Crumar Mojo Review - Gig Tested

[LX88]

I meant no chorus on the upper manual Dave...sorry.

[HammondDave]

I thought you were talking about another clip....

[mobi]

Here's a video of Tony Monaco playing it, dedicating it to Guido.

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

I wonder which pedal board he's using,

 

any clues?

[Josh Paxton]

My Mojo arrived on Monday. You'll notice this is my first post here since then. I've been busy.

 

I was a little worried that it wouldn't be as good I remembered from playing one at a friend's house a few months ago -- that time had distorted my perception, and my memory of it was better than it actually was. Let's just say my fears were unfounded. This instrument is simply unreal. Or rather, it's unreal how real it is. I keep interrupting myself in the middle of playing because little things I do, grace notes and smears and stuff, finally sound the way they're supposed to -- the way they sound on the records, and when I play them on a real tonewheel organ. It's like there's a level of realism I didn't realize I was missing with other clones, but now that it's there, I don't know how I ever lived without it.

 

It sounded great right out of the box, but today I finally hooked up the monitor and mouse (which I bought from a Craigslist ad just for this purpose) and got all the settings dialed in exactly the way I like. Found my favorite tonewheel set (#4, the 1958 B3), got the chorus depth balanced just so, set the drive type, etc. Now it doesn't just sound like a B3, it sounds like my dream B3. And it's taken me over an hour to type this much, because I keep stopping to play it.

 

The extra sounds are a sweet addition. The EPs aren't up to the quality of top-of-the-line soft synths, but I'd be happy using them in some settings. I will definitely be among those petitioning Guido for a combination with the Wurlitzer on the lower manual and tonewheel on the upper. I'm more a Wurli fan than a Rhodes fan, but at the moment the only way to get the Wurli is with a transistor organ on the upper manual. That sound isn't part of my musical world, so the Wurli is functionally useless for me at the moment. But if I could pair it with a real organ sound (apologies to transistor fans), it would be awesome.

 

I have found one thing that needs to be worked around with the extra sounds. If you want to run the Leslie sim in mono, the board automatically routes the organ sounds out of one output and the EPs out of the other. What I would like to do is run them both out of the same output, in mono, but currently there's no way to do that. I'm hoping that's something that can be addressed in a future OS update.

 

Oh, and the organ arrived with the woodwork in pristine condition, but I've already put a couple nicks in it. Ah well. Off to go play some more.

[HammondDave]

Remember when the Mojo first came out and everyone was knocking the way it looked? Posters were making fun of it's appearance. Don't hear many complaints about that now.

 

 

[mate stubb]

As I recall, most of the complaints were about the garish graphics (leaving aside why doesn't it have 4 drawbar sets or a flat top).

 

In the early pics they appear to be a rather blinding white, but they are actually a more subdued silver-grey. Maybe they changed that detail before they started shipping.

[Craig MacDonald]

FunkKeyStuff, it sounds like you're experiencing the same feeling that I had when I got mine, absolutely nothing I've ever played has sounded quit as realistic right out of the box! The Mojo is fantastic. There area couple of things that I find a little quirky, but I love this thing, and I think it looks great (but I'm coming from a Nord C2)

 

Craig

[dazzjazz]

Craig - would you say it's streets ahead of the C2/C2D?

 

Darren

[Joe Muscara]

I don't think we'll be hearing from FunkKeyStuff again for a while...

[Craig MacDonald]

Darren, that's a really hard question to answer.. The C2D OS is very good... Great leslie sim better key click, but I'm not a fan of the new percussion it sounds too bell like. There is more of a hammondish warmth to the mojo and it strikes me as more authentic.. However, it's not significantly better but I do think it's better overall. These are two clones that I really like so it's hard to pick one and say its a lot better...but I would choose the mojo first... No question

 

Craig

[Mitch Towne]

My thoughts on the C2D, as someone who owned a C2 and gigged with it for a brief period of time, and as someone who has NOT played a C2D, is that, judging from the demos, there have been some great improvements in the sound...however, the main thing that I did not like about the C2, the C/V, has not changed at all. In every demo, the C/V sounds too deep and warbly, which is the exact reason I decided to return it and wait for the as-yet unreleased Mojo. It was the best decision I have ever made.

 

I have had the Mojo since December and the bloom isn't off the rose at all. I am still inspired to play it every time I get a chance. The internal sim is top notch (I sold my Ventilator within a couple weeks of getting the Mojo...no longer needed at all), and I recently purchased a used Leslie 3300. The Mojo absolutely screams through it. The level of realism is unmatched by anything short of something that needs oil and has two switches to get it running.

[Josh Paxton]

Remember when the Mojo first came out and everyone was knocking the way it looked? Posters were making fun of it's appearance. Don't hear many complaints about that now.

 

They were obviously going for a funky-retro vibe, and they got it. I'll admit, the design and graphics are not really to my taste. They kinda remind me of an obscure '70s off-brand synth. Yet strangely enough, any concerns about that seem to evaporate entirely as soon as I push down a key.

 

My thoughts on the C2D, as someone who owned a C2 and gigged with it for a brief period of time, and as someone who has NOT played a C2D, is that, judging from the demos, there have been some great improvements in the sound...however, the main thing that I did not like about the C2, the C/V, has not changed at all.

 

I agree on all counts, though I also haven't played the C2D. Apart from the evidence of the demos, the other reason I believe they haven't changed the C/V in the C2D is simply that if they had, they'd be hyping that fact in their ad copy.

 

I've owned every Electro up through the 3, and I currently have a Stage 2, which IIRC has the same organ engine as the C2. And yeah, the C/V is just weak. The Sk-1 (which I also own) has a much better C/V, and unlike in the Nords, it's tweakable. But the Mojo is just pure C/V heaven. I mean, you just hold down a note and think, "Yep, that's it. That's what it's supposed to sound like."

 

To put it in perspective, prior to the Mojo, I never used stop mode on a Leslie (real or simulated). Didn't like the sound at all. But now with the Mojo, stop mode has become a viable option, because the raw tone and the C/V are good enough by themselves that they don't need the rotary effect to come alive.

 

I don't think we'll be hearing from FunkKeyStuff again for a while...

 

Yeah, I have been spending a very significant percentage of my free time playing this thing, as the dirty dishes and unopened mail can attest to.

[LX88]

This is why I have always thought that chorus vibrato was so important . It is just a fact that a lot of clones have compromised around it, though to someone who has a leslie or a sim spinning at all times it might not matter.

 

It looks like Guido payed a lot of attention to this important detail. The acid test is whether or not a clone can pass on a recording for the real thing. Judging from the sounds on the latest Tony Monaco video that is out, it sounds like they have nailed it.

[jogger]

I have a question if others are experiencing this. It may be the way Hammonds are but I haven't played a real one in decades to compare. When you play bass lines starting from the bottom C the sound progresses steady, but when I get to the first B flat it seems the fundamental of that note drops out. After that everything progresses nicely. Is this normal or is there a way to fix it? I use the pedal to lower switch.

[WheelHead]

I have a question if others are experiencing this. It may be the way Hammonds are but I haven't played a real one in decades to compare. When you play bass lines starting from the bottom C the sound progresses steady, but when I get to the first B flat it seems the fundamental of that note drops out. After that everything progresses nicely. Is this normal or is there a way to fix it? I use the pedal to lower switch.

 

Play how you like but pedal to lower is not the way most 'Hammond' players play bass. Usually, 838000000 or 848000000 that is 'toe tapped' to put a nice bass envelope on it. Pedals are not the best harmonics for bass either why Bobby Jones who plays all pedals has his or had his Hammond altered to play 8 3or4 8000000 harmonics on the pedal board I am told. True=I don't know. Foldback also increases the 'thump' interestingly, how octaves cross over (another discussion) of the lower manual bass. Using a bass amp or sub the toe tapped bass sounds awesome (play some nice lines of course) and you will know why just about everyone plays it that way if you have it set up right. A hoot set up correctly with good audio!!! (for me the bass sub makes such a difference)

 

I use a pedal board but if I am not mistaken I think Guido put in there someway to use a single pedal to add a bass envelope. (usually 'A' or "Bb')

 

W.

[jogger]

Well I'd like to try playing with my feet but at the moment have no pedals, so just LH bass. Any Mojo owners experiencing that

B flat fundamental drop out in lower manual bass?

[Josh Paxton]

The B flat is a lower volume on mine too. I assumed it was a foldback thing, and it doesn't bother me.

[Dglavko]

The B flat is a lower volume on mine too. I assumed it was a holdback thing, and it doesn't bother me.

 

The volume level on my Bb does not change.

 

Which organ model are you using?

 

I have a different issue though - the headphone level on one side is significantly lower than the other. Has anyone else noticed this and how do you adjust that in software? Changing Rotary speaker mode does not seem to help.

[WheelHead]

Well I'd like to try playing with my feet but at the moment have no pedals, so just LH bass. Any Mojo owners experiencing that

B flat fundamental drop out in lower manual bass?

 

Thats what I meant playing LH bass. I believe Guido, like I said, has a feature, in the Mojo (I think) to toe tap with a single pedal which is better than nothing. Does not replace the pedal board though, obviously as the pedal tone may change 'toe tapping' not to mention normal pedal use. LH bass needs to be 'toe tapped'.

 

If you are using pedal tones on the lower manual foldback is not a factor.

 

"Since the lower tones that are folded back are actually present in the instrument for the pedals, it is possible to rewire a Hammond for true bass, with no lower foldback. The quirk is that the lowest octave of tonewheels are cut with a more complex shape and provide a waveform that is closer to a squarewave, with some 3rd and 5th harmonics present."

 

The above "3rd and 5th harmonics present" and the square wave shaping make a poor LH bass (by most players opinion) that are present in pedal tones.

 

Accepted correct way, traditionally, of playing LH bass with the 'Hammond' is 838000000 or 848000000 PLUS toe taps. Awesome bass!!! through the right audio.

 

The remark I made about Bobby Jones I heard (do not know if true and not the gospel player who has same name) who plays formidably, jazz, ALL pedals, (not suggesting this is a superior way to play, actually limiting with close-harmony, imo) is that he takes the LM tone and puts them on the pedals via a modification by his tech. The opposite of what you are doing.

 

W.

 

 

[Royal]

Hi!

I'm new on this forum. I just ordered the Mojo and I'm pretty excited to try it! I play mostly jazz and R&B and tried a lot of clones in the last couple of years. I bought the Numa last year but I was tired of the single manual, so when I noticed it was now possible to order the mojo directly from Crumar website, I started to read everything I found on the Mojo on the web. I was a little reluctant to order something without having tried it, but all the reviews I read were positive and the demos were very convincing.

 

So finally, I ordered it two days ago and now I can't wait!

 

Mojo's owners : Are you still happy with it? No issues?

 

And how much time did you wait for the delivery? I live in Montreal, so I guess the delivery time would be similar to the U.S.

 

 

[mate stubb]

Royal, congrats on your Mojo purchase. I'm sure you will love it.

 

I can't speak about delivery times, as mine was delayed by a horrible European snowstorm that shut down all of Italy, then delayed by some knuckle headed customs agents.

 

Others had theirs in less than a week as I recall.

[Craig MacDonald]

Royal,

 

Congrats as well!!! I took about 4-5 business days from the day I received my notice (courier email) that it arrived on my doorstep.. so I don't think it should take long.. (it took longer to get Crumar to process the order than it did for it to ship to me).

 

No issues from my perspective, I am very happy with mine...!! FYI there is a new yahoo group for mojo/vb3/hamichord owners. Go to yahoo groups and look for "mojomusicians". This group has existed for a month or so and there are already close to 75 members, including the software designer Guido and Crumar tech guy, Andrea.

 

By the way, I am located in Toronto, and I have both a Mojo and now a new Hamichord too..

[Josh Paxton]

I finally took mine out to a gig for the first time last week, and it killed. I actually had two different people (not together, but in separate groups) come up to me over the course of the night, and tell me they had been walking past the club and decided to come in specifically because the organ sounded so good. They were both keyboard players, obviously, and they both asked me about the board and where to get one.

 

I was using it with a GEM RP-X module, and spent about half the night doing just organ (on both manuals), and the other half doing organ on the upper, piano on the lower. I had to do a little advance tweaking of the GEM's velocity sensitivity, but once I got that dialed in, it played surprisingly well. I was able to play more expressively and comfortably than I can usually manage while playing piano from an organ keybed. It's obviously not as good as a weighted action, but better than I've ever gotten from a Nord Electro or (unweighted) Stage. It made me glad I decided not to sell the GEM, because for gigs where all you need is organ and acoustic piano, that's a great simple, compact setup.

 

I'm looking forward to the next time I have an excuse to bring it out.

[LX88]

I thought about trying a GEM with a Numa, which is the same or similar keybed. Did you have to do anything to the Mojo's keybed to get it to react optimally to the GEM?

 

I am also curious if you use the RPX EP's, or if you use the acoustic which sample you use.

[Josh Paxton]

There's nothing to adjust with the Mojo's keybed apart from setting it to "velocity on" mode. With the RPX's default settings, it got too loud and bright way too easily. So I dialed down the "velocity offset" parameter by about 15% (I think), and that made it much more playable. I was only using the basic acoustic piano sound (number 001, whatever that is), no EPs.

[Royal]

Thanks guys!

 

looking forward to try the beast!

[Royal]

My mojo is stucked at the customs... I guess I will finally get it in a couple of days. I haven't managed to sell my numa yet, so I will be able to compare both organs through my 145...

[Craig MacDonald]

Royal,

 

It won't be long getting through customs... mine was about 24 hours and then once it was released I had it the next day!!

 

Good luck.. keep us posted!! BTW, I'm in Toronto, so not too far from you!!.. Also if you aren't already aware, there is a mojo users group on Yahoo, called mojomusicians.. get signed up there.. Craig

[Royal]

Thanks Craig!

 

I don't think DHL do deliveries during the weekend, but hopefully I will get my mojo tomorrow or monday.

 

I went to see that yahoo group. I'm not registered yet, but I will soon.

 

 

[Royal]

OK!

 

I received it yesterday. I have to say that it's awesome! Beyond the incredible sound quality, I noticed the same phenomenon described above : with the mojo, I tend to play better, I guess it's mainly due to the overall inspiring character of the instrument.

 

However, I noticed I'm unable to change the hammond model. When I press "shift" and press the upper manual preset 1 and 2, nothing happens. I managed to do it with a monitor and a mouse hooked in the mojo, but I don't understand why it doesn't work normally.

 

I only tried the mojo through my leslie 145 (with leslie sim off, of course), it's the only option I have at my place. It sounds really good, but I would be curious to try with something else, in order to fully test the leslie/overdrive sim. I would be also curious to test the L/R outputs through 2 separate amps (ex : lower rotor in a bass amp and tweeter in a little guitar amp), in order to recreate the leslie sound. Do you guys tried that feature yet? And what would be the best choice of speakers in your opinion?