synthdogg

Man, I feel like I've really been on a journey with this in the last couple of decades. There are so many great sounding synth options in the world right now between modern hardware, vintage hardware, and software, that I have to admit that for myself....sound is not the chief driver of why I buy (or hang on to) hardware keyboards anymore. There's a LOT of psychology involved, and I respond differently as a musician to different instruments. I play differently if I'm playing my Prophet 10 and adjusting knobs on the fly than if I'm playing a Prophet 5 plug in from a controller. It's not because one is better than the other, it's just how I'm responding to it in the moment. I still love my Juno 60 and keep it super close at all times because it's just so easy and fast to turn and flip a few faders and have a musical, usable sound. When I read message boards and read people getting into the minutiae about why the vintage version of Synth X is better than the reissue of Synth X, which is WAY better than the software version of Synth X I think we've lost the plot, and at some point we're just arguing to argue and may as well be talking about politics or religion. What inspires you? What makes you smile as you create? This is music, it's supposed to be fun. Yeah, most of us have some types of gigs that we need tools for just to get the job done...I get it. Sometimes I will choose a tool that's more convenient than fun for those moments, but that is not the whole of me as a musician. I really just want to play, and I want to have fun and be inspired while I make music...so I'm going to make sure I have access to instruments that are fun and inspiring for me.

I've always been a wheels guy, still love them to this day.......but Nord really came up with something cool with their pitch/mod wheel design. I really love their pitch stick, and the mod wheel placement works great alongside it. Very fun to play.

Which generation is this again?

I love the top comment: “Listening to this is like eating pizza with all of the cheese and pepperoni scraped off.”

Well, support finally fixed my registration issue so I went back to purchase B-3X and the price is now $130. Ugh.

Ugh! I'm trying to purchase this, but IK is making me register first and then I'm not receiving the confirmation email. Crap

Holy hell Analogika! I've read a few of your posts over the years recommending the Nilserik, and finally decided it was time for me to have my own throne for certain gigs and made the Ikea order. I LOVE this thing!! I'm regretting waiting so long to get one. Thanks so much for the recommendation!

Oh sorry - Max is the developer of the MAG

The Ventilator is an optional add-on for sure. You could absolutely opt out of the Vent and use the HX3's own Leslie simulator, but I'm not sure how Max sets that up. That would be a great question for him. One of the cool things about his Ventilator set up is how he has the whole thing synced with the Leslie 122 output, so the Half-moon switch and pedal trigger have the same result with the Leslie and the Vent speeds, always in sync fast and slow. I'm not sure how he sets that up with the internal Leslie sim. Through communication with Max, it sounds like he's in the final stages of designing his own Leslie simulator to replace the Ventilator...I'm very excited to hear what he comes up with.

Mitch Towne, you’re a badass! and it sounds like Max has something up his sleeve as an internal Leslie sim solution. I’m excited to hear what he comes up with!

Got it, I didn't realize you had a previous issue/dislike of the HX3 C/V. Sorry I can't comment further on the differences, so far I've liked the effect, but I've also only used it with a Leslie or Leslie effect as that's the only way I ever really use it.

Awww man, I really loved Jellyfish, and also casually follow Roger Manning for years. He had a band called Imperial Drag in the 90's that I got way into. If Jellyfish was more 60's/Beatles inspired...Imperial Drag was the 70's/Glam rock answer with heavy T-Rex influences.

And seriously, check out the video posted above. He has the chorus on pretty much the whole time.

It's hard to comment without context. The version that I received is based on the 3.6 engine, but my understanding is that it's not at all different from 3.5 in software. I know that Max has his own custom settings that he requests from Carsten at Keyboard Partners, but I have no idea how he has the chorus vibrato set any differently from a standard HX3. All I can say is that I've been playing it on it's own for less than 24 hours and have mainly kept the chorus on C3, and have not done any kind of A/B with the real thing. At this point, any time I've switched on the chorus I've been pleased by the effect....but that's WAY less than a scientific response.

This is the video that really sold me on the MAG, and there's not even an actual MAG in the video. It's a comparison of a B3, XK-5, Viscount Legend, and what he calls "The Diversi" which is an older Diversi controller using an HX3 (same engine as the MAG)....all through a Leslie. I really loved the HX3 sound in this...not to mention that Dude is a great player and I love listening to him.