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Hammond SKX....new hammond board


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Just got a notification from Hammond europe a new SK board is being released....the SKX. No pics , no info, just a teaser. Wondering what it has ? Hopefully 2 sets of drawbars, improved other sounds, 9 contact sim keyboard. I guess we will see on Jan 25th....

"Ive been playing Hammond since long before anybody paid me to play one, I didn't do it to be cool, I didnt do it to make a statement......I just liked it "

 

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Interesting......possibly a trickle down of some elements from the XK5? Second set of draw bars would be nice. Hopefully no heavier than the existing Sk series. The weight of the sk2 was a big factor in my picking one up a few years ago.
Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live.
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I've been waiting for Guido to produce a Mojo or DMC 73/76 key with a Gemini module. That doesn't look promising at all; but maybe this is the answer; hopefully the piano is better quality than the SK1's. It did say Hammond Stage keyboard....

57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil Forte7 & PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn

Delaware Dave

Exit93band

 

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Interesting......possibly a trickle down of some elements from the XK5? Second set of draw bars would be nice. Hopefully no heavier than the existing Sk series.

Assuming this is an update to the current SK with similar functionality in a similar form factor, there's no room for another set of drawbars (and if they make it bigger, it will be heavier). But it would be nice to get the sonic improvements of the XK5, some interface improvements (including a more modern screen), more memory for downloadable sounds... and at least on the 73 where there's room for them, pitch and mod wheels. (And a low E.)

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Speaking of which, SOS just had a shootout of clonewheels (too early for this one, but might prepare some good comparison questions for evaluating). Subscription-only, so I haven't read it.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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That video certainly got my attention. :-) I had assumed this was going to be an all-purpose stage keyboard, but it looks more like a dedicated clonewheel with two manuals built into one chassis (vs. the modular system of the XK-3c and XK-5).

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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had assumed this was going to be an all-purpose stage keyboard, but it looks more like a dedicated clonewheel with two manuals built into one chassis (vs. the modular system of the XK-3c and XK-5).

Well, the current SK series includes single and double manual versions.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Pic:

https://www.suzuki-music.co.jp/special/hammond_skx/

 

SK2-formfactor, add Drawfaders....

 

What's under the hood?

New Samples?

New XK5 engine?

 

Imternal Powersupply???

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

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Ah, they somehow managed to get a second set of drawbars there after all!

 

I wonder if there will also be updates to the single-manual SKs.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Do these look like the XK-1c style drawbars or the "regular" ones as on the XK-5 and XK-3c, with full click stops etc.? Not that I care THAT much.

 

From that stupid 3/4 view it is hard to tell a LOT of things. That useless view makes it look like the instrument would benefit from having the top manual slightly overlap the bottom manual. It looks unwieldy.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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Hopefully a Neo Ventilator 2 as the Leslie sim. That's the one thing always lacking, which I think is done on purpose so people will buy the 3300.

 

One can get the Hammond sound in an XK-2 with a good Leslie pedal. The XK-5 (two manuals) makes one "feel" like they're playing The Beast, because of the 9 contact (really 3) keys, and the way it sounds. Having two manuals is nice. What I'm getting at is what level of sound and whether one needs two manuals.

 

We'll have to see how much this thing weighs. Band leader just ordered a case for the dual manual XK-5 because we've been taking it on gigs. Does require two people to move it, but the setup really isn't that hard once we're there. I've actually picked up an 88 key weighted Kronos and moved it, but would recommend two people for that as well. I'll come back with the case info because the band leader called a few places and found a good deal.

Korg 01W/FD, Hammond XK-2, Neo Ventilator2, JBL Eon, Rhodes 88
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Ah, they somehow managed to get a second set of drawbars there after all!

 

I wonder if there will also be updates to the single-manual SKs.

 

Not just the extra set, there are drawbars for the pedals too. Most of the time I just leave the lower manual on something like 008 300 000 but a second set would encourage me to be a bit more adventurous. Colour me interested.

 

If there's much trickle down from the XK-5 then the price would probably trickle down too though.

 

Hope the extra sounds include the clavs and wurli from the first version. A decent piano would be a nice addition.

Gig keys: Hammond SKpro, Korg Vox Continental, Crumar Mojo 61, Crumar Mojo Pedals

 

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Yes, looks like an SK2 where they somehow managed to make space for lower and pedal drawfaders, but to do so they had to cram all other controls in a tiny space, that panel looks REALLY crowded now!

And it was definitely not empty on the SK2...hopefully this won't impact playability.

 

Curious if apart from the interface, there will be updates to the sound engine

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Curious if apart from the interface, there will be updates to the sound engine

 

I can't imagine they would release an entire new board, let alone give it this much fanfare, if the only improvement were a second set of drawbars.

 

My guess (and it's only that; I have no inside info): Basic sound engine from the XK5. No triple contact keys, just simulated key click like other clonewheels. Other sounds similar to the Sk1/2.

 

My already-dashed hope: Pitch bend and mod wheels.

 

My continuing hopes: Improved EPs and APs. Ability to split two non-organ sounds. A single-manual 73-key version with a C-to-C layout. No more silly "pro-chord" feature, with that processing power going toward something like more velocity layers in the EPs. A "Superstition" Clav setting that doesn't have low notes that sustain after being released, based on the staff's strange and erroneous belief that that was how Stevie recorded that tune.

 

With the sonic improvements in the XK5, Hammond has the potential to have a serious contender in the same tier of the clonewheel market as the Mojo and Legend. I hope this board lives up to that potential.

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My guess they skip the tube stage too....

 

My hope:

- better overdrive algos

- XK5 leslie sim (and of course the XK5 basic sound engine!)

- and please an INTERNAL power supply!!!!

(the sk ps are a pita!)

 

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

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My already-dashed hope: Pitch bend and mod wheels.

One of the features of the XK5 is that one of the drawbar sets can be alternatively defined as MIDI CC controllers. Something like that could allow you to essentially use a drawbar as a mod wheel. (Not pitch bend, though.) I agree it is unfortunate, with all the good MIDI controller functionality they built into the XK1C/SK series, that there are no pitch/mod wheels. There's certainly room for them on at least the XK1C and 73/88-key versions of the SK1.

 

with that processing power going toward something like more velocity layers in the EPs.

I don't think more velocity layers requires more processing power. (Except maybe if crossfading is implemented, but that's less common.) It does require more sample memory, though.

 

With the sonic improvements in the XK5, Hammond has the potential to have a serious contender in the same tier of the clonewheel market as the Mojo and Legend. I hope this board lives up to that potential.

Yeah, that would be nice. Esp. as an SK1 weighs 16 lbs, whereas a Legend Solo is about 21 and a Mojo 61, 25+.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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