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It was a combination of the CK speakers but also left output into a Bose S-1.

I’ve made a few clips of the Hammond Live Sets I’ve tweaked and saved on my Yamaha CK-61. I’m finding the organ section perfectly acceptable for my use as a lighter and less expensive version of the organ in my Stage 3 Compact.

This is a very good representation of some of the untweaked live set sounds, especially Piano, EP’s & Strings, Orchestra…. Unfortunately not much on the Reface organ section, and Woody used the wheel to try to change Leslie speeds so you really didn’t hear it. The Leslie slow/ fast & Brake are dedicated buttons, bottom left and can be assigned to the sustain pedal or wheel, but not in this case. Later this week I will try to post a video of the Live Set Organ bank that I’ve been working on and used this past Saturday on a gig. The production values won’t be this good but it may answer some questions that some may have as to if the Reface Organ with Rotary A & Rotary B will be “good enough”.

I did PUTP years ago in a band with 1 sax I played the crunchy guitar chords on Clavinet while the guitarist played the signature lines and I used a sax sound to double the melody and play the harmony part at the end of each phrase. And then organ on the extended IV chord before the V#9. It worked.

I called Sweetwater this morning and after talking to someone in the Tech Dept we determined the unit has a faulty speaker. This afternoon as I’m packing up the keyboard to return it I get an email that the replacement has been shipped and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Now that’s customer service, people!

Comparing the actions, the CK61 feels as if once I press and get past a certain point it gets easier to the bottom whereas on the CT S-1 I feel the spring tension all the way down. At least that’s the way my brain perceives it. Neither is a walk in the park for playing piano parts however the little bit of Wurly and Rhodes that I messed with yesterday on the Yamaha felt pretty nice and actually fun.

I took delivery of a CK61 yesterday afternoon and played it around 3 hours. I purchased this keyboard to be a lighter/ cheaper version of my Nord Stage 3 Compact which I love on band gigs as my only keyboard. However I want to play more piano parts on weighted keys and I don’t want to keep bringing my Stage 3 as the top board for bar gigs, etc. Also the CK would be a great option for “living room”: band rehearsals, which seem to be a thing for me now. So far I’ve spent most of the time playing organ sounds and getting familiar with the panel layout. I’ll be using this as a top board over an 88key and 90% of the time playing organ. With the sound off the action is meh…but when triggering organ patches I felt a nice connection. I have a Casio CT S-1 and I found this keybed is easier to play and more enjoyable. It feels like just the right amount of resistance (springs), at least for organ/synth. As noted in an earlier post the keys are a slightly narrower in width than standard so some folks may have trouble adjusting to that. So far I have not. The raw organ tones are ok up to a point. I find that the more you pull out the top 3 drawbars the more harsh and less realistic it becomes. That can be tamed some by the Master EQ but I’m trying to keep from pulling them wide open. I prefer Rotary B which is the Leslie sim plus warm tube-like overdrive. I have never played the Reface Organ but the videos I’ve watched lead me to believe that Rotary A is the one in the Reface. It’s a little more like tremelo than moving rotors but with a little overdrive it’s usable and some might prefer it. The panel UI and layout is pretty intuitive and coming from my experience with Nord keyboards I like it. I’ll spend more time with it today and get a feel for the Piano/EP sounds. I may have to send this unit back. The speakers don’t seem to be working. I noticed it as soon as I turned it on. Speaker switch was ON but still with nothing plugged into the outputs or headphone jack, no sound. Headphone jack and outputs work fine. I emailed Sweetwater this morning.

My CK61 was delivered today Octave separation is 6 1/4” Verses 6 7/16” on my Kawai ES 520. . So yes, the keys are slightly narrower.

My CK 61 gets delivered tomorrow. I hope to make a few videos specifically on the organ section and a general review That’s what I would be using it for 50% of the time.

I have a nearly 5 year old Nord Stage 3 Compact. I’ve never heard anything approaching the clacking noise coming from these YC 61’s. I realize everyone’s experience is different but I pay that much for Nord keyboards partly based on the build quality. I’ve never been disappointed. Just my 2 cents. 😎

Paul McCartney for the win! 😎

This is my set up too, albeit I rarely use the 2nd keyboard.

I preordered a CK61 from Sweetwater. They said they ship to store on April 6. I’ll keep you posted.

This is exactly why I’m looking at the CK-61. I love my Stage 3 Compact as my all in one board but lately I’ve been longing to play piano on weighted keys (Casio PX S-7000) but I’d rather have a real light 61 key with good enough organ, synth and strings than haul around the Nord. I should explain that I’m 72, playing solo piano gigs 80% of the time. The CK-61 also seems to have some real nice acoustic pianos, EP’s and might make my Casio CT S-1 expendable.

I’ve looked over the manual but can’t determine if it’s possible to hard pan the left/right outputs and have all the organs coming out one side into my Ventilator.

There’s a lightly used demo at Sweetwater for $1274.00. Is that a good deal? I’m looking for an organ clone to put over my Casio PX S-7000. Must be under 30lbs and good feeling keyboard for organ. Hoping to spend well under $2000.

Spot on! When tempted to only use internal piano speakers for a gig/ performance I ask 2 questions: 1. Will there be less than a dozen people in the room/area? 2. Are they actively listening or is it a wedding ceremony? If I can’t answer yes to both questions then I’m using a separate speaker. I’ve only had one gig fit the criteria. I have a (small)Roland Cube a Bose S1, (larger) QSC K10 and a Bose Pro 8. and I always keep 1 small and 1 larger speaker in my SUV.

I agree! However that wasn’t the O.P.’s. problem. He can’t keep his keyboards from falling off the Rock n Roller cart and I’m showing it can be done..easily. He may need a bigger cart. For your scenario I’d have a 61 key midi controller over my shoulder and a small 2wheel folding cart with an x stand, Bose S-1 and gig bag bungied to it. How do you navigate said scenario ?

For years I played solo with an iPad Air 2 playing iGrand with a Casio PX 5S. Later I added Korg Module for Wurlitzer and Rhodes. Simple to set up and use and I had the internal Casio sounds as a backup if the worst happened. I have an iPad Air 3 now which still has a headphone out but I only play Ravenscroft piano at home using a Casio PX S-3000. I currently gig with a Casio PX S-7000 so no need to use Piano apps. I like having an older iPad with the headphone out for audio and I use this common connector (below) to connect the keyboard to the iPad and charge it at the same time. Maybe think about a refurbished iPad 2 or 3.

Everything in 1 trip. left to right: *Bose Pro 8 sub *wire bag *2 small step stools * Table type keyboard stand *folding piano bench *rug *Pro 8 towers in bag *Backpack (iPad, mic stand, in IEM’s Mics. *Casio PX S-7000 not pictured- Soundcraft 6 channel note pad mixer over my shoulder.

From Saturday’s Keb Mo’ show at Parx, Bensalem, Pa. Dane Farnsworth on keys sounded stellar and the whole show was wonderful. The black keyboard facing the audience was definitely a shell with I’m guessing the Nord Grand. I saw an overhead shot on the big screen that revealed red end caps. That, plus the shape and the distinctive, familiar sound of one of the Nord upright samples makes it a safe bet.

If you want a good padded bag this Casio works well. I had an RD 88 for a year and since I’m the only one moving it and transporting in my SUV it was enough protection and kept the weight down. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SC800Bg--casio-carry-case-for-px-s1000-3000