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New SKX rig ???


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I guess I"m going to get back into the blues thing. I have the right group of people. That is it"s own tale. I want a different organ rig. Something lighter that sounds better. I think the SKX fits my needs. The price is right currently but the Hammond accessories are going to eat me alive. My EXP-100 won"t work, will need a EXP-50. The half moon switch is frickin" $187. I have some questions. Jimmy has been helpful.

 

Currently I have the XK33c. It"s heavy with the bottom manual and I have to use an L setup. Not always convenient. I run a Mini Vent with a Ashby remote mod. It"s in my rack. I feed it out the 11-pin socket. The EXP-100 kickswitch and the Leslie controls on the XK control the vent this way. I"m not positively sure if the SKX extra voices will continue out the lineouts with the 11 pins connected or they the extra voices will hit the stationary channel on the 11-pin socket.

 

It LOOKS like each set of drawbars is permanently assigned to one manual. I can"t assign the B and Bb drawbars to whatever manual I want ... when I want. I"m going to miss preset keys. This boomer is a creature of habit.

 

The Ashby Mini Vent sends 12v to the organ to let the XK know a Leslie is connected. I"m assuming this is how 11 pin Leslies work hence it won"t blow up the SKX.

 

Any pitfall or curveballs I should be aware of on this board?

 

God I hate buying gear. It makes me nervous.

 

Thanks and sorry. This was Too long.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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If you want and SKx you better call Sweetwater ASAP. They have heavily discounted all Hammond products. You can get an XK-5 for the price of an SKx. You can now get the SKx at the price of an SK-1. Not sure what's going on but great opportunity to buy one.

 

Good luck. Mike

My Rig: Stage Piano: Korg Grandstage 73 - Organ: Hammond SKx - Amps: Motion Sound KP-500s - Mixer: Yamaha MGU10
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XK-5 is a load. I want the SKX for the form factor. I can ride the two manual SKX over a slab or play the whole gig with just the SKX. I actually don"t mind playing the XK3C rig. My whole motivation is to downsize. It"s hell getting old but it beats the alternative.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I have an SK2. I've though about getting the Hammond pedal, but I have not found a way to justify the cost. Instead I use a Yamaha FC7 al less than 1/4 of the price.

 

A short in the cable of my old EXP-100F fried my old XB2.

 

I use a Vent for my Leslie, and rewired the speed switch from my Motion sound Pro3TM to work with it. If I'm in a situation where I use the onboard Leslie, I can plug it right in and it will work perfectly.

 

There is a cable that Hammond has to come from the 8-pin Leslie connector to a 1/4 inch. It bypasses the internal Leslie, and I can go directly into the Vent, using the main out for the extra sounds.

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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God I hate buying gear.

 

Well blow me down. In some twenty odd years of frequenting various audio forums, that's the first time I've seen ANYBODY say that.

 

Car buying is the worst.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Does the SKXx organ engine sound any different than the SK2?

Afaik they are the same engine and essentially the same sound...but I"m open to correction as Ive never played the skx. I think Jim Alfredson mentioned a few years ago the organ sound was the same when demoing the skx though he thought some of the other sounds like the electric pianos sounded slightly better.

 

I"ve been musing over upgrading my sk2 to an skx of late. Not sure if the improvements are worth the pricetag, extra set of drawbars, Leslie pin, more favourite buttons, plus a few others like mixing and matching sounds on both manuals. Both great boards though.

Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live.
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Another option would be to keep the SK2 if the interface does not bother you and use the SK2 to trigger the new IK B-3X. From what I understand it maps very easily to Hammond products.

 

Good luck. Mike

My Rig: Stage Piano: Korg Grandstage 73 - Organ: Hammond SKx - Amps: Motion Sound KP-500s - Mixer: Yamaha MGU10
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Does the SKXx organ engine sound any different than the SK2?

I"ve been musing over upgrading my sk2 to an skx of late. Not sure if the improvements are worth the pricetag, extra set of drawbars, Leslie pin, more favourite buttons, plus a few others like mixing and matching sounds on both manuals. Both great boards though.

 

I was thinking the same only because of the lower price. Agree on liking the physical changes but would it be worth it is a realy good question we each need personally answer. I"m not sure.....

Montage 7, Mojo 61, PC-3, XK-3c Pro, Kronos 88, Hammond SK-1, Motif XF- 7, Hammond SK-2, Roland FR-1, FR-18, Hammond B3 - Blond, Hammond BV -Cherry
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The SK Series started 2011 I think (with basically the XK3 VASE engine from 2003?)

 

I would say it is time for an upgrade with a "XK5 like"

Organ Engine and much better extra voices....

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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I'm 99% sure that when you use the 11pin output on the SKX, the extra voices go out the 1/4" and the organ only goes through the 11pin. That's how we had one running at NAMM.

 

The Yamaha FC7 is a viable alternative to the Hammond pedal though you have to go into the menu and set the PED parameter to REV because the Yamaha is wired in reverse of the Hammond. It is definitely not as robust as the Hammond. I've gone through three in the last 6 years, whereas my EXP-50 is like a rock and has never had any issues.

 

The extra sounds are voiced better for the keybed but essentially the same as the SK2. They are cleaner, too.

 

Yes, the drawbars are permanently assigned to their respective manuals. Not sure why you'd want to change that.

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I do that quite a bit on the 3c. I would see myself doing that on the SKX to switch between registrations if I"m playing organ on one manual and extra voices on the other.

 

Today is the last day to pull the trigger. I guess I"ll do it. I had planned on getting Fantom 7 or nice synth but this blues gig came up.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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The XK5 isn't really that bad and sounds fantastic.

The top manual alone isn"t bad. I have the 33c rig it"s over 70 pounds. What is killer is the 55 pound anvil style case.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I did it. I feel sick. I hate spending money.

 

Organ

Bag

Exp-50

New stand

Stand bag

$200 half moon ð

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Might as well spend a little more and get B3X. Doing so leapfrogs you from an excellent clone to the best. IMO, of course. Clone wars aside, there can't be much question that B3X is a significant improvement over the native SK organ sounds.

 

Then report back to us on how it works . . .

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Is that software? I still need something two manuals that I can physically carry My legs just aren"t any good anymore.

 

I have too much stuff. I still have my XB-2 in a red Anvil case. I might give it away. The case is worth something if it fits something else.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Eff it. I still have my Farf Compact in Dad"s basement. It looks like the one in my Avatar. My first electronic keyboard. I suck at selling stuff.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I was struck by this on the Sweetwater site:

 

MIDI Master Keyboard mode with 3 external zones on the upper manual; 2 on the lower; 1 on the Pedal Clavier

 

5 zones of MIDI control between the two manuals (6 total)? But I presume (at best) those are maximums, and not all available simultaneously. Checking the manual prompted a double-take as well:

 

There are 3 External Zones in total. Each can be allocated to the desired keyboards (for example, 3 zones for the Upper keyboard and 1 each for the Upper / Lower / Pedal keyboards).

 

3 in total makes sense. But "3 for the Upper keyboard AND 1 each for the Upper / Lower / Pedal"? The "AND" should be an "OR."

 

After all these decades, I'm still amazed that companies won't hire a native English speaker to at least review their manuals. Check this from the same section of the manual:

 

WHY USING EXTERNAL ZONES?

 

You can control the MIDI equipment by using Keyboard channels (easier) sure, but it makes some problem. Probably the program number is different between SKX and MIDI equipment that you wish to use. About octave, velocity sensitivity, and so on?

 

The External Zone is a solution. It has a program number, octave, velocity sensitivity and so on by each Patch. When a Patch is called, various messages for MIDI equipment will sent automatically.

 

Geez.

 

There are a bunch of Hammond users on this very forum who clearly can write very comprehensible English, and would probably volunteer to fix their manual for, say, a free/cheap SKX. Heck, I would. ;-)

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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The XK5 isn't really that bad and sounds fantastic.

The top manual alone isn"t bad. I have the 33c rig it"s over 70 pounds. What is killer is the 55 pound anvil style case.

 

I understand the other thing to consider is how much organ are you actually playing. Sometimes guys don't think about that. Sal Azzarelli would tell me unless you are playing 90% organ there isn't really reason to gig with the real thing or a huge clone rig. I understand blues is different but it is something to think about.

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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Outkaster, How do you like the onboard rotary sim and overdrive on the XK5? Do you prefer to use it with a Vent ?

 

CEB, Since you already have a Vent you may prefer to run the SKX through it. I find the Vent really wakes up the sound of my SK2 in terms of both spin and overdrive. The times I"ve used the SK"s sim I have really missed the Vent. Ymmv. It"ll be interesting to see if the SKX demands incoming 12 volts on the 11 pin output like the XK3C does. BTW, I think you"ll find the SK"s C/V preferable to the XK3C"s. Good luck with your new purchase.

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Outkaster, How do you like the onboard rotary sim and overdrive on the XK5? Do you prefer to use it with a Vent ?

 

CEB, Since you already have a Vent you may prefer to run the SKX through it. I find the Vent really wakes up the sound of my SK2 in terms of both spin and overdrive. The times I"ve used the SK"s sim I have really missed the Vent. Ymmv. It"ll be interesting to see if the SKX demands incoming 12 volts on the 11 pin output like the XK3C does. BTW, I think you"ll find the SK"s C/V preferable to the XK3C"s. Good luck with your new purchase.

Yes I plan on running out the 11-pin socket to the Vent. I like how the Vent"s overdrive responds to the gas pedal. My cable sends 12 volts to the organ. Yes I never did care for C/V on the 3c.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Outkaster, How do you like the onboard rotary sim and overdrive on the XK5? Do you prefer to use it with a Vent ?

 

CEB, Since you already have a Vent you may prefer to run the SKX through it. I find the Vent really wakes up the sound of my SK2 in terms of both spin and overdrive. The times I"ve used the SK"s sim I have really missed the Vent. Ymmv. It"ll be interesting to see if the SKX demands incoming 12 volts on the 11 pin output like the XK3C does. BTW, I think you"ll find the SK"s C/V preferable to the XK3C"s. Good luck with your new purchase.

 

 

I think it's fine. Tucktronix was over Friday night and we didn't get to try it with the Vent. The sim isn't bad. The whole board is just badass and I really didn't have to time to dive in. I have been taking care of my dad before he goes into assisted living.

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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The leslie appears to be the weak link; but many have a Vent and if that is the weak point then the Vent would fix that aspect. I like the XK5 very much but the price is out of line. If money (and weight) were no object I would have an XK5 w/ lower manual, a V-Piano for an acoustic piano and a Gemini module to provide the Wurli, Rhodes and Clav. That would be my ultimate setup; but also cost north of $10K and weigh a ton.

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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I was looking at the SKX again, and what I'd really love to be able to do is have an option to use the two rows of Favorites buttons independently, so that the top row of five could be used to select sounds for the upper manual, while the bottom five could be used to select sounds for the lower manual.

 

This would mirror how, on a real B3, each manual has its own set of presets which only change the sound for that manual, and would be a more authentic recreation of dual manual use. Also, a simultaneous choice of five upper manual sounds and five lower manual sounds yields 25 upper/lower combinations in an easily accessible way.

 

QUESTION: Does anyone know, can a Favorite include "live" drawbar status? For example, if I want to create a Favorite that has drawbar organ on the top manual and Rhodes on the bottom, but I don't want any particular organ registration on top, I want whatever the drawbars are currently set at. So the Favorite assigns/activates organ for the top manual, but not with any preset drawbar registration. Can that be done?

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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QUESTION: Does anyone know, can a Favorite include "live" drawbar status? For example, if I want to create a Favorite that has drawbar organ on the top manual and Rhodes on the bottom, but I don't want any particular organ registration on top, I want whatever the drawbars are currently set at. So the Favorite assigns/activates organ for the top manual, but not with any preset drawbar registration. Can that be done?

 

Page 79 of the SKX manual talks about 'Priority on Drawbars" which 'Temporarily substitutes the Upper registration with Upper or Lower Drawbar settings instead of the Patch content.'. Looks like this would also allow you mimic the B flat and B preset keys on a B-3, C-3 or A100, which was talked about earlier in the thread.

 

Cheers

 

John

Nord Electro 6D 61, Wurlitzer EP200A, Neo Mini Vent, EV ZLX12P, QSC CP8.

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