Any favorite B3 settings for Reggae?

[Outkaster]

It's because originally they had two manuals. Now I have switch live a lot on the fly. Here is an example:

 

http://video.artvoice.com/artvoicetv.php?permalink=0000000661

[eric]

Wow, the resurrection of a 3-year-old thread! Dumpster diving award for Wednesday goes to Outkaster!

 

Actually this is a pretty cool thread that should be timeless.

[Outkaster]

People were private messaging me about it and I could not think of the old thread so I used this one. I have to go reread it. I do wish I had the bottom of the XK-3 system but as you can see for the Reggae band I keep a big rig compared to the Dukes rig which is two or 3 boards max. Go listen to

[TxtFamGuy1]

Outkaster, you are my new personal hero! It is impossible to find any info on reggae keyboards online, I've been searching for years and even tho this thread is years old, I just now stumbled upon it. I'm using a 49 key midi controller in Fruity Loops with a VST plugin called VB3, its a virtual B3 with upper and lower drawbars as well as percussion/chorus/vibrato/reverb switches and buttons, a toggle for the leslie speed. I love playing around on it and can get some good sounds out of it. What are your thoughts on this set up, are there any clonewheel keyboards out that can emulate a Hammond or Vox Continental. I've seen video on youtube of a guy playing some 2-tone ska on a Roland VK-7 that sounds great. Most keyboards I try to play on have horrible organ sounds with no way to shape the tones. Any input you can give me on this will be greatly appreciated.

[soundwave106]

 

What are your thoughts on this set up, are there any clonewheel keyboards out that can emulate a Hammond or Vox Continental.

 

 

The current new Hammond keyboards with drawbars are the Nord Stage and Electro (LED drawbars, not physical ones); Hammond XK-3C; and Roland VK-8 (physical drawbars for both). (There's also the Korg CX-3 but some places seem to show it as unavailable, I guess it's discontinued.)

 

I have a Roland VK-8, and like it well enough. It's a bit dated though, I imagine. From older threads the Hammond XK-3C seems to be the current favorite, especially with the drawbar interface. (The Nords are a strong contender if you also need e-piano and other sounds.)

[TxtFamGuy1]

 

The current new Hammond keyboards with drawbars are the Nord Stage and Electro (LED drawbars, not physical ones); Hammond XK-3C; and Roland VK-8 (physical drawbars for both). (There's also the Korg CX-3 but some places seem to show it as unavailable, I guess it's discontinued.) I have a Roland VK-8, and like it well enough. It's a bit dated though, I imagine. From older threads the Hammond XK-3C seems to be the current favorite, especially with the drawbar interface. (The Nords are a strong contender if you also need e-piano and other sounds.)

 

 

I've seen the Nord Electros in action, they are amazing and seem to have the best prices compared with the Hammond Suzuki and Roland keyboards. I like how one can split the upper and lower manuals on the Nord combo organs to have a piano sound on the lower and organ from the top. I see your in Tampa, I'm in Melbourne, Fl straight across on the other coast.

[jpscoey]

"I'm using a 49 key midi controller..... are there any clonewheel keyboards out that can emulate a Hammond or Vox Continental"...

 

It's obvious that you've searched 'tinterweb & forums etc before asking your question -

 

so hat's off to you for that - there are numerous 1st posts where folks don't bother to do that.

 

I'm assuming that (having tagged on to this thread) you are looking for certain organ sounds in a good,

 

playable keyboard? - you won't get that from a MIDI controller 'board.

 

From what you have described so far I would suggest the Nord Electro 3 would be your best bet.

 

For purely 'Hammond' sounds, the Hammond XK-3C or XK-1 are unbeatable

 

(apart from a REAL B3/C3/A100 etc) . . . . .but that is pretty much all you get.

 

The Electro is VERY close to those - plus it has Vox/Farfisa organs

 

+ excellent electric pianos/clavs and mellotron sounds too etc, etc.

 

You can also download a whole host of other sounds from Nords' website -

 

 

http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Products&clpm=Nord_Electro_3

 

 

(I would add that I am not affiliated with Nord in any way - I'm just a huge fan )

[go go gergie]

I love how this thread repeatedly gets brought up again and again after 5 years. This was my main reference thread when I first started playing keys in a reggae band. It def contains probably the best info on the web for playing reggae keys.

Right now I use a Roland VK-7 for my organ. They're great clonewheels and typically go for $500-600 on ebay- prob the most affordable option for a clonewheel if you're going to be playing live. I run it through a Motion Sound Pro-3 (basically leslie horns), and run the lows through a 2x12 bass cabinet. Sounds great, but can be a bit trilly on the highest notes.

I also use a Roland RD-300SX for my piano/clav/epiano sounds. I'm in the process of saving up for a Nord Electro 3 for these sounds- but I think I'll keep the VK-7 as my dedicated organ because I like to bubble with the organ on my left and run piano/clav lines with my right.

I've been toying with a Microkorg here and there to add some synth parts.

I also have a Melodica and a Roland SPACE ECHO RE-201.

 

Can't bring myself to gig with my Minimoog, but I've had a lot of fun diggin deep into dub when pairing that beast with my Space Echo......

[go go gergie]

 

I like how one can split the upper and lower manuals on the Nord combo organs to have a piano sound on the lower and organ from the top.

 

 

FYI, The only Nord that can perform a split with organ and piano is the Nord Stage. The rest of the Nord rigs will only perform splits with organs (ie, two different drawbar settings). The Nord Combo organ has organ sounds only- no piano.

[soundwave106]

I've seen the Nord Electros in action, they are amazing and seem to have the best prices compared with the Hammond Suzuki and Roland keyboards. I like how one can split the upper and lower manuals on the Nord combo organs to have a piano sound on the lower and organ from the top. I see your in Tampa, I'm in Melbourne, Fl straight across on the other coast.

 

Cool. There's a fair number of Floridians that seem to hang out on KSS... so welcome aboard.

[echochild]

 

Sometimes, and Reggae has done that fusing itself with hip hop but alot of older people do not like it and feel it ruins Reggae.

 

 

ALOT of the reason for the direction the music has taken is the extreme lack of instruments on the island due to prohibitive import duties. Computers are all they have.

 

Its been my experience that while Jamaican audiences are BRUTAL to outsiders, Jamaican musicians dont care and love to jam like the rest of us. They love the blues and old soul stuff in the hills on the west end.

 

THIS THREAD IS TWICE AS OLD AS "HAI GUYS" gotta love it

 

way OT ...but I had to jump in

 

spark it up mon

[Outkaster]

Yes and the instruments are way more expensive than here. I sold a Triton and 01W/FD to a buddy in Jamaica over the last few years because it is cheaper.

[youdog]

REGGAE is NOT one COLOR It's one LOVE! You can not see or hear reggae and play it back without feeling it some folk can't feel it they hear it, see it and play all the right note but it still don't feel right.

It's not about White or BLack Bob was half white and half black his father is fully white mom black.

I'm black and have played at time with so very good white reggae player.

I have been playing root reggae over 15yrs on keyboard.

Now I will say most white's (I have played with or seen) play the reggae guitar better than they play reggae keyboards.

Most very good reggae keyboards players are black that dont mean that all black on keys can reggae.

There are some white on keys that play regg/keys better than blacks but not many there are many white who play regg/guitar much better than black.

YES I KNOW WHY!

[jpscoey]

QUOTE=youdog;41730662].."I will say most white's (I have played with or seen) play the reggae guitar better than they play reggae keyboards.

 

Most very good reggae keyboards players are black that dont mean that all black on keys can reggae.

There are some white on keys that play regg/keys better than blacks but not many

there are many white who play regg/guitar much better than black.

YES I KNOW WHY!

 

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not quite sure where you're heading with this theory.

 

The black/white thing you brought up has NO RELEVANCE to anyone playing music of any kind.

 

To discriminate between whether black or white musicians can play one style/type of

 

music better or worse is derogitary to all.

 

 

Some of the points you made are valid, but to seperate 'colour' vs aptitude/ability is simply wrong.

[Outkaster]

Yeah I was wondering what that was about.

[youdog]

I also said It not about color! Now I say it not about color or ability you dont need to be a great keyboardist to play reggae on keyboards very well.

I have been call the best raggae keyboardist in/from the USA by many who do just reggae for a living they maybe wrong I dont feel I'm the best or 2nd best.

But some of us feel, love, live, believe, know, sing, talk and play reggae and some folk like the music/words or BOB so they play some reggae songs.

This music was a gift from JAH (LORD GOD) (THE KING) (not Bob) to a people to give to the world so lets come together one love one people.

It's hard to live something you dont believe and just as hard to play something you dont feel. Here it is the setting NO vibrito no percussion no chours.

 

LH RH

800000003 008005000 same chord but different inversion 1&a 2&a 3&a 4&a the RH play on the &a and the LH makes the bubble sound by quickly playing (bub ble) chord 2 time on the 1234. It's Like saying

 

1 &a 2 &a 3 &a 4 &a

bub ble skank bub ble skank bub ble skank bub ble skank (Some time the Guitar or Piano on the RH skank) (split the keyboard) both organ settings)

LH LH RH LH LH RH LH LH RH LH LH RH (also split the board LH organ do bub ble LH piano skank) 2 boards or better both split)

 

1 split two organs settings and 1 with piano and brass. Dont over play.

[yorgatron]

how about some reggae clavinet?

 

(not me playing)

 

[video=youtube;esc1y_Hbo6Q]

[Mediterranean]

I don't know if this is relevant, but maybe it will help. It's worth reading about this gizmo on here.

 

[youdog]

THAT NOT THE REGGAE BUBBLE. NOT CLOSE AT ALL! He is half way playing the bass part.

That was a very good way to show someone what not to do when you are trying to play reggae.

That may work around a rock setting but around those who know reggae NO!

[Outkaster]

Clav parts shadow a baseline. They don't necessarily play the line straight unless the song calls for it.

[Bozak]

Clavinets and melodicas are not instruments I like to hear in Reggae, even for Marley or King Tubby, and the above example is way too busy, if you're going to add clav keep it simple and find the spaces, otherwise it ends up messy and Reggae should never be messy.

 

And I find that common drawbar settings don't work well for me in Reggae- 88800000, too punchy, and I usually stay away from 8 altogether unless I'm soloing and even then, not often, I prefer to go with less drawbar and compensate with volume, it makes for a lighter, airy sound that finds the pocket in the mix better and doesn't pop the bubble so to speak.

[yorgatron]

how about this one?

 

[video=youtube;phD5y_9xCjM]

 

or;

 

[video=youtube;1CvpjBvmXjA]

 

or;

 

[video=youtube;hu4mDUuBc4Q]

 

or;

 

[video=youtube;ZQGCucGnbL8]

 

[Outkaster]

Some of those are rock steady type tunes. Cool stuff.

[yorgatron]

that's what I found when I typed "reggae organ" into the YouTube search engine.

 

I'll probably never play in a reggae or ska band,but I like learning new techniques and sounds,just in case I'm ever called on to fake it.

[TxtFamGuy1]

It's obvious that you've searched 'tinterweb & forums etc before asking your question - so hat's off to you for that - there are numerous 1st posts where folks don't bother to do that. I'm assuming that (having tagged on to this thread) you are looking for certain organ sounds in a good, playable keyboard? - you won't get that from a MIDI controller 'board. From what you have described so far I would suggest the Nord Electro 3 would be your best bet. For purely 'Hammond' sounds, the Hammond XK-3C or XK-1 are unbeatable (apart from a REAL B3/C3/A100 etc) . . . . .but that is pretty much all you get. The Electro is VERY close to those - plus it has Vox/Farfisa organs + excellent electric pianos/clavs and mellotron sounds too etc, etc. You can also download a whole host of other sounds from Nords' website - http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Products&clpm=Nord_Electro_3 (I would add that I am not affiliated with Nord in any way - I'm just a huge fan )

 

You are correct, I've searched high and low for organ/reggae info. Most forums I've found have people who don't play reggae or Hammonds trying to give false advice and/or making bad jokes. I'm a huge fan of that 60's style organ sound, I've had a lot of keyboards and none has ever had a good organ sound. Honestly I'm using the midi controller just to mess around the Hammond VST plugin I bought and get a feel for the drawbars and sounds before I invest in an expensive clonewheel. The more I listen to the Early Reggae where there is heavy use of the Hammond that VST's sound does not cut it at all. It's still better than nothing though.