Hammond Tease XK-4

[nadroj]

included in teaser:

 

-pitch bend/mod wheels

-full colour screen

-assignable knobs

-jim alfredson

[CEB]

I always thought….. They will never make a 4.  
 

In Japan 4 is pronounced ‘shi’.   Shi is also the pronunciation of the kanji for death.  It’s different kanji but 4 is bad luck. Like our number 13 but even more so.  Example, hotels won’t have a 4th floor. 
 

More useless trivia from me. 

[MAJUSCULE]

Ooo!

[Morrissey]

1 hour ago, nadroj said:

-pitch bend/mod wheels

 

I respect the modest real estate of those two wheels.  Plenty of other boards add 9+ inches to the length of the board with the wheels.  Hammond squeezed them.

[MAJUSCULE]

I wish the video thumbnail showed us the new board, lol. Anyone have pics?

[AnotherScott]

Assuming the new sound engine, seems to be essentially like an SK Pro without the piano/ensemble/synth sections, plus wooden side panels. They've got the dedicated overdrive knob that was added with the SKX Pro. I wonder if they will include the simulated multi-contact behavior. I'll predict yes. I'll also predict $1995 price.

 

Some pics for people who don't want to bother trying to get them from the video...

 

 

 

 

[SMcD]

Can't say I understand the numbering. The XK-5 predates this new XK-4. And who the hell knows where the XK-2 fits in the mix?

 

Just a matter of personal preference, but I hate that angled screen they seem to be insisting on with the new models. I suppose it's more convenient in terms of visibility (unless you play with gargoyle posture like me 😅), but it just murders the form factor, imo.

 

I do think the built-in half-moon switch is cool, though. Then again, I'm more of a footswitch guy (which I know is technically cheating).

[konaboy]

i agree that screen is very ugly but probably practical to angle it.

but do we really need a screen glaring at us on an organ?

legend, mojo don't need one, nor did the original tonewheel organs.

get rid of it please. any advanced tweaking can be done externally.

[nadroj]

1 hour ago, SMcD said:

Can't say I understand the numbering. The XK-5 predates this new XK-4. And who the hell knows where the XK-2 fits in the mix?

 

Just a matter of personal preference, but I hate that angled screen they seem to be insisting on with the new models. I suppose it's more convenient in terms of visibility (unless you play with gargoyle posture like me 😅), but it just murders the form factor, imo.

 

I do think the built-in half-moon switch is cool, though. Then again, I'm more of a footswitch guy (which I know is technically cheating).

My initial thoughts:

 

XK-5 is the bees knees. XK-3 was good but not flagship - performance oriented for the gigging regular. XK-4 sits somewhere in between. 

[drawback]

1 hour ago, nadroj said:

Just a matter of personal preference, but I hate that angled screen they seem to be insisting on with the new models. I suppose it's more convenient in terms of visibility (unless you play with gargoyle posture like me 😅), but it just murders the form factor, imo.

Well, at least the Chrysler dashboard team from 1985 is still employed somewhere. Industrial design notwithstanding, this one might be my next/last clonewheel. I've been thinking of re-buying a Mojo61 but there's that Hammond fleshiness that they just do better, eg: B-3X. 

[AnotherScott]

1 minute ago, drawback said:

I've been thinking of re-buying a Mojo61 but there's that Hammond fleshiness that they just do better, eg: B-3X. 

Ironically (considering the official Hammond pedigree), they still have not updated B-3X to recognize the controls of the SK Pro, and they've had 2+ years to do it. So that Mojo61 may make for a better B-3X controller than this XK-4.

[Keyboardist85]

7 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

Assuming the new sound engine, seems to be essentially like an SK Pro without the piano/ensemble/synth sections, plus wooden side panels. They've got the dedicated overdrive knob that was added with the SKX Pro. I wonder if they will include the simulated multi-contact behavior. I'll predict yes. I'll also predict $1995 price.

 

Some pics for people who don't want to bother trying to get them from the video...

 

 

 

 

Please, please, PLEASE, Hammond.  Give us ratcheting (or, clicky clack) drawbars like on A100/B3/C3.  I have gotten SOOOO MUCH shit on Facebook from preferring those drawbars, but what can I say?  Only 38, been playing off & on since 16.  I’m old school…. Feel like I was RAISED on the Hammond.

[CEB]

Rachet Drawbars ... you know not what you ask.  LOL

[Baldwin Funster]

Real halfmoon. No Sk has that as far as I know.

[Jim Alfredson]

I can't really talk about it much, but I did go to Chicago last Tuesday to make some demos. I could not stop playing it. I will say that it isn't just an SK Pro without the non-organ voices.

I'll also say that the halfmoon is the standard Hammond CU-1 and does not come with the organ as far as I know. You can mount a CU-1 to the SKX Pro due to threaded holes in the bottom rail. While the regular single manual SK Pro keyboards can use a CU-1, I don't think there are mounting holes for it. But you could always velcro that bad boy.

[Outkaster]

8 hours ago, Jim Alfredson said:

I can't really talk about it much, but I did go to Chicago last Tuesday to make some demos. I could not stop playing it. I will say that it isn't just an SK Pro without the non-organ voices.

I'll also say that the halfmoon is the standard Hammond CU-1 and does not come with the organ as far as I know. You can mount a CU-1 to the SKX Pro due to threaded holes in the bottom rail. While the regular single manual SK Pro keyboards can use a CU-1, I don't think there are mounting holes for it. But you could always velcro that bad boy.

Jim I went and talked to my buddy at Sweetwater and apparently the single manual boards don't work well with the CU-1.  There have been complaints about it.

[Jim Alfredson]

2 hours ago, Outkaster said:

Jim I went and talked to my buddy at Sweetwater and apparently the single manual boards don't work well with the CU-1.  There have been complaints about it.

I admit I have never tried the CU-1 on the single manual SK Pro models, but I've used it with the SKX Pro. Not sure why it would be any different other than no stock way to mount it. In regards to software, shouldn't it be the same?

[CEB]

I’m probably going to pull the cu-1 from my SKx.  It irritates me to no end there is no kick switch available for the SKx’s swell pedal.  
 

I need a third hand for a half moon because more often than not, when I want change gears on the Leslie one hand is on the stage piano and one is on the organ. 

[Delaware Dave]

4 minutes ago, CEB said:

I’m probably going to pull the cu-1 from my SKx.  It irritates me to no end there is no kick switch available for the SKx’s swell pedal.  
 

I need a third hand for a half moon because more often than not, when I want change gears on the Leslie one hand is on the stage piano and one is on the organ. 

Dumb question from me because I don't have the SKx; rotary speed changes are usually tied to a CC#; if the SKx supports aftertouch ( don't know if it does) could you assign aftertouch to the CC# that controls rotary speed?  This way the hand that is on the organ, just push the keys down to activate the speed change.  I use to do this with my Ensoniq back in the day.

[CEB]

I had a KS-32 that did that.  That is a great idea. I should have at least thought of it.  I have no idea if it is possible.  But I will find out.

 

I don’t even know if it has aftertouch.  I just use it as a stage organ.  
 

Thanks. 
 

ps -  Boo, no aftertouch supported, but it was worth a thought.  

[MAJUSCULE]

57 minutes ago, CEB said:

I need a third hand for a half moon because more often than not, when I want change gears on the Leslie one hand is on the stage piano and one is on the organ. 

 

That's what your piano's sustain pedal is for, Ed!   

[nadroj]

Incidentally I just got a spare sustain pedal to use as a foot switch on my SKX. Works a charm. Also does a decent pitch bend with a bit of setting up. 

[CEB]

I forget about the sustain pedal jack on the SKx … because organs don’t have damper pedals. 😀

 

Thanks

[nadroj]

43 minutes ago, CEB said:

I forget about the sustain pedal jack on the SKx … because organs don’t have damper pedals. 😀

 

Thanks

you do have to plug it into the foot switch slot and not the damper slot though! Just using the damper doesn’t work

[Chummy]

Interesting.. Is this going to be revealed this NAMM show? or when?

 

I agree with Woody though, screen seems kinda redundant and the SK PRO is one of the least intuitive boards I ever tried to tinker with. 

So let's see if H/S took notes and made this one not a chore to navigate 

[AnotherScott]

15 hours ago, Jim Alfredson said:

I will say that it isn't just an SK Pro without the non-organ voices.

Not that that would be a bad thing!

[AnotherScott]

38 minutes ago, Chummy said:

SK PRO is one of the least intuitive boards I ever tried to tinker with. 

So let's see if H/S took notes and made this one not a chore to navigate 

 

If you simply removed all the non-organ stuff from the SK Pro, it probably wouldn't be bad to  navigate at all!

[HammondDave]

I wonder if that flat space on the right is large enough for an iPad….

[Chummy]

5 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

 

If you simply removed all the non-organ stuff from the SK Pro, it probably wouldn't be bad to  navigate at all!

I agree!

 

I wonder what was Jim referencing when he said it's not only an organ board. Without knowing the product, I'd say H/S missed the chance to add a second set of drawbars to the new XK4 -

So it would compete with the Viscount Legend Solo, and also to differentiate the new "more specified" XK-4 with the all rounder SK-Pro that has 1 set of drawbars

[CEB]

Oh my god, I was on the job. It’s sound check. I never read the SKX manual. I’ve played Hammond clones since the B-3000.  Real men don’t read the manual. The SKX started playing EVs on the top manual and I had no idea how to get organ back. 😀.  I would have given anything for a SKX with no EVs. I was wishing I had my XK3C rig. In a panic I pushed something and the organ came and the gig was good. But worried through the whole show that I would do it again.