SK-1 and 2 Tips, Tricks and Other Cool Stuff.

[Aussie_Chicago]

It's a home made one, from the schematics posted here. The organ audio works fine but nothing out of the extra voice outputs.

I use the exact same setup with a vent and a homemade cable. Sometimes I would find that when there was no sound from the extra voices, I would just adjust the extra voices volume slightly and the sound would come back, I don't know if its a gremlin but just moving the extra voice volume slightly would restore the sounds.

[DanL]

Interesting! I didn't try that.

 

I do notice a slight lag in the sound when you change between an organ and piano patch with the 8 pin plugged in.

[DanL]

I sprung for the EXP50 expression pedal. What a huge difference in the response, so smooth and the pedal travel lines up perfectly with the expression change.

[Six-string-man]

I sprung for the EXP50 expression pedal. What a huge difference in the response, so smooth and the pedal travel lines up perfectly with the expression change.

 

 

Well, there you go! Nearly EVERY other opinion I have heard, from here and elsewhere is that the EXP50 makes a small difference, but it's not worth the extra dosh over the FC-7. Also that the cable is weak and prone to breaking.

 

Perceived wisdom is that the EX 100 is worth buying if you have a high end Hammond (it doesn't work on the SK1), but not the EXP50. It looks as if perceived wisdom could be wrong here.

 

Just goes to show that everyone is different. Hope you'll be very happy with your pedal Dan.

 

 

 

SSM

[Aussie_Chicago]

I sprung for the EXP50 expression pedal. What a huge difference in the response, so smooth and the pedal travel lines up perfectly with the expression change.

 

 

Well, there you go! Nearly EVERY other opinion I have heard, from here and elsewhere is that the EXP50 makes a small difference, but it's not worth the extra dosh over the FC-7. Also that the cable is weak and prone to breaking.

 

Perceived wisdom is that the EX 100 is worth buying if you have a high end Hammond (it doesn't work on the SK1), but not the EXP50. It looks as if perceived wisdom could be wrong here.

 

Just goes to show that everyone is different. Hope you'll be very happy with your pedal Dan.

 

 

 

SSM

 

Well, I use both, I have the exp-100f for when I use the xk3c, and have the FC-7 when I use the sk2, to be honest, I do like the exp-100f better, but its not a big enough difference to me to go out and buy a $200 pedal over a $40 pedal, the exp 100 came with the xk3c when I brought it. And its quiet a bit heavier to carry in your gig bag too. I play my B3 or A105 for hours sometimes on almost a daily basis, and neither pedal is the same as a console pedal throw.

[Six-string-man]

Over here, there is a huge price difference between these pedals. £53 ($77) for the FC-7 against £120 ($180) for the EXP50.

 

I have just checked the Sweetwater prices. I do not understand the pricing structure in the US as against the UK.

 

From Sweetwater, the FC-7 is $47, which means we are paying $30 more, but the EXP50 is $212, so we are paying $32 less!!

 

Anyway, for the difference, the Hammond pedal would need to be demonstrably better. If it was, I would shell out, but I remain to be convinced.

 

If I lived over there, I would take even more convincing, with a $165 difference!

 

 

SSM

[DanL]

I went with the Hammond simply because it's designed to work with that keyboard. I have read too much about the Yamaha pedal needing special adapters or modifications, tweaking the setup of the pedal in the keyboard (like I had to do with my former pedal, an old Boss) and still not giving the full, clean sweep the Hammond pedal has. It was worth the extra $$ for me to feel comfortable and play the organ as it was meant to be played.

[JMcS]

There are updates to the SK and XK-1c OS's here:

 

H/S Jpn Dnld

 

It looks like mostly small bug fixes and an improvement to USB compatibility in the XK-1c.

 

Here are the readme's:

 

SK:

HAMMOND SK1/2 Updator Release 8.4

 

Jul 02, 2014

Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd

 

Updated Files:

- mainV1621.sys

 

Updated Areas:

- In Tonewheel organ,improved the problem of errors in writing to sound engine by the value of the attack / release parameters.

- When Default-Global has run,it improved the problem of errors in writing to Percussion internal parameters.

 

XK-1c:

HAMMOND XK-1C Updator Release 1.1

 

Jul 02, 2014

Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd

 

Updated Files:

- mainV1012.sys

- DSPV1002.sys

 

Updated Areas:

- Added USB compatibility.

- In Tonewheel organ,improved the problem of errors in writing to sound engine by the value of the attack / release parameters.

- In Default-Global run-time,improved the problem of errors in writing to Percussion internal parameters.

- InDefault-All run-time,improved the problem of errors in writing to Pipe organ parameters.

- In Flanger and Chorus,improved the problem of errors in writing to HPF parameters.

 

 

 

[rappa29]

Hi all! Bought an SK1 yesterday! Spent all day yesterday and today playing/setting it up with the help of this thread!

 

Many pages back I read something about key trigger. Can someone tell me what parameter this is? I can't find any info on it in this thread or on the webs. I've gone cross eyed reading through all the info!

 

Thanks in advance!

[JMcS]

From the update Release readme file (Rel. 6 section):

 

HAMMOND SK1/2 Updator Release 6

 

Nov 19, 2012

Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd

 

Updated Files:

- mainV1400.sys

- subV1021.sys

- sloadV1005.sys

- presetV1106.sys

- bootV1005.sys

 

Updated Areas:

- The Voice Group in the [A.PIANO] and [LIBRARY] categories may be toggled by multiple presses of the Group Button.

- Leslie Fast switch can now be controlled via MIDI by receiving cc#92

- A new control parameter "SOUNDING POINT" has been added to the CONTROL menu page. You can set the shallow key depth when the [ALLOCATE] is OFF (Organ section only).

- Two new modes have been added to the "MIDI IN" menu: "UPPER" and "UPP+PED" These modes allow the use of the Sk-1 keyboard as the LOWER part and an external MIDI keyboard as the UPPER or UPPER+PEDAL part.

 

If you have the newer version of the Owners Manual it is on Pg. 78 #25

[Phil M.]

Hi, I wanted to share with the community the problems I've had with my SK-1 software update and the way I solved them, hoping this can be useful to anyone else encountering the same situation.

 

The afternoon I received my SK-1 I tried to do an update with the latest version downloaded from Hammond's site. During the update something apparently went wrong (I'm still not sure why) and the end result was that my system was up-to-date with all the menus working fine, but I could hear absolutely no sound. The keyboard was OK because I could control an external synth, the music player was OK as well, but nothing could be done to play drawbar sounds or extra voices out of my brand new SK-1... Not even a reset to default settings could change anything. And when re-applying the software update the gear simply reported that there were no software update available. I was stuck...

 

I contacted the european support, a very nice guy in the Netherlands (thanks Jan!) who sent me an old version of the software. So what I did was a *downgrade* of the software (fortunately the SK-1 allows software updates towards both newer and older versions -- but not to the same) to version 7, which put my gear back to a working state, and then I applied another *upgrade* to the latest version, which completed flawlessly and lead me to the latest software version at last!

 

Just a couple of recommendation in order to make software updates a success story:

- check out the doc on Hammond's site, "supplement - using the USB port" and the useful suggestions in this thread: https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2600408/Re_Hammond_SK1_73

- follow the procedure as thoroughly as possible

- in particular stick to the USB stick brands recommended by H-S; buy a new one, it is worth the 5 bucks/euros

- format it on the SK-1

- keep a safe copy of the old versions just in case you need to make a downgrade

- never upgrade your software the day before a gig...

 

Hope this helps!

[Six-string-man]

I have two USB sticks marked "A" and "B" and use them alternately, so I always have a copy of the previous upgrade.

 

My other half says that I'm anal......

 

 

 

SSM

[JMcS]

 

 

All of the previous OS Releases are available here:

 

http://tinyurl.com/Hammond-JpnDnld

[BBblues]

Hello Hammond people!

 

Has anybody built a leslie switch for the Hammond SK2/SK1 himself? I have done so and it did work but I used a guitar 3-way switch. I used allround guitar switches with 5 connections, they can be connected in order to get the switch behaviour you like. All these switches will work for the three positions (slow left, stop middle, fast right) in general.

 

But on the built-in board of the switch there are many conductor paths so that on the way from left to the right (for example when you are switching from slow to stop) always the conductor path of the "Fast" mode will get touched for a moment. It is only for a milli second or so, but it is sufficient that before going to stop directly from slow, the leslie simulation will accelerate a lot for a short moment... That is an annoying feature and I wanted to ask you, if somebody knows specific models of 3-way-switches with ONLY three defined positions (without these supplementary conductor paths inside which cause the Hammond SK2 to think it has to switch to fast before going from slow to stop or vice versa) or do you know a setting inside the Hammond software which works better? I used the Hammond CU-1 setting in order to achieve being able to switch between all 3 leslie positions.

 

Cheers, Jerome

[JMcS]

I made a "half moon" switch to control my 3300 and 21System from my old M3. I used a spring loaded toggle switch so that all I have to do is hit it with the side of my hand. A quick tap toggles fast/slow and holding it for a second stops them.

[kai_yak]

hello,

 

I have not updated my SK1 in over a year. We had a break at jam so i brough it home for patching. But i cannot see to update it.

 

I cannot find he original usb i used so im starting over with new one.

 

- I formated the usb on my SK1

- I saved my setup whole and setup

- Plugged on my computer to copy the 15 .sys files in the empty sytem folder

- Plugged back on SK1 and turned on while holding the 3 buttons

- Nothing happens. The screen is lit but blank

 

my current versions are:

Main 1.200

Sub 1.012

info 1.012

DSP 1.007

preset 1.009

Panel 1.000

 

Any advice would be apreciated

 

Kai

[JMcS]

Try installing Release 6 first and then Release 8. If Release 6 doesn't install try Release 5. I think the software in yours is old enough that it doesn't have the sload/bootload files installed. There was a change in how the OS updates itself with Rel. 5.

 

If release 6 installs you hopefully will be good to go directly to release 8. If you have to install Release 5 you may have to delete the sload file from the USB drive after the install. The initial version had to be manually deleted but that was fixed in Release 6 (IIRC). If you install Release 5 you should then be able to go right to Release 8.

 

You can download the older updates from here:

 

H/S Update download site

 

What brand and size USB drive do you have? It is possible it worked for saving the files but isn't fully compatible with doing an update. And it is possible that after installing either Rel. 5 or 6 you may have some compatibility issues.

 

[kai_yak]

Thanks for trying to help JMcs,

 

So i tried update no 6. Nothing happens. Still nothing load on the screen.

 

So i went back to update 5. i deleted all file in the usb key system folder and put all the sys files of update 5. Same thing. Nothing appears on the screen.

 

My USB key is a Lexar twisturn 4G. I am pretty sure is the one i used in the past to update.

 

Do i need to have the previous update files in the system folder of my usb for things to work?

 

kai

 

[JMcS]

 

No, you can remove all the old files and just have the new update files. Just to rule this out, are you holding down the correct three buttons? In the past, a few people have held down the three drawbar select buttons instead of the Control, Song and Play/Pause buttons.

 

If you just power the SK-1 on with the USB drive connected does it boot up properly? Do you have another small USB drive to try?

[kai_yak]

I changed key to a Kingston and the 3rd time the update started and succeded. Dont know why i took 3 times.

 

I can hear a big improvement on the distortion. I bought the original ventillator because of that. I may not need it as much now.

 

Also the piano seem improved but im not sure since i dont use it often.

 

Thank you very much JMcS.

 

kai

[spazzkey]

last week at a gig my sk1-73 cut out - still powered up lights on etc but nothing coming out of it - running mono out through my vent...

 

fortunately I had both boards set up and went to the organ on my nord for the while -

 

between songs, I pulled the vent out of the chain, still nothing, powered it down and up, still nothing...

 

between sets then, I come back on stage and all of a sudden it is working again - ?!?

 

has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

the sound guy said he had a friend that ended up sending his sk1 back because one of the outputs went dead...

[RobP2]

last week at a gig my sk1-73 cut out - still powered up lights on etc but nothing coming out of it - running mono out through my vent...

I come back on stage and all of a sudden it is working again - ?!?

 

has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

the sound guy said he had a friend that ended up sending his sk1 back because one of the outputs went dead...

 

Yep, had exactly this happen too

 

SK2 Sound Prolem

 

My SK2 is currently back at Hammond in the Netherlands, last info I had they thought it might be "one of the smaller ic components. This will mean a board replacement"

 

[Losendoskeys]

last week at a gig my sk1-73 cut out - still powered up lights on etc but nothing coming out of it - running mono out through my vent...

 

fortunately I had both boards set up and went to the organ on my nord for the while -

 

between songs, I pulled the vent out of the chain, still nothing, powered it down and up, still nothing...

 

between sets then, I come back on stage and all of a sudden it is working again - ?!?

 

has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

the sound guy said he had a friend that ended up sending his sk1 back because one of the outputs went dead...

 

Yes - but I tracked it down to a faulty EV5 footpedal.

[JMcS]

I had an EV5 go bad, it had a dead short when the pedal was moved to minimum volume. It took out a resistor and transistor on my old Yamaha SK-20.

[spazzkey]

last week at a gig my sk1-73 cut out - still powered up lights on etc but nothing coming out of it - running mono out through my vent...

I come back on stage and all of a sudden it is working again - ?!?

 

has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

the sound guy said he had a friend that ended up sending his sk1 back because one of the outputs went dead...

 

Yep, had exactly this happen too

 

SK2 Sound Prolem

 

My SK2 is currently back at Hammond in the Netherlands, last info I had they thought it might be "one of the smaller ic components. This will mean a board replacement"

 

thanks for the input and link - so did yours function properly again afterwards? mine has been perfect since then... and I'm a little leery... especially about playing out with it as a stand alone board which I do unless I need a two KB set up...

 

what is a "smaller ic component? and when you say board replacement is that as in keyboard or as in circuit board?

[RobP2]

It was intermittent for a couple of weeks, then there was no sound permanently. Luckily I had the XK1 as back up.

 

I don;t know lol, that was what the guys at Hammond UK told me - I've had to send it away to them to get it fixed. No idea what causes it, the organ is flight-cased and handled well. When I get it back I'll let you know what the problem was

[spazzkey]

thanks Rob! look forward to hearing what they say, keeping my fingers crossed in the meantime...

[spazzkey]

so I just (finally) downloaded and installed OS 8.3 - one of the features claimed on the hammond site is ability to install individual custom tone wheel sets - although no further instruction supplied on how to do this...

 

- I have Jim Alfredson's custom c2 set from him as well as the (newer?) one from the hammond site - however they are both in a setup file (.set) - which as Jim was kind enough to point out, would overwrite my original set up, so be sure to back up, which I did -

 

so I can play Jim's c2 set with his set up file loaded which includes all of his presets...

 

how do I install just his c2 set into my (original and modified) set up file??

[JMcS]

If you have his file loaded, go to the Custom Tonewheel menu page (Pg. B, Manual Pg. 87 #2). There should be a left arrow to the left of the Tonewheel Type. Make sure the tonewheel set you want to save is displayed and arrow over to the Load/Save/Delete menu and save that set. You can also change the name etc. from that menu. After you save the set(s) you want, load your setup file, go to that menu page, select the tonewheel set you want to replace with the saved set, left arrow over to the L/S/D menu and load the set you want to use.

 

This is from memory, if I missed anything, let me know and I'll check mine and figure it out.

[spazzkey]

thanks JMcs - got it!! - impressive recollection and set of instructions from memory - cheers!

 

 

and wow - Jim - finally got your TW set up and running in my setup - phenomenal difference! seems like a much bigger difference between your set and the 4 factory sets, than between the 4 factory sets themselves - so rich and full, like I just got a new board!!! thank you thank you thank you!!!