From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Sun Mar 11 17:35:30 2001
Subject:Re: Tweaking the XK-2

Rohan,

>I know a lot of members here have posted the virtues of the Korg and Voce
>over the XK-2 but the problem in my case is that the price of the new CX-3
>is A$5400. This figure is correct, and puts it a whole A$2200 above the
>XK-2 (sells for A$3200) and A$2900 above the XB-1 (A$2500 what I paid).
>This price also puts it in the legue of an A100 or similar with leslie, so
>if I was going to speng the big ones, then I would opt for the real McKoy
>over the clone.

That's certainly a lot of A$! If the CX-3 were almost 2x the cost of the
XK-2, I doubt that I would have sprung for it. The XK-2 can be had for
around $1300US, and the CX-3 for around $2000US, so it's a little better a
differential. Also, the XB-1 is not available here at all, so it's not
really even an option. The XM-1 is, but by the time you add a Fatar or
Roland keyboard, you are back up to the XK-2's cost, more or less.

>In order to improve the sound of the XB-1 I would be considering running
>the signal through a tube preamp (something like the ART Dual MP) and
>possibly an EQ stage. But is it possible to take the signal from the 11
>pin connector, run it through the preamp/EQ and mix the signal back into
>the XLD-1?? Would it be a better option if I were to run the Preamp/EQ, to
>run the leslie from a leslie preamp instead?? Or, am I barking up the
>wrong tree, and need to look at another configuration??

If you are talking about running the XB-1 into a tube Leslie, you probably
won't need a tube preamp, and you may not even find you need the EQ all
that badly. In many (most?) cases, the preamp and EQ are used to simulate
the tonality of the Leslie cabinet, when used with the internal simulator
or an external device (Rotosphere, PRO-3, etc.). I've heard the XM-1,
XB-2, V3, V5, and CX-3 through a Leslie, and while they have their sonic
differences, any of them will sound reasonably Hammond-like in that
setup. I suspect that the XB-1 will, too.

If you still need external processing, it would be easier to run the XB-1
into the external boxes, and then to a pedal preamp like the one made by
Trek II, or the old Leslie preamp. While it is probably possible to take
the signal from the XLD-1, process it, and then return it to the XLD-1, it
is going to require modifications to the box, and you are likely to have
issues with matching levels. The input to most EQs and such ranges from
100mV-2V maximum, while the input required to fully drive a Leslie is at
least 10-15V. That means that the output of the XLD-1 is 5-10x of what the
EQ is set up to handle, so you'll have to drop it down on the front end,
and boost it back after processing. Messy, to say the least.

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions"
www.ashbysolutions.com
CloneWheel Support Group moderator
978.386.7389 voice
978.776.0096 fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com