JMcS

V1621 is the 8.4 update main system file so you are up to date. The version numbers for the other files are listed in the readme file that is part of the update zip file.

I can't really explain it but what I think it means is that either some parameters weren't getting saved correctly when the SK was powered off or they weren't getting read/loaded correctly when powered on. I was once told that there are settings and parameters that are not available in the user menus in the XK-3. They fine tune something or tell the OS what to do for example. The SK software probably works the same way. Something may not be getting the data it expects all the time and gets confused. The time between the two releases was pretty short so it was an issue that Hammond felt they needed to resolve quickly. To be safe you probably should install the update.

You're welcome. The EQ settings on Pg. 100 are patch parameters so you should be able to adjust those as you need for that voice and save it. There are separate settings for organ and EVs. These settings are intended to tweak the organ/EV tone to taste. The control panel adjustments are to fine tune for room acoustics.

More than a book, all you need: http://www.b3monaco.com/ (IMO,YMMV, Yada Yada Yada)

You're welcome. The glide settings only work in one direction. You can set it to bend down when you press the switch and it will return when you release the switch (or vice versa) but you can't have it bend up or down like a pitch wheel. Good luck.

Pg. 79 & 80. Also it can respond to pitch bend and mod wheel incoming MIDI data. This was added in one of the early OS updates. Make sure MIDI In is set to EXVOICE.

I haven't had a chance to look into it but I think some of the factory patches use that library. I suspect they wouldn't fit in the system library memory so they put them in the user library memory and locked them. I think they are listed on the bottom of pg. 137. They are sounds like other library sounds not adjustable with the drawbars like the organs.

It is one of the System organs along with the Farfisa and pipe organ. It can't be removed.

The pedals can't be separated from the rest of the organ for expression control. What you might try is to set the expression range for the lower frequencies to not drop much when the pedal is moved. I don't have the manual handy but the expression section has settings for how much the highs and lows change as the pedal is moved. Good luck.

I think several years ago when Hammond started having the XK-1 assembled in China there were some issues with stripped screws from overdriving/cross threading. The screws were in there tight until they were taken out the first time. They and other manufacturers who contract with Chinese companies to build some products probably asked to have the screwdriver robots power backed off a little.

Yes, I confirm this behavior on my SK1. To me, retriggering the note(s) seems like the most reasonable thing to do, since I'm holding the key(s) down. Not retriggering would leave you in a weird state where the held notes are still in the original octave, and the non-held notes are transposed. I suppose that could be useful in certain circumstances, but I can't think of one. I don't know if this will work but you might try turning local control off and routing the MIDI Out to the MIDI In so the SK thinks it is being played by an external keyboard. You probably will have to change some of the MIDI settings too. For splits etc. you might have to set up external zones.

There are no user installable acoustic pianos in the Extra Voice library. The only acoustic pianos available are included in the system instruments that are installed at the factory or during OS updates.

Check how you have Favorite Access (Pg. 76 #12) set. You may have it set to Associate so both Favorites Buttons are calling up the same Patch. Locked 1 - 10 may work better or what you are trying to do.

What may help is to bump the Velocity Offset value up some. It can be fairly hard to generate a high velocity value on the SK's and the VO adds a value to the generated value. This can really help bring out the attack and other harmonics. (Pg. 78 #24, Menu Pg. A:Control) Thanks for the help. Is this a global parameter or can this be adjusted on a patch by patch basis? It is a System parameter so it is just set once. It pretty much is intended to be set to match ones usual playing style to the velocity measurement of the processor and then leave enough room for personal touch while playing. Basically you tweak it so that when you hit keys as hard as you want to for full velocity it will generate a full velocity value.

What may help is to bump the Velocity Offset value up some. It can be fairly hard to generate a high velocity value on the SK's and the VO adds a value to the generated value. This can really help bring out the attack and other harmonics. (Pg. 78 #24, Menu Pg. A:Control)

Look in the Patch Menu (Menu Page A, PG. 76). Good luck.

Can you check the pedal to determine if it is a normally closed momentary switch? It is working as if you are holding the pedal closed and then releasing it. The SKs expect a normally open switch that closes when you step on it.

Because if it did that how would it know what you wanted it to do the next time you connected something or you connect it after powering on. The easiest solution may be to have 2 setup files one for a single manual and a second for when you have something attached. Just power on and load the setup that matches the configuration. Besides, if they start reading peoples minds and boot up with the settings people want, people will want them to start playing the notes they should have played and not the ones they actually hit.

When you connected the other keyboard you probably changed the MIDI IN setting, try setting it to sequence. Also, check the troubleshooting tips on pg. 134. When you power on watch the display and make sure it shows SK-1. Pressing Upper and Pedal and powering on tells it it is an SK-1, Pedal and Lower tells it it is an SK-2. Occasionally owners have told theirs it was the other model usually by pressing the wrong buttons when starting an OS update but it can happen accidentally other times as well.

This is the difference between 8.3 and 8.4: HAMMOND SK1/2 Updator Release 8.4 Jul 02, 2014 Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd Updated Files: - mainV1621.sys Updated Areas: - In Tonewheel organ,improved the problem of errors in writing to sound engine by the value of the attack / release parameters. - When Default-Global has run,it improved the problem of errors in writing to Percussion internal parameters. ----------------------------------------------------------- HAMMOND SK1/2 Updator Release 8.3 Apr 16, 2014 Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd Updated Files: - mainV1619.sys - DSPV1009.sys Updated Areas: -To improve the level of LINE output. I think the Hammond US has the 8.4 update they just didn't update the web page.

I think the octave setting in the EV menu only moves the sound up/down within the range set for the SK's keybed. You may have to octave shift what the attached keyboard sends down.

I am curious though about why anyone would want the expression pedal to go to silence. If one wants silence all one has to do is stop playing. If one is playing, why would they want silence. The audience might but that is another topic.

There is no boost to any frequencies. The way the organ works is basically that the full range signal goes through the expression pedal and that the pedal works as a 3 band equalizer. The pedal only reduces the signal and it reduces the three bands unequally. The three expression parameters allow you to adjust the amount those three bands change. Normally at full expression all frequencies are at relatively the same volume. As the pedal is raised (volume decreased) the mid range volume decreases more and faster than the high and low frequencies. In a vintage Hammond when the expression pedal is at minimum it isn't silent. For example, if the mid range volume has decreased to 30% of full volume the highs and lows may have decreased to 45% of full volume. With the expression pedal at its mid point the mid range may be at 60% of full and the highs and lows at 80%. The highs and lows do not have to match in %. In vintage Hammonds this is set and not adjustable. In the SK's and XK's the expression can be adjusted so that the mid range can be adjusted from a little to a lot of change and silence. The amount highs and lows can change in relation to the amount of mid range change is also adjustable. If you want them to go to silence you have to set that parameter other wise they only change in relation to the mid range. The reason it is called an expression pedal as opposed to a volume pedal is tied in with pipe organs but also because the way it works allows the musician to use the pedal to add force/power and emotion to what they are playing. Usually while playing the pedal is held somewhere less than at full expression. As the musician wants to add intensity to the notes pushing the pedal forward raises the volume but it also brings in more mid range which gives more power to the tone. Lowering the volume pulls out more mid range which thins out the sound and weakens the tone.

Do you have the Limit Low and Limit High Frequencies (Pg. 79 #'s 7 & 8) set the same way? The expression pedal is really a 3 band control. The highs and lows change in relation to the mid range. Starting with the pedal floored and all three at full volume the more the mid range changes the more the highs and lows change but it is still less than the mid range changes unless they are all set to go to silent. See the graphics on the right side of pg. 79.

I think the number of people who could make good use of a system that has presets for the Upper drawbars, lower drawbars, Extra Voices, and then also presets for C/V and Leslie etc. because quickly changing upper drawbars would also quickly change the C/V and Leslie etc. would be pretty small. The SK's are intended to be stage keyboards and in general somewhat simple in their execution. Having to remember which combinations of patches and sub patches for each part of a song would be too much work and confusing in general. For the most part I think the intention is pretty much to be able to hit a button and let it rip. For a more organ + extra stuff experience there is the XK-series. For more features the XK series can be set up to do the things you want and then control another instrument/module. In fact the XK-System in conjunction with an SK-1 is fantastic. IMO. It can be a 3 or 4 manual Hammond plus the extra voices. Also, the EV's can be layered with the XK's EVs for even more variety. I use an old Peavey PC1600x slider box to send drawbar info to various manuals and it would be easy enough to program some buttons to send specific drawbar values to change several at once. Also, A small computer/tablet running SoundQuest's MIDI Tools MIDI Mapper or MIDI-OX could do the same.