Looking really seriously at the CX-3 Hookie has for sale in the garage sale. But, compared to the Nord Electro and Hammond XK, there seems to be a dearth of info online about it. There are a couple of youtubes with Tom Coster that sound awesome, but he'd probably sound awesome on a piece of wax paper folded over a comb. One of my bands is very organ centered, and I have been saving for an Electro. I currently use a laptop & VB3, and love the sound, but would rather be more stand alone. I like the interface of the CX a lot. Is the CX going to be in the Clonewheel shootout?

It's got a bit more of an aggressive sound than the Hammond XK series or the Nord Electros. I actually find it very musical, but as I primarily like B3 in the context of jazz, it's not my first pick. If I was to use B3 for hard rock, I might well go for a CX3 over an XK1 or XK3. The CX3 has serious balls. Make sure you get a later edition with the true (vs. partial) waterfall keys.

The Medeski drawbar video that was posted says it all to me. You either have to have drawbars or you don't.

A comparison could likely be made between VB3 vs B4II and the Electro 2 vs Korg.

The latter day Medeski stuff I think is more VB3/Korg (in tone)and the earlier stuff more Electro 2/B4 II (in tone) but your ears and mileage may vary.

I like mine and I have an XK-3 also. The XK-3 sounds better through a Leslie though I feel. I like the CX-3 for casual gigging more than the XK-3 and what has been said about it being slightly more aggressive than the XK series and Nords I believe is true. The perc. is better on the XK and Nords without a doubt!

The pure tone coming out of the XK or Nords might be superior but somehow the sum of the parts in the CX-3 make it a groove to play. It's design at this point is pretty old for the market but it kept it's niche I feel, at least for me. I actually sold one, bought the XK and bought another one realizing it was a mistake.

I record and do larger gigs with the XK/145 and casual two tiers with the CX-3. Disgusting as it is to have both!

The only negative is the tone of the instrument itself, after playing for extended time with it or at the end of the 2nd set, the drawbar sound does start to get under my skin slightly, but so does my CP33, so it's a minor quip, it still pretty good!

I think many would agree it's a good ax

I don't think you can beat it, especially for the price that Hookie is selling it. A dealer told me that the cost on that unit (new) is around $1500 bucks, the MAP price is $1795.00. Maybe he was BS'in me, but I doubt it. $975 is a bargain if its not beat up.

I saw his ad too, and if I had the money right now, I'd buy it in a minute. Great Ax.


Mike T.

I currently own the top 4 clonewheels, CX-3, XK3-C, Electro 3 and the VK8. The CX-3 sound is certainly very aggresive, lacks a bit on the percusion side, but great scream on the upper octaves. In the mix the leslie sim works and the overdrive is just ok..... I have been using this board live for many years and have gotten many compliments. For the money a good board. (just recently been using the electro 3 live...)

Where do you live? Can I come to your house?

I gigged heavily with mine for at least 6 years and I liked it. I'll say this- now that I have an XK-3 I really miss how much lighter the CX3 was and not having those reverse preset keys also made it fit into my car more easily. But it sounds good and I like the interface a lot. The sound is VERY tweakable too.

About the CX3 in jazz I'm not sure why there is a feeling of it not being suitable. I have a friend (professional jazz pianist) using my CX3 playing all manner of modern jazz stuff through a motion sound and we can't really tell the difference between that and his B3... the CX3 can sound clean and aggressive its all about getting the settings right... theres a lot of tweakability in there...

The CX3 is suitable for Jazz. As with any instrument, it really depends on the style and mindset of the muso playing it.

In this league, it's all about the fingers. IMO both NE2 and CX3 are very highly playable instruments. CX3 is a little harsh on the highs and more in-your-face, where the Electro is kind of smoother. But they become perfect under the fingers of a good organist.

Here is one of my favorite videos of the korg :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZcyY1U6coE

Obviously, this is the dual manual, BX3 and he's playing through a leslie of some sort.

Also some articles on the instrument :

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug03/articles/korgbx3.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan01/articles/korgcx3.asp

True dat! My blues band plays "The Hooker Cooker", which is mid-tempo swing/shuffle 12-bar. I always dial up a smooth, Jimmy Smith-like tone on my CX3 for that tune. But, a lot of it comes from the feel.

wow the V8 is still a contender? That was my first organ so I have no other reference, but I've enjoyed it over the years. I owned an Electro2 for a couple of years & didn't like it's organ as well, but I think it was because I was used to the Roland. How does the NE3 compare to the VK?

that is true.. we really sat there and compared between his B3 and my CX through motion sound while he did his incredible playing and we came to the conclusion we try and kid ourselves a lot about things...

this guy is really shit hot... I don't say this lightly... Carlo visited me in the summer and knows the score ;-)

I totally forgot about the BX3. Do they still make the dual manual version?

Also, good feedback about the CX3 in jazz; maybe I should give it another try. There's something very musical about the CX3 that has always immediately grabbed me, but I didn't realize it was tweakable.

Sure if you get up to the Dallas area. I am about 30 miles north or Dallas........Just PM me.

I've owned CX3, and upgraded to BX3 several years ago. I also owned NE2, VK7 and 8, XB2 and XK3. They all have a signature sound. Whether it suits a certain style is a matter of taste obviously, but also depends on how it fits into a band setting. In a small combo, in jazz typically a trio, you want a fat tone that easily fills the space. In a large band you want a sound that cuts through, especially with (rock) guitars. From what I remember, XK and VK's have fat, authoritive tone. NE is thinner but will cut through in any band. I've stayed with the CX/BX because it has a unique kind of 3D transparency in the tone that real tone wheels have. I can tweak the tone from creamy jazz to screaming rock (I play with a rock guitarist in small (jazz) combo's). Sound is a bit thinner than the XK, but it is extremely playable as others stated. It's like my M3, its EP's maybe less authentic than the Nord Stage (which I sold), but to my ears the're much more playable (musically satisfying). But that's just a matter of taste...
Note: I never liked the keyboard action of the CX, it has a cheap plastic feel, the BX has a different keybed that is far superior.., maybe the best of them all, but still noting like a real B3..). VK8 is also very good, but the leads in the keys are a bit heavy occasionally causing double triggering when played ultra fast chops..

Are you sure? I was certain that the BX has the same action as the revised (single piece waterfall) version of the CX.

Absolutely sure, I have both...

Heres'a good example of jazz on the CX-3.. and that's not a particularly well tweaked one (the guy said he added treble, which is too much to my ears):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Luz_d_WWHfk

But great playing... and wait for the fast leslie for an idea of what the sim sounds like.

There's some great settings by David Jacques for the CX-3 which you can find on the Clonewheel forum. He matched his settings to each of his B3's.

EDIT: Just to show how much tweaking is possible, and how different it can sound, here's a much mellower patch (on a BX-3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbB-h7Ppcu0

Where is this Clonwheel forum you speak of?



Seriously, may I get a link?

Oh, it's on yahoo groups ( I hate those, lol).

Tx anyway, I'll take a look!

Such a cold, harsh sound in that jazz video. Probably a reflection of how it was amped and/or recorded vs. the CX3 itself.

i've been using a CX-3 for the last 5 years or so - I love it ... I think the CX3 can hold its own against any clone wheel i've heard (but i haven't heard all the recent offerings) ... but as much as i hear about other keyboards I have heard i think the CX3 is criminally underrated ... very tweakable to taste

I gig with both an electro 2 and a CX3 in my set up ... and love them both (i love the nord ep's - my favorites of any board) but i just can't get on board with the electro2 organs - (although i need to hear the electro 3 and the new dedicated b3 unit they have - which probably sound MUCH better than the electro 2) but as for the electro2 the organs are not close for me ... then again its also not a fair comparison because i don't think the electro is a true clone wheel ... and at that it does a fine job in comparison to other similar boards for organ (more than fine actually) but it just can't get up to to the level of the dedicated units IMO ...

the Leslie sim is the key to all of these boards for me (sole purpose is live use) and I love the one on the CX3 - that was the selling point when i got it ... just feels natural (for a sim) ... thats also where the electro 2 fell shortest - felt a little funky