The best "hammond clone" out there...

[Mike Martin]

So how do you guys think the software clones fair to the hardware clones?

[mate stubb]

So how do you guys think the software clones fair to the hardware clones?

 

Actually, the hardware/software line is becoming quite blurred.

 

Software has equalled or surpassed hardware very recently. IN SOUND, that is. Hardware has the interface which makes it possible to actually play organ as a musical instrument.

 

In spite of my occasional rants about Hammond the company, I think their XK system is currently top of the heap for hardware in the US.

 

Diversi may give them a run for their money, but we shall see.

 

KeyB and Hamichord are the other two outstanding hardware instruments, but only Europeans can currently enjoy them.

 

Diversi and KeyB use a general purpose computer running an updated version of Beatrix organ software. Hamichord uses a general purpose computer running your choice of B4II or VB3 software.

 

IMO the wave of the future is a dedicated single or double manual midi controller driving organ software. It will allow much faster update cycles and bug fixes, and (in the case of open source Beatrix) allow for customization.

 

I don't see the dedicated hardware makers like Hammond, Clavia, Roland etc being able to keep up with that development pace. The leslie sims in the Diversi/KeyB and VB3 are already surpassing the one from Clavia, both in tone quality and control of the minute aspects of the sound like mic placement, cabinet resonance, etc etc.

[richwhite9]

I think the hybrid like the XK-3C (with the new and improved midi computer controller capability) is more likely.

 

The Hamichord sells for nearly 4K US (2400 Euros). There are many options at that price and lower including a Receptor w/ both VB3 and B4 and a Korg or XK-3c as a controller.

 

I think DanS tried the Korg as a B4 contoller and it worked well and the drawbars mapped to B4. The hardware manufacturers are better poised to capture the controller market by tweaking their existing products.

 

Doesn't mean they will of course.

 

Hammond's recent ads are pretty good:

 

>> Imagine a Hammond Organ that can link up to your outboard MIDI rack or MAC BOOK / LAPTOP and become a MIDI controller <<

 

 

 

[mate stubb]

The Hamichord sells for nearly 4K US (2400 Euros). There are many options at that price and lower including a Receptor w/ both VB3 and B4 and a Korg or XK-3c as a controller.

 

True, but it's hardly fair to compare a dual manual keyboard with an absolutely authentic layout to a single manual clone.

 

To get that, you would have to go with an XK system (over $4k), or the Diversi (even more), or find a used and rare Korg or Roland double manual.

[Musicale]

Yeah,

 

I've got my B3 and two Leslies in a shop for complete refurbishing. In two weeks the job will be done. I guess some guy's have their Harleys and some have their B3's. Anyway I still have to shop for a portable. The nice thing about the original is that there is really nothing to tweak. You get to spend more time playing !

 

Thanks all for your comments, They have guided me well.

 

Regards

[Barryjam]

Steve F:

 

The review comparison I want to see is XK-3c vs. Diversi DV-Solo.

[eric]

I am glad so many of you like the Hammond stuff. It seems you can't say anything bad about The Electro on any forum without people getting pissed off. Usually the Hammond stuff get's bashed, especially over at Harmony-Central. Two top techs I know were testing the Hammond last week through different Leslies and tweaking the sounds and loved it.

 

Jason, if memory serves, you're the one that gets pissed off whenever other people talk positive about the Electro. I've not seen too many people bashing Hammond (I love Hammond myself) but have seen plenty of Electro bashing.