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Crumar


Dave Bryce

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african or european?

 

Does Guido (of GSi fame) have anything to do with Crumar, or did he at some point? I'm getting old and can't remember anymore!

 

Hardware:
Yamaha
: MODX7 | Korg: Kronos 88, Wavestate | ASM: Hydrasynth Deluxe | Roland: Jupiter-Xm, Cloud Pro, TD-9K V-Drums | Alesis: StrikePad Pro|
Behringer: Crave, Poly D, XR-18, RX1602 | CPS: SpaceStation SSv2 | 
Controllers: ROLI RISE 49 | Arturia KeyLab Essentials 88, KeyLab 61, MiniLab | M-Audio KeyStation 88 & 49 | Akai EWI USB |
Novation LaunchPad Mini, |
Guitars & Such: Line 6 Variax, Helix LT, POD X3 Live, Martin Acoustic, DG Strat Copy, LP Sunburst Copy, Natural Tele Copy|
Squier Precision 5-String Bass | Mandolin | Banjo | Ukulele

Software:
Recording
: MacBook Pro | Mac Mini | Logic Pro X | Mainstage | Cubase Pro 12 | Ableton Live 11 | Monitors: M-Audio BX8 | Presonus Eris 3.5BT Monitors | Slate Digital VSX Headphones & ML-1 Mic | Behringer XR-18 & RX1602 Mixers | Beyerdynamics DT-770 & DT-240
Arturia: V-Collection 9 | Native Instruments: Komplete 1 Standard | Spectrasonics: Omnisphere 2, Keyscape, Trilian | Korg: Legacy Collection 4 | Roland: Cloud Pro | GForce: Most all of their plugins | u-he: Diva, Hive 2, Repro, Zebra Legacy | AAS: Most of their VSTs |
IK Multimedia: SampleTank 4 Max, Sonik Synth, MODO Drums & Bass | Cherry Audio: Most of their VSTs |

 

 

 

 

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Pros: Best, most alive clone wheel sound I have ever heard. Software upgradeable. Manageable 2 manual package weight and bulk wise. Old school handsome IMO.

 

Cons: Controls on top, can't stack. Manuals a little stiff compared to a console. Hardware platform of 2 synced computers can cause owner confusion when saving defaults. No service network.

Moe

---

 

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Pros: Best, most alive clone wheel sound I have ever heard. Software upgradeable. Manageable 2 manual package weight and bulk wise. Old school handsome IMO.

 

Cons: Controls on top, can't stack. Manuals a little stiff compared to a console. Hardware platform of 2 synced computers can cause owner confusion when saving defaults. No service network.

 

Does anyone have any experience on how the Crumar Mojo and KeyB Duo compare on sound, feel, and robustness, and how similar or different they are under the hood?

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I love the support and enthusiasm that Guido and Andrea have for their products. I even love how Guido sticks to his guns about authenticity, at least for a while. ;)

 

I don't like all the whining I read from people un the U.S. when they try to contact them during the Italian summer break. :D

 

I like that they are a boutique manufacturer, yet their products are competitively affordable.

"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'm impressed that Crumar is still around. I used to play their DS2 and Orchestrator in the early 1980s. The DS2 is a mostly forgotten, very under-rated synth.

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

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I'm impressed that Crumar is still around. I used to play their DS2 and Orchestrator in the early 1980s. The DS2 is a mostly forgotten, very under-rated synth.

 

Well, technically, they're not. It's a totally different company, Guido and Andrea just bought the rights to the name.

 

The Mojo is a great-sounding piece of kit, no question. My caveat remains distance and lack of local support networks if you do run into problems. In the end, that was one reason I switched to the SK2 (the others being preferring the feel of the keybed and the increased flexibility in MIDI control).

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D

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Pros: Best, most alive clone wheel sound I have ever heard. Software upgradeable. Manageable 2 manual package weight and bulk wise. Old school handsome IMO.

 

Cons: Controls on top, can't stack. Manuals a little stiff compared to a console. Hardware platform of 2 synced computers can cause owner confusion when saving defaults. No service network.

 

I agree on every point, except that here in Europe the no service network point isn't important. But in the US I can see it being a bigger problem. I also have an SK-1 and Hammond organ co have fantastic customer service.

The Mojo programmer is a great gizmo and really opens the machine up. There's a real difference between the different tonewheel sets and with a little tweaking I have mine sounding a lot like my A-100.

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I agree on every point, except that here in Europe the no service network point isn't important.

 

Sorry, but I strongly disagree. When Crumar came to the end of the road of troubleshooting my Mojo problem remotely, I had to return it to Venice via Fedex at a cost of the thick end of 300GBP. If my SK2 went wrong, it would cost me a fraction of that to get it back to the UK distributor for attention.

 

 

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D

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I agree on every point, except that here in Europe the no service network point isn't important.

 

Sorry, but I strongly disagree. When Crumar came to the end of the road of troubleshooting my Mojo problem remotely, I had to return it to Venice via Fedex at a cost of the thick end of 300GBP. If my SK2 went wrong, it would cost me a fraction of that to get it back to the UK distributor for attention.

 

 

Now THAT would piss me off!

'55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D

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There isn't zero support for Crumar products in the U.S. and Canada. Ken Hall in Ontario provides support here and is listed as a service center. Ken is active in some of the related Yahoo! Groups so you may know him if you're on any of those.

"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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Dave,

 

The Mojo, in my opinion, is the best sounding clone currently being made. There are, oh, I don't knowa BILLION threads where people go back and forth. But I go with what works for my ears and no one else's.

 

I rewatched a Mojo/B3 comparison video that I made a couple years ago. The thing that keeps me with the Mojo really happens starting at 1:58 in the video and again at 2:27. I play a chord on both the Mojo and the B3. I am a stickler for C/V and I really dislike a C/V that is too deep or warbly. It makes me shy away from playing thick chords because I hate the sound. The way the Mojo and B3 compare at this point in the video is striking because they sound virtually identical in this area.

 

 

You will find a lot of comments about the build quality or the reliability. Crumar definitely had some quality control issues in the early run, something that could cripple a young company. But, in my opinion, have done their best to make the situation better and help as many of their users as possible. My Mojo was one of the first and I eventually sent it back to Italy last summer for an overhaul and an update to newer and more reliable hardware. It has been rock solid ever since, and I take it all over the Midwest for gigs. It is definitely been road ready for me.

 

 

 

Endorsing Artist/Ambassador for MAG Organs and Motion Sound Amplifiers, Organ player for SRT - www.srtgroove.com

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Crumar is a great example of a small company doing things correctly.

 

Crumar has good communications. Andrea does a great job of responding to emails...at least in my case. I was surprised how quickly he responded to my inquires. Guido is on the internet responding to customers and providing useful information. They run the business in the open, and don't hide if there are issues.

 

Shipping of my Mojo was amazing. Italy to Pennsylvania in 2 days. Packed well, and had no damage in shipping. They pack the instruments and accessories carefully, and they ship them quickly.

 

They have "reasonably" priced accessories. By comparison, the Hammond half moon switch and swell pedal are "wow!" expensive. Crumar accessories are only "uhhh...ok" expensive. The accessories are well made and don't feel cheap (except for that Fatar volume pedal that they sell on their site...that is a $25 pedal).

 

I think the Mojo is an excellent clonewheel, and is a good value. My only complaint is shared by others...the keybed is a bit "springy". I recently got to play a H-S SK-2, and while I did not care for the interface or single set of drawbars, I did find the keybed more to my liking for an organ. But that is only my opinion, and would not stop me from buying it all over again.

 

The product is good, and I have had no issues with my Mojo. Quality is good, the sound is good, and the thing looks fantastic.

 

 

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I agree on every point, except that here in Europe the no service network point isn't important.

 

Sorry, but I strongly disagree. When Crumar came to the end of the road of troubleshooting my Mojo problem remotely, I had to return it to Venice via Fedex at a cost of the thick end of 300GBP. If my SK2 went wrong, it would cost me a fraction of that to get it back to the UK distributor for attention.

 

 

That's a rather big setback indeed. I sent mine to Italy (under warranty) at no cost. FedEx picked it up at my place and returned it a few days later. If my SK-1 would break down, I could drop it off at Swedish Hammond in 30 minutes, but if my B3-P went down I'd have to ship it to Holland...

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Ken is local to me, if you have to rely on him for product service you're in good hands.

 

I've also played his Mojo and, man, it sounds great.

 

Wes

Hammond: L111, M100, M3, BC, CV, Franken CV, A100, D152, C3, B3

Leslie: 710, 760, 51C, 147, 145, 122, 22H, 31H

Yamaha: CP4, DGX-620, DX7II-FD-E!, PF85, DX9

Roland: VR-09, RD-800

 

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Hi addict; thanks for the tunes, sure everyone will comment on the sound of the organ, but it's all YOU. Great command of the instrument and you know where to hit, layout and sculpt the db's. I have been sitting on the fence for too long waiting for Crumar, Numa to have a USA base. Numa is out, but I know Ken Hall is someone to trust and close enough to me in NY. Been looking for a digital "B-3" rig to replace what I recently lost at home. This is looking more and more like the ticket, and there a price drop for us Yanks. Joey GB3 NY
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Crumar is a great example of a small company doing things correctly.

 

Crumar has good communications. Andrea does a great job of responding to emails...at least in my case. I was surprised how quickly he responded to my inquires. Guido is on the internet responding to customers and providing useful information. They run the business in the open, and don't hide if there are issues.

 

Shipping of my Mojo was amazing. Italy to Pennsylvania in 2 days. Packed well, and had no damage in shipping. They pack the instruments and accessories carefully, and they ship them quickly.

 

They have "reasonably" priced accessories. By comparison, the Hammond half moon switch and swell pedal are "wow!" expensive. Crumar accessories are only "uhhh...ok" expensive. The accessories are well made and don't feel cheap (except for that Fatar volume pedal that they sell on their site...that is a $25 pedal).

 

I think the Mojo is an excellent clonewheel, and is a good value. My only complaint is shared by others...the keybed is a bit "springy". I recently got to play a H-S SK-2, and while I did not care for the interface or single set of drawbars, I did find the keybed more to my liking for an organ. But that is only my opinion, and would not stop me from buying it all over again.

 

The product is good, and I have had no issues with my Mojo. Quality is good, the sound is good, and the thing looks fantastic.

 

 

Great demo! I could only tell by the sound of the preset keys when you switched them. Nailed it!

 

'55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D

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Hi addict; thanks for the tunes, sure everyone will comment on the sound of the organ, but it's all YOU. Great command of the instrument and you know where to hit, layout and sculpt the db's.

 

Thanks a lot..! I do what I can... :-) Having such good tools makes it easier and so much fun..!

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yes actually , I own both , we've been using a keyb expander

for the last three and a half years . I bought the mojo about

two years ago . I like the mojo a lot , I have it by my computer

so I get alot of my practice lately on it . I have to say though ,

for on stage ( I play in a fairly loud church band ) , I definitely prefer the keyb . it's got much more body to it's sound , the mojo , especially it's bottom end , by comparison ,

sounds muddy or cloudy . we play the keyb through a nord c1 ,

which kind of junks it up a bit . the nord with it's hair trigger key response feels pretty toylike IMO . anyway I've tried the expander through the mojo and it's a whole different world . I like it enough that I've got a keyb live on order ,which I may have by the end of the month .

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