Crumar Mojo 61 Review - (LONG)

[mate stubb]

I updated also -

 

just press the left FX button and hold it for a second or two to cycle thru the effects available for that slot.

 

Left fx: mono tremolo, stereo square pan, stereo triangle pan, LFO wah, pedal wah

 

Right fx: chorus, phaser

[mate stubb]

Mini revue of the new update:

 

CLAV! Sounds delicious, full control of traditional clav filters, mute, pickup selectors if you map to CC or control from tablet. There is no onboard UI for this.

 

I agree the tuning on the clav could be tweaked. The wah sounds fat - very nice.

 

Acoustic piano is a whole lot less muffled now due to the velocity tweaks. The latency seems better, but I don't know if this is a real thing or just a psychological reaction to the velocity change. It's more responsive regardless.

[Al Coda]

It has pedal wah and LFO wah, but not envelope follower wah.

 

I´d expect it to be the GSi ZD6 which also had manual (pedal) wah and LFO wah.

I wonder what "auto-wah" was on the ZD-6.

 

A.C.

[mate stubb]

Traditionally, auto wah == envelope follower wah. The wah opens when you give it a signal and decays automatically until you jab it again.

 

Think Stevie Wonder Higher Ground.

[drawback]

I updated also -

 

just press the left FX button and hold it for a second or two to cycle thru the effects available for that slot.

 

Left fx: mono tremolo, stereo square pan, stereo triangle pan, LFO wah, pedal wah

 

Right fx: chorus, phaser

 

Thanks Moe. I was looking where the others are in the editor

 

Agree with the tones. Better piano and outstanding clav!

 

Hopefully the tuning issue can be addressed along with full keyboard. Who plays Superstition in F?

 

 

 

 

[Doerfler]

Who plays Superstition in F?

 

that bad, huh?

[drawback]

 

 

 

[Al Coda]

Traditionally, auto wah == envelope follower wah. The wah opens when you give it a signal and decays automatically until you jab it again.

 

Think Stevie Wonder Higher Ground.

 

Thx for clarification !

 

I owned an (envelope follower) Mutron III for my Clav D6 in the past, but I thought that was known as "touch wah".

My understanding of automatic wah was the wah effect driven by LFO.

That´s why I asked for the "auto-wah" term mentioned in GSi ZD6 specs.

 

My fault though ...

 

A.C.

[mate stubb]

Agreed it is ambiguous sounding.

[Doerfler]

I owned an (envelope follower) Mutron III for my Clav D6 in the past,

 

that's what Stevie used

[Al Coda]

I owned an (envelope follower) Mutron III for my Clav D6 in the past,

 

that's what Stevie used

 

Yep. All used it at that time.

IIRC, it was the very 1st envelope filter box commercially available, followed by some cheaper ElectroHarmonix device later.

I recognized the Mutron III when Richie Beirach used it for the Rhodes when he was on the "Lookout Farm" tour w/ Dave Liebman.

 

I became a big fan of the Musitronics "Mutron" stomp box gear,- phasor and wah pedal included.

 

A.C.

[drawback]

So, any discussion on the tuning of the Clavinet?

 

I thought this had been cleared up in a DMC/Gemini update?

 

Play an octave on the left hand to hear it. Sounds almost like a tempering issue.

 

And is there an impediment to extending the notes on the lowest octave? It's modelled, correct?

 

I appreciate the effort made in providing this, but as it stands, the Clavinet is virtually unusable.

 

 

[Joe Muscara]

Who plays Superstition in F?

 

You're not playing it in E, are you?

 

[video:youtube]

 

I guess you didn't read the new manual, either.

 

Please note: each keyboard instrument simulated by the Mojo 61 respects the keyboard extension of the original instrument, so the tonewheel organ allows 61 notes for the two manuals and 25 notes for the bass pedalboard, the Pipe Organ allows 61 notes, both Combo organs feature 49 notes plus 12 bass notes on the first octave, the Tine piano allows up to 88 notes, the Reed piano allows 64 notes, the Clavi has only 60 notes (please notice that the first 5 notes of the keyboards will be muted), and the Acoustic Piano has 88 notes.

[Doerfler]

I guess you didn't read the new manual, either.

 

BTW, Joe, cool vid of Guido teaching us how to play.

[ElmerJFudd]

A digital facsimile instrument need not be slavish to the limitations of the acoustic, electromechanical, analogue what have you that inspires it. It's just developer choice and there's good argument for both approaches. Nothing wrong with playing a tune in your singer's key either. Actually, usually a much better decision if not offending your audience's ears is a priority.

[drawback]

Sheesh. Tough crowd.

 

Joe: I read the manual. I understand "respecting" the keyboard extension of the original instrument. I used "Superstition" as an example of wanting to lay your pinkie finger down on the lowest possible physical note on a keyboard, and have it sound. Could be Eb, E, or whatever. I simply was asking if this was possible, because as it stands now, it's pretty darned inconvenient and from a player's perspective, unnecessary.

 

I do not require a lesson on how to play, especially from you, Guido. Seriously, man? Musicianship notwithstanding, I am your paying customer, and have been one of your greatest proponents up to now and that video sure looked passive aggressive to me. If you think my request is stupid, impossible or somehow beneath you, just say so.

 

I had the impression you were willing to bend a little after allowing sustaining of a Hammond. Although I will never, ever, ever, ever use this feature, I appreciate you came to the table and supplied it to those who asked for it, so I thought my question and more important issue raised in regard to tuning were at least as valid.

 

This has been softened from my original post where I met sarcasm with sarcasm, but I took it down. You won't hear from me on this topic again.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

[Six-string-man]

We seem to have a conflict of philosophies here. While I can respect Guido's views, surely it makes sense to give the customers what they want. It can't be that difficult to make a clav sound on a few extra low notes. And if makes people happy, why not?

 

SSM

[Doerfler]

OT now. If there were one thing I could change about my Hohner Clavinet E7, it would be to add a low E. It's never going to happen and I get it.

On another front, I will be unpacking my new (to me) Mojo (that I bought from Bryan Stern) later tonight.

Back on topic now.

[Markyboard]

On another front, I will be unpacking my new (to me) Mojo (that I bought from Bryan Stern) later tonight.

Back on topic now.

 

Oh yeah! Congrats!

 

[Markay]

On another front, I will be unpacking my new (to me) Mojo (that I bought from Bryan Stern) later tonight.

Back on topic now.

 

Oh yeah! Congrats!

+1

 

Can't wait for the three way shootout review.

[Jazz+]

The sampled acoustic piano still lags too much when playing fast tempos. My Casio PX-360 piano can keep up with my fastest tempos. Perhaps a modeled acoustic piano would be the solution?

 

I dislike how the Clav stops at Low F and also how the Wurlitzer stops at its' low A. What is the point of dead keys? To me it's terrible having physical keys that don't react. I inevitably reach for them because they are there only to be disappointed by their silence.

[Jazz+]

I love the Sustain Lower for playing organ ballads! It's a very big improvement, imo. Thanks Crumar for listening to your customers and doing such a great job for us!

[Doerfler]

Jazz+

I would really like to hear you elaborate how sustain on organ is a big improvement. No organ player in the entire history of organ players uses sustain from what I know. Please educate me. Thanks for your time.

[ElmerJFudd]

The most common reason would be in non traditional playing where you're on a digital instrument that by design can and does make more than just organ sounds - or your organ simulation is just one of two or more hardware instruments. In which case, wouldn't it be cool to catch a timbre (organ or anything else with the sustain pedal) and go for another timbre to play under or over or on top of it? Again, if it isn't actually an organ (or clav, wurly, string section, or anything else these instruments do) then why build in limitations that aren't actually there? Well, because the developer has chosen to abide by a philosophy of being true to the the instrument that inspired it. Personal decision, he/she can do as he/she pleases. Or, he/she can survey the artists that play their instruments and see which philosophy is preferred. In the case of the sustain lower, it appears feedback proved there was desire for the feature for whatever reason that may be.

[Jazz+]

Okay here goes, my first attempt to put it into words...

 

1. In Split Mode, I can now lay down pedal tones in the Lower Split and then reach up and play chords in the Upper Split with my left hand and play melodies above that at the same time with my RH. I can play a sort of modified modern stride but different than traditional stride, think "Willow Weep For Me". Good with Latin beats too (Caravan). And it's also quite useful over V pedal tones and in modal pieces such as "Milestones" "Maiden Voyage" , "Naima" etc.

 

2. I am a master of playing over pedal tones (a note sustained below, often the V, while the harmony shifts above). Think "Milestones" or for that matter any tune may use pedal point in my hands.

 

3. Strategic usage in jazz ballads. When playing ballads in Single Mode I use the Lower register with judicious use of sustain pedal. My jazz ballads use 8080000 CV3, and the sustain pedal allows me to move from voicing to voicing in a more leisurely and smoother manner (legato becomes almost effortless). As I mentioned I am very judicious with the sustain, I am not one of those players who drowns things with the sustain pedal; I have mastered it to the most subtle micro second degree, I get a very clean usage.

I can get bigger voicings. I can get bass notes that last for a moment longer, but perhaps most importantly chords can be held by pedal for 2 beats or a measure while I play little melodic decorations above this is marvelous piano device that now works well on organ too. Half way thru the little fill I let go of the pedal (it gets muddy quickly) while continuing the fill into the next voicing and re-pedal and reach up and fill again, let go half way and run into the next chord, over and over... Am I explaining myself clearly, do you begin to see the added versatility possibilities?

Think "Body and Soul", "But Beautiful", "In a Sentimental Mood",

 

They made a demo video where the guy slowly switches back and forth between Lower and Upper to lay down chords and the he does an upper fill each time he switches it. It's rather tedious that way, imo. I don't do that, I do it without the switching more like I described in paragraph 3.

[Doerfler]

the developer has chosen to abide by a philosophy of being true to the the instrument that inspired it. Personal decision, he/she can do as he/she pleases. Or, he/she can survey the artists that play their instruments and see which philosophy is preferred.

 

I hear you. I am not judging. I am sitting 18 inches away from a Crumar Mojo as I write this. Just agreeing with drawback that if being true to an instrument means no low E on a clavinet but we can have sustain on a Hammond organ then there are different rules for different instruments. That's all. I hope no one loses any sleep over this.

[ElmerJFudd]

Never! Just healthy chit chat. The only sleep I'm losing is staying up cause I just stumbled on this:

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2851127/Re_Something_New_from_Spectras#Post2851127

 

[Kurt W]

No organ player in the entire history of organ players uses sustain from what I know.

Sustain on organ has been a standard feature on most clones since the Korg CX3 version 2. I suppose you don't include clone players in the group of organ players. As a clone player I have used the feature since the CX3. Must admit I am not much of an organ player so you may be correct.

[jyrkik]

Did the update last night. Mixed feelings. The AP feels somewhat improved. But the clav is very annoying due to the missing keys. I just cannot see the point there. I have never owned a real clav and hence have no muscle memory of the lowest available key and such. Hence, when playing a multiboard setup live it'll be hard to avoid annoying missing notes. Oh my..

 

Naturally the organ and rhodes are still top notch.

 

Jyrki

[Dave Bryce]

I do not require a lesson on how to play, especially from you, Guido. Seriously, man? Musicianship notwithstanding, I am your paying customer, and have been one of your greatest proponents up to now and that video sure looked passive aggressive to me. If you think my request is stupid, impossible or somehow beneath you, just say so.

 

I'm a bit confused...

 

Joe posted the clip, not Guido...and I'm pretty sure Guido had created that clip previously for reasons other than this thread. I had seen it a day or so before on FB. Look at the date it went live on Youtube - two days prior to Joe's post.

 

Side note - at one point, one of the bands I was in was playing Superstition in Eb, and another one was playing it in E because lame guitar player. Was always funny to have to take a microsecond to remember which band I was with before I hit that first note.

 

dB