Members delaware dave Posted February 29, 2012 Members Share Posted February 29, 2012 It's very good from a tone standpoint, but the Leslie sim remains its weakness IMO. Kurzweil has made some tweaks to improve it in the latest OS releases, but there is still a noticeable difference next to my Kronos' CX-3 sim or my Ventilator. +1. I find that the KB3 is closer to sounding more authentic to a hammond than the leslie simulation is to sounding like a 122/147. The leslie sim, although improved (some would say vastly improved) is still not there. I use a Vent. The other piece (IMO) is that the chorus/vibrato digital circuitry could also be improved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oceancruze1 Posted March 1, 2012 Members Share Posted March 1, 2012 I tried the vent with my Yamaha S90XS and it did alot for the organ sounds on it as that board had an organ monotone basically but still did not impress me quite enough to make it worth the money. But on the Kurz would you use the Neo along with the KB3 piped thru it giving you a double leslie simulation effect?? PS order it from Sweetwater and if your not impressed with it, return it, thats what I did and no questions asked they're great! Whether I would find it particularly impressive on the Kurz I don't know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted March 1, 2012 Members Share Posted March 1, 2012 But on the Kurz would you use the Neo along with the KB3 piped thru it giving you a double leslie simulation effect?? Of course not. I wouldn't give you a double (stereo) leslie effect, but a leslie through a leslie. That sounds horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Casio Man Posted March 1, 2012 Members Share Posted March 1, 2012 Are there, btw, any alternatives for the Vent? Perhaps multieffects with expression pedals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oceancruze1 Posted March 1, 2012 Members Share Posted March 1, 2012 Yes obviously you would want to circumvent the leslie SIM or KB3 on the Kurz not sure how you would do that exactly but. No, I knew enough not to send it thru two series of leslie effects lets see leslie squared what would that = ?? It would really give it a whirl then lol! Well some so called expert reviewer says the neo sounds just like a Leslie!?? Having played a hammond and heard a real leslie in my younger days I don't know not easy to replicate I don't think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted March 1, 2012 Members Share Posted March 1, 2012 Seriously, your sentences don't make any sense.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oceancruze1 Posted March 2, 2012 Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 I will simplify and leave out the levity. I am saying obviously you don't take a modulated leslie effect and put it thru another one. I am also saying that IMO a Neo does not accurately create a leslie effect when I have heard and an used to hearing a real whirling speaker in a baffle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted March 2, 2012 Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 OC, I think the first version of your post made sense... I think it's just a little hard to read (probably more so for non native English speakers) because of the punctuation (or lack thereof). Commas and periods (and capitalization) in the right places would help a lot! Other than that, I think the biggest problem was just a typo, where you probably meant to type "of" instead of "or" where you said "SIM or KB3." Better punctuated version follows (some changes are judgment calls, there's more than one possible approach to maximize readability, and I didn't make every possible fix). There are other changes you could make as well, but really, I think punctuation is 90% of it. Yes, obviously you would want to circumvent the leslie SIM of KB3 on the Kurz. Not sure how you would do that, exactly. But no, I knew enough not to send it thru two series of leslie effects. Let's see, leslie squared, what would that = ?? It would really give it a whirl then lol! Well some so called expert reviewer says the neo sounds just like a Leslie!?? Having played a hammond and heard a real leslie in my younger days, I don't know. Not easy to replicate, I don't think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members delaware dave Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 I think it's just a little hard to read (probably more so for non native English speakers) As well as for anyone speaking English .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deanmass Posted April 2, 2012 Members Share Posted April 2, 2012 I just opened mine tonight, and think in typical fashion it sounds great, but surprised that the preset ogans are so few...No diubt, pro build quality... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evildragon Posted April 2, 2012 Members Share Posted April 2, 2012 Update the OS to latest v2.10 (if it already isn't), you'll find more Hammonds then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted April 2, 2012 Members Share Posted April 2, 2012 More than in 2.03? I haven't updated yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evildragon Posted April 2, 2012 Members Share Posted April 2, 2012 Perhaps the stock OS his PC361 arrived with was pre-2.0.3... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dave Weiser Posted April 2, 2012 Members Share Posted April 2, 2012 I just opened mine tonight, and think in typical fashion it sounds great, but surprised that the preset ogans are so few...No diubt, pro build quality... Hmmmm.... I think you have not found all of them yet. KB3 programs are at: 49-56, 178-184 and 886-950.49-56 use the "new" Leslie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted April 2, 2012 Members Share Posted April 2, 2012 And to keep that in context... Once you find a handful of basic presets you like, you can then create as many variations as you want out of them. I mean, if you're trying to emulate a real tonewheel Hammond, while it did have some presets (and Kurz provides more presets than a real B3 had), the bulk of the sound generation was done by manipulating its controls in real time rather than by selecting presets, and the Kurz is perfectly adept at that real time control as well, and that's part of what makes it such a usable board for organ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Piano Whore Posted April 3, 2012 Members Share Posted April 3, 2012 Do modern Kurzweil sounds cut through, or have any balls or presence in the live mix? I don't see as many live players using them nowadays. If Delaware Dave says they do, that's good enough for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evildragon Posted April 3, 2012 Members Share Posted April 3, 2012 They do cut through. If they don't do that for anyone, they should learn the Master EQ and Comp and adjust it to match the venue on the sound check before the gig! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockinroller Posted July 4, 2012 Members Share Posted July 4, 2012 I've played professionally for 40 years, starting with a 1936 Model A Hammond and "Twin Towers" 31H Leslies, migrating through a couple of B3s, then an ARP Soloist in 1970, followed by an array of portable keyboards--each of which failed to entirely replace the Hammond as my meat-n-potatoes keybed. I played Kurzweils at the music store where I worked, starting with their K1000 series, and although the "real" pianos and strings were unparalleled, I could never justify the price. Then, last year, in search of that perfect, all around board--that gave me great organs plus other sounds, I bit on the PC361 and never looked back. This board has it all (except a piano-type keybed which personally doesn't affect me negatively). And some underlying current of negativity in these posts concerning the Leslie effect doesn't wash: If you don't have the factory Leslie characteristics in this board that appeals to your tastes, you can literally define your own and apply a multitude of adjustable parameters to the Leslie effect to make it what you believe to be "real". I have a couple of Hammond-Leslie settings that I've honed since owning this board for 10 months that I will bet any true Hammond purist will match, tone for tone, effect for effect, anything "real". These PC3 series from Kurzweil are unmatched in the industry IMO. The 76 note version (PC3) has the greatest keybed I have ever played on: a hybrid between the fast cut keys on a synth, and the fully weighted keys found on boards like Yamaha's CP (new) series. Unfortunately both the PC3 and its 61 note little brother are out of production, but if you can find a clean used one, BUY IT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ RAZZ Posted July 4, 2012 Members Share Posted July 4, 2012 I would agree. Wish I would have bought a PC3 new when they were still in production. The Roland ivory feel action wears me out and slows me down, even on the lightest setting. It feels heavier than a real piano action wise. Played an SP88 the other day and action wise I was in heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members delaware dave Posted July 5, 2012 Members Share Posted July 5, 2012 I spent some time recently syncing up the double leslie by syncing speed times and ramp up/down times so that the two leslies stay in sync. The double leslie phaseyness has been minimized and now sounds much better to me. Not quite vent quality but at a point where if i didn't have a vent I probably would not purchase a vent; i'd just go with the double leslie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members shambler Posted July 6, 2012 Members Share Posted July 6, 2012 The keybed of the PC361 is excellent, very responsive and excellent aftertouch sensitivity, you can trigger it with a tiny amount of pressure from your little finger if you set it up that way. The sound is what it seems Kurzweil worked hardest on, more than anything else, everything sounds rich, full and alive. Orchestral sounds, well I haven't heard better in any synth I've had, they rival EWQL orchestra for realism and variety. Organs, KB3. EP's...these are patches I used to skip on other synths because the sound was boring,flat. Kurz has brought these sounds to the fore. Virtual analog,a very very powerful implimentation...you wouldn't believe it,honestly!...the only problem is the interface to program it although you can use the free PC3 editor. Performance controls are numerous, mod wheel, pitch wheel, so many sliders...they even sell an optional ribbon controller. The user interface, now this is where Kurzweil should really concentrate their efforts! The screen is like something from the 80's and before, it is functional, it is not very user friendly...Kurz really are missing a trick here. Colour screen, maybe even make it a touchscreen, a well thought out interface...I'm sure this would make Kurz THE synth everyone would want to own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ RAZZ Posted July 8, 2012 Members Share Posted July 8, 2012 The keybed of the PC361 is excellent, very responsive and excellent aftertouch sensitivity, you can trigger it with a tiny amount of pressure from your little finger if you set it up that way.The sound is what it seems Kurzweil worked hardest on, more than anything else, everything sounds rich, full and alive.Orchestral sounds, well I haven't heard better in any synth I've had, they rival EWQL orchestra for realism and variety.Organs, KB3. EP's...these are patches I used to skip on other synths because the sound was boring,flat. Kurz has brought these sounds to the fore.Virtual analog,a very very powerful implimentation...you wouldn't believe it,honestly!...the only problem is the interface to program it although you can use the free PC3 editor.Performance controls are numerous, mod wheel, pitch wheel, so many sliders...they even sell an optional ribbon controller.The user interface, now this is where Kurzweil should really concentrate their efforts!The screen is like something from the 80's and before, it is functional, it is not very user friendly...Kurz really are missing a trick here.Colour screen, maybe even make it a touchscreen, a well thought out interface...I'm sure this would make Kurz THE synth everyone would want to own. Agreed, but kinda price would they demand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dave Weiser Posted July 9, 2012 Members Share Posted July 9, 2012 We're the first to admit that the PC3 display, while optimized as much as it can be for workflow, does seem a bit dated. There's a simple explanation, but first some background - when we first started the PC3 project, we were in the middle of a bankruptcy and semi-hostile takeover.Things were VERY different around here back then - there were only 5 of us on staff, the bills weren't being paid - we even thought the landlord was going to lock us out at one point. All of that is in the past, things are much better, we have a larger staff (25 and still hiring) and the company is stable again. Whew! So with that context in mind, there's a 2 part explanation on the display/GUI:1. The PC3 originally was intended to be a very simple product, just a small step up from the PC2, which used a small 2 line display.Once Hyundai Development purchased us and invested in some new hires, we were able to make the PC3 into a much more full-featured machine.But we were already committed to the hardware.2. Even with the $$ from Hyundai, we still didn't have the resources or time to throw at overhauling our GUI and adopting a new display. We decided that the resources and man hours should be devoted to sounds and features. But that was then. The PC3 is not the last product we're going to make. I can't really say too much about future products, but I CAN say that we have been gathering and responding to input from this and other forums as we develop new keyboards. Anyone with suggestions for future product features can always feel free to shoot me an email. davew@ycrdi.com Dave WeiserKurzweil R&D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members peter dinan Posted January 24, 2013 Members Share Posted January 24, 2013 Bought one of these recently. Unlike the reviewer above I am very new to this kind of keyboard. It is obviously designed for the experienced professional and is very dificult to negotiate. The complexity of the multifunction controls is baffling and detract from the pleasure of playing. The keybed itself and the sounds are world class, and no doubt IF you manage to learn how to programme the thing you would get amazing results. As it is, as I have M.E. , I have decided to sell it (at a loss) for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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