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whats teh deal with hammond XK-2's? need help somewhat fast like


Stella Joop

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The XK2 is an older generation that is not up to the standards of the current crop of clones. This does not mean you can't make great music with it.

 

You are going to have to spend for a used Electro 2 or something else that modern to get something significantly better.

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modern isnt a big selling point to me. i would almost consider it a drawback really. :o i like simpler old shooly stuff.

 

ive played an electro many times and did not like it.

 

teh xk-2 sounds pretty bad-ass here

 

[YOUTUBE]wYUA9Sp5MLc[/YOUTUBE]

 

 

thanx for teh response.

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While the XK-2 does get its arse kicked by more modern clonewheels it's still a beast of a board, and it has the right "look" to it as well (hint: not bright {censored}ing red). If I could score a used one for $400-$500 I probably would.

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While the XK-2 does get its arse kicked by more modern clonewheels it's still a beast of a board, and it has the right "look" to it as well (hint: not bright {censored}ing red). If I could score a used one for $400-$500 I probably would.

 

 

in what ways do the more modern ones kick its arse? sound? that demo clip sounds pretty thick and juicy.

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I'd mate up that XK-2 and a Privia PX-330 for a bad ass cheapie old skool rig.


Roll it over and grease it down then drive it through the heart of town...
:D

 

man thats exactly what i was thinking or maybe a korg sp-100. i remember someone around here had a clonewheel over an sp-100 as their main rig.

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in what ways do the more modern ones kick its arse? sound? that demo clip sounds pretty thick and juicy.

 

 

Well it's mostly a technical arse-kicking, really. More advanced tone generators, tube preamps, stuff like that. To my ears (not being an organ buff) when you stick the XK2 through a Leslie it sounds more than good enough. You have to spend an awful lot of money to get something significantly better.

 

Oh, and please please PLEASE do not ever buy an SP-100. It's one of the single biggest heaps of {censored} I've ever played, and sounds absolutely dreadful. Although it makes me feel slightly dirty to say it, you really would be better off with a PX330.

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man thats exactly what i was thinking or maybe a korg sp-100. i remember someone around here had a clonewheel over an sp-100 as their main rig.

 

Having owned an SP-100, I have to say that you'd be better off with a Casio PX-130 than that. The sound was pretty awful and the 32-note polyphony was constantly a hindrance.

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The XK-2 has a horrible Leslie sim and a horrible keybed. Seriously the keys are hinged weird and it doesn't play at all like a real Hammond.

 

I wouldn't buy one for $500 but save up a couple hundred more and go for a CX-3 if it were my decision.

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The XK-2 has a horrible Leslie sim and a horrible keybed. Seriously the keys are hinged weird and it doesn't play at all like a real Hammond.


I wouldn't buy one for $500 but save up a couple hundred more and go for a CX-3 if it were my decision.

 

 

I agree on the Leslie sim, but found the XK2 waterfall keyboard to be exceptional, perhaps one of the best of its era. In fact, my next clonewheel after the XK2 was the CX3 and I did not like its action as much as the XK2. Definitely not horrible! Perhaps you're referring to the XB2's diving board-style keys?

 

Regards,

Eric

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Yeah Eric the diving board keys on the XK2 was bad but it was the hinging on the XK3 that was off. The keys' fulcrums weren't nearly as far into the "console" as they are on a B3 and it made it hard to play in keys with multiple flats. Maybe you get used to it over time but it wasn't authentic in the least.

 

Korg did get the fulcrum thing right on the CX3.

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The biggest benfit to buying the XK-2 now is that it would make a good lower manual for an XK-3c when the budget allows and until you want to add a System lower manual. The drawbars can be used to control the '3c's lower manual while both sets of the '3c's drawbars are assigned to the A#/B keys. The audio output of the XK-2 can be run into the '3c's effects return when an overdriven upper manual and clean lower manual are needed as well.

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Yeah Eric the diving board keys on the XK2 was bad but it was the hinging on the XK3 that was off. The keys' fulcrums weren't nearly as far into the "console" as they are on a B3 and it made it hard to play in keys with multiple flats. Maybe you get used to it over time but it wasn't authentic in the least.


Korg did get the fulcrum thing right on the CX3.

 

 

 

The XK-3/3c have the same keyboard as the New B3/B3MkII but without the 9 contact circuitry. There is a picture here:

 

http://www.hammondorganco.com/readmorePortB3.htm

 

Or a bigger picture here (click on the New B3 brochure):

 

http://www.hammondorgan.co.uk/page28/page28.html

 

The keys extend back farther than Synth type keys. I have an M2 and an M3 and I cannot measure or feel any difference in the key travel or the way they pivot at either the front or the back compared to the XK-3 or '3c.

As always IMO, YMMV, Yada Yada Yada.

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i compared the CX-3 and the XK2 about 5 years ago when i was looking for a clone-wheel ... I ended up going with the CX-3 and it wasn't all that close for me - primarily because (as was mentioned) I thought the leslie sim was pretty bullet proof on the CX3 and kinda funky on on the xk2 ... they where somewhat comparable on the keybed (although i like the CX3 a bit better) ... I'd save a few more bones and get a CX-3 because i still think it holds up to the newest generation - that ive heard ...

 

but then again there is no denying thats a good deal on the xk2 ... for live purposes if you can work a better leslie sim - id think it would make a pretty solid live rig ...

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