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Hammond "new Porta B" ?!?!?


analogholic

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So I did this gig the other day. Couple of bands, like a mini festival.

Another keyboard player showed up from one of the blues bands and asked me if he could use the NE3 the place provided (brought my Vent II of course). Sure no problem.

He said that he normallly plays his B3. Got slightly jelaous :D

When I get back to the venue, to my surprise I see some sort of B3 chop thing.

Dude shows up and I ask him about it. "Yeah, can't play that crappy Nord after all."

"I hear you" I told him.

Soon I realize that he didn't bring a Leslie.

So I ask him if he brought a sim. No, as it has one built in he said.

This surprised me totally.

When I heard the sound, I thought the whole thing must be digital. Was very far from

blown away by the sound.

It looks like a Porta B MkII but without a display.

 

So is it digital?

Written on the back was something like "new Porta B"

 

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

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The original "Porta B" was built in the early 1970's in several slightly different configurations built on the L100 series organ in a portable configuration. Picture of Porta B

 

I have not seen one in a good while. I don't remember any of the L100's with any kind of Leslie simulator. Seems like some of them might have had the small rotating speaker that was used in some of the later spinets, but not sure.

Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's

HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Jim

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This?

 

http://www.hammondorgan.co.uk/b3/portable/newb3-p.gif

 

Yep, looks exactly like it!

So it's digital?

 

I asked the dude if he wanted to at least use my Vent II with it.

He was happy the way it sounded with the internal sim. Go figure...

Asked what he paid for it. Close to $20000!

 

All in all, it definitely didn't sound like $18000 better than my NE3/Vent combo :)

I think I had an overall better sound than him.

 

At the gig the day after I had a HX3.

Now THAT was something else!

It kicked serious ass for distorted rock tone!

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

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The original "Porta B" was built in the early 1970's in several slightly different configurations built on the L100 series organ in a portable configuration. Picture of Porta B

 

I have not seen one in a good while. I don't remember any of the L100's with any kind of Leslie simulator.

 

I used one of the original Porta Bs for a few years back in the day. No Leslie sim.....

Montage 7, Mojo 61, PC-3, XK-3c Pro, Kronos 88, Hammond SK-1, Motif XF- 7, Hammond SK-2, Roland FR-1, FR-18, Hammond B3 - Blond, Hammond BV -Cherry
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I have a New B3-P MK II. I paid less than a used tonewheeler costs here. Played through a Leslie or a Ventilator it sounds, plays and feels like the "real" deal. Over the last two years I've done over 200 gigs on it and although I prefer my A-100 in the studio I prefer this on the road. I wouldn't have bought it if I had to pay retail price, though... :)

 

Here's mine through a 3300...

[video:youtube]

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http://hammondorganco.com/products/portable-organs/portable-b3/

 

The MKII has the VASE III engine and preamp tubes.

Just like the XK3c? So is this basically the XK3c system in a slick futuristic

case?

Ok, and another set of drawbars and the nine key contacts triggered by velocity?

 

So is the 'MKI", the one without the display aka "new B3 portable" related to the

older XK3?

 

What's the difference between "MKI" and MK2?

 

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

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nevermind

Life is subtractive.
Genres: Jazz, funk, pop, Christian worship, BebHop
Wishlist: 80s-ish (synth)pop, symph pop, prog rock, fusion, musical theatre
Gear: NS2 + JUNO-G. KingKORG. SP6 at church.

 

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I'm not saying it worth $20,000, but the user interface of the new B3 portable, for a B3 player, is vastly superior to the Nord.

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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That's H/S for you... Just wait till you see the XK5.

'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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This?

 

http://www.hammondorgan.co.uk/b3/portable/newb3-p.gif

 

Yep, looks exactly like it!

So it's digital?

 

I asked the dude if he wanted to at least use my Vent II with it.

He was happy the way it sounded with the internal sim. Go figure...

Asked what he paid for it. Close to $20000!

 

All in all, it definitely didn't sound like $18000 better than my NE3/Vent combo :)

I think I had an overall better sound than him.

 

At the gig the day after I had a HX3.

Now THAT was something else!

It kicked serious ass for distorted rock tone!

 

The overall better sound? I don't think so.

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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This?

 

http://www.hammondorgan.co.uk/b3/portable/newb3-p.gif

 

Yep, looks exactly like it!

So it's digital?

 

I asked the dude if he wanted to at least use my Vent II with it.

He was happy the way it sounded with the internal sim. Go figure...

Asked what he paid for it. Close to $20000!

 

All in all, it definitely didn't sound like $18000 better than my NE3/Vent combo :)

I think I had an overall better sound than him.

 

At the gig the day after I had a HX3.

Now THAT was something else!

It kicked serious ass for distorted rock tone!

 

The overall better sound? I don't think so.

 

And here comes the Hammond thought police :)

 

I apologize for cursing in church...what was I thinking?

So, his sound was ridiculously better than mine. Especially the sim.

In fact it was so good that I have to get a New B3 Portable myself.

Maybe I can get one for only $15000?

After all anything else is just a clone :)

 

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

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No you don't have to get one. I just did a festival with a guy that had one of the Portable B3mk2. It's more than an XK-3C in a different case. Pair it with a Leslie or the 3300 and it sounds great. They are not in production anymore. I just don't get the comparison. It's like comparing a civic to a Ferrari.

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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I'm not happy with the Nord at all. With the Vent I don't cringe as much as at least the overdrive and rotor sim is right. I was very happy when I could play a HX3 dialed to my taste the day after.

 

As the guy played his Mk1 without a Leslie and with it's internal sim, it sounded very weak overall.

 

It's maybe like driving around the Ferrari in a garage or with the wrong fuel?

What's the point with a Ferrari then?

 

So please explain what differs between the MK2 and the XK3c?

Regarding the sound

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

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It's a different sound engine. The MK2 doesn't have VASE, they call it something else...

 

Hammond themselves say that it is VASE III

 

96 digital tone-wheels (Btype1, Btype2, Mellow)

Level is adjustable wheel by wheel for 96 tone wheels

VASE III (Muted, Normal, Synth 1, Synth2)

 

 

http://hammondorganco.com/products/portable-organs/portable-b3/

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

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The mk1 is different from the MK2:

- MK2 uses the DTW1 engine (upper, lower) and VASEIII for the pedals only

- MK2 has a dual tube preamp that is different from the XK3c!

- mk2 has a better internal Leslie Sim (XK3c)

- Analog keying matrix

 

I heard a B3Pmk2, XK3c and a vintage B3 side by side.

(much better than the XK3c and of course better than en Electro 3....)

 

All I can say is that the B3Pmk2 sounds and feels pretty damn nice!

(I like the look also....)

 

I am a big fan of the HX3 and I think it's the best sim

out there BUT I would love to own a B3Pmk2!

Is it worth the money?.... I don't know.... who cares !

;-)))

 

 

Studio: Hammond XK5-XLK5,  Roland Fantom 8, Prophet 5, Roland SE02, Neo Vent, HX3-Expander, Yamaha Montage M7

Live: Yamaha CP88, Hammond SKX Pro, Hammond XB2-HX3,  Roland Fantom 07, Roland SA1000, Neo Vent

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The mk1 is different from the MK2:

- MK2 uses the DTW1 engine (upper, lower) and VASEIII for the pedals only

- MK2 has a dual tube preamp that is different from the XK3c!

- mk2 has a better internal Leslie Sim (XK3c)

- Analog keying matrix

 

I heard a B3Pmk2, XK3c and a vintage B3 side by side.

(much better than the XK3c and of course better than en Electro 3....)

 

All I can say is that the B3Pmk2 sounds and feels pretty damn nice!

(I like the look also....)

 

I am a big fan of the HX3 and I think it's the best sim

out there BUT I would love to own a B3Pmk2!

Is it worth the money?.... I don't know.... who cares !

;-)))

 

 

Probably not but H/S is always expensive. I am pretty sure these were made to order. There are not a whole lot of them around and not produced anymore.

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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.... not produced anymore.

 

Are you sure?

It seems they are still available here in Europe....?

 

But if not, does this mean a mk3 is on it's way or

is the forthcoming XK5 replacing the XK3c AND the B3Pmk2 ???

 

Studio: Hammond XK5-XLK5,  Roland Fantom 8, Prophet 5, Roland SE02, Neo Vent, HX3-Expander, Yamaha Montage M7

Live: Yamaha CP88, Hammond SKX Pro, Hammond XB2-HX3,  Roland Fantom 07, Roland SA1000, Neo Vent

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I don't think so I could be wrong, remember it came out at least 8 years ago. H/S is slow to introduce products. I still think with all the dislike for Hammond products on the forum they still make decent instruments.

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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