Modx organ options

[Stokely]

Hello,

 

I'm debating whether to sell my Electro 6 (even though it's great)...just playing more and more synth these days and really miss having a knobby one to tweak live. My biggest regret was selling a Virus b for what I paid for it, around $620....these days I gig more and wish I had not sold it. Ironically I sold it to get a Roland keyboard with better organ! Years later, I'm feeling the synth pull again.

 

I only want to gig two keyboards max. I recently got a Modx7, and it has nice all-around sounds. I still lean on organ for our 70s classic rock gigs though, and I think those organs would drive me nuts for a whole gig, even though I'm far from a purist or a good organ player for that matter, so while I'd miss the waterfall action a bit, something has to give

 

If the modx becomes my primary organ, any thoughts on these options over the built-in modx organs:

 

- organimation

 

- ipad organs (galileo, garage band, ?) (one thing I really like about the modx is how easy it is to hook up an ipad)

 

- organ module like the viscount legend - this would mean that I sold my electro and got a cheaper synth like the Deepmind 12, and so the balance would go to this. (Trying not to spend a bunch more than I have already, wife and I just made a real estate investment and it's causing a bit of belt-tightening). My buddy is having a DM12 delivered so we are going to work on some vintage poly and mono patches together, put it through paces.

 

- leslie pedal (leslie being the thing that irks me, I run stereo though so all the modx sounds would go to it....this is probably my least favorite option)

 

- Novation peak or other knobby synth module that I'd just add to what I have. Killer rig for sure, with extra logistics of course. (yeah, I said I didn't want to spend extra, so this would take longer to save up gig money for.)

 

Anyway, always fun to think of how we aren't satisfied with what we have lol

 

 

 

[timwat]

HX3 module?

[stoken6]

No additional recommendation to contribute, but this is why workstation/rompler keyboards need clonewheel models. Yamaha, I'm talking to you.

 

Otherwise you need three boards, or a compromise.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[bill bosco]

well , if you're considering 2 boards max , why not the mojo 61 , it's lite weight , it's got some decent EP's and a great leslie sim

[Stokely]

Thanks, the main "new" thing I want (need!) is a synth with lots of controls (tons of fun)...the down side is that maybe the electro would have to go to make it happen.

 

I really wanted a Mojo and went with the electro primarily to have the sampled sounds and pianos as a backup to my primary keyboard if it went down. That said, for organ/clav and even strings the Nord has been great, I'd only sell it to make room and reluctantly even then.

 

Three boards would be ok in one sense, I have a key largo so a 3rd just goes to a 3rd channel. My big issue is that my spider pro stand really can only easily have two (and I'm tall so a 3rd arm would be very low). Some of our stages are so small that a second keyboard stand would be really tough.

 

HX3 wasn't something I was that aware of, I'll check that out. I knew about the viscount legend module.

 

Stoken6, nobody would agree more on Yamaha and their reluctance to add a clonewheel engine (though the modx is a fair bit better than my old Motif's organs to be fair. It just would be tough to go from the Electro to those organs)

[AnotherScott]

If your wallet can handle it, best thing might be to ditch the E6 and go for a Nord Stage 3.

[Stokely]

I have considered that actually. Certainly that would make practices a bit easier as it could do anything. I'm almost afraid to go check out the synth options on the Stage (about which I don't know that much)

 

The reality is that it's out of reach unless I sold everything and went with one keyboard. The thought of trying to sell two keyboards is horrific, selling one is stressful enough

 

Thanks though, I love all these suggestions outside the boxes I'd considered!

 

My current #1 option from a standpoint of less work by me needed: save up for a Peak, or something similar. It can either fit on the modx7 (maybe) or on a mic stand with an adapter that I have seen. Blofeld or Virus Snow would be cheaper and smaller, but they don't have the controls I want (might as well just use ipad synths, which sound pretty darn great to me...I have Model 15 and Zeeon and I floored my band with Zeeon at our last practice...they couldn't believe the sound was coming from a tablet.)

[EscapeRocks]

As far as MODX, in a band setting the organs are fine.

 

I had the organimation in my MOXF and loved it. I now have them in my MODX.

 

With some good editing, the Scenes and Superknob on the MODX are again your friend for organ sounds.

 

You can set your ramp up and ramp down Leslie time. Also, you can assign different organ setups to the scene buttons for instant "drawbar" settings. Example, Green Onions:

 

Scene 1 can have you setup to sound like 888800000 Scene 2 can have you setup to sound like 808800008 etc..etc... Scene 3 could turn on "percussion" and so forth.

 

Again, it will take some time to dig deep and set this up. Once you do, I think you'd like it.

 

I have one organ performance that the "draw bars" stay the same on all scenes. I then use Scenes 2, 3, as percussion and drives respectively. I have a knob assigned to amount of drive.

[AnotherScott]

- Novation peak or other knobby synth module that I'd just add to what I have. Killer rig for sure, with extra logistics of course. (yeah, I said I didn't want to spend extra, so this would take longer to save up gig money for.)

Notably cheaper than Peak, maybe Korg Minilogue XD, Behringer DeepMind 12D, or Roland System 1m? The Boutiques are cheap and tiny but knobs may be frustratingly small for live tweaking in performance.

[Stokely]

d

As far as MODX, in a band setting the organs are fine.

 

I had the organimation in my MOXF and loved it. I now have them in my MODX.

 

With some good editing, the Scenes and Superknob on the MODX are again your friend for organ sounds.

 

You can set your ramp up and ramp down Leslie time. Also, you can assign different organ setups to the scene buttons for instant "drawbar" settings. Example, Green Onions:

 

Scene 1 can have you setup to sound like 888800000 Scene 2 can have you setup to sound like 808800008 etc..etc... Scene 3 could turn on "percussion" and so forth.

 

Again, it will take some time to dig deep and set this up. Once you do, I think you'd like it.

 

I have one organ performance that the "draw bars" stay the same on all scenes. I then use Scenes 2, 3, as percussion and drives respectively. I have a knob assigned to amount of drive.

 

Really good to know! How much difference is there between the MODX built-in b3 and the organimation ones?

 

Scott, Behringer deepmind is definitely on the radar. Looking forward to testing my buddy's keyboard version. He got it new for peanuts (like, 1/3 or less of a Prophet rev 2)...so if we can put together some good classic rock/80s poly and mono patches on it....I was pretty impressed with the build quality on the desktop version but I haven't heard it that much or tried to program on it yet. My (ignorant only-from-demos) impression is that it's pretty good at ethereal soft pads and the like, but perhaps not so much for weighty punchy stuff. My Virus could melt faces, loved the aggression you could get

 

[Marillo]

Sounds like we have exactly the same rig and similar needs (I'm in a classic rock covers band and an 80s tribute)! I kept the Electro 6 for piano and organ since I find the Nord's pianos far superior to the Yamaha in a live setting, especially the latest White Grand sample. And as you say, some of the strings and sample synth patches are very useable too (eg the Prophet A1 pad is one of the most versatile poly synth patches I've ever come across in any board)

 

The MODX does everything else brilliantly, of course. Might it be worth waiting for the OS update in late October, which apparently includes a Moog filter of some sort? Failing that, I did put a Roland SE-01 boutique on the right hand side spare space of the Electro...but did find the small knobs almost impossible to operate live. Ended up selling it.

 

The Minilogue XD module IS very tempting (if it would fit in the same space) and looks a little easier to find the knobs when you need them.

[cphollis]

If your wallet can handle it, best thing might be to ditch the E6 and go for a Nord Stage 3.

 

Glad someone got to this before me. I believe the synth section is based on the Nord A1, so not exactly a slouch. Plenty of knobs to tweak for synth sounds and samples, as well as top-shelf organs and pianos. And, if you look around, you can find B-stock for less than you might think.

 

[AnotherScott]

I did put a Roland SE-01 boutique on the right hand side spare space of the Electro...but did find the small knobs almost impossible to operate live.

You mean the SE-02 I'm pretty sure you could have at least mapped the 4 knobs on the MODX to control four of the functions, maybe that would have helped.

 

[ShadowMan]

Another happy Organimation customer here. Use it on a MOXF. Great stuff

[Stokely]

Sounds like we have exactly the same rig and similar needs (I'm in a classic rock covers band and an 80s tribute)! I kept the Electro 6 for piano and organ since I find the Nord's pianos far superior to the Yamaha in a live setting, especially the latest White Grand sample. And as you say, some of the strings and sample synth patches are very useable too (eg the Prophet A1 pad is one of the most versatile poly synth patches I've ever come across in any board)

 

The MODX does everything else brilliantly, of course. Might it be worth waiting for the OS update in late October, which apparently includes a Moog filter of some sort? Failing that, I did put a Roland SE-01 boutique on the right hand side spare space of the Electro...but did find the small knobs almost impossible to operate live. Ended up selling it.

 

The Minilogue XD module IS very tempting (if it would fit in the same space) and looks a little easier to find the knobs when you need them.

 

Whoa, couple things you have turned me onto here...1) forgot to try out the white grand, or at least I don't think I have it yet and 2) I really should try out more of the Nord library synth patches. I forget that even though there's no filter etc you still have velocity dynamics and the overall Nord sound quality is great (I use the legato strings quite often).

 

I'm going to give ipad a shot before anything else--using both synths (which I think can be part of splits on the modx and certainly can be layered) and maybe try out galileo 2 for organ. The ipad isn't "knobby" but of course I can map the modx buttons to stuff with a little work. Still doesn't quite scratch the itch but Model 15 and Zeeon sure sound nice...

 

I watched a couple long vids where someone (tried to) match the Deepmind to various synths....Juno 106 (spot on), Prophet 6 (surprisingly close for some sounds), OB-6 (yeah, not quite)....it left me with a new respect for the DM12. A synth with keyboard that has built-in power supply and aftertouch for less than 600 new (via a quote I got)....hard to really top that. I'd just have to make room somehow for another stand, maybe bring it to the "better" gigs.

[brenner13]

I dig diversity so love my smaller price tag decisions and all of those lovely black-and-whites arranged in that multi-layer semi-circle. However, I ever-so-often look around the place and say to myself, 'Self, if you sold all of this clutter lying about, you could go get that Stage 3 that"s been interrupting your dreamscapes most nights.' But I"m still testing the trustworthiness of that guy"s advice. ð¤ª