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

[JMcS]

Jim, do you use the 2UBE with stock tubes?

 

Yes. I've been meaning to try other tubes in it because I understand the stock tubes are not that great but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

Update: I bought a set of ElectroHarmonix 12AX7 tubes to replace the stock SovTek tubes that came with the EH 2ube stereo preamp pedal. Didn't seem to make any difference.

 

Try old 50's/60's era tubes.

[resigned]

Jim, do you use the 2UBE with stock tubes?

 

Yes. I've been meaning to try other tubes in it because I understand the stock tubes are not that great but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

Update: I bought a set of ElectroHarmonix 12AX7 tubes to replace the stock SovTek tubes that came with the EH 2ube stereo preamp pedal. Didn't seem to make any difference.

 

Try old 50's/60's era tubes.

 

Is that what they use in the XK-3c? That's all I really want is my SK2 to sound like my old XK-3c. Tell Hammond I want an XK-3c tube preamp in a box.

[JMcS]

No, they use what they can get which is new production tubes. New production tubes tend to sound fizzy when overdriven (IMO). This is compensated for a little in the XK-3c by blending some of the clean signal with the overdriven signal. As the overdrive is turned up the amount of the clean signal is reduced and eventually is gone.

 

The XK-3c overdrive sounds much better (again IMO) with old 50's/60's era tubes. Current manufacture tubes tend to roll off the highs and lows some as they are pushed. Old tubes don't do that. As the distortion increases the original frequencies remain.

 

I don't know anything about the 2ube so can't guarantee old tubes will have an audible difference but anything I've tried old tubes in has sounded better with them. Some old tubes sound better to me than others and no 2 tubes will sound exactly alike.

 

 

[Jefsong]

I absolutely love this thread! Very helpful as I just purchased an SK2. I wonder why this isn't a "sticky".

 

I haven't decided if I am going to get the half moon switch but I was wondering if any one has had any luck with triggering the leslie via a midi control like a mod wheel from another keyboard? I use the SK2 on top of my S90ES and the leslie is a bit far away to reach and I don't want to use a foot switch. Thanks.

[JMcS]

Take a foot switch and modify it or get a small doorbell switch to replace the actual pedal with and mount it near where you want it with velcro.

 

If you don't need to use the octave buttons for that purpose they can be assigned to control the Leslie speeds as well as glide (pitch bend) and a few other things.

[Jefsong]

I like the doorbell switch idea. Have you done this?

[JMcS]

I found a spring loaded momentary toggle switch that I mounted in a small box and attached to the front of my old Hammond M3 where a half moon switch would go. I connected it to the XK-3c foot switch jack and it controls my Leslies. I only have to hit the toggle with the left side of my hand to change speeds or hold it for a second to stop them. I also made a splitter box to to have the switch control both Leslies directly but sometimes the loop caused the Leslies to get out of sink. Letting the XK-3c and 11 pin Y cord and cables handle it is more reliable.

[Jefsong]

Thanks JMcS. I didn't realize how easy this is to do.

[JMcS]

The toggle switch I found was a Switchcraft switch. I couldn't find a picture of it - i found it at a local electronics parts/surplus store and don't know how old it is. The type of switch is like this:

 

http://www.switchcraft.com/productsummary.aspx?Parent=527

 

I modified it a little so that the toggle wouldn't hang up - I straightened out the tab at the top that held it in place. IIRC if it was moved in one direction it was momentary but if moved in the other it could be pushed far enough to lock. Also, the toggle is metal.

 

Good Luck

[JMcS]

There is a new library for the SKs available - Electric Bass

 

http://tinyurl.com/SK-1Libraries

 

Click on the box to the left of the one labelled "Special"

 

Here is the ReadMe file:

 

Hammond SK Voice Library

VL-SK016 "Electric Bass"

 

This voice library provides the sounds of electric bass guitar.

 

Finger Bs Jz:

The "J" type electric bass with round wound strings played by forefinger.

It sounds normally on the below of the middle C. And it sounds harmonics above (they are same as following instruments).

 

Finger Bs Pr:

The "P" type electric bass with round wound strings played by forefinger.

 

Pick Bs Jz:

PickLng Bs Jz:

The "J" type electric bass played by pick with palm mute.

There is longer release time variation which named "Lng" for repeated notes.

 

Pick Bs Pr:

PickLng Bs Pr:

The "P" type electric bass played by pick without mute.

There is longer release time variation which named "Lng" for repeated notes.

 

Slap Bs Jz:

The "J" type electric bass played by slap style.

As additional feature, it sounds slide and slap mute on the below of "low-B".

 

Finger Bs+Cyms:

Finger Bs+Ride:

"Finger Bs Jz" with ride cymbal.

It sounds pedal hi-hat cymbal, crash cymbal(low range), and snare drum(high range) with played harder. The "Finger Bs+Ride" sounds ride cymabal only.

 

Finger Bs+HH:

PickLngBs+HH:

"Finger Bs Pr" with closed hi-hat cymbal.

It sounds snare drum and crash cymbal with played harder. The "PickLngBs+HH" sounds pick bass instead of finger bass.

 

Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd.

 

[Aussie_Chicago]

Ok, Ive just read the whole tips and tricks thread, so what I want to be able to do is this-

Run a dry organ sound from the 8 pin cable , with bypass switched on, ie no internal sim in signal. And have the EV's run seperately from the 1/4 outs.....just so I get this right, I figure I can use pin 1 and pin 3 from the 8 pin cable and wire it to a standard 1/4 plug, and switch the leslie control settings to 1 channel , would this be correct ? I want to run the dry organ signal to a footswitch pre amp that controls a 147, and send the EV's stereo signal to a powered monitor.

Ive looked at the diy for the vent, maybe I should just do this and just use the audio cable for my purposes, and dont use the trs side of it to control speed which I don't need, as I don't have a vent.

Also, where are you guys getting the supplies / cables for this diy ?

[Dgas]

I used the following 8 pin din cable to build an interface to my Leslie 145. I modified an XM-47 Leslie interface box so I could control the 145 fast/slow speed using the SK Leslie control buttons. I built another cable to interface to a Vent (I bought 2 cables, same source). Cut the length down to avoid noise issues on the signal line (it is a 25' cable). All 8 din pins are wired out to the cable, just pick whatever pins/wires you need to wire to your preamp box. Great price considering the din plug is pre-wired.

 

 

http://www.mojotone.com/clearance/8-Pin-Din-to-Pre-Tinned-Shielded-Cable-25-Ft-Special#.UiOT0_fD9lY

[HAMEGZ]

Ok, Ive just read the whole tips and tricks thread, so what I want to be able to do is this-

Run a dry organ sound from the 8 pin cable , with bypass switched on, ie no internal sim in signal. And have the EV's run seperately from the 1/4 outs.....just so I get this right, I figure I can use pin 1 and pin 3 from the 8 pin cable and wire it to a standard 1/4 plug, and switch the leslie control settings to 1 channel , would this be correct ? I want to run the dry organ signal to a footswitch pre amp that controls a 147, and send the EV's stereo signal to a powered monitor.

Ive looked at the diy for the vent, maybe I should just do this and just use the audio cable for my purposes, and dont use the trs side of it to control speed which I don't need, as I don't have a vent.

Also, where are you guys getting the supplies / cables for this diy ?

 

 

the correctly wired 8 pin plug will automatically disable the internal rotary sim, and have fast slow connections to as tereo 1/4 jack.

 

Unless you want it all in one box, you can fabricate the circuit just for the organ output and speed, and just come off the SK s L and R jacks for your EVs, there will be no organ there

 

there is another thread listing the part numbers and supplier, and schematic or at least the pinout.Dont make the mistake I did and assume the 8 pin DIN is numbered in order circular, it isnt

[wd8dky]

Quick question on the voice library additions: has Hammond added a flute, or any other woodwinds to date?

 

Thank you.

[Tonysounds]

Definitely flute. (I have it on my SK1.) VERY useable.

[wd8dky]

Thank you, Tony.

[Jefferzs A]

Jeff Aucott (G.B.)

How can I get a good B3 sound by using the Leakage Sound better + more prominent...? ..(see P87 in the owners manual)

Any thoughts on this...any advice you can give me would be great.

Jeff SK1 / Leslie 21 Mk 1 / Traynor K4

[JMcS]

The best way is to just start tweaking them to dial in the sound you are looking for. If you have or have access to a local Hammond that you like try using it to match each digital tonewheel to the corresponding tonewheel in the vintage Hammond.

 

The XK-3 Yahoo group:

 

http://tinyurl.com/XK-3YahooGroup

 

has two setup files with tweaked 'wheels. One in which I dialed out some of the leakage and motor rumble to get a strong fairly clean signal - what I think may be what a Hammond was intended to sound like the day it left the factory (so it may not be what you are looking for). And another setup file with a set dialed in to sound like someone's Hammond CV after the sound goes through his Leslie 44W. So Leslie amp noise and other changes to the tone are also dialed in (but no motion).

 

There may be other setup files available elsewhere.

 

Also, there is a PDF in the XK-3c and XK-3 Tonewheel Bank folders that describes the process I used to tweak the tonewheels in those instruments. The process would be pretty much the same for the SK's. As I mentioned, I dialed leakage and rumble out while tweaking for the strongest signal (you will hear this when you start tweaking) but it could easily be done to dial more noise in.

[Jefferzs A]

Thanks JMcS for your quick reply...

I use a few different B3/C3 patches on my SK1 and I had another patch with super B3 sound which included the leakage noise and key click...but the leakage noise disapeared at a gig one night and I have never been able to replicate it since.

Over the last couple of days I have done by best to 'get my great Jazz/Blues sound back' but to no avail...

I have tried to get my sound back with the following..Ref is from P87 in the SK1/2 Owners Manual CUST.TW (Custom Tone Wheels).

Custom Tone-Wheel set BType2

WITH Custom Number -'Noisy 60' -supposed this is with the louder leakage noise...

But It just does not work for me !

Any more suggestions will be gratefully accepted !

Regards..Jeff Aucott

(jeff.aucott1@btinternet.com)

 

[JMcS]

If you haven't saved patches after changing the default tonewheel set, you should be able to scroll through the patches until you hear the set you liked. The Preset patches can't be changed so if you accidentally changed one of the User patches scroll through the Preset patches and when you find the sound you want save it to the corresponding User patch #. Also, check the Overdrive, it may have been on originally but got turned off or just down. That will affect the noise in the tone. Some of the effects such as the Ring Modulator etc. can also add noise.

 

Try saving your current setup so you don't lose changes you want to keep and then do a reset. That should return everything to the original state so you can go through the patches and find the tone you lost. Go through the patch parameters and note the tonewheel set, OD and effects etc. Then go back to your saved setup file and correct the accidental changes.

 

The leakage noise couldn't have disappeared if you were using the same patches without deliberately changing the tonewheel set so it was probably the OD or effect that was changed.

[Jefferzs A]

Hi JMcS...

Thanks for your replys, I intend to try and retrieve my previous settings,I'll keep working on it..

Thanks Again for your reply

Jeff...

N.E.England

[agitato]

Are the newest synth and string sounds for sk any good? How might they compare to vr09's?

[Polkahero]

Are the newest synth and string sounds for sk any good? How might they compare to vr09's?

 

I've never played a VR-09 but I find the string sounds very usable on my SK1.

[SoulshotDoc]

Is there any way to keep the extra voices I select, during a whole gig. I select two trumpets in the wind section and after I go to a few favorite buttons, when I go back to the wind extra voice button it has changed. I need to switch to the extra voices quickly. Dialing in the voice I want is the only way I can do it now.

[JMcS]

Set up a patch with the Extra Voice you want to use (along with any effects, etc.) as well as any changes to the organ settings and save it. Then assign that Patch to one of the Favorites buttons. Do this with as many patches/favorites as you need. (Pages 60 - 62, 24, 76 #12)

 

You can also use the preset load parameters to have only the EV change when you change patches so the organ stays as you have it but the EV you need becomes active. (Pg. 76 #'s 2 - 11)

[SoulshotDoc]

Thanks for the quick reply JMcS. I'll give it a try. The sk-1 is brand new for me. I played a B-3 with a 122 leslie back in the 70's. With a 73 Rhodes. Still giging at 60 years of age and the Hammond name along with the 15 lbs weight sold me. The sounds coming from this little wonder are fantastic.

[tompass]

At age 70, gave up moving the beast and went with the SK2. It will without doubt extend my playing career many years. I love the board and get nothing but very positive feedback from my peers.

[SoulshotDoc]

I downloaded the new release 7 on my computer, initialized my USB, and opened the download on my computer.

Looking at my sk-1 system I have:

preset1106 already.

I also have Main1513

DSP1007

Boot1006

Does this mean I only have to up load (presetV1107.sys) ?

Or do I need to upload all of the items on this release, such as

sksubV1022.sys

sksloadV1006.sys

sksbootV1006.sys

mainV1513.sys

DSPV1007.SYS

LibWindPreLoadRl20.SYS.......etc.?

 

If I only need the one item, should I remove all the others before I insert the USB into the sk-1?

As you can tell, I have never uploaded anything and have poor computer skills.

[JMcS]

I think you are good to go already. Preset 1106 is used by SK 1s (61, 73 & 88) and 1107 is used by SK-2s. It has to do with the differences in default settings due to the 2nd manual. See the Templates on pgs. 138 & 139. There may be a few other settings too.

 

If you put all the files on the USB drive the system should only update any that have changed. This started with either Release 6 or 7 to speed up doing a system update.

 

 

[SoulshotDoc]

I'm trying to tweek the voice from the preset patch P093 Tonewheel/Funny.

I saved the patch to a user patch and hit the solo button to use only the funny sound. The sound resolves after a second or two into a sort of tremlo/WhaWha effect. I am trying to speed up this effect so it begins after about 1/2 a second and can be heard on more of the passage I play. Is this possible?

I tried to look at the effects screen and change a few parameters but was unsuccessful.

The sound is also in the extra voice section: Other 20 Funny Lead.