From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Mon Sep 24 06:28:04 2001
Subject:Re: Clone Shootout [was: Nord Electro]

Ken,

I'd love to bring my CX-3 down (up?) -- assuming we can get around the
Customs issues. :-\

We'll have to coordinate around gigging schedules and such.

As a participant in the first shootout, I can add a couple of points we
need to consider. (Mark L., your expertise and insights would also be
helpful.)

* We'll need a well-maintained tube Leslie and a good tube preamp for
the tests.
* We need a good audio mixer with wide bandwidth to put all the sound
sources through. I can provide a Mackie 1402-VLZ as the mixer for the
various clones, unless you have access to a similar mixer.
* Since simulators have improved greatly since the earlier shootout, we
should also look at them. Last time, we only had a couple of hours, and
the Hammond clone part took enough time that aural fatigue (and boredom!)
set in, and only a couple of us ended up doing the Leslie sim
part. Perhaps we should plan to do keyboards early, take a couple hours
break, then come back to sims.
* Simulator testing will require a good sound system to really compare
"apples to apples." I would suggest a pair of Mackie 450's or something
similar, so we can compare both mono and stereo simulations.
* A critical part of the experiment is having a good reference
organ. Last time, we used a recently re-capped and well maintained Goff
B-3 (actually, I think it was a B-2 with Trek percussion), which also had a
line out, so that we could put it through the mixer with the rest of the
keyboards, thereby eliminating the possibility of tonal changes in the
Hammond/Leslie connection vs. the preamp/Leslie connection. How would you
describe the tone of your Hammond? Does it have both scanner vibrato and
percussion?

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions™
www.ashbysolutions.com
CloneWheel Support Group moderator
978.386.7389 voice
978.964.0547 fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com

At 08:12 A 9/24/2001 -0400, Ken Hall wrote:
>Dave,
>
>Yes, I have the 60s and 70s board for my XP80. As I mentioned before, I
>also have an A-90 which I think has even better Rhodes and Wurly sounds than
>the XP-80 ( with the 60s and 70s ). The Nord blows them all away in EP
>sounds. The CP80 sound is unbelievably authentic too. This is not a sound
>I use much, but they have nailed it. I can't answer your MIDI questions
>yet - there seemed to be a lot of flexibility. You can go to the Clavia
>site and download a user's manual which will probably answer those
>questions. Where are you located? I'm thinking of organizing a shootout
>when I get the Nord. Can you make it? Anyone else interested near
>Kingston, Ontario? Anyone want to bring a VK7 and/or a CX3?
>
>Cheers, Ken
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From:
>To:
>Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 12:48 AM
>Subject: Re: [CWSG] Nord Electro
>
> > Hey Ken,
> > Question for you:
> > I'm intrigued by the new Electro as well. Unfortunately, No one in New
> > England or the stores in NYC I've called have them or know when they will
> > have them, so I can't even try one out right now.
> >
> > But I have a question for you, as a fellow XP-80 owner. First off, do you
> > have the sounds of the 60's and 70's card for the XP-80? That's what I
>use
> > for all my Rhodes, Wurly and clav sounds these days, esp. the Rhodes MK-II
> > and NY Rhodes sounds.
> >
> > If so, how does the Electro's EP's and clavs compare to those patches?
>How's
> > the CP-80 electric grand? I personally love playing EP and clav sounds on
>a
> > semi weighted organ style keyboard like the CX-3's or the XK-2, though
> > acoustic piano sounds only feel right to me on a digital piano. Is the
> > action similar to those? I've often wished my XP-80 had the action of
>those
> > organs or even of the Roland A-33......
> >
> > If you're into midi, how much flexibility does it have for splits /
>layers/
> > multiple midi channels, etc? Or is it very stripped down in functions,
>like
> > the keyboards it emulates? Any control of velocity curves?
> > Thanks,
> > Dave O
> > Deosoff@aol.com
> >