Nord Electro 3 or Hammond XK-1??

[AnotherScott]

 

Its not that heavy.

 

 

Are you saying that there's an error on their web site? It's listed as 18.5 kg.

 

At any rate, I'm sure it's heavier than the XK1, which is already a bit heavier than I'd like.

 

Personally, I don't think I'd have a need for anything the XK3c has that the XK1 doesn't. I don't need the extra drawbars and reverse key presets, for example. The only thing that intrigues me about the XK3c over the XK1 would be the tubes. But I'd probably take an XK1+Ventilator over an XK3c, I think it might be the bigger sonic improvement. Though if someone doesn't care about the weight or budget, I suppose the XK3c+Ventilator would be better still.

[Goofball Jones]

Also, don't forget that the Electro 3 has a Vox and Farfisa simulations too. Not samples of them either.

[tucktronix]

 

Also, don't forget that the Electro 3 has a Vox and Farfisa simulations too. Not samples of them either.

 

 

Which IMO would be great if you're in some kind of Doors tribute band.

[Miket156]

I don't think we should be complaining about the weight of today's keyboards. Weight is going to heavier with weighted KB's actions than synth KB actions. So clonewheels are pretty light compared to a Yamaha workstation.

 

I want something sturdy too.

 

But ultimately, i agree with Scot, the big issue is getting the right piece.

 

 

 

Mike T.

[pinkfloydcramer61]

 

Also, don't forget that the Electro 3 has a Vox and Farfisa simulations too. Not samples of them either.

 

 

But no Lowrey simulations? What if you're in a "The Band" tribute band?

 

Actually, having modeled Vox/Farfisas would be kinda cool, IMO.

[The Hamburglar]

96 tears? House of the Rising Sun? The Zombies? The {censored}ing Monks?

 

Vox > Hammond

[Tomkeen]

 

96 tears? House of the Rising Sun? The Zombies? The {censored}ing Monks? Vox > Hammond

 

 

Lol no.

[vegasgt3]

The Electro 3 is the most versatile, best bang for the buck, easy to use, easy to transport rig I have ever used in my life. I bought mine new (61 key) for $1,700 from a major on-line retailer. The action is fantastic for everything except jazz piano or classical. The strings, brass, sample library on-board effects that you can edit on the fly are great for live playing.

 

It is the swiss army knife of keyboards. I would buy another in a heartbeat.

[The Hamburglar]

 

Lol no.

 

It's kind of a 'stupid' statement I guess, but I literally can't think of other classic organ parts I care about nearly as much.

[GigMan]

These features are mission critical for Hammond players. It can be very frustrating when you have a different clone and you can't get these little nuances to sound right because they can't be edited. I've heard youtube demos by "real" organists playing an XK-1 and its the real deal. The Nord is appealing if you need a bigger variety of sounds than just a true Hammond organ sound. The Nord can load and play the sounds from the Clavia sample library, so if you need Mellotron sounds, and other great sounds in the Clavia sample library, the NE3 is a lot more versatile. So it depends on what you are going to use it for and what sounds are the most important. Mike T.

 

Subtle nuances in organ tone have no bearing on my [gig] life... - - but I do like the fact the NE3 has variety of other sounds & if I came into money or decided to spend down some dough to avoid a bigger tax bill (rather spend it on my own business than give Uncle Sam!) maybe I'd pick one up. But is it multitimbral - if I had one on a small bar gig, could I layer organ over piano, or strings over Rhodes, etc... - - ?? It thickens the sound in a small 3 or 4 piece gig situation.

[kwyn]

life... - - but I do like the fact the NE3 has variety of other sounds & if I came into money or decided to spend down some dough to avoid a bigger tax bill (rather spend it on my own business than give Uncle Sam!) maybe I'd pick one up. But is it multitimbral - if I had one on a small bar gig, could I layer organ over piano, or strings over Rhodes, etc... - - ?? It thickens the sound in a small 3 or 4 piece gig situation.

 

One sound at a time. Sorry. No way to layer.

[Outkaster]

 

Are you saying that there's an error on their web site? It's listed as 18.5 kg. At any rate, I'm sure it's heavier than the XK1, which is already a bit heavier than I'd like. Personally, I don't think I'd have a need for anything the XK3c has that the XK1 doesn't. I don't need the extra drawbars and reverse key presets, for example. The only thing that intrigues me about the XK3c over the XK1 would be the tubes. But I'd probably take an XK1+Ventilator over an XK3c, I think it might be the bigger sonic improvement. Though if someone doesn't care about the weight or budget, I suppose the XK3c+Ventilator would be better still.

 

 

The point is it is not that heavy, I mean really. Do you play with an 88 key?

[AnotherScott]

 

The point is it is not that heavy, I mean really. Do you play with an 88 key?

 

 

Yes, I play with an 88-key. Casio Privia, under 24 pounds (replacing an older Privia which was still under 29).

 

The other keyboards I may bring around (no, not all to the same gig) would be a Nord Wave (under 14 lbs), or a Yamaha S30 or Korg TR-76 (both under 18 lbs).

 

Notice a pattern? :-)

[hugh9191]

If you're just looking for organ sounds can I suggest you look at the Nord C2? It just does organ sounds but they seem pretty awesome. I have never played one but I've seen videos including comparisons with actual Hammond B3s and they seem rather impressive. They also do Vox and Farfisa emulation too.

 

http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Products&clpm=Nord_C2_Organ&clncm=Information

 

I think if I was going to get one I'd get the E3 coz I'd go for the electric piano sounds too but if all I wanted was organ I'd get the C2.

[Nillerbabs]

The C2 is quite pricey, and unless you're heavily into church organ, the only lure are the dual manuals, which will attract mainly serious organ players. Otherwise, the Electro provides organ splits with octave shifting to cater for most organ uses.

 

Having said that, I would like a C1/Vent combo at the moment.

[Randyman]

I know the OP wanted something reasonable in cost, but I have to suggest it anyway. I've had the Nord Stage 88 for the last coupla months and am blown away by it! And of course they make the Nord Stage compact, which weighs in around 20 pounds.

 

True, it is pricier, but if you buy used, they already have a 2d generation: first there was the Classic, now there's an EX model with more memory and a few other features. So possibly, you could get a Classic for as little as $2k thru ebay if you were patient (I'm guessing).

 

The one drawback with the Stage is that it doesn't accept the general library, only the piano library. But as far as I can see that's the only significant disadvantage.

 

For one, it's SIX PART MULTITIMBRAL, which means 2 different keyboard sounds, 2 different synth sounds, 2 different organ sounds all at the same time.

 

The other big advantage is the SYNTH SECTION: some say it's not as full featured as it needs to be, but i say so what- it sounds so much better than romplers trying to do synthesis, and there's a lot of knobs for real time tweaking- sounds glorious and adds a lot to the overall sounds, from pads to leads to bass.

 

The fx section is also better on the Stage- it has a fantastic delay that I don't see for the E3.

 

Being able to layer 6 sounds is amazing on the Stage- I can be playing any piano/rhodes/clav/synth sounds, and then use the foot pedal to bring in the organ, which is just one example of how the Stage can bring in different sounds in real time. This is fantastic, cause it means you can play one patch and get a tremendous amount of variety of sound and fx.

 

Highly recommended!

Randyman

[halluxone]

Tried both the XK-1 and XK-3 up against the Nord 3 73 and I ended up getting the Nord. It's just awesome sounds that you'll never get bored playing...some folks may think the action is a little springy but it's a perfect compromise between silky organ feel and electric piano. THe XK-3 is so full of stuff I wouldn't ever really use anyway so the Nord won hands down.

The amp simulations alone just make it scream and the 73 key is only 18.5 lbs...much lighter than the hammonds.

[AnotherScott]

 

I know the OP wanted something reasonable in cost, but I have to suggest it anyway. I've had the Nord Stage 88 for the last coupla months and am blown away by it! And of course they make the Nord Stage compact, which weighs in around 20 pounds.

 

 

The Stage is a very nice piece, but I don't think it's ideal for the OP, even aside from cost. His focus is organ sound, and the E3 actually has a better organ sound than the Stage. Though if he did look at it, I'd suggest avoiding the 88 and only considering the Compact, for a more organ-friendly action.

[erikjamesmusic]

It appears I'm late to the party. I had to make this exact decision about 6 months ago. I had just moved from NYC to Austin, where I still make a living as a freelance musician. Austin is a blues/rock based town (much different from NYC) and gigs, as in most places don't pay much ($50-150 in town). Also, I'm a trained pianist, NOT a trained organist (But I can get by and have grown a lot in the past 6 months on the organ)

 

That being said, I have a Kurzweil pc2-x that has the best piano sounds/feel of any keyboard I've ever tried with the exception of the pc3-x. This is my "bottom tier" kbrd. I needed a top tier "organ" to round out my rig. I narrowed it down to the XK-1 and the electro-3. I had been renting the Nord c1 and loved it, feel AND sounds, but it was out of my price range.

 

So I rented the electro-3. It's the same organ engine as the c1, sounded great. It did NOT feel great. The keys are a compromise between piano/organ/synth action, and I didn't like playing ANY sound on it. Very uninspiring feel, although I will give Nord credit for the waterfall element.

 

After renting this for a couple gigs, I went to the local music store where they had an XK-1 and an NE3-73 right next to each other. I brought a friend, and I tested both of them in store, first hooked up to a real Leslie (145 i think), and then using their leslie simulators.

 

When both were hooked up to a real leslie, the Xk1 definitely won the b3 shootout. It FEELS like a real organ (the keys are so "Creamy" and btw they ARE made by fatar). The hammond sounded "gospel-y" and..well...like a Hammond. The Nord didn't benefit in the same way from the Leslie, and obviously has "virtual drawbars" and doesn't feel like a real organ.

 

When I compared them without the real Leslie, and using their Leslie sims, It was a toss-up. The nord had a better Leslie sim, but only a hair above the xk1. Again, the Hammond actually felt like an instrument i wanted to play.

 

I found a seller in Seattle who shipped me the following (used) for $1450 total: xk1, NYCase "hard"-case, halfmoon switch, Motionsound Pro 3T, hammond expression pedal, and 2 A-B Foot Switches. It was a great deal.

 

The motionsound Pro 3T leslie top is the perfect compromise for gigging musicians. It fits right on top of my KC-550 and I get compliments on it all the time. It's a tank. Mic it with a sm57 and take a mono out of the kc-550 and let the engineer blend til it sounds great.

 

However, I played an electro 3-73 at a rehearsal yesterday and I was very jealous. It sounds almost as good (maybe 90% as good as the xk1/MSP 3T combo), and it actually has a more "finished" sound out of the box (purists would probably scoff at) and automatically sounds great in a mix, no variables to deal with for the engineer. It weighs 20 lbs!!!! OMG! I think if you can get over the feel of the keys and the virtual drawbars this is a no-brainer. It'd be great to have both.

[erikjamesmusic]

Sorry for the long-winded reply. I feel that since I just went through this I would lend whatever opinions I have established

[Outkaster]

You have to decide if you can live without real drawbars? That is a deal killer for me. I know a guy that gigs with Nord and when I sit on his rig it just feels wrong to me, almost like I can't get into it. It is not as much the sound as the layout.

[Gribs]

Guys is there a difference between the organ and EP sounds on the Electro 3 and the Stage EX series? The online info does not state this explicitly other than saying that the Stage EX gives you their B3 model (and the picture of the organ section looks the same for both units). The Stage EX 76 compact has always given me that irrational GAS feeling - like want but don't need at all - probably more than any other Nord instrument. Perhaps some day...

[AnotherScott]

 

You have to decide if you can live without real drawbars? That is a deal killer for me. I know a guy that gigs with Nord and when I sit on his rig it just feels wrong to me, almost like I can't get into it. It is not as much the sound as the layout.

 

 

You can add something that feels like real drawbars:

http://www.oceanbeachdigital.com/Site/Home.html

 

or you can use faders on a piece like the M-Audio Evolution UC-33e.

[AnotherScott]

 

Guys is there a difference between the organ and EP sounds on the Electro 3 and the Stage EX series?

 

 

Same EPs. Better organ on the Electro 3. Better piano on the Stage EX (well, same pianos, except on the Stage EX, you get the string resonance enabled).

 

Other than that, Electro 3 has the advantage of the sample library (and the ability to load your own samples as well). Stage EX has the advantage of being multi-timbral and having MIDI controller functionality (splits/layers between both internal and external sounds), plus an analog-style synth section, aftertouch, pitch and mod controllers, and available 76 or 88 key weighted actions.

[AstralWurks]

 

A leslie effect is second to getting a clone. First consideration should be tone.

 

 

Amen. There is NO substitute for a real doppler effect creating rotary speaker.

 

Buying any Hammond clone and basing the choice on the Leslie emulation is horribly short-sighted.

 

If the tone is good/accurate, you can make it sound almost exactly like a real B3 if you run it through a tube pre-amp and a Motion Sound or Leslie.