rogs

Would something like this do what you need?... https://www.doremidi.cn/h-pd-40.html?fromMid=360&fromColId=104 I've not used that specific unit, but I do have their USB MIDI Host box (UMH-10) and that works well, and is quite nicely put together...

I tried taking piano lessons when I was about 15. By that time I had already learnt to read treble clef, as I already been learning to play clarinet. I found it very difficult to learn to read bass clef. I could read the music for the right hand, but not for the left! As I already found I had a 'bit of an ear' for playing without reading, I became very lazy, and just carried on 'playing by ear' as they say. I always blamed my poor technique on not learning to read, but when I saw this young blind guy perform on TV the other night here in the UK https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0d515hq I realised lack of reading ability was not really the defining factor behind a good technique .. It was just laziness!

Spyra Gyra are great -- although I do wish at times that Jay Beckenstein's tone was bit more in the direction of Paul Desmond ! I think Tom Schumann is brilliant -- and it's nice to sometimes find something where he can show off his own talent to a greater extent.. I thought this was really excellent: ...Although not really what you'd call 'smooth jazz' -- so apologies for the slight thread hi jack!

A real challenge, - even for those folk who are good at this kind of thing- might be to try and de-cypher some of the chords in this arrangement of 'Fool on the Hill': Some magnificent ideas in there (IMHO of course ! )

I thought maybe a Bm6(b5) ?....

I bought one of these when my Kenton went walkabout : https://www.doremidi.cn/h-pd-2.html?fromColId=104 Works well - and cheaper than replacing the Kenton!

I've had this many several times where USB is involved. As you've confirmed the problem disappears when using a MIDI DIN connection it's almost certainly a ground loop problem. ( DIN MIDI is isolated from ground connections). You may get some luck adding filters, but it can be a bit hit and miss. Ensuring there is only one ground connection is generally a more reliable solution. If you do need to use USB MIDI then it's probably best to use that as the only signal ground connection. That will mean isolating the audio signal output from ground. If you have a balanced audio output you can usually simply disconnect one end of the cable screen, leaving the other end connected. But only disconnect a signal ground (cable screen)..... NEVER disconnect a safety ground. Or you can get complete isolation by adding a transformer isolator. I find the ART DTI very good .. or maybe a Behringer HD400 which also works well in my experience, and is cheaper... I believe you can also try and isolate the USB connection ground, but that is likely to be a more expensive solution.... You might get lucky simply adding an RF filter, but it's a less predictable solution....

Yamaha created a new waterfall keybed for their YC61. When they subsequently offered 73 and 88 note versions of the YC range I thought the 88 note would be weighted - that makes sense - but really hoped the 73 note would be a C- C extended version of their new 61 note waterfall. But no, they made that 73 note version weighted as well -- although with a different key bed from the 88? I'm sure they had their reasons?

It seems like most folk agree that the new 'Studio' rotary setting is a real game changer here - I mean it is a lot better! 🙂 Apart from losing the dreadful 'squirly' fast speed, Yamaha have also dramatically improved the stereo spread of the effect. They also seem to have change the standard EQ setting for the RtrA amplifier (less 'peaky' on some hi mid notes?). I've been trying out the new EQ settings added to this firmware, but haven't found anything really exciting yet. What can make quite a dramatic change to some of the organ sounds is an effect that hasn't so far - AFAIK - attracted much attention. Effect no. 35 - 'Harmonic Enhancer'. Not really what it was intended for I suspect, but some settings of the two controls can make a really big difference to the sound. Difficult to describe exactly what the depth and rate controls actually do in this instance -- and it can make a big difference what drawbar settings you've selected to start with - but some settings will produce some dramatic changes! Whether you think the changes are useful or not?...... It can certainly add some real 'bite' to some combinations...

I hadn't realised that at first. The new 'Studio' rotary preset means that the adjustable 'Leslie' parameters now make a lot more sense - and are much more effective than they were on the previous rotary sims. But having set up the speeds, acceleration, etc on one preset I was surprised those new settings were not transferred to my other organ presets. No big deal of course, now that I know. And it might be interesting to adjust horn v. rotor levels according to the voicing for example? I think I shall probably set up the speeds accelerations and decelerations to be consistent. I remember back in the day how much you could vary these on a real Leslie by physically adjusting the actual belt tensions.... Time to try and copy some of my favourite 'real' Leslie settings again....

I don't think so. As I understand it, Yamaha developed their YC61 'waterfall' keybed especially for this project....

Two very short clips HERE One using a Vent. Identical organ set up for both clips - except for the amplifier section of course. 'Studio' output first, followed by the Vent (You can tell the Vent clip is second - the reverb 'spins' at the very end ! ) I would say they're playing in the same ball park now?..... It'll be interesting to try some more EQ 'tweaks' using the new EQ settings..... Not tried that yet.

I've posted a file with a single chord - played with no vibrato or chorus - which switches between the original ('classic') rotary voice and the new 'studio' setting - and then back again to the 'classic'. Both fast and slow. Mp3 file is HERE The change over to 'Studio' - during a fast setting - was done in real time 'on the fly', just by rotating the switch between the 2 voice settings. No other changes at all. It's quite an improvement, IMHO !

It's been quite a long time coming, but the much anticipated YC series firmware update is now out .. See here: https://usa.yamaha.com/support/updates/yc61_yc73_yc88_os.html It seems as if they've listened to their customer complaints about the poor rotary effect, and have offered an additional one.. called 'Studio' Only listened to a few short clips so far, but it does seem to be quite an improvement! Time to update and check it out for myself! Looks like some interesting new 'tweaks' on the FM organs side as well....

Reading these posts reminded me that I still had half a tin of Hammond oil in the shed ... I'd kept it from my days as a Hammond tech in the 1970s.. So I went and found it and took the lid off....... It is amazing how just one sniff of that famous oil instantly brought back a flood of memories! Even back in the day we knew the tone wheel Hammonds were special of course... I'm not sure I ever realised quite how special they would become, 50 years on....

The MIDI spec was published in 1983, so anything before that won't have MIDI. I think Yamaha added it to all Electones from around 1985?... This list is from Europe, so not all models may be relevant in the USA: https://www.imoose.nl/electone

That's what I did, but of course it means that only the top manual uses the YC61 voicing.... The lower manual and pedals need the MOX for voices. Short clip of how it sounds (ignore the bad playing! 🙂 .......) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2r4kNdxWn4

I used the simple MIDI out from my old Yamaha HC2 Electone to control my YC61 and MOX6 . (Upper manual is channel 1 - lower channel 2 - pedals channel 3) Annoyingly, the YC61 only has a single channel MIDI input so it's not an ideal arrangement. I needed to use the MOX voices for lower manual and pedals. I guess the B3X could be more comprehensively connected. I think most Electones from around 1990 - maybe a bit earlier? - all had at least simple MIDI outputs.

I agree - I can see why the YC88 has a weighted keybed, but the YC73 should have been a waterfall - like the 61. I think that decision will cost Yamaha sales... The YC61 organ is better than I first thought.... it's very tweakable, and there are some great sounds to be uncovered within the various amp models, drive options and effects. The Leslie sim is currently awful - and we've now been waiting over a year for a fix! (A Vent has proved to be a saviour for that problem at present.) The use of Yamaha synth width keys doesn't bother me ... not everyone likes them though - and I like the 'feel' of Yamaha's new waterfall keybed. I don't like the feel of Fatar keybeds, so I was not comfortable with the couple of Nords I've had the chance to try. We all have our different preferences...

I too find the Leslie sim on my YC61 pretty pathetic - which is why I bought a Vent to go with it. Huge improvement of course! I like the YC61 keybed. Not everyone does -- partly I suspect because some folk don't like the slight difference is key width (Yamaha have always used 159mm octaves for their synth keyboards, as opposed to the 'standard' 164mm octave used by most other manufacturers). I quite like the keybed action - even for EP or piano. I was very surprised that Yamaha decided to use a weighted keybed for the YC73. The YC88 maybe, but I would have thought the 73 would have been more suited to an extended version of the newly developed 'waterfall' keybed they have fitted to the YC61 -- Still, I'm sure they know best? The organ sounds on the YC61 are amazingly 'tweakable'. Using them with different amp settings, and adding different drive levels and effects like the Harmonic Exciter .. I'm still finding exciting new variations nearly 2 years on ... Now if they can fix the Leslie sim - and maybe add a high trigger? - I think the YC would be a real monster. It's been a year since the last update now .. though I'm still hopeful!

I remember seeing Sondheim on TV once when he announced, rather dryly -- 'I'm going to play you a medley of my hit' He was of course referring to 'Send in the Clowns' -- which he felt was all he would be remembered for, by the wider world. I don't think that is even remotely true. A giant of 20th century music - particularly musical theatre. He will be sadly missed. RIP.

I've used my Sony 7506 'phones pretty much every day for several years. Definitely my favourite headphones! The original earpads disintegrated a while back. I've always thought they were the poorest part of the phones, so I decided to try some decent replacements and went for Brainwavz sheepskin ones. Expensive for ear pads, but worth it, IMHO ( they seem to have sale on at the moment - which helps a bit! https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/small-oval-earpads/products/sony-mdr-sheepskin-earpads ) I like the fact that the Sony 7506s are quite 'bright'. When you get a bit older, you tend to need a bit of help with the higher frequencies! I decided to get a new pair of headphones and tried the Beyer DT770s, but they didn't sound anywhere near as good as the Sony 7506 -- at least not to my old ears!. Even my good old Sennheiser HD25s don't perform as well as the Sony phones for me. So I bought a second pair of 7506s -- Someone had started a rumour a while back that Sony were going to drop the 7506s, so it seemed wise. I have to say it doesn't seem very likely - although Sony can 'move in mysterious ways' sometimes!

The default setting for the footswitch volume is to 'reset' to max with each change of setting. You can change that, so that it retains the current setting even after a live set change.... This is a copy of the reply to that same question on the Yamaha forum: Press [MENU] > 'General' > 'MIDI Settings' > select 'Controller Reset' Change the setting to HOLD. The Foot Controller will now be 'live' (Page 37 in the Owner"s Manual for more details)

No, the CP had had 3 updates since the YC was released -- (OK. one was at the same time as the YC release) CP updates..... v.1.2 : Sept 2019 --- v.1.3: Jan 20 -- v.1.4: Sept 2020 -- v.1.5: Sept 2021 YC updates... v1.01 (bug fix only): April 2020 -- v.1.10: Jan 2021.. That's it ! Sorry, I still think Yamaha are favouring their CP customers - I'm sure they have their reasons?....

Seems like the CP is the 'favourite child' -- again! Since the NAMM 2019 release of the CP, there have been FOUR major firmware upgrades.... Since the NAMM 2020 release of the YC, there has been only ONE significant firmware upgrade... Beginning to think maybe we YC owners might have upset someone at Yamaha?.....