Keys, Synths & Samplers

[Outkaster]

It's a great board. I have had one since 2008 and the XK-3 before that. You can't compare any Roland clone to it and they are not in the same league as a MOJO, KeyB, or Hammichord. When you are talking major clones there are only a few contenders.

[willi]

The onboard leslie sim really sounds pretty decent. It's not perfect but even purists will balk at a clone wheel. I got a 3300 for the road but a Ventilator is highly regarded and smaller. Most audience members would probably find the onboard sim fine, although a real leslie arguably adds a lot of dimensionality to the sound.

[Outkaster]

Yes it will but you will need a preamp for it if the Leslie is a different vintage. If it is 11 pin it will be all set.

[TIMKEYS]

Originally Posted by Outkaster

It's a great board. I have had one since 2008 and the XK-3 before that. You can't compare any Roland clone to it and they are not in the same league as a MOJO, KeyB, or Hammichord. When you are talking major clones there are only a few contenders.

True ,, the XK's are the gold standard for clone wheels,, however they are limitied on what else they can do.

[willi]

Another complexity is the physical size; the XK3c is easy to deal with but finding cases to fit the lower manual and foot pedals is challenging. The lower manual is very deep to accommodate the top manual and thus won't fit in a standard case AFAIK. The foot pedals are very large and very heavy, a fair bit heavier than a razor board for a tonewheel IMO. It's very unwieldy because of its size, and a hard case would definitely make it a two person job.

Each individual piece when broken down is smaller than a full size console, but once it's all in cases it takes up close to the same amount of room. Add the extra hassle of a second board, the XK stand to accommodate the depth, etc. and it becomes a bit of a hassle. If the SK2 had dual drawbars (or if the C3 had real drawbars (and preferably, better tone and manual)) I would strongly consider a dual manual keybed. You still have to get an odd sized case, but the weight is comparable and the hassle factor is lower.

[learjeff]

XK3c kicks ass. However, also consider the Crumar Mojo. It's dual-manual, which might mean it's bulkier than you might want. But it has most of the controls and both manuals, and sounds at least as good as the XK3c.

I have an NE2 and like it a lot, but I'd recommend an NE only if you need the other sounds. The XK3c beats the NE3 in all other ways except size & weight.

[delaware dave]

Originally Posted by TIMKEYS

True ,, the XK's are the gold standard for clone wheels,,

...was ...

[Bozak]

The price of the XK's dropped like a rock for a reason- they weigh a ton and need a lot of tweaking to sound great, and if you're not adding the lower manual I would say it may not be a great choice, but then again the price is good, and it does sound good, so if you’re not moving it around I say why not? go for it.

But for me, every time I grabbed that 80 lb. case to go up two flights of stairs just for the one single manual clone sound that was not even top of the line anymore I would cringe, couldn't get rid of it soon enough.

[Outkaster]

That’s BS. I have never had to really tweak and XK-3C. In fact I kept it stock and had recordings where people couldn’t tell it wasn’t a console, they were musicians as well. I still get compliments on it granted I may upgrade soon but it’s not a bad clone by any means.

[Piano Whore]

I can't see why the OP shouldn't take a closer look at the Hammond SK1. I seriously doubt that any other organ clone has a better built-in Leslie sim- I have never AB'd it to the XK3c but word has it that it is significantly improved. I also own the Ventilator leslie sim pedal, which does better grind and overdrive, but as far as the rotary effect itself I prefer that of the SK1- clearer and more defined. Also, the SK1 action is lighter and (for me) much more playable than Nords- very smooth and fast, not nearly as much springy "push-back" against your fingers. Hammond-Suzuki has a new update for the SK to give the option of a shallower trigger point (when not layering organ with other sounds) and although I haven't yet tried it, it seems to be well-received by clone freaks. Also clavs and EP's and some misc. sounds are very good, ac. pianos perfectly useable also IMO.

For me, the only downside to the SK1 is the tiny size. I stack mine on top of a digital piano so that isn't much of an issue. The time I gigged it by itself, the band kidded me about how it looked like a toy- but they noticed the BIG sound, for sure.

[Iamthesky]

Originally Posted by Bozak

But for me, every time I grabbed that 80 lb. case to go up two flights of stairs

Oh, good, it's lighter than my Taurus 3.

Actually there is one nice thing about cases weighing over 60lbs -- the rest of the band doesn't feel put out when you ask for help with the big stuff. In my experience, the lower limit of the friendly answer to "can you help me with this?" seems to be slightly above the weight of a Minimoog plus case.

[learjeff]

Originally Posted by Outkaster

I have never had to really tweak and XK-3C. In fact I kept it stock and had recordings where people couldn’t tell it wasn’t a console, they were musicians as well. I still get compliments on it granted I may upgrade soon but it’s not a bad clone by any means.

I agree that XK3c sounds great without tweaking. It might not have the particular tone you want out of a Hammond, if you're a serious Hammond player, but in that case it's tweakable to get remarkably close. But it does sound like *other* Hammonds. Frankly, there's sometimes more difference between two B3's than between any two of the top tier clones (XK3c, Kronos, VB3, NE3 or NE4D). Even less difference if you play them all through a Ventilator, but that's beside the point here; the built-in Leslie sim is very important for most of us.

Regarding an 80 lb load: with a rigid foam case that would be a 50 to 55 lb load. These cases are fine if you're carrying your rig yourself. Not for the band van, unfortunately.

[Devnor]

Def worth the $$$$. I've never looked back. Good luck!

[learjeff]

There's another thing about the XK3c. It just *feels* good, and looks good. If you put the same controls and sounds into a nondescript black keyboard, it wouldn't be quite as much fun. I'm generally more into function than form, and it surprised me the first time I played one.