SK-1 and 2 Tips, Tricks and Other Cool Stuff.

[tompass]

Deleted

[resigned]

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/7949_3564920955612_1959570879_n.jpg

 

My SK2 and I from this past Sunday night.

[alapar34]

Hi Everybody,

 

This is my first post. Please excuse me for my poor english I am French People, this forum is the best way to progress on Hammond Sk series.

 

My question is about Software update release 5. ( i dont know if will be better way to create specific post).

 

I have my new Hammond SK2 since 3 weeks, I perform only one Live performance, but I program some (20) user's preset for that.

 

Actually my SK2 is in release 3.

I understand after apply the release 5, all the preset return in factory status.

One guy in France say me , it's impossible to reload a saved configuration ( on usb device) because the structure of internal data are changed too much between release 3 and release 5.

 

Anyone have experience of that, or may be help me to reprogram quickly all my preset ?

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

regards.

 

[JMcS]

I have updated mine each time an update has been released and have had no trouble with setup files. You might install update four first just in case. Save your current setup to the USB drive before doing any update. When a setup file from a previous software version is loaded into an SK that has been updated to a version that adds new menu items, the new items stay at the default settings while all the data from the setup file replaces the rest of the data that is currently loaded.

 

Good Luck.

[alapar34]

Thank you very much JMcS for your quick answer.

 

I will follow your advice in few week.

 

I try to update first in release 4 , then reload my saved configuration (setup in Think ? not Whole ?) If is correct then I will update with release 5.

 

I wait when i will have no live gig during one week to take time without stress.

 

Thank you one more time.

[JMcS]

You're welcome.

 

If you have installed any of the additional libraries and have selected any of the instruments in them to user patches that you have saved you should save the "Whole" setup. This way after you install the update and re-load the setup file those libraries will be there. Saving the whole setup means that all the additional libraries will be saved in the setup file not just the data to fill the menu parameters. In addition, the newer updates also have updated and additional System libraries so if you have a lot of the memory loaded with additional libraries you might remove any that do not have instruments assigned to patches to make sure there is room for the new System libraries.

 

What are the version numbers of the software installed in yours? It is my understanding that version 3 was not used in instruments or released to the public as an update.

 

Good Luck.

[tompass]

I have never seen in the menu option for saving "whole" setup file. I have additional libraries and system 5 installed. How do you select the "whole" option?

[JMcS]

At the "Press enter to save" screen, right arrow to the next screen and change the Type from Setup to Whole. (Pg. 116 #'s 3, 4 & 5)

[digiplay]

Hi Guys!

 

I have received my SK1 and I'm going to give you my 2 cents on it.

 

I use my gear for playing live. I own a Roland Fantom X7 that I use as my main keyboard (I love the Internal Sounds and Expansion Board capability, the Display size and how easy it is to layer and split the keyboard, not to mention its cutting sounds) and I wanted a second keyboard that would give me: #1 most important, the best sounding B3 Organ and Leslie. #2, great sounding Electric Pianos and Clavs. #3, a really good sounding Piano (as I don't use Piano that much, but when I do, the Roland does the job for me).

I also own a Nord Electro 3, a Nord Stage 2 Compact and a Kurzweil PC361 with a NEO Vent. Please note that I wanted a "Master" of a few sounds vs. a keyboard like the Kurzweil that had a ton, and I mean a ton of great sounds, that I didn't really need (not to mention how long it takes to scroll through and hear all the sounds the first time!).

 

So here we go!

 

1) The SK1 Organ sounds better/more realistic than anything I have. The best way to describe it is that it sounds like a "Hammond", whereas the Nord and Kurzweil sound like a Nord and a Kurzweil trying to sound like a Hammond. Obviously the Nord and the Kurzweil sound great, but not like a "Hammond".

2) The SK1 Leslie gives the Vent (which sounds even better than the new Leslie model on the Stage 2) a serious challenge. So close in fact, that I have already sold the Vent, as there's not a $450.00 difference in the sound, if any.

3) The Electric Pianos/Clavs on the SK1 sound as good as the Nord or Kurzweil ones.

4) The SK1 Pianos sound great when playing along with Guitars, Bass, Drums, etc.

5) Action wise, the SK1 feels just right to me, as it is a little stiff (similar to the NE3 and Stage 2), relatively speaking, and I prefer that to the synth action of the PC361.

6) I can split/layer the SK1 into 2 zones, with one of the zones always having to be a Organ, but that's what I wanted in the first place. You can split/layer the Stage 2 infinitely more, but remember that I told you why I wanted a second keyboard to go along with my Fantom X7. The Stage 2 is capable of far more splitting/layering than the SK1, but it exceeds what I need for my second keyboard (not to mention the $1000.00 + difference in price between it and the SK1).

7) The SK1 weighs about 16 lbs., and if you gig regularly, you can appreciate that fact!

 

I won't even get into how deep the SK1 can be edited (as in the different model B3's and Leslies, etc.). I'm just talking about the Factory Sounds as they come on the keyboard.

 

Now I know the Nord Electro 4D is about to come out and that it has the newest B3 and Leslie Models (like the Nord C2D has), but I'm willing to bet that it will still sound like a Nord (not bad, btw) and I'm happy settling with and owning a Hammond! Plus, the NE4D can't be split or layered.

IMHO, Nord should have called it a Nord Electro 3D, as besides the addition of the drawbars and new Engines, it still is mainly a updated/newer version Nord Electro 3 (even though I find it interesting that the NE4D will have a better Organ/Leslie than the flagship Nord Stage 2).

[tompass]

Nice review. Every time I play my SK2, I get a big smile on my face.

[tompass]

You are a life saver. Never noticed that and I thought I had it all covered saving setups on flash drive "just in case." Would have been quite an unpleasant surprise. Thanks.

[digiplay]

Tompass, I feel the same way. The SK1 is the first keyboard I've owned in a l-o-o-o-o-n-g time that just plain FUN to play!

[alapar34]

Hi JMcS,

 

See below the version of my SK2.

 

My SK2 is in this version:

Main = 1.100

Sub = 1.012

Informations = 1.012

DSP = 1.007

BOOT = 1.00

Preset 1.008

Panel = 1.100

A.PIANO1, ...........>.VXJ = 1.100

 

In dont know if it's Realease 2 or 3. I see on the Hammond USA web site the release 3 it's not for public, only for factory

 

 

(SK12Release 3) Factory Use Only (Not for Public Release)

Updated Areas:

- Adapted for reading large size of Voice Library (e.g. Chamber Strings).

- The operation of re-damper has improved.

 

Thanks

[JMcS]

Yours is the initial release (I believe). The Release 2 main program is MainV1102. While you can work your way through them and install each update in turn, I don't think there will be any problem with just installing the Release 5 software. In fact, while each of the updates in between fixed some issues and added some features they also had their own little quirks. Skipping over them will save you some time and possibly some headaches.

 

Also, If possible, try to use a small (1 or 2 Gb) USB drive to install the update(s). Large USB drives had some problems particularly in the earlier software versions. There is information regarding this in earlier posts in this topic. Do a search for SanDisk in the body and JMcS Display Name Search for posts newer than 1 year older than 1 day and you will get a few posts regarding USB drives.

 

Good Luck.

 

Note: There was a Release 1 update with a main program version MainV1082 so it looks like your software is after that but before the Release 2.

[telecaster]

Got my new SK2 and a Leslie 3300 on Friday, had my first gig yesterday Saturday, and I am still smiling, what a nice experience!

I have not had any time to dive into any menus, it was all factory settings and it sounded very good right out of the box.

I am impressed with the epiano and pianos too, I used to gig with a XK3C/Elektro3 HP, but in a bandmix the SK2 pianos sounds every bit as good as the Elektro3, and the organ is more or less the same as the XK3C.

I also really like the new Leslie, lots of power and sounds good too!!

 

I have for years been using and old C3 with a 122, then for a while the XK3C with two manuals, but the 16 kilos of SK2 was too tempting, so much easier to carry around for a 60 year old :-)

 

Two gigs next weekend, I can barely wait, it was so much fun !

[tompass]

I am with you. Traded my C3 for the SK2. There are endless parameters to tweak so have fun. Just save your "whole' setups on a flash drive.

[digiplay]

Could you please elaborate a little more about when you say to save your "whole" setups on a flash drive. What I want to do (if possible) is to take all the Sounds/User Presets I have tweaked and store them to a usb stick. When I perform, I want to plug the usb stick in and read directly from it, not load my Presets from it and overwrite the Factory User Presets.

On my Roland, I simply tell it where to play the sounds from (Internal User Presets, from the Memory Card, etc.). Can I do this on the SK1?

[tompass]

It is a selection you must make when you go to setup. Review the previous messages on this thread.

[digiplay]

Here I go again not asking the question right (sorry)!

On the SK1, do I get a choice of where the sounds I want to play come from (Internal, Flash Stick, etc.)?

[alapar34]

Hi digiplay,

 

see below an extract on page 115 of english owner's manual

 

If you want to save the sound library, too, press the [␣] button to display the TYPE and change the value from SETUP to WHOLE with the [VALUE] knob. Then press the [␣] but- ton and return to the file display mode.

 

I hope to that will hep you.

 

Warning, this type of file save your setup and all sounds of your Skx. May be take very long time for progress.

[tompass]

Once you have saved setups on on flasdrive and after powering up, you can elect to load any particular setup. They are numbered or you can choose to give each setup a name. Then every time you powerup, that setup is in the internal memory. If you want to change what is in the internal/default memory, use menu to go to set up and load in another named setup and that one then becomes the internal/default memory.

[JMcS]

The libraries have to be loaded into the SK-1's memory to be accessible. Voices cannot be played directly from the USB drive. If more Libraries/EV's are needed than the internal memory can hold different "Whole" setup files can be saved and then loaded as needed. The whole setup files contain the non-system installed libraries in addition to the data in the patches.

[resigned]

The libraries have to be loaded into the SK-1's memory to be accessible. Voices cannot be played directly from the USB drive.

 

Pity.

[Lee123]

Could someone tell me how much memory the SK2 should have available to load the additional voices from the Hammond site? I mean before any of the downloaded voices have been installed. The illustration on pages 124 and 125 of the manual show 64M free, but mine only shows 24M. I even loaded one of the new voices and then used the CLEAR ALL LIBRARIES function to make sure mine was empty. I've read here that the newer software releases take more space and I have installed the newest software RELEASE 5. Does it take that much more memory?

[JMcS]

Release 4 added an additional A-Piano library that takes up quite a bit of space. The most recent EV library (Backing Strings) had a full version and a light version so Hammond recognizes they need to conserve memory where possible. The light version has a couple of what they probably think will be the most used voices from the full one.

 

I don't remember what the remaining memory was before I installed Rev. 4. I don't think the memory the OS software takes up affects the Library memory. The total of all the system Library files adds up to 95,090,936Mb.

 

I hope this helps.

[Lee123]

Release 4 added an additional A-Piano library that takes up quite a bit of space. The most recent EV library (Backing Strings) had a full version and a light version so Hammond recognizes they need to conserve memory where possible. The light version has a couple of what they probably think will be the most used voices from the full one.

 

I don't remember what the remaining memory was before I installed Rev. 4. I don't think the memory the OS software takes up affects the Library memory. The total of all the system Library files adds up to 95,090,936Mb.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Thanks. That's certainly more than I knew before. Where did you get the 95,090,936Mb figure? I've spent hours trying to find any information about how much memory this thing has and how much should be available for the library with no luck at all. Google searches just return hundreds of sale listings and reviews but no technical data. This morning i sent a email to Hammond service but I don't know how responsive they are.

[JMcS]

I added up the file sizes of the system libraries in the Rel. 4 update. I just compared it to the Rel. 5 update and the main A piano library is actually a little larger in it so the total file size of all the system libraries seems to be 95,794,004Mb. I forgot that a couple of new voices were added to that library in the Rel. 5 update.

[JMcS]

I have learned that the system libraries and additional libraries do not share the same total memory. The new A piano library and the added sounds to the original library did not subtract from the space available to the additional libraries. I don't know if there is more space still left for growth in system libraries but if there is it cannot be reassigned as additional library space.

[Octopus]

Please join the hammond sk page

 

http://www.facebook.com/HammondSk1AndSk2

[mobi]

For those asking how to connect a Sk1 with a Ventilator and didn't want to make their own cable:

 

Sk1 to Ventilator Cable