB2, Korg CX3, or Roland VK7.

(2) The Hammond offers extensive editing of many parameters, while the Oberheim offers 'take-it-as-it-comes' features -- parameters available for editing are kept to a minimum. If that sounds disparaging, it is not meant to be -- a real Hammond organ has no means of customising certain features, and as such the design of the OB3² can be regarded as more faithful to the original Hammond.

The OB3² is in fact Oberheim's second product of this type -- as the name OB3² suggests, there was a previous model called the OB3 (released late 1995, reviewed SOS March 1996.) The newer OB3² offers significantly improved functionality, and dramatically improved sound. The panel legending displays the words 'Viscount joint venture' so it doesn't take much to deduce that Oberheim sought Viscount's not inconsiderable organ-building experience to assist in the voicing of the OB3².

 

Viscount D9E Drawbar Module Hammond Clone

A Hammond-emulating drawbar organ of the second-latest generation (ca. 1992). In module form factor, thus basically a Viscount D9 without the keyboard. Identical (except for the colour of the casing) to the Oberheim OB3, which is the predecessor to the way cool Oberheim OB3². This beastie is also available in a stage-organ version with a keyboard, called the Viscount D9, which is again identical to the Oberheim OB3O, predecessor of the OB3²O.

The D9e is essentially a solid metal box with wooden side panels and a full set of nine drawbars on top. At the back, there are MIDI In and Thru connectors, mono output and headphone jacks and connectors for two foot switches and an expression pedal. You simply plug a MIDI-capable keyboard into MIDI in, hook up the output to youramplifier and there you are, roaring away Booker T. style.

There's more, however. Solid, LED-studded buttons on top provide access to six sensible preset registrations; you can use a foot switch to switch between the currently selected preset and the current drawbar setting. Other settings include: percussion 2nd/3rd/off; percussion loud/soft; percussion slow/fast; keyclick on/off; vibrato1/2/3/off; Intersound on/off; Intersound slow/fast. Intersound is a bad, though footswitchable, Leslie simulation; use not recommended.

Pros: Excellent user interface; genuine, robust drawbars. Powerful, pretty authentic sound with earth-shaking bass. Used models sell (as of May 2002) at less than 250euros, which is nothing (consider the Voce V5 costs ca. 1000 euros new).

Cons: Emulates only one manual, not both manuals and pedals like more modern modules. No internal equalising to make up for the sometimes less-than-earth-shaking treble. Truly crappy Leslie simulation. No chorus. Just one organ type, no leakage adjustment.

Altogether, this kills the instrument for serious jazz organists -- in jazz you will need at least two manuals, usually the pedals, too, and chorus is a must for those Jimmy Smith sounds. Rock/R'n'B^(*) keyboarders on a tight budget will love the D9e/OB3, though, especially if played through some rotor cabinet, however cheap (such as myAllsound LC 80 / TH 85).

I've never tried the OB3², but it's the least expensive, and the best-looking of the Hammond simulators currently selling. It's got a full organ simulation plus chorus, too (by the way, it's the only drawbar organ module with the classic six way vibrato/chorus switch). If you like the D9e/OB3's sound and want to get something up-to-date, consider the OB3².

First Example:

Viscount model: S.Dakota serial: 7/81 Electronic Organ