HSS

Yup, figured out the boogie-woogie bass line, but never got past the I chord. C E G A Bb A G E C E G A Bb A G E etc repeated until my mother told me to stop. Now that you both say it, yeah that was the first thing I picked out by ear on a piano. Blues in C chords (taken from guitar), pentatonic blues scale, walking bass.Same here. When I was about 13-14, I learned 1-4-5 blues in C by ear with a walking bass line, dominant 7th's, and blues pentatonic scale. And I still like playing 1-4-5 blues in C, with G and F slightly behind. As long as you play from your heart, simple can be good. I pretty much play by ear now, only occassionally resorting to charts if I'm in a hurry and dealing with songs with complexity.

I just tried VB3m again on my Numa Compact 2x from my old Iphone 6s. After flipping the app's switch for inverting the drawbar midi cc's, VB3m worked great. When I had some problems getting the Numa Compact 2x's drawbars configured a couple of days ago, I probably screwed something up because I was in a hurry to go for my second Covid jab. I plan to try VB3m on my NE5d and SK1 over the next couple of days. My take is that even though VB3m is not as robust / flexible as IK's B3-X, at a $14 price point, this may cause IK to drop its price for B3-X. Competition is good, especially for a cheapskate like me.

I just picked up the IOS version a few minutes ago and briefly played it off an old Iphone 6s from my Numa Compact 2x and it worked great with negligible latency. Presumably like you (?), I flipped the switch in the app's settings for inverting the midi cc's for the drawbars but it didn't work for me on my Numa Compact 2x. I'll play with it more later when I have more time. Regardless, IMO VB3m is a good deal for just $14.

I agree. This is why I bequeathed the new Ipad Pro we purchased last year to my son. In the meantime, until I'm forced to change, I'm sticking with my second generation Ipad Pro and Iphone 6s because I like the option of having the headphone jack out. I would add that buying new peripherals everytime Apple changes connectivity can be an expensive habit.

Besides what's strictly subjective, I think some of the variability in how people rank these boards is that different players can care about different things (possibly also related to their musical styles, e.g. jazz players may care more about different attributes than rock players, etc.). So for example, I care more about overdrive, leakage/crosstalk, key click, and percussion than I do about chorus/vibrato. Others are much more concerned with the CV than the overdrive or key click. I preferred the Nord over the SK1 largely because of the overdrive. My favorite built-in rotary effect is the Numa Organ 2. No board has the best of everything. (I haven't actually played a Mojo, though I have played VB3 elsewhere... and yes, it is quite good.) Of course the real B3s and Leslies we're emulating varied in some of these attributes as well! Just as an aside, the Numa Compact 2X overdrive/rotary is not nearly as good as in the Numa organs. All good points... I don't use much overdive, so the SK1's overdrive issue doesn't concern me much. C/V and percussion are what I use the most, hence my bias.

What version of IOS are you running? Our 2nd generation Ipad Pro is running 14.4 and our Iphone 6s is running 11.4 and both run Ravenscroft flawlessly with a buffer of 512. We have an older Ipad from 2012 with IOS version 9.3.5 and Ravenscroft makes periodic crackling noises on it no matter what I do with the buffer, polyphony, sustain, etc.

I had an XK1 and migrated to an SK1 in 2012. As previously noted, I found the basic B3 emulation of the SK1 and XK1 to be very similar with the SK1 having a much better Leslie sim and more tweakability than the XK1, including the ability to load custom settings from Jim Alfredson and others. I swapped out the XK1 for the SK1 mainly due to the SK1's smaller size, its improved Leslie sim, and its extra voices which are gig worthy enough to be used in a pinch. I would add that the SK1's action is more springy and IMO not quite as light, fast, and B3-like as the XK1's. Having said this, the SK1's action is still pretty good for B3 chops,

I've had an MX88 for a couple of years and have had no problems with it. I don't own the MODX8 but have spent some time with it. IMHO the MODX8 is obviously a much deeper board with better sounds and editability than the MX88, but I find the MX 88's 'archaic' 90'ish user interface to be more immediate and intuitive for simple live use, despite the MODX8's flashy touch screen. Maybe this is because I'm a lazy old fart who isn't keen to learn the intricacies of a fancy new board. Even though the MX88's sounds are dated, IMO its basic meat & potatoes sounds are still gig worthy. If I need better AP's, EPs', B3 , etc. sounds I can just use the MX88 as a controller for my iPad or Nord5d. I would add that I've played around at home with the free Vycro MX software editor and you can actually use it to build some pretty complex performances with multiple splits and layers that can then be loaded into the MX88 (or the MX49 or 61). However once loaded they're pretty static and non-editable on the board itself. Having said all of this, I'm still thinking about upgrading from the MX88 to either a MODX8 or Kurz PC4 (or PC4-7). But I may decide to hang with the MX88 for awhile, because for the basic old school blues, soul, R&R, and country gigs I mainly play, the MX88 is fit for purpose.

I'm over 55 with a medical condition (mitral valve prolapse) so I met the current eligibility requirements here for vaccination in Nevada. As a result, I received my first shot this past Thursday at a Walgreen's here in Las Vegas. I received the Pfizer vaccine and experienced no ill effects. I was told to come back on April 15th - April 22nd for my second shot. FWIW... I was told that I'll have to wait until the April 14th to schedule my second shot online. The reasoning behind not scheduling my second shot on the spot or not allowing me to schedule it online before April 14th is not clear. On April 5th, all adults in Nevada will be eligible to be vaccinated, so I'm glad I started vaccination process before the thundering heard queues up.

A few months ago I almost bought a cheap clone (LyxPro SPA 5.5) of a Behringer B205D hotspot monitor, which in turn is a clone of the Mackie SRM150. https://www.amazon.com/LyxPro-SPA-5-5-Speaker-Amplifier-Powerful/dp/B01IFIEHPM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lyxpro+spa+5.5&qid=1616558603&sr=8-1 I decided to spend some $$ and picked up a TC Helicon SingThing instead which is a powered hotspot monitor loaded with vocal effects. It's fun; I can sound like the Vienna Boys Choir, Barry White, and Donald Duck when I sing through it.

I started out playing piano as a kid and migrated to drums to meet girls when I was 13 - 14 years old in Missouri in the early 70's. I continued playing drums through college in Missouri as an undergrad geology student during the late 70's, playing gigs on weekends, mainly with country and R&R bands. The gig money helped cover my tuiton and room & board. I finished grad school in 1982 and accepted a job as a petroleum geologist in New Orleans. Living in New Orleans and being inspired by Fess and Booker, I started playing keys again along with drums, but only for my own enjoyment as a weekend warrior. I gave up playing drums seriously in the mid 80's because I struggled with those funky Caribbean-influenced New Orleans grooves. For a back beat drummer from Missouri, those New Orleans grooves, like Reggae, are inside-out. Realizing my limitatitons as drummer, at that point, in the mid 80's,I started focusing on keys which is where I'm still at today. I finally sold my old 1971 Ludwig Probeat drum kit with original Paiste cymbals for some serious coin a couple of years ago. I still have an Alesis Nitro Mesh electronic drum kit that I play at home and record a little with. I find that being a drummer helps me on keys with meter and dynamics as well as playing in the pocket with the rhythm section. I would add that, IMHO, becoming a mediocre drummer who can slime by in most bar gigs is easy. Becoming a high-level versatile drummer is possiby one of the most difficult things to accomplish in music. As such, I have the utmost respect for excellent drummers.

I'd add the MC5 as a mid to late 60's "proto-punk" band hailing from Detroit. The MC5's Kick Out the Jams was the first song I played with a band on drums in my friend's basement in 1971. You are absolutely correct in that ascribing the ultimate origin of about any genre of Western music that has evolved since the phonograph record and radio were invented is a difficult if not impossible task.

I don't know if he'll end being another Art Tatum but Jesus Molina has some serious chops, especially for someone so young. [video:youtube]

"Jazz isn't dead. It just smells funny.' - Frank Zappa In all seriousness, just like any other genre of music, there's free jazz I like and free jazz I dislike. IMHO music doesn't require an "explanation". If it feels good, go with it. Who knows, there might even be some Tuvan throat-singing tunes I might like if I took the time to explore that genre. I went to an Ornette Coleman "free jazz" show in St. Louis in about 1980. I was mainly a rock drummer at the time and I remember digging the show because some of the tunes had a really funky vibe with a drummer and percussionist who were turned loose and played their azzzes off. WRG to fusion jazz, (e.g. Mahavishnu, Return to Forever, Weather Report, etc.), which is IMO is very different from "free jazz", I am a huge fan.

I picked up a pair of Eon G2 15's when they first came out in 2000-2001(?). I kept them until a couple of years ago when I finally sold them mainly because, like others in this thread, I got old and wanted to downsize the load. The Eon G2 15's were built like tanks and I never had an issue with them after playing several hundred gigs, including a couple outside in Texas Gulf Coast rainstorms. They were not as high-fi as some of today's powered speakers but IMO they still sounded good and really cut through in a loud live mix.

Yes. If you don't want to plug headphones in, page 6 in the NC2x's Global Edit menu has an option for turning internal speakers on or off. Good point! I didn't check the manual. Thank you IMHO the manual could be a little more clear on this issue. I just checked my NC2x and on page 6 in Global Edit there are three options for the onboard speakers: "Auto", "Aux", and "Off". "Auto" has the onboard speakers on unless headphones are plugged into the headphone /aux output, in which case the speakers turn off. "Aux" keeps the onboard speakers on and lets you use the headphone /aux output as an extra output along with the right and left outputs. "Off" turns the onboard speakers off while keeping all of the outputs active.

Yes. If you don't want to plug headphones in, page 6 in the NC2x's Global Edit menu has an option for turning internal speakers on or off.

How about the tiny Alesis Nanosynth 1/3 rack module with sounds from the late 90's Alesis QS series? http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/nanosynth.php The Nanosynth is old but, per the OP's requirements, IMO it's still got decent pads, strings, and synth sounds that are gigworthy. I occasionally used the Nanosynth about 10 - 20 years ago, first with a Hammond XK2 and then, later, an XK1 for extra sounds. It fit easily on top of both of those boards with room to spare. I recall that a fair number of the Nanosynth's 512 sounds, including various pads, strings, and synths, could be directly accessed from knobs on the front panel. I sold the Nanosynth a couple years ago for $125 on Reverb. I was surprised that it sold so fast, in just a day or two. I kind of regret selling it now. In any case, the OP might be able to find a Nanosynth for the same price or cheaper.

It happened to me in 1998 at a gig that was videoed. I posted a video of the event at KC several years ago. In case some of you didn't see it, here it is again with the x-stand collapse at ~30". [video:youtube]

I've had the RD300gx ,the SP6, and currently have a Yamaha MX88, which has a similar GHS action to the MODX8. I agree with the previous comments about sounds, interfaces, editing, etc. and would add that the SP6 has a shallow trigger point in KB3 mode that makes it overall a little better for playing organ than the MX88 and RD300gx. Interestingly enough, despite the SP6's action being overall better for organ playing, I specifically found that two-handed fast percussive licks are a little bit easier for me to play on the MX88 compared to the SP6. I'm not sure why; perhaps the MX88's return is faster and/or it's related to my playing style having been a drummer for many years. Overall I slightly prefer my old RD300gx's action over both the SP6's and MX88's, maybe because I was used to it having played it for so many years. Having said this, for my playing style, IMO there is not a significant difference in action between the SP6, MX88, and RD300gx. I would add that the MX88 has a low output level compared to the SP6 and RD300gx (and the rest of my boards). I think the MX88's low output level is an issue common to many Yamaha boards, possibly including the MODX8. I've increased the MX88's output by 6db using its internal 5 band EQ. If it's an issue on the MODX8, it should be easy to correct. I sold the RD300gx for similar reasons to the OP. I sold the SP6 rather than the MX88 mainly because the MX88 has better connectivity (e.g. built-in audio interface, aux in, etc.). I am tentatively planning to upgrade from the MX88 to either a PC4 or MODX once COVID recedes. I also have the RD88 on my radar screen.

I still like how the old Triple Strike and Motif pianos sit in band mixes better that some of the newer more "realistic" high-end sampled / modelled pianos. In this context, I'm anxious to hear reports from folks who've actually used the SK Pro's piano at a band gig. If the piano sits good in a band mix in mono, which is how I play, and the action is similar to the SK1's, which I already have, I might sell my SK1 and NE5d and jump on the SK Pro train. I'm already OK with the SK1's EP's and clavs so if the SK Pro's are better that's a plus. WRG to Nord piano samples, there's a lot of them to choose from and for me it's hit or miss for which ones work best in band mixes and in mono. Some work well for me (e.g. White Grand, Studio Grand 2) while others don't (e.g. Italian Grand, Grand Lady D).

I have a NE 5D and I wish it routed the monitor in to the normal outputs like the 6d. I've wondered if my 5d could be rewired to do this for a reasonable cost by a good tech. Of course, I'm assuming it's a hardware rather than a software issue.

I play a lot of blues as well and don't use much organ overdrive which is worse on the Compact 2x than on Nord 5d. I also don't use the Leslie sim much, using it mainly a little at the end of organ solos or holding background organ pads with my left hand while doing piano raindrops or comping piano with my right hand. As mentioned previously, the Compact 2x's poor Leslie sim can be mitigated when its C/V is on, which is not a big problem problem for me since I usually play with C/V on anyway. If I played more hard or progressive rock, I'd be a lot more concerned about the Compact 2x's poor overdrive and Leslie sim. One other little niggle for the Compact 2x's stereo AP's is that it does not sum to mono, which initially concerned me because I usually play band gigs in mono. I just use the Compact 2x's right output or I sum to mono with a keyboard mixer (or mono summing DI) and the Compact 2x's AP's sound fine in a band context. The keys of the Numa are a little longer than the keys on the Nord (at least a quarter inch), but they also get stiffer to play toward the rear whereas the Nord keys are more consistent from front to back. I agree about the Compact 2x's keys becoming a little stiffer towards the back, perhaps because of how skinny the Compact 2x is and its consequent reduced pivot length (?). But I'm not sure if and how pivot length factors into SW keyboards, unlike fully-weighted hammer action keyboards where it's a critical component. In this context, it would possibly be useful if someone could do systematic measurements of key length, key weight, pivot length, etc. on SW boards similar to what's been done on fully-weighted hammer action boards. Despite the above variation in key stiffness issue, I can play piano or organ licks good enough on the Compact 2x to get through the mainly blues and blues rock-band gigs I play without difficulty. Of course, with Covid, my gigs pretty much ended last spring after I had just played 2 or 3 with the Compact 2x. Overall I find that AP and EP licks are a little easier or me to play on the Compact 2x while organ licks are little easier for me to play on the Nord 5D 73 (which may have similar action to the Nord Classic Compact). Having said this, because action and feel is highly subjective, what works for me may not work for someone else.

Ironically enough I went down the same road as you about a year ago looking for a board under $700 with your same criteria (73 plus keys, decent AP's, EPs, B3 clone and synth engines). After a lot of research, including looking at most of the alternatives mentioned in this thread, I landed on the Numa Compact 2x. I picked mine up B-stock for ~$600 (including tax and shipping). I also have Nord 5D 73 and, even though the Numa Compact 2x's sounds aren't quite as high quality, they're probably as good as your older Nord Stage Classic Compact, The bottom line is that I'm happy with the Compact 2x, especially at the price I paid. I would add that Compact 2x has some additional features and capabilities which I wish my much more expensive Nord 5D 73 had (e.g. better synth engine with pitch bend and mod, USB midi / audio, onboard speakers). I also like the Compact 2x's action better than the Nord 5d's; it's less springy and better for piano playing. On the downside, the largely plastic build quality of the Compact 2x is not in the same league as the Nord's. But if you're not on the road and carefully handling your own load in /out this shouldn't matter as much. The Compact 2x's internal leslie sim is not nearly as good as the Nord 5D's but it's OK for gigging with a loud band if the C/V is on. Also, when I'm playing organ on the Compact 2x, I sometimes miss the shallow trigger that's present on the Nord 5d. Having said the above, given your critieria and budget constraints, IMHO I don't think you will go wrong if you pick up a Numa Compact 2x for around $600.

I agree about the DXR10 mk2's. They're excellent but they're pretty expensive (~$700 each). The OP might also want to consider picking up a pair of Yamaha DBR10's which IMO are tonally similar to the DXR10, about half the price, lighter (~23lbs), and with less power (129db vs.132db max spl). I have a DBR10 and really like it.