People ask me these questions all the time as founder of the Voce Support Group, now the CloneWheel Support Group:
Q1: Is Voce, Inc. still in business?
A1: No. Voce products are now made by Tonewheel LLC, and distributed by DR Music, Inc.
Q2: Is Dave Amels still involved with Voce products?
A2: Yes, on the technical side. DR Music provides the other pieces -- advertising, manufacturing, service, support, etc.
Q3: Will DR Music re-release the whole Voce line?
A3: No. They are planning to release the Micro-B II, the V5, the Spin II, and the Electric Piano module. The V3 is being retired.
Q4: Is the V5 an exact replacement for the V3?
A4: Not completely, but it's pretty close. The main differences are:
Q5: How does it (the V5) sound?
A5: Some sources say it's both warmer and lower in noise than the V3. To my ears, it sounds exactly like the sound from the Effect Out jack on a stock V3 -- which is goodnes, by the way -- with the exception that the vibrato is a little deeper.
Q6: Can you use a MIDI Drawbar Module with the V5?
A6: Yes. The MIDI controls for drawbars, percussion, vibrato, key click, etc. are the same as the "stock" V3 controls, so the drawbar module will work as expected. The only "new" setting is Morph, which is at MIDI CC#1 (modulation wheel), rather than CC#40.
Q7: How can I get rid of the background hiss and pops and clicks in my V3?
A7: The best way is to use the Effect Out, rather than Out1 or Out2. (See the V3 Tips and Tricks page.) This solution won't work for everybody, but if it works, it REALLY works. The second best thing is to do is to use MIDI Expression (CC8) instead of MIDI Volume (CC7). Most players are probably already doing this. The third thing you can do is bypass the effect loop (by connecting a short cable -- or better yet, an outboard compressor/limiter -- from Effect Out to Effect In). Fixes #2 and #3 together work about half as well as #1.
Q8: How close does the V3/V5 sound to a real Hammond?
A8: The raw V3 or V5 + Spin II is close, but not a perfect copy. You can make improvements, however. Here is an MP3 recording of my (former) V3, using an Alesis Quadraverb 2 for the (C3) chorus-vibrato and reverb, pumped through a Leslie 251 with a hybrid tube/MOSFET amplifier chain. The biggest improvement comes from using a real Leslie, with the improved vibrato as the icing on the cake.
These answers appeared in the original Voce FAQ. They don't have questions to go with them, but they're pretty self-explanatory:
Answer 1: The MIDI Drawbar unit does not work with the Micro B or the Micro B II (at least not the drawbars).
Answer 2: The Micro B does not respond to MIDI volume and always has release key click.
Answer 3: The Micro B II does respond to MIDI volume and you can eliminate the release key click.
Answer 4: The Micro B II allows for chorus and rotating speaker effect simultaneously.
Answer 5: The percussion on your B-3 (C-3, RT-3, A100, M-3, or L-100) does not re-trigger if you're already holding down a note.
Answer 6: An organ with a 122 Leslie interface will not work properly with a 145, 44W, 45, 147, 47, 251 Leslie. It'll hum and you won't be able to switch speeds.
Answer 7: An organ with a 147 Leslie interface will not work properly with a 122, 21H, 31H, 142 Leslie. It may cause a fire.
Answer 8: Never plug a 5-pin Leslie cable into a 6-pin socket even if you can make it fit.
Answer 9: The contrast control is on the back.
Answer 10: It's OK to use an AC adaptor with a higher current rating (mA) but not a higher voltage rating.
Answer 11: It's not OK to use an AC adaptor with a lower current rating (mA). You'll burn out the adaptor, not the module.
Answer 12: Fully polyphonic means "your arms ain't that long".
voce is a trademark of Amels and Alonso Electronic Design.
Last updated 3/21/2002.