From SimpsonDan@aol.com Sun Jun 10 15:26:15 2001
Subject:Re: OB 5 Elimination

Elimination of the OB5 does not surprise me at all. It was cusiously absent
from the Oberheim/Viscount booth at the NAMM show last January.

Don't hold your breath for a dual manual controller other than the ones that
are already out. The only one that I know of that is not a full organ
console is the Roland VK-77. It is still in production, with a cost in
excess of $4Gs.

The reason for the lack of a lot of choice in the dual manual category is
simple economics. The market is too small to justify the production costs.
Dual manual products are generally organs and the biggest market by a long
shot is churches. If you want a full console with pedals and everything,
then there are multiple options available from Hammond and others, but bring
your checkbook and expect to write one with five figures in it (not including
the pennies).

I think Korg has the best solution I've seen in a very long time. The CX-3
is actually a very smart design if you want dual-manual drawbars. You can
plug a second manual into the MIDI-In jack and it can be used to trigger the
sound from the second set of drawbars. It is essentially a dual manual
option. Downsides to the CX-3 for use as a console organ are (1) no pedal
drawbars or connection, and (2) no Leslie jack. Other than that I think it
is an excellent product.

If you really want a dual manual, then go with the VK-77. You can add pedals
to it if you like, and it has a Leslie jack, though the output level is low
so it does not work all that great with the Leslie adapter kits. If you
don't need the portability of the VK-77, then a full Hammond console would
probably do the trick. I know of no manufacturer that is even contemplating
a new "portable" dual manual controller, and I can't imagine that anyone
would, especially in these hard economic times in the music industry.

I could be wrong, of course.

Dan