Hammond SKX....new hammond board

[Jazz+]

The player in the demo is trying so hard to make it sound good, but I dont like that organ sound and especially that Leslie sound. It is a Japanese digital product far removed from the old fashion American Hammond sound. It sounds just like the SK1 that I had and got rid of.

[SkiGuy777]

Newest video.

[video:youtube]

[teashea]

This is the best video so far but we need to hear a lot more.

[Radagast]

Yeah, unless I'm forgetting something, the SKX may be the only 2-manual clonewheel that has 2 sets of drawbars and a piano sound. Seems like a nice niche to have for yourself.

The DMC-122 with Gemini is probably the only real competitor on features. It had a big edge being able to have two non-organ sounds at the same time, but Hammond catches up on that feature now.

 

Too bad the DMC-122 has terrible pipe organ sounds in it. Otherwise it might be perfect for some churches.

 

I you want good pipe organ sounds, the one to get is the Dexibell Classico L3 ---- remarkable - plus it has a wide variety of other sounds also, including their wonderful AP.

 

Agreed.

[teashea]

Oh yes ---- I have two Dexivell Classico L3's. It is a remarkable instrument.

[robsanders]

here is a link to a stream where the new Hammond SKX is featured in a psychedelic group with drums, guitar, piano and spoken word:

 

 

The SKX is going into the board without any external effects. The leslie simulation is from the SKX.

 

 

disclaimer: yeah it's me playing it.

 

hope you enjoy it!

[Spider76]

Is the SKX manual available anywhere?

I can't find it online...

[Bobadohshe]

Anybody got one and have anything else to say about it? Any other revelations about how it compares to the SK2?

[Jazzmammal]

I figured I would bump this thread up with a few snarky comments of my own. First, if there's folks with hands on experience now 6 months later I would love to hear about it.

 

Now, big surprise, I think some of you in this thread are just nuts. Seriously crazy. VASE sounds bad now, not up to the competition? None of you ever saw Jim's series of vids from some years ago where he does a great in studio comparison between the SK and his genuine, for real, no BS, C3? Including the CV. Nobody saw that? You CANNOT tell the difference or at the worst, just barely tell so don't talk about how the SK just doesn't sound real. The slight differences if any are completely hidden by ambient noise in a venue and different amplification.

 

Yes, the leslie sim is good but not great. However, who here has spent time diving into the menu's and tweaking it? Nobody? Then why the negative comments? Everybody who's been around keyboards knows you're never satisfied with the defaults. You dig in and make it yours.

 

I have the SK1 which I think it sounds great and my Hammond history goes as far back an anybody here. I'm loving what I'm seeing and hearing about this SKX and I'm right on on the edge of picking one up. Like many, I'm a B3 first and extra voices second kind of player and this one with the extra drawbars and layering capabilities seems to be the best bang for the buck right now for me.

 

Bob

[Outkaster]

Bob this isn't really a Hammond friendly forum, never was since the days of the XK3 series. I know I was here through it. I try not get into the clone wars now but things are damned here before they get a chance. God forbid people say anything bad about a Mojo (which I had, or a Nord) They each have their place but there is a certain amount of rhetoric that kind of isn't fair, so much that people have PM'd me about it more than once. It is too bad. In some cases with this stuff people leave the forum.

[Jazz+]

I liked the SK1 when it first came out. I played it side by side with a Nord Electro 2 or 3 and the action and sound effects were better than the Nord. Then I bought both a SK1 and a Mojo 61. I kept the Mojo... better action, better CV3, better percussion, better rotary. WAY BETTER RHODES (no contest). Only downside is that the Mojo 61 is less portable.

[LX88]

Yes I saw Jim's vids.

 

The main thing is I HATE diving into extensive menu edits. I have better things to do.

 

So I got the Legend Live and haven't had to do one damn thing to it.

 

Just listen to the Joey D. / David Sanborn Live in Europe video from 2010. That's Key B sample from almost 10 years ago now.

[Jazzmammal]

I downloaded all of that show, it's great. Joey is also going through a real Leslie. Run the SK through a 122 and then tell me about it.

 

Here's a decent vid with all playing, no talking. It sounds pretty good to me and of course how many times have we all talked about substantial differences in sound with real B's and C's back in the day. Some I loved, some I hated and it's the same with some of you. I'm not saying the SKX is the best because I don't know how to define the best. The Mojo is good, the Legend is good and the SKX is also good. I'm tilted towards the SKX because of the extra voices. Good or not I've used the Rhodes and Wurly patches a ton with my SK1 and they sound good enough to me. The AP not so much through my Spacestation but going through my EV powered speakers, it's better.

 

[video:youtube]

[Jazzmammal]

I finally found a vid that shows the SKX in the manner most of us will use it and that's in a band context. I really like Tony from Bonners, he's basically me. I do all this kind of stuff in several classic rock bands and I play my SK1 pretty much exactly like he does with a couple of big exceptions. I only have the SK1 single manual and I don't have all the new voices the SKX does. Here's the vid:

 

[video:youtube]

 

The more vids watch, the more I want one. Anybody interested in a nice used SK1? I think I'm serious, I have a good Nord padded case with it and I'm in SoCal.

 

Bob

[Doug Robinson]

I use, like and get a lot out of the SK1, but for the life of me I can't figure out why H/S couldn't have come up with a better acoustic piano sound.

 

Oh, and pitch bend and modulation controls.

[JMcS]

I use, like and get a lot out of the SK1, but for the life of me I can't figure out why H/S couldn't have come up with a better acoustic piano sound.

 

Have you used the Velocity Offset adjustment? Adding some velocity to the actual generated velocity makes a big difference in how many of the instruments sound. I found it difficult to generate velocity values in the 90's or higher without feeling like I was playing Whack-A-Mole with the keys. Adding some via the velocity offset adjustment helped bring out initial attack harmonics and added life to the instruments that sounded dull and lifeless.

[LX88]

Running anything through a 122 is not going to sway my impression of it one way or the other.

 

At home I have figured out how to use a headphone out on my B-3. If I would have known how simple it is to do this, I would have done it years ago!

 

Through phones ( AKG 240 ) I can really tell how any Hammond or any clone really sounds. Interestingly, the AKG 240's seem to roll off the top end a bit, not unlike the Key B I have.

 

One time I did try an XK-1 through a 122 , chorale only and it sounded pretty good. Once again there were CV issues on that model. And I am mainly a CV guy, and I generally don't even like CV and Chorale mixed.

 

So that is why running a clonewheel or tonewheel through aleslie is of little consequence to me. I have discovered straight CV sound through phones and that is most of what I am hearing these days practice wise.

[nadroj]

Bumping this with a little question. Hopefully it doesn't confuse people with the SKX Pro, but that's on Hammond for the weird naming of their machines.

One of these has cropped up at a budget friendy price as a B-Stock model in a store with decent part exchange rates. The price itself is fairly tempting. The fact that it's a dual-manual all in one makes it even more tempting. I don't need bells and whistles - just something that does the job. 2 extra voices + organ over two manuals definitely exceeds the "does the job" category.

 

One thing that put me off this when it first came out is the lack of pitch bend. HOWEVER:

 

THIS PAGE HERE talks about a "Glide" function, that allows you to use either a footswitch or expression pedal as a glide/pitch bend effect. That could be very cool - if it works in practice. Anyone here with an SKX able to comment on how effective it is? I don't need pitch bend, but it would be nice to have, even if I have to use my foot.

[mcgoo]

9 hours ago, nadroj said:

... THIS PAGE HERE talks about a "Glide" function, that allows you to use either a footswitch or expression pedal as a glide/pitch bend effect. That could be very cool - if it works in practice. Anyone here with an SKX able to comment on how effective it is?... 

 

I played with it for about 5 minutes. Long enough to determine "not for me". Perhaps a little more effort would have achieved better results, but I was definitely not a fan, so I gave up on it pretty quickly.