Crumar Mojo Review - Gig Tested

[Mitch Towne]

I got the Crumar Mojo last Thursday and a Motion Sound KP-500sn on Friday. I didn't do much more with the Mojo before my gig on Friday other than get familiar with how the instrument works, how the presets function, and to hook it up to a computer monitor and get a feel for the different tonewheel sets. I played a gig with a great soul band on Friday night and a jazz trio gig Saturday night. My comments are based on this experience. This won't be a totally complete review because there are some things that I haven't had a chance to mess with yet.

 

By the way, as a result of the climate of certain other review threads, I offer up the fact that I am a regularly gigging musician from Omaha, Nebraska with no ties to Crumar in any way other than the fact I now own one of their instruments. I have posted on the board many more times than the 178 that my profile says. At some point, for a reason that escapes me, I changed my Keyboard Corner handle. I used to be Calumet and had 686 posts under that name. In other words, I am a long-timer and my opinions represent no one's but my own.

 

On to the review.

 

 

 

1. Sound

 

The Mojo is by far the best sounding clone I have ever played. At various points, I have owned a Voce V3, VK7, XK3, XM-2, Electro 3, C2 and Numa. (I have not played the SK1 or 2 and, based on what I have heard in demos and read about the innards, it doesn't seem like much of an advance from the original XK engine, so I never considered buying it). In fact, the Mojo is a better sounding and feeling organ than many actual Hammonds I have played. I know it seems like lunacy, but this thing is so satisfying and inspiring that I think I would choose to play it on a gig or in the studio even if there were a real Hammond handy. (I am sure there are some folks who will check out of this review after that last sentence. Let me just say that I am a B3 and A100 owner and have spent plenty of time on the real thing. I am not just a clonewheeler. I know the sound and what I am looking for.) I played at a festival recently on a beautiful Hammond chop running through a Ventilator and the Mojo experience I had at my gigs this weekend was way better.

 

The thing for me when it comes to the instruments I use is how inspiring I find the sound and the reaction of the instrument to be. For instance, when I go to play something and it just feels and sounds "right," the next line is inspired from that first line, and then the next line, and so on. That's why I prefer the Scarbee Rhodes sounds to the Nord Rhodes sounds. Yeah, the Nords are some of the best in the industry (until the Kronos came out, anyway) and they are very playable, but they don't inspire my playing like the more natural and responsive Scarbee sounds do. The inspiration might only go for a couple lines on the Nord, whereas on a real Rhodes or the Scarbee, the inspiration can carry throughout an entire solo. Additionally, and some what conversely, an inspiring sound results in more space in my playing. I find when I have an uninspiring tone, I tend to just play a lot of notes because I don't feel like the slow notes can hang on their own. I am sure I am not alone in this. Joey D sounds killer on the KeyB, or the Numa, or the VK-7. or whatever he is playing, but if you are really familiar with his playing style, you can tell he is even more killing on the real thing. That perfect sound and feeling inspires him even more, at least to my ears. (Of course, I am not putting myself in his category or anything...just using him as an example.) I am sure that even different Hammonds inspire him differently.

 

I say all of that as a setup to describe what it is that I find so thrilling about the Mojo. I played lines and phrases Saturday night at the trio gig that I don't know if I have ever played. I am a pretty experienced player and have been playing organ (and clones) for a while now. Last night seemed like another level. It was a mix of inspiration and feeling like what was coming through the amp behind me sounded like the records I have listened to for all these years. It seemed effortless to sound good. It was as if I had set up a tent in the mythical "zone" and no one was telling me to leave. There was no feeling of, "Ohalmost," like there has been with every other clone and some actual Hammonds I have played. I did not want to quit playing at the end of the gig.

 

So, what is it about the sound? Anyone familiar with the VB3 has a good idea about what separates the Mojo from the other clones. However, VB3 ver. 2 has improved on every aspect of what made the original version great. The depth and thickness of the sound have increased. The multi-layered sound of the Hammond organ is totally present in the Mojo. The click, crosstalk, and leakage all sound like they are organic parts of the sound, not effects added in to imitate the real thing. These things are adjustable parameters so you can really tailor the sound. Other clones allow this level of editing to a certain extent, but none are as realistic as the VB3, ver 2.

 

Something special about the Mojo is how it handles the percussion. You can read more about how the percussion is programmed on the Crumar website, but I will try to describe it. If I push in all the drawbars and turn on the percussion and roll a chord as one might do during a ballad, the percussion triggers across the chord, but the power and volume of the percussion decreases as the notes continue until it no longer triggers. Then, as you continue to play, the percussion only re-triggers at volumes based upon the percussion regeneration level. Other clones do something similar, but I have never heard it done quite like this. According to the Crumar website, it has to do with the difference between the rates of regeneration and decay . I have always felt like the classic Jimmy Smith sound of 888000000, 3rd, Soft, Fast was the hardest sound for clones to really nail. I think some of that has to do with how clones deal with this aspect of the percussion. The Mojo really gets it right. I don't think there is another clone that even attempts this.

 

Another part of the sound that the Mojo gets right that the other clones don't (in my opinion) is the upper octave. Using the Jimmy Smith sound described above, the upper octave is either too shrill (XK, Nord, Roland) or too weak (Numa). A real Hammond cuts through the mix yet isn't too sharp on the ears. The Mojo is the same way. There is a warmth to the sound even in the top notes. I always ended up avoiding the top octave on the XK3. The Electro 3 cuts, but it isn't full enough. The Numa doesn't cut the way it should and I tried everything (internal sim, Vent, real 147) to get it to do that. I tweaked the other clones endlessly. The Mojo sounds the way I want it to right out of the box.

 

The Chorus/Vibrato is in a class all its own. The only clone that comes close is the Numa. One of the things that pushed me to return the Nord C2 was hearing how warbley the C/V sounded, especially when run through a Leslie. Same with the XK series, only worse. It is just too deep to inspire playing long notes for me. The C/V in the Mojo sounds as shimmery as it should without adding any extra warble to the sound. I can't overstate how important this is to the overall feel of the instrument. When the chorus is on C3 and the Leslie sim is on stop, it sounds the way it should, not like there still might be a Leslie sim on the sound.

 

The drawbars interact with each other in the way you would expect them to and the settings you create sound like they should. 888000000 sounds right and switching to 888888888 sounds right with the same settings. Some clones need different EQ for different settings to sound right. The Mojo does not need that.

 

The pedal tones are deep and huge. There is a dedicated "Pedal to Lower" button that, obviously, provides the pedal tone on the first two octaves of the lower manual. It does not disable the lower manual drawbars. My Mojo came with the pedal sustain feature turned on, so I had to change that.

 

Virtually all of the aspects of the sound are tweak-able. However, it sounds so good with the stock settings that I haven't felt the urge to tweak anything yet. Usually with a clone, I am tweaking from the word go. Not so with the Mojo other than just messing with the readily available click, reverb, drive and eq knobs.

 

The Mojo comes with 20 different tonewheel sets. Guido (the Keyboard Corner forum member who designed the VB3) told me that the different sets are based on actual measurements he took from different Hammond models, so the 1965 B3 is actually a model of a 1965 B3. These measurements affect all of the different aspects of how the programming responds. The differences between the different models (some B3s, C3s, A100s and a couple A105s) vary between extremely subtle and obviously different. The default is referred to as the VB3HE2 Standard (although, for some reason, my Mojo showed up loading one of the A100s as the default set). The only way you can tell what tonewheel set you are using is if you have a monitor hooked up to the Mojo.

 

My assessment of the sound is based only on what the Mojo sounds like through the internal sim. I have not by passed the sim or run it through a real Leslie. This brings us to part 2.

 

 

2. Leslie Simulation and Drive

 

Again, best among all clones and a vast improvement to the Leslie simulations in the original VB3 which, I think, were surpassed only by the Ventilator. When I tried the Nord C2 with its newer generation Leslie sim, it sounded like a towel was draped over the speakers compared to the Ventilator. I knew right away that it wouldn't do the trick. The Numa Leslie sim sounded interesting but never good enough to really use. From the time I plugged in the Mojo, I haven't even considered trying to run it through the Ventilator. It sounded that good on its own. I didn't miss the Ventilator on the two gigs I played this weekend at all. Pretty sure there will be a Ventilator on the "For Sale" board very soon, along with an Electro 3.

 

(By the way, this assessment is based only on running it in stereo through my studio monitors and in stereo through the Motion Sound KP-500sn. I have not tried it in mono and probably won't anytime soon now that I have the MS.)

 

Most of the Youtube demos of the Mojo have the Leslie running on slow which is not my favorite setting. The videos don't give you a real sense of how great this thing sounds with the rotors set to "stop." That's where the real grit happens. The rotors do not have a "front facing only" stop option like the Ventilator does. They stop in a more organic manner, however I have yet to hear it go from fast to stop and end up with a really empty "facing opposite the micas" sound. Some people (myself included) didn't like that about the first generation Ventilators but it doesn't seem to be an issue with the Mojo. No matter where it stops, it still seems to sound good.

 

Unlike the VB3, you don't have a choice of different cabinets (122 Jazz, 122 Rock, 147, etc.). What you have are 6 editable parameters (Balance, Ambience, Cabinet, Mic Angle, Mic Distance and Horn EQ). I have not messed with these at all yet because I am very happy with the sound out of the box. However, I have a feeling that you could achieve most of, if not all, of the various cabinet choices that the first VB3 version offered.

 

The overdrive is natural and not at all digital sounding. I think it is just as warm as the Ventilator and is easier to achieve with the dedicated knob.There are two different drive types that are selectable through the software. The difference between the two is described on the Mojo website. I believe they refer to one of them as "hot tubes." The Drive 2 setting makes the upper octave percussion really cut, so if you are looking for that kind of rock sound, it's there.

 

I have not tried out the Mojo's often-mentioned alternate Leslie simulation where the sound is divided between the top and bottom rotors using two different amps. I will be trying that once I get a chance to set up the MS and a QSC K12 in the basement. Should be interesting. I'll report about that after I try it.

 

I am intrigued about running it through a real Leslie. I only tried running the VB3 through my 147 a couple times and I wasn't totally thrilled with the results. Eventually, I will try the Mojo through the 147.

 

 

3. Physical Layout and Presets

 

Here is where some purists might shy away from the Mojo. The C/V and the percussion sections are in generally the right places, but since the Mojo has a design style all its own, they certainly aren't in the place you are used to reaching for if you play the real thing. The Leslie simulation buttons are on the top which is not where they naturally fall, so you would probably want to opt for a hand switch or a foot switch. I opted for the package with a hand switch. One quibble with the switch is that it sticks up just a little higher than a normal Leslie switch, so if you are playing left-hand bass and you tend to let your hand sag to more of a flat position, your palm will touch the switch. I thought it would be more of an issue than it turned out to be when I actually played a gig where I was playing LH bass, but it is worth noting.

 

The Mojo itself is a beautiful and sleek looking instrument. Some people have chuckled at its distinct 70s look and the "Logan's Run" graphics, but I actually like it. It's eye-catching in a better way than if it were all red.

 

Each manual has 6 presets and a "manual" button. This is another place where some people might complain about how the Mojo works. It actually works more like a real Hammond than any other clone, but this might be a case where the original way isn't necessarily the best way. The 6 presets are programmable but not tweak-able. The only setting where the drawbars or the percussion have any effect on the sound is when it is set to "Manual." When playing one of the other presets, the drawbars are disabled and the percussion cannot be turned on. This is exactly how a real B3 handles presets. However, most other clones offer drawbar adjustments and percussion on each preset. If you work the drawbars a lot, you will need to stay on the "Manual" setting. I would prefer it if you could save any type of setting, percussion included, to a preset and then be able to add or subtract drawbars from that. I don't mind the way it is but some people might.

 

The dedicated knobs for volume, click, drive, reverb, treble and bass all work as you'd expect. These knobs are also used to tweak various settings of the software (leakage amount, rotary balance, percussion volume, etc.) I haven't done this much since I set up a monitor. The Mojo comes with a cheat sheet that lets you know what does what when in edit mode.

 

The action of the Mojo is a Fatar Waterfall action and is very quick and pleasing to play. It has a high trigger point that makes fast playing and repeating notes a breeze. There is also a mode for making the keys velocity sensitive for use with an external module or computer program that needs velocity information. If you change this setting, it changes the trigger point of both manuals, making it lower like a traditional synth action. I asked Guido if it were possible to set the manuals independently and I think that feature is coming soon. If this was eventually implemented, the Mojo would become capable of being a killer all-in-one (well"almost all-in-one") gig solution similar the SK2 if you added a module or a laptop with piano, Rhodes, etc. For someone like myself who insists on schlepping my Macbook Pro to gigs for the Scarbee samples even though I have a perfectly good Nord Stage, this would be a great option. Hopefully, this will be implemented in a future OS. Also, the USB connection sends MIDI information, so using a laptop for extra sounds is really easy. I have run the Scarbee Rhodes and Wurly sounds with the Mojo and they played as well as any waterfall keyboard I have used with non-organ sounds, and better than the C2 did. Adjusting the velocity sensitivity in Apple's Mainstage definitely helps matters.

 

 

4. Operation

 

Turning on the Mojo isn't quite as simple as, "press power and go." There is actually an XP based computer inside of the Mojo, so when you press "Power," you are booting the computer. It is a dedicated system (Guido has explained this in other threads, I think), so there isn't a bunch of normal Windows OS business going on. If you hook up a monitor and watch the boot process, it takes about 20 seconds or so. You power it on, the lights blink, and when the system is ready, the notes will sound. You then need to hit both "Manual" buttons to finish the setup process. I can see where not everyone will be comfortable with this arrangement, but it really takes no getting used to. A 20 second boot time is not bad at all and as technology is increasing, our instruments are becoming more and more just computers wrapped in a keyboard (see Kronos: Korg).

 

You can pick the tonewheel set that you want to load as the default. Once it is loaded, you can use the alternate methods of choosing a tonewheel set if you don't have a monitor. This is all explained in the manual. Without a display screen, you have to know where you are starting from tonewheel set wise and count from there. All of the rest of the parameters that can be set using the non-monitor method are audible changes, so you don't really have to keep track of where you started.

 

I have mentioned hooking up a monitor in previous paragraphs. There is a removable panel on the back that covers all of the traditional PC connection ports - mouse, monitor, usb, etc. If you want to get into the GUI interface and tweak, you have to hook up a monitor and mouse. Anyone at all familiar with what Windows XP looks like will be right at home. From here, you can see what the different tonewheel sets are named and edit all of the parameters.

 

The manual recommends that you make all of your connections (expression pedal, leslie control switch, audio connections) before you power on the Mojo. I believe this is because the Mojo senses the connections as the software boots and plugging things in after the fact can sometimes yield unexpected results, such as the speed control switch not working as you would expect. The Mojo comes with an EV-5 short-throw style of pedal at no extra charge. I tried the Mojo with my Roland EV-5 but it didn't work. I asked Guido why and he said that it might have too low of a resistance. However, I am using my Yamaha FC-7 with the Mojo with no problem which is good since I prefer a longer throw. There is a purchase option where you can order an FC-7 long-throw style of pedal at an extra charge.

 

Speaking of the manual, it is pretty thorough, but Crumar might want invest a couple bucks in a tech writer whose first language is English. Like some manuals from Japanese companies, a few of the sentences get a little garbled in translation and can be a bit confusing at first glance.

 

 

5. Conclusion

 

After having said everything above, I think that my conclusion can be stated simply: Anyone looking for a good deal on a Nord Electro 3 and/or a 2nd generation Ventilator can PM me or send me an e-mail at mitchtowne@cox.net

 

If there are any questions I can answer, I will surely try. As I said above, I will set up the alternate Leslie simulation and test it out soon.

 

Mitch

 

[hazerkeys]

thanks for the post and information .. I do have a somewhat Ot question .. how do you like the Motion Sound 500 ? - I currently have a KBR3d setup with my CX-3, PC1x, and nord lead .. and have been considering a move to the 500 (with a vent for the cx-3) - thanks for any input !!

[AnotherScott]

Great report, thanks!

 

It sounds like you're more of a jazz player than a rock player?

 

The fact that it actually has a Windows computer in there explains how it could also run KeyPerformer, as it appears to be doing (without an external laptop) in the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KWKjBmCU5ZM#! -- I wonder if that is "officially supported" or if you can only make it work if you know the secret code...

 

I also wonder if it could host a VNC client. Then, instead of attaching a monitor, you could access its screen with an iPad. (And another nice thing about the Mojo is it looks like there's enough free panel space up top where one could put something like an iPad in the first place.) An iPad would be neater than an LCD monitor, and, when not needed to access the onscreen controls of KeyPerformer (or the Mojo itself), would also be useful for other iPad things (i.e. lyric sheets, sheet music, additional sounds from one of its synths, whatever... perhaps actually managing patch changes for the Mojo/KeyPerformer combination).

 

But I worry that if you "tinker" with the Mojo's optimized, bare bones Windows implementation by adding either of those things, maybe you create problems (impacting stability, latency, whatever...). Still, if you could get KeyPerformer in there with an iPad on top, that would be a very neat "self contained" solution, if you can manage without a weighted action. (It would also make it competitive, in that respect, with the SK2 which has the extra sounds built in, for those who need them.)

 

One thing in that video that bugged me a bit is when he brings the distortion in at 20 seconds. It doesn't really sound like a Hammond being gradually driven to distortion... rather it sounds like its some separate "distortion" sound being overlaid on top of the organ sound and faded in by itself. Did you get that sense at all? I've heard that effect on at least one other clonewheel, though I don't remember which.

 

It's not surprising (though still impressive) that you could imagine yourself choosing to play this over some Hammonds... certainly not all Hammonds are equally satisfying to play, even if they are working perfectly.

 

While 37 pounds is about as good as anyone does 2 manuals, I wonder if they're giving any consideration to a lighter weight single manual version.

[Dana.]

How about some photos?

[Joe Muscara]

Am I the only one that finds it odd that this review appears shortly after Scott May reappears???

 

j/k!

 

Thanks for that detailed review, Mitch. I'm glad you included the info about trigger point, since that's become a hot topic lately. I've noticed in the few times I've played an XK3c how much of a difference it makes.

 

I have a dumb question - is the long throw pedal more similar to what real Hammonds came with?

 

Scott - an iPad communicating over VNC is a great idea. But, how would it communicate with the MOJO? I don't think the MOJO has Wifi. I don't know if VNC would work over USB.

 

Damn, I have some serious GAS now...

 

In fact, the Mojo is a better sounding and feeling organ than many actual Hammonds I have played. I know it seems like lunacy, but this thing is so satisfying and inspiring that I think I would choose to play it on a gig or in the studio even if there were a real Hammond handy.

 

This makes me wonder if this is why I was destined to NOT get that A105 for $750 a few weeks ago. Except for price, the MOJO might be better all around for me.

[JeffLearman]

I think Mitch should be browbeaten for posting such a thorough and thoughtful review. We're risking our reputation here!

[AnotherScott]

Scott - an iPad communicating over VNC is a great idea. But, how would it communicate with the MOJO? I don't think the MOJO has Wifi.

Good point. But if it at least has an Ethernet port, I think you could use a small router like an Apple Airport Express or something, to give the iPad wifi access to it...?

[Mitch Towne]

thanks for the post and information .. I do have a somewhat Ot question .. how do you like the Motion Sound 500 ? - I currently have a KBR3d setup with my CX-3, PC1x, and nord lead .. and have been considering a move to the 500 (with a vent for the cx-3) - thanks for any input !!

 

I really like it so far. I'll post a review of the amp later in a separate thread.

[Phil Aiken]

Dying for Guido to release version 2 of VB3 in software form. Cannot wait....

[mate stubb]

Dying for Guido to release version 2 of VB3 in software form. Cannot wait....

 

+1,000,001

[Musicale]

Wow,

 

That's exactly what I though when I played one...

 

So now I want one.

 

regards,

 

Musicale

[b3halt]

Mitch,

 

I also got Mojo last week. I'm also a jazz organ player (also plays R&B and others). I have Hammond XK3c, Nord C2, Ventilator, and VB3. It' a great organ, but I do have a couple things to say.

 

I compared Mojo with my A-102 and Leslie 145. I was using a mono amp, but the tone was almost the same as stereo amps. The biggest difference is how you can hear that Leslie effect.

 

Anyway, when I played right hand chords on the lower manual (838000000), I hear unrelated notes (I think it's leakage, but on Mojo it's crosstalk) on F5, G5, A5, Bb5, or some other keys around those keys. It's like you can hear one pitch which is not related to drawbars. It's not that usual leakage. It's more like that pitch when the real hammond has loose connections on preset keys. It's hard to describe it, but I'm sure you can hear it. I feel the sound is a little bit muddy compared with my vintage one. It's like that the clear smooth tone with the thick tone is kand of missing... (It's very difficult to describe.)

 

Anyway, it doesn't get identical. C/V, overdrive, playability, and the feel of the keys are great, but the texture of the tone doesn't get identical after spending many hours to tweak a lot.

 

Any thoughts, Mitch?

[Mitch Towne]

JP,

 

I can't say that I have heard what you are talking about but I wasn't specifically listening for it. I am a little confused by what you said your post about tweaking the sound. Have you spent time tweaking the various parameters? Also, have you used different tonewheel sets? I wonder if the leakage you are hearing is specific to a certain tonewheel set. As I said in my post, the differences can be subtle, but the data that Guido gathered from the different organs he measured effect every parameter of the VB3. This would lead me to believe that different models would exhibit different levels of leakage, crosstalk, etc.

 

[mate stubb]

Mitch, are you anywhere at all near Iowa? I'm dying to hear VB3-2, and would be willing to make a road trip a few states away to do so.

[Joe Muscara]

I think he's closer than that, Dave. (I sent you a PM)

[MojoGuyPan]

Mitch, where did you get the Mojo? I've been interested in this and can't seem to find a dealer online.

 

D

[Joe Muscara]

You have to buy it direct.

 

http://crumar.it

[MojoGuyPan]

Thanks Joe.

[Mitch Towne]

Mitch, are you anywhere at all near Iowa? I'm dying to hear VB3-2, and would be willing to make a road trip a few states away to do so.

 

Mate,

 

Yes. Omaha is on the border of Iowa and Nebraska. I am playing at the famous "Zoo Bar" in Lincoln, NE this Friday night and at the less-famous "Gator O'Malley's" in Omaha on this Saturday. I have numerous other gigs coming up in the Omaha area, so I can keep you posted. Where are you located?

 

Mitch

[Mitch Towne]

Joe is right. I bought it direct from Crumar. I dealt with Andrea Angoletto and, other than a little bit of a language barrier, it was a totally smooth transaction. I made my Paypal payment on a Thursday, the organ shipped from Italy on a Monday and I got it on Thursday. Not bad coming half-way around the world!

[b3halt]

Mitch,

 

You can hear it from all the tonewheel models. Of course, it varies, but you can hear it. Some have more and some others have less emphasis. 7, 8, 10, and 14 have less of the sound of what I was talking about, and the texture of the tone of these tonewheel models are kind of closer to my vintage one. Well, I probably spent more than 10 hours to tweak all the parameters and the tonewheel models.

 

When I was playing with bands right after I got Mojo, I didn't notice, but when I was comparing Mojo with my vintage, XK-3c, and Nord C2 with Ventilator, I clearly noticed it. The lower range and the upper range are fine. It's just the rage where you play the right hand chords. That bothered me a little.

 

I'm hoping Guido updates often because it does have a lot of potentials. It could get a killer clone.

[mate stubb]

Mitch, are you anywhere at all near Iowa? I'm dying to hear VB3-2, and would be willing to make a road trip a few states away to do so.

 

Mate,

 

Yes. Omaha is on the border of Iowa and Nebraska. I am playing at the famous "Zoo Bar" in Lincoln, NE this Friday night and at the less-famous "Gator O'Malley's" in Omaha on this Saturday. I have numerous other gigs coming up in the Omaha area, so I can keep you posted. Where are you located?

 

Mitch

 

I'm in Ames, about 3 hours down the road. Don't know if I can make it this weekend, but it looks like a road trip is appropriate!

[Jim Alfredson]

Next time I come to the Zoo Bar I hope we can meet up! I'd love to hear the Mojo in person. Two thoughts:

 

1) 20 seconds to boot. If one had to re-boot due to an issue (a hanging note), that's a long time to wait in the middle of a gig.

 

2) What's the latency?

[CrimsonianKing]

Amazing review, Mitch. It's exactly what i expected it to be (vb3 owner here) and i got some serious GAS now. But please do let us updated in the next coming months, any bug, any software issue at all.

 

Congrats, man!

[DanL]

Most newer boards take 20 seconds to boot. My S70XS takes that long. My older Stage compact probably takes 15 seconds, maybe longer. I'll have to time it next time I power them up.

[Mitch Towne]

Jim, absolutely. Anything on your schedule in the area soon?

 

1) Yeah. About 20 seconds. Not the worst thing out there (Kronos) but not the quickest. Like anything, there are trade-offs. For the kind of computing power you need to create a sound like the VB3, you have to assume for a little boot time. However, it is far far less than if you had to reboot a computer running the B3. It is a really snappy boot time, all things considered.

 

2) I don't have the means to measure it so I will defer to Guido's measurements of 5-6 ms. I can say that playing it feels great and I didn't notice anything feeling sluggish. It is definitely snappier than when I ran the VB3 with the Nord Electro as a controller from my new MacBook Pro set to the lowest latency setting. It feels snappier than the Numa also...though the latency of the Numa didn't bother me as much as it bothered you. The Numa wasn't as quick as the XK or the Electro. I don't feel that way about the Mojo.

[Sam Mullins]

Most newer boards take 20 seconds to boot. My S70XS takes that long. My older Stage compact probably takes 15 seconds, maybe longer. I'll have to time it next time I power them up.

 

for comparison (since my keyboards are in my home office and I'm really trying to avoid work today):

 

Electro 3 - about 5 seconds

Yamaha S90ES - about 11 seconds

 

[Mitch Towne]

Something I forgot to mention in my review is that I ordered the case as well. It is very nice and sleek looking and fits the Mojo like a glove. It is a soft case, so you definitely would not want to toss it on a plane. It has wheels and an extendable handle similar to a collapsable two-wheeler handle. It also has handles in all of the places that you would want them - on the sides in the right places for moving the case around. Very well thought out.

 

In comparison to the Nord C2 case, the C2 case has firmer sides and might offer a bit more protection all around. I haven't tested to see if the Mojo will fit in the C2 case that I still have. I'll check that out.

[JeffLearman]

I don't have the means to measure it so I will defer to Guido's measurements of 5-6 ms.

You can if you have a mic and can record stereo audio to a .wav file.

 

On one channel, record the Mojo's output. You only need one side of the Mojo, or mono.

 

On the other channel, record a mic. Set the mic right next to the keys on the Mojo. Start recording and whack a key with your knuckle so it makes a nice loud sound when you hit it for the mic to pick up. Do this a few times to get more than one data point.

 

Post the .wav file and we can tell you what the total latency is. If you have a DAW and know how to use it, you can check it yourself. When reporting latency, many folks only consider the audio output latency, but it's the total round-trip time that matters.

 

There is another way that involves recording the MIDI signal. That eliminates any time between striking the note and when the note is detected as it goes down. But it also ignores keyboard scanning time. I'm not sure which is more significant, but I expect the key dip time to be less than a millisecond.

[solpincus]

Excellent post, Mitch Towne ! Your posts in particular are noteworthy for the sheer breadth of information, subjective, or objective. I'm always amazed at the PASSION that tonewheel/clonewheel players bring to forums. Maybe it's because the organist engages all 4 limbs (meatbolic euphoria) instead of just the head, like some of the more cerebral Jazz Pianists. Of course, the SOUND has a lot to do with it. ROTARY CLUB FOREVER!