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HX3 MIDI expander module


TKN

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Does anybody have a grip on the particulars of getting a used expander? I was poking around the manual and noticed mentions of licenses during the upgrade process.
Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard
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Does anybody have a grip on the particulars of getting a used expander? I was poking around the manual and noticed mentions of licenses during the upgrade process.

 

I recently sold my HX3 and the local buyer is very happy. The license, to the best of my knowledge, is transferable. Tom Tuscon at Diversi (US distributor of Keyboard Partner) is very helpful should you need to give him a call.

:nopity:
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Has anybody added drawbars to the basic module? I am not talking about the unit that also controls percussion etc. that also has drawbars.

 

I saw a while back on the Diversi site or possibly the Keyboard Partner site that there is a drawbar unit for under 100 dollars that plugs into the HX3 via a ribbon cable.

 

If anyone knows anything about that, I would be interested.

 

I haven't played the HX3 for awhile since I got a Legend Solo but I got the CV dialed in pretty well. I have noticed also that percussion volume tapers off a bit much for me in the 4th octave.

 

But overall the HX3 works in a lot of situations. I can take a light weight controller + HX3 to a rehearsal and just use presets. Some drawbars would be nice though.

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Has anybody added drawbars to the basic module? I am not talking about the unit that also controls percussion etc. that also has drawbars.

 

I saw a while back on the Diversi site or possibly the Keyboard Partner site that there is a drawbar unit for under 100 dollars that plugs into the HX3 via a ribbon cable.

 

If anyone knows anything about that, I would be interested.

 

I haven't played the HX3 for awhile since I got a Legend Solo but I got the CV dialed in pretty well. I have noticed also that percussion volume tapers off a bit much for me in the 4th octave.

 

But overall the HX3 works in a lot of situations. I can take a light weight controller + HX3 to a rehearsal and just use presets. Some drawbars would be nice though.

I think those drawbars you speak of are on the Keyboard Partner site, and are meant for DIY projects. I do not have those skills.

I am planning on using an iPad via an iConnect box, with the midiDesigner App for this. Note that this is not for my main rig, and I feel like it will suffice for the situations for which I plan on using this box.

Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard
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  • 2 weeks later...

So I'm now an HX3/drawbar Controller Owner, took 12 days to get here

from Germany. will be working on incorporating the module into my rack.

Triton Extreme 76, Kawai ES3, GEM-RPX, HX3/Drawbar control, MSI Z97

MPower/4790K, Lynx Aurora 8/MADI/AES16e, OP-X PRO, Ptec, Komplete.

Ashley MX-206. future MOTU M64 RME Digiface Dante for Mon./net

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Has anybody added drawbars to the basic module? I am not talking about the unit that also controls percussion etc. that also has drawbars.

 

I saw a while back on the Diversi site or possibly the Keyboard Partner site that there is a drawbar unit for under 100 dollars that plugs into the HX3 via a ribbon cable.

 

If anyone knows anything about that, I would be interested.

 

I haven't played the HX3 for awhile since I got a Legend Solo but I got the CV dialed in pretty well. I have noticed also that percussion volume tapers off a bit much for me in the 4th octave.

 

But overall the HX3 works in a lot of situations. I can take a light weight controller + HX3 to a rehearsal and just use presets. Some drawbars would be nice though.

here are drawbars for $200. This is what i use to control VB3 on the Gemini. Hard to find and at a good price. link

 

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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  • 3 weeks later...

Just saw the Diversi email about 3.5.

Never knew you could get more instruments other than organ.

 

Im all over this and the 12 Drawbar mod.

Nothing excites me more than vintage properly done with a touch of the future.

Would love demos on other instruments.

Acoustic Piano sounds fine.

Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic
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Is the AC Piano GOOD or GREAT? Modelled or Sampled ? Or just plain General MIDI quality ? Are there more than 1 AC varieties?

 

I would gladly buy an HX3.5 where the same loving and slightly maniacal passion and attention to detail - already devoted to the organ sounds - is also applied to the Acoustic Pianos. Otherwise I will stick with my GSi Gemini, where such devotion to Rhodes and many other EP sounds has already flourished. The Gemini AC pianos are at long last maturing w/ V 1.2 and the 2 Gemini Wavetable Upgrades. My Integra has my favorite, very playable AC Pianos. Wish Roland would package the innards of the RD-2000 into a Rack.

 

I love my HX3 (4.22), glad I found it here on KP Forums.

 

My keyboard dreams have largely been realized when I can layer an Integra 7 Acoustic Piano + FS1R EP + JV1080 (or Gemini Rhodes or large variety of other sizzling, very-tweak-able Gemini) EPs. Or - I will not apologize for this heresy - layering an HX3 or Gemini tonewheel + an Integra Organ + "HardRoadz" FS1r Patch for very crisp attack single notes or chords.

 

These are all great sounds for a living room soloist.

 

It's a great time to have an 11 1/2 lb MIDI controller keyboard and such an amazing collection of lightweight MIDI Racks !

 

Enjoy - can't wait to hear the new HX3. Can you ?

 

 

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Im feverish.

I am excited about extra Drawbars more than anything.

Im really wanting Audio ins for the Scanner Vibrato and Leslie too.

Even if thats an optional add on costing money,no sweat.

 

Heres what I read at KP blog.......

 

New technology, new sounds: HX3.5 is here! The new module is externally hardly distinguishable from the previous mk4 boards, but was technically completely revised. The current FPGA offers much more space than before, and instead of the old spin-reverb processor FV-1, a modern DREAM SAM5504 with four DSK cores is now on board. With the new FPGA I was able to significantly expand the physical model of the organ: Among other things, there are now up to 15 footsteps distributed on 12 drawbars with arbitrary mixtures, an additional electronic keying with soft tone, separately switchable ADSR envelopes for each foot position individually additional phasing vibrato (simulated TDA1022 bucket chains) and loadable generator waveforms for non-Hammonds (eg classic combo organs). The generator itself can be switched in his mood by Hammond on TOS (Top Octave Synthesizer) or single-tone mode. The hardening (wiring of the key contacts) is so flexible that each of the 15 foot positions can have any range of notes; it is also possible "weird" mixtures of 1 1/4 ', 16/27' or 10 2/3 '.

The possibilities of creating an organ out of it are almost unlimited. In H100 mode, any percussion combinations are possible, not just the classic 2nd / 3rd, plus the interesting "Harp Sustain" to 8 'and a Celeste effect on the new phasing vibrato. Likewise, with the electronic keying typical concert organs of the 80s can be realized, such as the Böhm Orchestra or Wersi Helios. There is now an exact replica of the Böhm phasing rotor or the WersiVoice with three TDA1022 bucket chain transmissions and complex modulation for string ensemble effects.

But that's not all: The new DSP offers enough computing power to "incidentally" also provide a complete GM wavetable synthesizer. It can access 64 MB of sample memory; In the basic version, we deliver HX3.5 with 128 GM sounds, which can be used as an alternative to the organ sounds. A separate library with high-quality piano samples is in preparation, which can later be installed via USB. In contrast to HX3.4, the USB port is no longer just for configuration purposes, but primarily serves as a fast MIDI connection to a PC or Mac.

Despite the many innovations, we have tried to make HX3.5 as compatible as possible with its predecessor HX3.4. The board has the same dimensions and the same connection options, so that the previous peripherals (scan boards, preset and menu panels, drawbar boards) can continue to be used. Nevertheless, there are a number of new connections, such as for connecting an SD card for particularly quick and easy updates.

Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic
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  • 2 months later...
Does anyone have first hand knowledge if a Kronos 2 will interface with the HX3? Id love to be able to use the sliders on the Kronos as drawbars.

Yamaha C2, Yamaha MODX7, Hammond SK1, Hammond XK-5 Heritage Pro System, Korg Kronos 2 61, Yamaha CP4, Kurzweil PC4-7, Nord Stage 3 73, Nord Wave 2, QSC 8.2, Motion Sound KP 210S,  Key Largo, etc…yeah I have too much…

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  • 1 month later...

I should post this on garage sale perhaps but a friend of mine is now looking for an HX3, after I let him try mine.

 

As far as 3.5, it is very interesting that any percussion harmonics are possible. I have been wondering what that would be like for years.

 

I seem to recall that the HX3 can be upgraded to 3.5 with an expansion board. That would be interesting.

 

Does 3.5 have a chorus vibrato update? That would be nice. The HX3 can get very close to something like the Viscount Legend, but when it came right down to it I still preferred the Viscount.

 

For some reason I could get the HX3 CV to sound good through headphones but rarely through speakers. The throb was just a tad bit too intense. Key B/ Viscount had it smoothed out a bit.

 

But for practice through phones, I really have liked the HX3. I don't play as much in the upper octave in practice as I do on a gig.

 

Nice to hear that they are moving ahead with HX3/ HX3.5

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wohoo ! Just ordered the HX3.5 upgrade from DrawbarCity / Diversi. If you order by 3 November, you don't pay extra for the new Phased Rotary / 12-drawbar / 15 Harmonic upgrade LICENSE. For the upgrade, I will send my HX3 mark 4 module in and have the DC folks do the upgrade, test it out and return it to me.

 

Even though I ordered early this morning, just 12 hours after the email news floated into my inbox, I was order # 56.

 

So hurry up !

 

I am VERY EXCITED about this long-anticipated brand new offering from Drawbar City / Keyboard Partner.

 

Brad from NJ.

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. . . Same Guy Posting . . . .

 

Also, I re-read some of the posts above. While 128 General Midi non-organ sounds are included, apparently there is lotsa room on this new FPGA for extras, and a promise of future detailed ACOUSTIC PIANOS has been dangled out there. Also, loading new stuff is supposed to be easier, using SD card instead of PC.

 

Hopefully we are the benificiaries of all the brave European and German Early Adopters who struggled through the very early releases of the HX3.5 in its infancy this summer.

 

To use the German / Yiddish phrase from Saturday Night Live, "I am so Verklempt !" Google it.

 

 

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It's still a bit confusing as to whether the original HX3 is upgradable to this new 3.5.

 

I am not sure what the advantages are besides all these extra drawbar tones. Hoping for improved CV to compete with the Legend Live, perhaps a bit more user friendly interface between stereo and mono function.

 

My HX3 was a life saver this summer when I needed organ tones in addition to my 88 key ( Roland) digital piano. Since I was not soloing so much on the organ tunes, the HX3 worked well with the Roland for basic chord comping.

 

It was a the next best thing to a single board solution, at a fraction of the cost of something like a Nord Stage.

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  • 4 months later...
How well does the HX3 interface with the Nord Electro? I have a 5D.

It's not that I don't liket the Nord, it works very well for what I use it for...

But it would be nice to have the option of playing organ, and 2 other sounds (Piano and Synths).

Thought that I'd share my experience with running an HX3 from my Electro4SW73 (E4). The HX's custom CC set was written with the Nord C2 in mind, so (as others have mentioned) the E4 draw bars work out of the box (and so do Ocean Beach dBars!), as do some of the percussion controls (on/off and 2nd/3rd all toggle as expected). V/C controls, reverb (on/off, amount and type), and rotary drive (--> tube amp gain) are also mapped correctly. So there's more than enough there to get started.

 

Once I learned how to connect the module to my computer (note to self: it's USB (module) to USB (computer), not MIDI (module) to USB (computer) )then mapping other E4 controls to HX3 parameters was easy via the Remote App software. eg split on/off, gain knob to module master volume (useful for balancing the increased volume that arises when increasing drive). I managed to set up the percussion soft/fast button to toggle fast/slow decay. Added bonus; shallow triggering is enabled if you have a stored internal B3 selected on the Nord.

 

Getting the Nord to control the HX3 'as expected' was important to me in order to concentrate on performance.

"I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..."
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the new upgraded HX3 board.

 

new leslie sim, new keyclick, new reverb, new leakage, same great preamp/drive simulation, same "real" feel on full drabars and chorus.

 

ambience audio recording, using the good old Roland SA-1000...

 

:laugh:

 

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new USB now has MIDI I/O

Triton Extreme 76, Kawai ES3, GEM-RPX, HX3/Drawbar control, MSI Z97

MPower/4790K, Lynx Aurora 8/MADI/AES16e, OP-X PRO, Ptec, Komplete.

Ashley MX-206. future MOTU M64 RME Digiface Dante for Mon./net

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  • 2 months later...
the new upgraded HX3 board.

 

new leslie sim, new keyclick, new reverb, new leakage, same great preamp/drive simulation, same "real" feel on full drabars and chorus.

 

ambience audio recording, using the good old Roland SA-1000...

 

:laugh:

 

 

I'm hearing improvements over my HX 3/4, firmware 4.25. Your percussion less pingy in upper octaves, your keyclick has an airiness that I like, almost a 'puff' on each attack when not overdriven.

"I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..."
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I was hoping to hear the new extra draw bars.

Ive been wanting to convert mine but no down time

Maybe this Winter after the Fairs.

 

I wish he wouldnt have turned on that God awful Alesis.

That was as bad as a giant never ending fart through a fan in your face.

 

But I heard enough to know this is a nice upgrade.

 

Thanks For the Demo.

Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic
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  • 4 months later...

ciao,

 

just some updated videos with last 3.5 version...

 

live with just the expander as it is:

as you can notice, the HX3 does not need external leslie sim, except for the keyclick (with internal sim it sounds really "strange").

but who notice the keyclick here? :laugh:

 

live with the Tornado (tube amped):

 

this is now my solution then there is no room on stage for the Tornado:

as you can notice, the keyclick here is "real"

 

but this one is still incomparable...

:laugh:

 

 

:wave:

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Can someone please recommend a power supply for the HX3 3.5 that is durable and doesn't have a pitifully short cord? I have gone through 2 so far, not only the one shipped with it but a 2nd, expensive one by sweetfootpedals.com designed expressly for the HX3. Would prefer to hear about one that someone has used for a while, thanks..
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Can someone please recommend a power supply for the HX3 3.5 that is durable and doesn't have a pitifully short cord? I have gone through 2 so far, not only the one shipped with it but a 2nd, expensive one by sweetfootpedals.com designed expressly for the HX3. Would prefer to hear about one that someone has used for a while, thanks..

 

Did the one that originally come with yours had a model # of LJH-186 with a 1amp rating? The one I have hasn't given any problems yet.

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