Brad Kaenel

I see this quite differently. The stand is the same one available for the GrandStage, and is way more robust and than it needs to be to support the 18-lb VC. The crossbar assembly you get is designed specifically to fit the VC (specific holes for the feet and mounting screws), but the corresponding GrandStage crossbar could also be attached -- the vertical poles are tall enough to accommodate at least to two platforms. So you could easily stack both the GS and the VC on this stand. And if a "generic" crossbar assembly was offered, other keyboards could be used as well. In fact, it looks like a generic version of the stand is already available: Sequenz Standard M-SV stand Though I'm not sure who "Sequenz" is, nor why it's more expensive than the Korg version: Korg Standard M-SV stand I agree it's a little fiddly to fold up and transport because of its unusual shape and design; a custom bag would be welcome. Also, the expression pedal you get with the VC is no cheapie. It's a Korg XVP-20 (re-branded as VOX V861). Dual IN/OUT jacks for controlling volume, a trim knob, and the expression jack. Steel construction, and just as robust as an FC-7, if just a skosh narrower. Kudos to Korg for providing $400 worth of quality accessories with the VC. Though I'm sure many of us would still welcome an option to purchase the board sans-extras, at a lower price.

Just set up a new Vox Continental in my office and started my Sweetwater 30-day timer. Will try to answer any left-over questions I see in this thread; if you have some of your own, please post here. It's a very interesting hybrid keybed; not a Fatar TP/8O. It *looks* like piano keys with the little 45-degree corner knockoffs, not square-smoothed organ waterfall. The keys *do* have a lip, but it's no thicker than a sheet of paper; you can barely catch it with your fingernail. But it does cast a slight shadow which gives the illusion of a full piano-key lip when you look at. Obviously intentional, and quite subtly clever if Korg was trying to make pianists a little more comfortable. Semi-weighted, but felted underneath so it doesn't clack badly, and not too stiffly sprung. Different than anything I've ever played, but so far I kinda like it. More to come...

DB, I have a nearly full bottle of Hammond Oil, but no longer have an organ that needs it. PM me your mailing address and I'll USPS it to ya...

Did you mean the Royal Grand 3D? http://www.nordkeyboards.com/sound-libraries/nord-piano-library/grand-pianos/royal-grand-3d

I own this one; love it: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GPG76Slim Gives you 4 extra inches inside to fit your pedal and cables.

Well, it's not exactly the Hollywood Bowl , but the effect is similar. This is probably the best photo of what the Roosevelt Bowl looks like, before the "Junior University Musical Theater" company transforms it in late July: Absolutely; show dates are here: http://www.junioruniversity.org/ Unfortunately, I can't use the SSv3 in performance, the way I used it for auditions. The huge set completely obscures the upstage building and reflective wall, relegating that parabolic "sweet-spot" to back-stage space. The orchestra sits under the trees, on a tiered platform, stage-right. Sound has always been our Achilles-heel, outdoors. Even though we have keys and bass in the orchestra, amps are generally not allowed on the bandstand -- the orchestra plays "live", and the electric instruments are DI'd and mixed into the PA with the vocal mics from the stage, and also to side-fill monitors for the actors. Done!

Started my summer theater season today with vocal auditions at our usual venue -- but what a difference this year with my SSv3... Our company performs in a classic "Greek" amphitheater. It's a large outdoor stage with no proscenium, but it has a tall, curved wall/arch at the extreme upstage, designed to reflect and focus sound out to the audience. The perimeter wall around the seats is rock, the seats are metal, the stage is concrete; hard, reflective surfaces are everywhere in the "bowl". Usually I setup my DP downstage on the lip of the stage, with my speaker next to me. But today I decided to place the SSv3 upstage, right in the sweet-spot of that parabolic arch. Walked back to the keyboard and pounded just a single chord -- BOOM! Wow, stereo sound was just *everywhere*; it filled the entire amphitheater. The SSv3 was the only speaker in the venue, yet it sounded like we had whole PA going. THAT was cool.

Going to see SP live for the first time on Wednesday night! My son bought me tix for Father's Day, so we're going together to the "Belly Up" in Solana Beach. Anyone been to this venue? It would be a gas to get to sit in the middle of the band, like in their latest videos, but I imagine that's probably a rare privilege, reserved for well-planned recording sessions...

Dooooo-doo-doo-doo. Duh-doo, Duh-doo. Wedge it! Wedge it GOOD!

I have the most current ver8 OS. Is there a trick for moving a Patch from one Setup to another? I haven't found a way to save/load individual patches, only setups. Is there a workaround that would allow me to consolidate patches from a couple of different Setups into a single, new Setup? Or to create/save a Setup that doesn't overlay all 100 User settings?

DIY: How to Open the Case of an SK1 for Internal Repair, Etc. Referenced here from the original post: Hammond SK1 - Amputated Knob Restored - DIY Travelogue

Hammond-Suzuki US site now has the SK1/2 OS Release2 posted: SK Support - System page Engrish description of the updates is a bit easier to read than the one on the Japan site...

Connecting to the Leslie 2101 mk2* - 8Pin Cable (* the following applies only to the 2101 mk2; the original mk1 does not accept "stationary" L/R audio thru the 8-pin connector.) The pinouts on the SK's 8Pin connector are: 1 - Rotary audio out 2 - Leslie detection ("sensing" ground indicates the presence of an external Leslie) 3 - audio ground 4 - Stationary L audio out 5 - ground 6 - Stationary R audio out 7 - speed Fast toggle 8 - speed Stop toggle If you want to build your own cable for the 2101, you must cross-wire pins 4-1-6 to 5-3-7 since DIN cables use male connectors on both ends. This gives you a "mirrored" cable that is agnostic to the connectors -- in other words, it won't matter which end you plug into what: 1 - 3 2 - 2 3 - 1 4 - 5 5 - 4 6 - 7 7 - 6 8 - 8 2 2 <-- 4 5 <-- --> 4 5 --> <- 1 3 <- -> 1 3 -> 8 8 <--- 6 7 <--- ---> 6 7 ---> With this cable (or Hammond's identically-wired LC8-7M cable) in place, the SK will deliver three channels of audio (mono organ, stereo "extra voices") and speed-control (stop toggle, fast toggle) to the Leslie 2101 mk2. Making a "Breakout" Cable If you don't have a Leslie 2101 mk2, but still want to externalize the 3-channel audio and speed controls, you'll need to build a cable that goes to ground on Pin 2. If the SK "feels" ground on that pin, it assumes an external Leslie is present, and routes the audio and speed control signals to the other pins on the connector. I have not built such a cable myself, and am probably not sufficiently qualified to do so. I invite the more "electrically gifted" to post complete (and safe) instructions in this space... Configuring the SK to use the Leslie 2101 mk2 Refer to pages 84-86 in the SK "Owner's Manual", and set the "Ext.Leslie" setting to a value of "3"; this selects a 3-channel Leslie (i.e. the 2101 mk2) The "Bypass" Switch Just as with the onboard Leslie sim, your normal playing position is with the Bypass switch OFF. In this mode, the 8Pin connector sends all three audio signals (organ, EV L/R) and the two speed toggles (stop, fast) to the 2101. If you turn Bypass ON, Pin 1 is muted, and the "rotary" audio is rerouted to the "stationary" audio on Pins 4/6. In this mode, the 8Pin connector sends only L/R stereo audio -- the organ and EVs are submixed together, exactly as if you were using only the dedicated L/R 1/4" outs. The speed controls are still active, but useless since no rotary signal is present. (Except for the "breakout" cable, I've tested and verified everything above on my own gear. Thanks to JMcS, B3-er, and Eryk at Hammond-Suzuki for helping me to sort all this out! )

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.