Ed Coury Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 I've had my XK-3 for a couple of months -- love it dearly, but since B-3 tones are used in 50% of my music, I'm having a hard time justifying dragging 3 boards to each gig. I'm considering a swap for the Roland V-Combo (760). I plan to do a comparison of the organ sounds, because this is extrememly important to me. Can you offer your 2 cents worth on whether I would be crazy to do this, or can the Roland's B-3 emulation stand up to the XK3 (in your opinioin, of course, i'll have to judge with my ears in the end)? "Oh yeah, I've got two hands here." (Viv Savage) "Mr. Blu... Mr. Blutarsky: Zero POINT zero." (Dean Vernon Wormer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yannis D Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Ed Why don't you try Nord Electro? Its lighter than the Roland and has extremelly good hammond/rhodes/wurlie sounds (the piano sucks...). It's very handy - i gig with it easily , I can even take it in the subway when a small gig comes up. Of course, if you need synth sounds... well, you have to have a laptop or a second keyboard As you said, it's just the suggestion - for the rest you have to listen with your own ears Regards Yannis Be grateful for what you've got - a Nord, a laptop and two hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Coury Posted December 15, 2004 Author Share Posted December 15, 2004 thanks for the reply -- I like the idea of the Rolands synth section (with real time controls) and the fact that it has passable pianos. That's why I'm sort of ruling out the Nord...I just wonder if the b-3/leslie sounds are that much different than the Hamm/Suz? "Oh yeah, I've got two hands here." (Viv Savage) "Mr. Blu... Mr. Blutarsky: Zero POINT zero." (Dean Vernon Wormer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartolomeo Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 I just wrote a related post on this, but I just got an electro and think that supposed problems with the piano are overrated. Unless you're playing solo piano for a discerning audience, they're fine, and the B3 sound is great. Some people want the physical experience of playing a B3, with drawbars, rocker switches, knob for the vibrato/chorus, and the XK3 is great for that while the electro doesn't attempt it. On the piano side, if you really want a weighted action then the electro isn't going to float your boat. I believe that a capable musician should be able and willing to adapt to the instrument to a certain degree, and so I'm willing to play piano on semiweighted keys, and use electronic drawbars and pushbuttons instead of rocker switches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daBowsa Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 I think your crazy. What are your other boards that you're trying to reduce down from? Have you thought about substituting a Micron in for the 3rd board - synth with knobs that you don't have to "drag" around. It could sit ontop of the XK3 so you wouldn't even need a stand/tier for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 I thought someone had posted awhile back that the Roland had already been discontinued, hope I'm wrong about that. Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Originally posted by Botch.: I thought someone had posted awhile back that the Roland had already been discontinued, hope I'm wrong about that.I haven't heard anything official along these lines. I think part of the 'problem' with the V-Combo is that Roland US only lists it under the "Stage Piano" category on their website, but the market perceives it as a Hammond clone first. If they put it on their website along with the VK series, it may help the overall perception... Roland Stage Pianos Cheers, SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeT156 Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Most everyone that has posted on this site has been very unimpressed with that Roland board. Apparently, the synth section is very limited, and pretty lame. What kind of music you play is a determining factor, but if I ever got my hands on a XK-3, I wouldn't think about selling it. Moving it may be a different matter. Mike T. Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Another option is a MIDI organ module like the VK-8M (is that right?), driven from one of your other keyboards. Then you get the drawbars, a pretty darn good clonewheel (though not quite like yours, evidently), in a lot smaller package. Put it on a MIDI channel other than 1, and on the master keyboard create a silent preset that sends on the other MIDI channel, and away you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daBowsa Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Eric did two extensive reviews of this board. They are both linked to from this thread . He ended up with an Electro I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdman Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Originally posted by Ed Coury: I've had my XK-3 for a couple of months -- love it dearly, but since B-3 tones are used in 50% of my music, I'm having a hard time justifying dragging 3 boards to each gig. I'm considering a swap for the Roland V-Combo (760). I plan to do a comparison of the organ sounds, because this is extrememly important to me. Can you offer your 2 cents worth on whether I would be crazy to do this, or can the Roland's B-3 emulation stand up to the XK3 (in your opinioin, of course, i'll have to judge with my ears in the end)? What's the other board you would replace? I use the VK8 myself. The problem with the V-Combo isn't the B3 emulation which is the same as the VK8, but the other sounds don't really work all that well. So I think the more important question is will it work in place of the other board you are wanting to replace. For me a weighted 88 is very important, so I use that with the VK-8 on top. If I needs horns and strings I have a third board I can add, which makes for an impressive looking setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKeys Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 I would suggest the Roland VK 8M. This will give you good B3 sounds that are fully adjustable and give you a lot of "bang for the buck" (quoted from Keyboard mags article). This leaves you open to pick the keyboard that best suits your other sound needs. I use the Motif6 for all my synth sounds but you can find Korg Triton 61s used, very cheap. Jim Roland RD 700 Yamaha Motif6 Roland VK8M Roland KC500 Jimmy Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho NEW BAND CHECK THEM OUT www.steveowensandsummertime.com www.jimmyweaver.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Try looking at it from the other direction. Originally posted by Ed Coury: I've had my XK-3 for a couple of months -- love it dearly, but since B-3 tones are used in 50% of my music, I'm having a hard time justifying dragging 3 boards to each gig.What justifies reducing the number of keyboards? If you're using B3 tones in 50% of your music, ANY board that generates such tones is justified. Also, the typical perfomance synth weighs 30lb or less and is therefore not a 'beast' as far as moving. On top of that, you likely have a 3-tier stand for those 3 boards; such an arrangement takes up no more footprint than 2 boards or even just one. Of course, I'm one of those idiots that still insists on moving a console Hammond & a Rhodes - so what do I know?? I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdman Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Originally posted by coyote: Of course, I'm one of those idiots that still insists on moving a console Hammond & a Rhodes - so what do I know??That you could kick sand in the face of most of us on a beach anytime you wanted, perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 ROFL! Nope, not only don't I dig that but I'd probably get my butt kicked if I tried. Originally posted by Byrdman: Originally posted by coyote: Of course, I'm one of those idiots that still insists on moving a console Hammond & a Rhodes - so what do I know??That you could kick sand in the face of most of us on a beach anytime you wanted, perhaps?It ain't about brute strength - it's about leverage. I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyRoad Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Originally posted by Ed Coury: I'm considering a swap for the Roland V-Combo (760). I plan to do a comparison of the organ sounds, because this is extrememly important to me. I like the V-Combo - it replaced my previous two-keyboard rig. The basic synth section can be greatly improved by dropping in the SRX "Ultimate Keys" expansion board. RockyRoad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Analogaddict Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 If I were you I´d get a small rack module, perhaps a Micro ensemble or an XV-2020 that you can control from the XK-3. Otherwise, I´d recommend the Electro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_3guy Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 I also feel like you shouldn't get rid of the XK-3. Combine what you need the other 2 boards for rather than compromise by getting rid of the XK-3. I have a Roland VK-8 & although I have no plans on getting rid of it to get a XK-3, I have a feeling the XK-3 is THE board for Hammond sound. Steve www.seagullphotodesign.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thElement Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Agree with RockyRoad above. I replaced RD700 and VK8 with VR-760 - great board. Organ sounds better than the VK8 and piano sounds are good (better than RD700 IMHO). I also have Ultimate Keys exp so everything in one board for gigging. Action is an ideal compromise for organ, piano and synth and XLR outputs give a high quality signal to PA etc. Everything is adjustable on the fly and master EQ really works. Quality Roland build too - real wood and metal. (sorry "Red Toy" fans, but it has to be said!!!) Nord Electro 3 Roland JV-90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Originally posted by Analogaddict: If I were you I´d get a small rack module, perhaps a Micro ensemble or an XV-2020 that you can control from the XK-3. Otherwise, I´d recommend the Electro. The XK-3 is a pretty decent MIDI control. Using zones you should be able to create presets that would allow you to transparently switch between XV-2020 sounds and internal XK-3 sounds, also splits. Velcro it on top of the XK-3 (or rack it) and you're set. But, we're entering that pre-NAMM time when my recommendation is to sit tight if you can. Busch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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