Roland VK7

[b3keys]

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking about purchasing a Roland VK7 and wanted some feedback from current players.

 

What do you like best/worst about it?

Any problems?

Why did you choose it over the Hammond/Korg/etc. if applicable?

 

Thanks for your help!

[B3Nut]

The new Korg CX-3 is a better unit than the VK...I had a VK-7 for about 3 years. The Leslie sim is pretty thin on this thing, and believe me I tweaked and tweaked until I could tweak no more. The CX-3's is passable, though it suffers from some of the same EQ-itis that the VK's rotary sim does. They tried to hard to make an EQ curve that they thought sounded like a Leslie, but it doesn't. And tweaking the onboard EQ doesn't help...I was never able to keep the thing from sounding shrill in the upper octaves.

 

If you bypass the simulator and use a Motion Sound setup or a Leslie, they sound a LOT better. The VK's basic drawbar tone, if you hit "Bypass" and plug into a Leslie, is pretty much spot-on. The vibrato chorus is too swimmy-sounding though, doesn't have the evenness of the original. I did find the Korg's factory presets have *way* too much leakage and overtone programmed in, the thing sounds like a sick CV in need of a cap job until you crank the leakage way down.

 

Have you tried the Nord Electro? I know a player who really likes the sound of his, though I can't see myself getting along with the pushbutton virtual drawbars.

 

If you have a good 61-note controller, try the Voce V5 module through a Pro-3 or Leslie.

 

Good luck,

 

TP

[b3keys]

Todd,

Thanks for the post! I did try the Nord Electro, and while I loved the waterfall keys, I really missed having actual drawbars.

 

I have also played the Korg and agree the presets have too much leakage "programmed in." The CX is overly bright.

 

I don't know if Roland will be releasing a new organ at Winter NAMM. Alot of retailers are starting to discontinue the VK7s, and I'm eyeing a good deal at the moment.

 

I know Hammond-Suzuki is releasing some new clones at Winter NAMM, but they will be based on the XK2 sound engine.

 

Decisions, decisions....

[Frosty_dup1]

I got one and I love it. Some people don't like the chorus / vibrato and theres some discussion that the percussion isn't quite right but I don't use these much anyway.

 

Ergonomically it's very good (except for the volume on the far right).

 

Some of them had a "rebooting" problem, but thats easily fixed by a tech with a soldering iron.

 

It's fair to say that the Korg is a step up, but considering the "newness" and price so it should be.

[Stephen Fortner]

My VK-7 is just a workhorse. The CX-3, properly tweaked, sounded somewhat better to me, but not good enough to spend the money. The VK is still far enough above the sampled organ sounds on the workstations I own, even without a real Leslie, that I'll bring it for anything more than a two-set gig. What Todd said about the chorus is entirely true... the C3 chorus has way to much pitch modulation in it. The catch-22 is that it adds a lot to the Leslie simulation... the fast speed is actually passable when combied with the chorus.

When I do bring the big box, the highest drawbar tends to get lost in my 122. The 145 sounds better. I found that a Motion Sound Pro-3T didn't go far enough beyond the onboard sim for me to buy one.

If you can get a good deal on one, you'll find that though it has some flaws, you'll use it all the time.

[b_3guy]

The VK-7 does sound flat. I tried out the VK-7 before I bought my XK-2 (I was replacing my XB-2). It didn't scream, the chorus is poor & the percussion is weak. But the Leslie sim is better on the VK-7 than the XK-2. Therefore the VK-7 without a Leslie also records better than the XK-2 without a Leslie. The new CX-3 is overall better, but as mentioned pricier. I listened to MP3's of the Nord Electro & thought it was missing something. If the price of the VK-7 is less than $1,200 get it. The action on the XK-2 & CX-3 are better, but this is not saying the VK-7's action is crappy. Another thing that no one mentions, it's the lightest of them all. If you are playing several times a week at different venues, this is a big factor. I can't imagine dragging my XK-2 around. Also the extra sounds, although are not very good, they can be handy.