Melodious Thunk Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 Just wondering if anyone was familiar with MAG Custom Organs? MAG Custom Organs I wonder how they sound and how much they sell for? http://www.magorgans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/P-2-WEB-Blue-e1380193768927.jpg http://www.magorgans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/P-2-Red-Front-e1380182276820.jpg http://www.magorgans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/C-1-Charcoal-Front-e1380182875425.jpg http://www.magorgans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/UC-1-Blue-Front-e1380182416319.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashevillecabbie Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 They do look nice. Made in the Czech Republic, and the company would appear to be the brainchild of one Max Ghirardi. First I've heard of them, though. Is it a new company? Are these available anywhere outside the CR? Inquiring minds want to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 Web site copyright is 2013. Doesn't seem to be any ordering info anywhere, yet FAQs make it sound like they are available. Quote Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 They use the Hoax sound engine we have been told. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 They use the Hoax sound engine we have been told. It isn´t called H.O.A.X, which is the old version, anymore. It´s "HX3" since some time and also HX3 got a big overhaul meanwhile, removing old code left over from H.O.A.X.. The "circuit board" version and the expander module will come w/ the latest updates and hardware upgrades when available in may. The were able to make the Leslie-sim stereo again and doing more optimizations to the organ´s and leslie-sim´s sound after old code was removed, ´cause w/ the old code and that FPGA in use, they ran out of DSP ressources and w/ the new code there was headroom for more improvements now. It´s all reported in the german version of "Keyboardpartner" website and is unfortunately not always available in english. Seems they don´t have too much time for all the translations. MAG so far is "custom organs". As far as I understand, a potential buyer has to contact them to place an order. I understand they NOW teamed up w/ "Keyboardpartner". It looks like MAG will build complete organs w/ HX3 engine inside and "Keyboartdpartner" manufactures and sells the HX3 Expander module(s), possibly also the announced one w/ drawbars. Best info will be available in future in the "Keyboardpartner" blog on their website I think. A.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melodious Thunk Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Thanks for the info! I am not really in the market for an organ right now since I just purchased a Nord C2D a little while back, but I came across these and I had never heard of them before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franz Schiller Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Whoa, that one with the blue sides is super cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pietro Taucher Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 I just play this organ (http://www.magorgans.com/) today, all I can say is: I love it!!! (I own hammond A100, KeyB Duo MKIIII) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Pietro, which model did you play? Can you tell us any details as to what controls are present, and do you have any pictures of it? Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_G Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Hi Moe, i think it was a promo/demo gig (Pisa(Italy) where Pietro played the C2 Model...A C1 was shown too. Chances are good that there will be a promo/demo event in the south of germany too, hope I can join it.... You will find real pics on the facebook page of MAG. Or you send Max a message, you will get some more pics for sure. Really nice guy ! I am very tempted by the C2 and started saving money ! ;-)) Quote Studio: Hammond XK5-XLK5, Roland Fantom 8, Kurzweil PC3A6, Prophet 5, Moog Sub37, Neo Vent, HX3-Expander, LB Organ Grinder Live: Yamaha CP88, Yamaha Motif Rack ES, Hammond SKX Pro, Hammond XB2-HX3, Kurzweil PC3-61, Leslie 251, Roland SA1000, Neo Vent2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pietro Taucher Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Hi, I have played the Compact series double manual, guessin is a C2. Massimo Ghirardi (head chief of MAG) came yesterday to my house for a couple of hours test. We hooked up a KeyB Duo MKIII and the MAG into a Leslie 710 trough a Leslie combo preamp. Honestly I never being completely satisfied with my KeyB but I used on tour many different clones and I found the KeyB still the best one. I can tell you the difference is huge between the twos, the last high octave and half of the KeyB is very thin no matter what drawbars setting you're using, on the MAG is W A R M and screaming I just love it! The feeling on the MAG is like playing a real Hammond, same balance between the two manuals, same sound aspected from the drawbars, same EQ on the bass pedals, same warm tube distortion. On the other side, the KeyB is beautiful on the low octaves with a clean Jimmy Smith sound 88800000 with perch on. What I can say briefly is that the MAG sound more alike my A100 played by Jimmy McGriff and the keyB more like a B3 played by Joey DeFrancesco. That said, I'm mainly a blues/soul/gospel cat and I prefer the MAG sound! There's more punch ( a lot!!!!) and what I liked most is the real hammond balance between the two manuals, I mean that I can use exactly the same presets that I always set on hammonds. With the KeyB I always have to work hard on the drawbars to obtain the sound needed. MAG CONS: I love the chance (on the KeyB) to double the left hand manual with the pedals sound very helpful when I play funk-style, but I think they will work on it; the vibrato (C-3) is less aggressive compared to the KeyB but Massimo worked on it with the programmer and we had a beautiful C-2, V-3 and C-3 finally. MAG PROS: better keyboard manuals (even if both are made by Fatar), way better overall construction, better drawbars (compared to the very cheap and longer ones of the KeyB) the look is awesome, better on board reverb, 6/9/11 pins custom out for Leslie direct plugging, high octaves ready for shouting! The controls and H/L dimensions are the same found on a hammond with just slight differences, beautiful and real wood side panels. I'm waiting for the big model with presets keys!!! well done MAG (Y) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pietro Taucher Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 sorry, I was so excited that I forgot to make some pictures!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3halt Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 The only thing I wonder about the design is the place of the preset buttons. I wish they put them on the left side instead of the right side. I'm really used to having those preset buttons on the left side just like the original. So, this is the only thing I find it a little bit different. Except this, everything looks very cool. Quote 58 Hammond B3, 74 Leslie 122, 64 Hammond, A100, 61 Leslie 45, Hammond XK-5 system, Hammond SX Pro, SKX Pro, MAG P-2, etc... owned many others... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-string-man Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Still no word on prices? SSM Quote Occasionally, do something nice for a total stranger. They'll wonder what the hell is going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odd meter Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Not cheap. About: - 3500 Euro for P-Series; - 2700 Euro for C-Series. http://forum.keyboardpartner.de/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=176 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-string-man Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Not cheap. About: - 3500 Euro for P-Series; - 2700 Euro for C-Series. ] Mmmm, that's quite expensive. Comparison (in euros) Crumar Mojo 1872 Hammond SK2. 2222 Nord C2D. 2869 I have a Mojo, and love it. The MAG would have to be a huge improvement to get me to pay those prices. Maybe it's pitched as a competitor to the Hammond XK3c? That comes in at 2777 for the top manual, and 4167 if you want the added lower manual. SSM Quote Occasionally, do something nice for a total stranger. They'll wonder what the hell is going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odd meter Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Hope that prices will drop when production will be increased. Except for price, C-2 seems like a perfect clone for my tasks. P.S. Pretty funny that it can replace my Nord C2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_G Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 OK, it's not cheap.... but it's a "custom" organ (is a custom Fender oder Gibson cheap?) handmade in Europe with quality components (and german engineering and technology inside). Quality has it's price.... Surely the Mojo is a real bargain and a tough contender (but the HX3-Engine sounds more realistic than the VB3), but Hammond-Suzuki and Nord are over-priced IMHO. We'll see... I hope I can have a hand on one of those anytime soon... Quote Studio: Hammond XK5-XLK5, Roland Fantom 8, Kurzweil PC3A6, Prophet 5, Moog Sub37, Neo Vent, HX3-Expander, LB Organ Grinder Live: Yamaha CP88, Yamaha Motif Rack ES, Hammond SKX Pro, Hammond XB2-HX3, Kurzweil PC3-61, Leslie 251, Roland SA1000, Neo Vent2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 OK, it's not cheap.... but it's a "custom" organ (is a custom Fender oder Gibson cheap?) handmade in Europe with quality components (and german engineering and technology inside). Quality has it's price.... LOL ! The HX3 engine-board, which is the real german engineering and technology inside, is only EUR 429.- incl. 19% VAT and there are the licences for the engine software and leslie sim included already. So, when you buy the C2 controller (2 sets of drawbars, 2 manuals and a few tact switches as well as audio/MIDI I/O and CC-pedal & ft.-switch connectors), you pay EUR 2.271.- just only for the controller´s case, connectors and haptics. A controller comparable to the MOJO case and haptics ... That´s much too expensive IMO. I understand, the full featured upcoming controller model w/ double sets of drawbars, preset keys and more as a flagship model might have is price, but also here, EUR 3.071.- just only for the controller is too much. Have in mind, all the controller electronics incl. MIDI are on the HX3 board already and the keyboard manuals are connected directly to the circuit board by Fatar scan boards and the electronics for preset tabs (or reversed colored keys) as also the C/V and perc. rocker switches are also integrated in the HX3 board. So, in fact, MAG builds a (beautiful) case, throws in 2 Fatar TP-O 61 keybeds, 2 Fatar scan boards, the drawbar sets and some knobs and switches w/ caps. A.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_G Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Calculating products isn't that simple..... Anyway, it seems to be a nice new flavor in the clonewheel family, like it. Quote Studio: Hammond XK5-XLK5, Roland Fantom 8, Kurzweil PC3A6, Prophet 5, Moog Sub37, Neo Vent, HX3-Expander, LB Organ Grinder Live: Yamaha CP88, Yamaha Motif Rack ES, Hammond SKX Pro, Hammond XB2-HX3, Kurzweil PC3-61, Leslie 251, Roland SA1000, Neo Vent2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghiromax Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Hi everyone! Max from MAG Custom Organs here. It's my first post to be forum, hope to respect the guidelines in full. First of all thanks to Melodious Thunk for discovering my instruments and bringing them to attention in this extremely qualified community, thanks to all the others contributors who wrote their comments and thanks even more to Pietro for putting in writing his first impressions playing the MAG C-2. I heard them live last week but reading them here in a public forum gave me some great vibs so to say :-) Pietro you're a great player and extremely gifted in writing !!! A guy who contacted me for some info wrote me that some people here may be interested in having more info on my instruments. I won't obviously discuss anything commercial here, but if you have any other question let me know. I have also some pictures which (if allowed) I'll be glad to share. That's all for the moment, keep those tonewheels (mechanical and/or digital :-)) spinning. Ciao Max Quote MAG Custom Organs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I THINK as long as you write underneath your signature that you are from MAG Organs you have a lot of freedom to discuss you products in detail. But if I am wrong I am sure I will be corrected. The community is good at keeping each other on the correct path. Welcome to the forum. I for one would enjoy to hear your input. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Threads started by regular members looking for information are fair game for the manufacturer to provide info and pictures. I was one who contacted Max asking for more info, glad to see he found his way here! Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyM Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Yes. Its great that manufacturers are allowed to personally interact with our members here, as it just benefits everybody all the way around. I had also mentioned this thread to Max (after contacting him from the link above) and suggested posting something here. The forum members can benefit a lot from specific info in answer to their questions when making comparisons and purchase decisions. Also as far as B3 Keyboard Clones go, it's great to now have a few manufacturers who are concentrating their efforts specifically to recreating the B3 experience with one/two manual keyboards. Maybe Keyboard Magazine will want to re-visit their B3 Clone Shootout before too long and do an update in one of their forthcoming issues. I know that Id be interested in the results! ~ Anthony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Calculating products isn't that simple..... It is. I was talking about the end user prices for the HX3 board and necessary additional parts. In fact, when a company has a deal w/ p.ex. Keyboardpartner and orders more than only a very few HX3 boards to manufacture ready to play organs,- they get it (much ?) cheaper. OTOH, good woodwork and build quality has it´s price, but if it has to be that expensive is questionable to me. Anyway, it seems to be a nice new flavor in the clonewheel family, like it. Yes, I like that too, but also have in mind companies like Hammond/Suzuki and NORD offer a distributor, dealer and service network all over the world while we´re dealing w/ small boutique companies here, not offering much more than shipping instruments to the manufacturer when failing. For us in germany this is much easier to handle because HX3 is manufactured here, but for many others it´s possibly a deal breaker. A.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Does the active preset key stay down or is it like the XK3c? Real locking preset keys would be cool. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I see a row of LED lights above the preset keys, so I'm guessing no latch. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Some pics reposted from FB. The blue color is really sharp IMO. http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/misc/mag6sm.png http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/misc/mag5sm.png http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/misc/mag3sm.png http://www.hotrodmotm.com/images/misc/mag4sm.png Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig MacDonald Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I agree Moe, the blue looks VERY nice!!! Quote Craig MacDonald Hammond BV, Franken-B (A100 in a BV cabinet), Leslies 122/147/44W, Crumar Mojo, HX3 module, Korg Kronos, VR-09, Roland GAIA, Burn, Ventilator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Looks great and well built ! A.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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