mooghead Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Hi guys...getting near to spending money again :-) I'm focusing on my hammond needs right now. I have two options right now. The two rigs are similar in cost, so it's just a matter of sound and usability. Option 1: Hammond XK-3 + Studiologic 161 (or the new Doepfer when it comes out) + Motion Sound Pro 145 Option 2: Viscount DB5 + Speakeasy pre-amp + Motion Sound Pro 145 So...the rotary speaker is the same. The pros of option one are basic sound and Hammond name on the back, cons are set-up and the distance between the two manuals. Option 2 includes a real 2 manuals organ with good basic sound, better set-up and feel and a pre-amp to beef up the sound...and it's not that heavy with 38 kg. What would you choose considering this rig wouldn't move often? Thanks for your replies :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Option one is ideal for me, but it depends on you. I like my keyboards far apartish because I am used to playing double key boards not dual manual organ./ I'm just saying', everyone that confuses correlation with causation eventually ends up dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Have you considered the Korg BX-3? Might be a little more pricey, but I think it is the best dual manual available today. The Korg Leslie sim is so good that you could potentially delay the Motion Sound purchase and use the BX-3 out of the box. Regards, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rinker Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Originally posted by mooghead: Hi guys...getting near to spending money again :-) I'm focusing on my hammond needs right now. I have two options right now. The two rigs are similar in cost, so it's just a matter of sound and usability. Option 1: Hammond XK-3 + Studiologic 161 (or the new Doepfer when it comes out) + Motion Sound Pro 145 Option 2: Viscount DB5 + Speakeasy pre-amp + Motion Sound Pro 145 So...the rotary speaker is the same. The pros of option one are basic sound and Hammond name on the back, cons are set-up and the distance between the two manuals. Option 2 includes a real 2 manuals organ with good basic sound, better set-up and feel and a pre-amp to beef up the sound...and it's not that heavy with 38 kg. What would you choose considering this rig wouldn't move often? Thanks for your replies :-)I am doing option 1, except with Pro3t instead of 145. I am using a Quik-lok wide Z stand with an add-on computer keyboard tray that serves as my second keyboard shelf. I believe the model numbers are Z726L plus Z712-44. The shelf slides in and out, so I can either do single or double manual, and is wide enough to accommodate a 61 key board, albeit probably shifted to the left a bit more than it should. The vertical clearance on the shelf is limited (probably less than 3 inches), but will allow a keyboard without high knobs - I'm hoping the Doepfer unit isn't too thick. The relationship between manuals is pretty close to being correct with this setup. The Z stand doesn't fold up much, but I don't move very often anyway. - Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooghead Posted November 1, 2004 Author Share Posted November 1, 2004 Thank you for suggestions ;-) I haven't yet considered the BX3...being italian the DB5 gives great bang for the bucks to me. I quickly tested them both but not side by side. In Italy the Viscount is 1.400 euros cheaper than the Korg, so I was wondering if it's worth the price difference since the Viscount received lots of positive comments, considering it's not really wide spread due to poor distribution. The layout of BX3 and DB5 is really similar...should I not buy the Motion Sound I probably should get a stereo pre-amp from Speackeasy. ? Thank you :-) P.s. With the Pro 145 do I really need a pre-amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMcS Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 I have my XK-3 sitting on top of a Fatar CMS-61 keyboard and the distance from the top of the CMS-61 keys to the top of the XK-3 keys is 3 inches. I could probably reduce that by 1/4" by taking the rubber feet off and moving some other rubber pieces that help keep it from sliding around. I use an Ultimate Support A frame with one crossbar on the closest A leg and the second crossbar on the farther A leg. The lower manual sits on the closest crossbar and the back of the XK-3 sits on the farther crossbar. The front of the XK-3 sits on top of the CMS-61. Also, you might consider the Leslie 21 System. You could start out with the lower unit and use the digital Leslie and add the upper unit later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooghead Posted November 2, 2004 Author Share Posted November 2, 2004 Ok, thank you. And what about having the second manual controller right on top of the XK3? You would have drawbars right between the two manuals...would the distance be too much? Set up would be really easy I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMcS Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 You would add at least another inch in height between the two keyboards and 4 - 5" in distance front to back. That would make doing things like holding a chord on the upper manual and quickly switching to the same chord on the lower manual difficult and not very smooth. It would also be pretty easy to bump the drawbars accidentally going from one manual to the other. Besides, the XK-3 would feel subservient to the other keyboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 Originally posted by mooghead: being italian the DB5 gives great bang for the bucks to me. I actually own an OB5. As I understand it, the OB-5 does not use the same technology as the other Viscount "Oberheim" Hammnond clones (which I think are weak). I really like the OB-5 both for it's sound and feel, and think it's a fine solution. I would happily put it up against any Hammond clone. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooghead Posted November 2, 2004 Author Share Posted November 2, 2004 To my knowledge the DB-5 is just exactly the same as the OB-5 but carries the Viscount name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 Originally posted by mooghead: To my knowledge the DB-5 is just exactly the same as the OB-5 but carries the Viscount name.That would make sense... Have you played one yet? If so, what did you think? dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Fortner Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 For the record, Keyboard wanted to include the DB-5 in the Clonewheel Heaven feature, but when it was being written, we had a very hard time finding U.S. distribution. That may have changed by now, and I'm really interested in how it stacks up next to everything else I tried. Stephen Fortner Principal, Fortner Media Former Editor in Chief, Keyboard Magazine Digital Piano Consultant, Piano Buyer Magazine Industry affiliations: Antares, Arturia, Giles Communications, MS Media, Polyverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hermanjoe Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Don't waste money on the motion sound. Use the leslie sim on the clone. The motion sound isn't that great over a korg through a good PA. The korg has a great leslie sim. I would elsewhere than a speakeasy as well. They are expensive and overrated. I was talking to some pro-organists about them today. My ideal setup would be a BX-3 through a leslie 145 which blows away any motion sound. Try this stuff out before you buy it. I wasted a lot of money on stuff by not being sure. Good luck. "Learn the changes, then forget them." -Charlie Parker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Pierce Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Originally posted by hermanjoe: Don't waste money on the motion sound. Use the leslie sim on the clone. The motion sound isn't that great over a korg through a good PA. The korg has a great leslie sim. I would elsewhere than a speakeasy as well. They are expensive and overrated. I was talking to some pro-organists about them today. My ideal setup would be a BX-3 through a leslie 145 which blows away any motion sound. Try this stuff out before you buy it. I wasted a lot of money on stuff by not being sure. Good luck.Well, everyone has their own opinion -- but I couldn't disagree with this one more. There is nothing quite like spinning horns moving air around. I'd take a sub-par clone through a Leslie or Motion-Sound over the top-of-the-line clone with sim. But that's just me. --Dave Make my funk the P-funk. I wants to get funked up. My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Analogaddict Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 I like option 1, but then again I grew up with Lego! IMO, the XK-3 has the best tone of all the clonewheels (I haven´t heard the Viscount though!), but is lacking a bit in the Leslie sim department - a Pro 145 would solve that. Also, if you have two boards, you can be more flexible; suppose you want to play a gig with two keyboards, Hammond and Piano/Rhodes/whatever, then you can use the XK-3 and a Motif or so, which could also function as a second manual, or if there´s not a lot of space, or if something breaks down. It´ll probably be easier to transport too. I´ve done some experimenting with x-stands and managed to get two board really close, but then I was not able to access the front panel on the lower board... Anyway, if you can go with a rotating horn, do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hooper Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 You need to play 'em more; does one inspire you more than the other to create? If you are choosing mainly on the features and portablility factors, etc., you ought to factore in the vialbilty of service issues in your geographic area. Viscount, for instance, can be repaired in my area (DC); what about where you live? Composer/Performer at Roger Hooper Music Product Trainer at CASIO www.rogerhooper.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooghead Posted November 3, 2004 Author Share Posted November 3, 2004 I live in Italy...so, no better place for Viscount service :-) I didn't have the option to test the DB-5 and the BX3 side by side...but I must admit I probably wouldn't be able to say what's better, what sounds better or more "hammondish". Don't have much experience in this field. GAS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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