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Motion Sound Pro-3X


lowerhodes

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Anyone have any experience with these? Compact, lightweight and not too much $$$. Never even seen one in person but in theory and on paper it makes sense if it sounds good. I know everybody is crazy about the Ventilator but I want to move some air. Anyone?
Fender Rhodes (x4) / Wurlitzer 200A / NE3 61 / Motif XS6 / Korg SV-1 73
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I like it. I have used one off and on for ever since MS brought out the pro3t - with a Low Pro rotating drum. It is just about infinitely adjustable. You can adjust speed inside the box. When I got mine it ramped up and down too slow for my taste and I was able to adjust it. It's analog and will hum a little; the trick there is not to dial in too much gain. Another must is that you use a powerful amp for the low simulator. It's fun to dial the pro3x in just right. It's loud, too. I have used it with a ventilator on the left channel of the XK3 and the MS Pro3x on the right channel - like 2 leslies.
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
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I had one and liked it. I sold it because I wasn't using it. Like daviel says, you need a good cabinet for the "lower rotor." Unfortunately, the common PAs like the JBLs don't sit under it very well.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I did the exact same thing as Steve!

 

Bought it, didn't like it and offed it a year later!

 

Yamaha C7 Grand, My Hammonds: '57 B3, '54 C2, '42 BC, '40 D, '05 XK3 Pro System, Kawai MP9000, Fender Rhodes Mk I 73, Yamaha CP33, Motif ES6, Nord Electro 2, Minimoog Voyager & Model D, Korg MS10
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same experience as Steve, Moe, and Meisenhower. Paid about $850 for a KBR-M (same top as a Pro-3) tweaked the settings, replaced the h/f driver that went out right after the warranty expired, used felt strips to dampen resonant chassis to cabinet vibrations and finally sold it on Ebay.

 

All in all an unsatisfactory purchase. Should have put that money toward a real Leslie. I've got about a grand in my gig 145 and around a grand in my living room quality, mechanically rebuilt, 50C rewired and recapped by Bob Schleicher.

 

Great object lesson on internet "flavors of the month"

Yamaha CP73; 145 gig Leslie; Nord Electro 61; Oberheim OB3^2; Wurlitzer 200A; Ampeg Gemini I amp; Speakeasy Leslie preamp; QSC K-10

 

 

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I had a pro-3x for two years and also sold it for a ventilator.

My electro 3 sounded harsh and brutal, I used an opera live 405 for the bass.This is a 15 inch woofer.

I changed the speeds and ramp up times.

 

In the mean time I am playing in a rock band and sometimes miss the pro-3x....why ?

 

Because the percussion and chorus was treated in a bad way going through the motion sound.

 

But ''deep purple'' doesn't neeed chorus and percussion.

Without it, playing along with heavily distorted guitars the Motion Sound does feel like a fish in open water.

 

The ventilator is great, but looses defenition in mono, where the pro-3x still delivers.

 

I used to have a Yamaha CP70....thought it sounded so so, only to experience how well it sounded in a rock band setting.

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I own a pro 3T/low pro combination. Also had a VENT which i just sold. I like the sound of moving air and at high volume (which is where i need to be in my extra loud band) the motion sound achieves this. Im not particularly fond of the spinning horn as it often gets lost and doesn't sound like a 122's spinning horn. I sometimes end up mic'ing the horn which also gives me better balance between the horn and the low pro drum or low rotor simulation. The one con from my perspective (and my opinion) about the VENT is that it sounds like a mic'd leslie rather than a natural sounding leslie you'd hear in your living room. Think about a recorded leslie sound and that is what the VENT gives you (in my opinion) rather than the sound of a leslie being in the same room and unmic'd.

 

If i had to start from scratch I would go with a VENT over a motion sound. It's less expensive and much more portable.

57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil Forte7 & PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn

Delaware Dave

Exit93band

 

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BTW, when I sold my MS, my intention was to get a Ventilator. However, the organ playing has dried up a bit for me since, so I can't really justify using anything but the internal sim on my Electro. Also, if I get a Hammond SK or Crumar Mojo or something like that, I'm expecting those internal sims to be more than enough.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I have the Pro-3TM, and LOVE it. I have it dialed where I can get some real analog overdrive from the preamp tube. I run the mike output for the horn into one channel on my mixer, and the low into another. I used to run stereo, and the pan movement of the drum sim was very convincing. Now I'm in mono, and it still sounds great.

 

Yes, it helps to have an amp of some sort with a lot of horsepower for the lows, but with my QSC K10, that's not an issue.

 

One caveat though. I haven't heard a Vent, so I can't compare. I just knoe I love the MS.

 

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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I have the Motion Sound R3-147, which is like a Pro 3 in a rack mounted isolation cabinet. I haven't tried a ventilator, but heard one once live. Best I could tell (in a bar setting) was that the ventilator's fast speed was more accurate, but the ramp up from slow to fast seemed less dramatic than the MS. I've been pretty pleased with the MS, and have yet to hear an electronic simulation that made me want to lose the MS. Its possible the ventilator could change that... dunno yet.

Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio

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I had the PRO3X and never got it dialed in to the point where I fell in love with it. I ended up liking the onboard simulation on my XM2 Module more than the Motion Sound. I sold it, but admittedly hadn't spend hours and hours painstakingly tweaking it. I was sending the bass through my 15" Accugroove cab so it had plenty of firepower.

Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37

 

My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section

https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native

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OK. So the Pro-3x may not be the thing. I won't spend a lot of time and energy tracking one down to try. Thanks to all respondents. How about the Leslie 2101? A lot more dough but it appears to be everything the Pro-3X claims to be and really versatile. Anybody?
Fender Rhodes (x4) / Wurlitzer 200A / NE3 61 / Motif XS6 / Korg SV-1 73
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Where are you on the West Coast? I have some actual older leslies that I might consider parting with, PM me if interested.

 

For my money, the older leslie stuff is the way to go if you want to move air. If you need power, the best thing I have seen are the Bob Scleicher bi amp conversions which are basically a ( modified)sub woofer plate amp on the woofer and the tube amp controlling the switching and the high frequencies.

 

The absolute best Hammond sound I ever heard was Chester Thompson playing a B-3 through one of Bob's leslie modifications. Or many of the classic examples of various people playing through 122's and 147's etc.

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OK. So the Pro-3x may not be the thing. I won't spend a lot of time and energy tracking one down to try. Thanks to all respondents. How about the Leslie 2101? A lot more dough but it appears to be everything the Pro-3X claims to be and really versatile. Anybody?

 

No hands on experience but 2 years ago we played a show at a blues festival with a blues band out of Nashville (Stacy Mitchhart Band I believe was their name) and their keyboard player played an XK3c though a 2101(Just the top part.) He also had 2 of the big Berhringer keyboard amps. From out front he had a good sound.

 

The problem with the 2101 from my warped perspective is that it is 2/3 the cost of a 3300. Personally if I was spending that much money I would go all the way and get the 3300. The 3300 is the best road leslie I have ever played.

 

But if size and transport space if a big issue I would give the 2101 a serious look.

 

A lot guys here swear by the ventathingy.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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I own a pro 3T/low pro combination. Also had a VENT which i just sold.

...

...

If i had to start from scratch I would go with a VENT over a motion sound. It's less expensive and much more portable.

 

A bit confused. Sounds like you were given the opportunity to start over, and take a vent instead of the MS< and you didn't. What am I missing?

I'm just saying', everyone that confuses correlation with causation eventually ends up dead.
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If I were going to spend the money for a 2101, I'd just go ahead with a 3300. If you have portability issues just go with a vent. I try to look for excuses to take out the pro3x with the vent. I like the pro3x but I use it at home fooling around with different set-ups - some of which sound great. Problem is, I cannot justify taking more than the vent on gigs. It sounds great and is just too practical and easy to use.
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
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The 2101 is 2/3 the cost but only 1/3 the size of the 3300. I'd love to have one but I really like being able to fit my entire rig in my car. The other thing specific to my circumstance is that I really only need three sounds (Rhodes / 200A / B3-Leslie) and the rig I have (QSC amp with two Acme B-1's) does a nice job in translating digital emulations of the EP's. Not so much the high end of the B-3 sound so the adiition of a real horn rotor makes sense. I expect the B-1's will be ideal for the low end simulator. That's my story.
Fender Rhodes (x4) / Wurlitzer 200A / NE3 61 / Motif XS6 / Korg SV-1 73
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If you like your overdrive emulation and just want a spinning horn, consider a pro3 (not T, X, or M versions). The original was transisitor only and doesn't make a real Hammond sound very good. But if you already have tube sim you like, the older and less desirable Pro3 gives you the spinny on a budget.

 

A friend of mine uses NE2 -> pro3 and it sounds good enough. A better overdrive sim would work even better.

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I own the older 2101 and then bought the 2121 bass unit. Combined it has plenty of power. Haven't heard the mkII in person but no reason why it should sound too much different ..slightly bigger staionary speakers and a more powerful amp but the horn is the still the same as the original. Best thing to do is track one down and try it out or get one from a place with a good return policy.
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I had the old pro 3 and the pro 3T.

I have now the new pro 3x, that is a world different compared to the old ones.

 

really adjustable.

the internal mic is NOT usable :sick:

 

with a couple of good mics it is really COOL.

I use it with a tube pramp (the Speakeasy AMA or the Electro Harmonix 2be) and you can listen to it in my videos (select higher quality):

 

 

 

 

 

 

:)

 

 

OK, it's not like a REAL leslie (I also have a 3300, that is obviously REALLY different ;) - thanks Jim for your advices! -).

 

But, it is better than any digital simulation (I also have the Ventilator - see my other videos with the Vent - ).

 

A big hug from Italy!

 

Marco

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I own a pro 3T/low pro combination. Also had a VENT which i just sold.

...

...

If i had to start from scratch I would go with a VENT over a motion sound. It's less expensive and much more portable.

 

A bit confused. Sounds like you were given the opportunity to start over, and take a vent instead of the MS< and you didn't. What am I missing?

 

I prefer the sound of moving air. I was also able to sell the VENT for $200 more than I paid for it so selling it was a no brainer. But if I had neither (MS nor VENT) and I had to make a choice I'd go with the VENT.

57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil Forte7 & PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn

Delaware Dave

Exit93band

 

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  • 9 months later...

a little experiment:

[video:youtube]

 

take ONE --- 00:10 :

hammond C3 (1964) direct into Motion Sound Pro3-X (internal mosfet overdrive).

bass rotor simulation into Roland SA-1000

 

take TWO --- 05:57 :

hammond C3 --- Speakeasy AMA tube preamp --- Motion Sound

 

two AKG Perception 420 microphones for the horn;

one behringher B1 for the bass;

zoom h2 for ambience

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  • 10 months later...
I have the 2101 on my VK-7 with the Behringer 3000 under it and love it. I use it in a church setup so I am not driving it hard. Everyone who hears my setup can't believe it comes from these small components. I have the floor pedals on my keyboard so the sound is great. I had a brain fart and bought a Pro 3. Hate it. I have used the real Leslies for years. I am just trying to figure out a way to get rid of it without losing too much money. I bought the 2101 on eBay for a good price so I am really happy.
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