From sevush@rcn.com Wed Apr 09 07:16:28 2003
Subject:RE: gearing up to upgrade gear

I think Eric's point is well taken - get the most from what you have. I have
repeatedly made the point that playing style and other choices are more
significant to the listener than Leslie ramp up times or mike distance from
the horn. Not much interest here in discussing musical strategies and
technique compared to the latest new toy or incompatibility of newly
acquired toy.

I have been through quite a bit of gear in the two years since I started
playing "out" after a 25 year "recovery period". All of it was to get
to what truly works for me and what I really need.

I started with an S80 piano and Korg CX3, loving the sounds and the
lightness compared to lugging a Rhodes and a Hammond. Used a Mackie 1402 and
a pair of Mackie SRM450. Great sound.

The S80 got heavy and I broke a knob, so I bought an S30 to lighten the
load. Not a fun keyboard to play, but the sounds were identical. I wish
Yamaha had made a decent 76 key version, but they didn't.

The weight was lower, but the setup time was significant. Tried different
stands, mixers... two keyboards seemed to be the constant that held me up.

Eyeballed the Nord Electro for a while and finally jumped in January. Sold
the CX3 and the S30 and they covered the cost of the Electro and hard case.
Single keyboard, fast setup.

Bought a Speakeasy and a Barbetta amp. I now have some flexibility in how I
setup. I can walk in to a gig with everything in one trip - Electro,
Barbetta, stand and cable bag. I can make more trips as needed - Mackies,
speaker stands for Mackies...

Was so impressed w/the Electro I purchased a Nord Lead 2. Very cool synth.
Yes, I'm back to two keyboards - but not quite. I'm still getting the feel
of the Lead, and it's not required for any of the gigs or practices I do. At
some point I'll work it into the setup, but it'll be an option, not a
requirement.

I feel more like a guitarist w/a few guitars. I have choices and can get by
comforably w/one keyboard and amp.

Choices. Options. Less is more.

My name is Dan. I'm a gear-o-holic. I have less to carry every day.

> Damon,
>
> In my opinion, you should keep the VK7 and make the most out of it. A lot
> of people on this list (myself being one of the main candidates) buy and
> sell clones as new ones are released, in constant search of the
> "holy grail"
> of clones. I cannot tell you how many different clones and custom road
> cases I have been through over the past 13 years and how much money I have
> burned in the process. All in all, it is fun and being obsessed with gear
> is one of my favorite hobbies (a close second to actually making music).
> However, I continue to counsel myself internally to finally just *BE
> CONTENT* with what I have and stop trying to change gears all the
> time. My
> best moments were between 1991 and 1999 when I was using a
> Hammond XB-2 with
> several different Leslie simulators. I really got maximum mileage out of
> that instrument and since then, I have been through an XK2, V5, CX3 and
> Electro, among other gear purchases. Looking back, the tone I had with my
> XB2 through a Motion Sound or 122 was just as realistic and good as what I
> have today with an Electro running in stereo through a Speakeasy. In the
> end, it's all about the music. I remember reading somewhere that Sun Ra
> gave a concert and he played the same DX7 preset all night long and it was
> amazing, due to his talent on the instrument.
>
> The VK7 is a very respectable instrument and has a lot of tweakability to
> it. You will not notice much difference in tone between it and the CX3 or
> the Electro for that matter. I would keep the VK7, enjoy those
> drawbars and
> really maximize your music using that instrument. Really work to
> get it to
> sound like you want. Experiment with outboard FX and a real Leslie. Take
> it to places you've never been before. If you want piano sounds, buy a
> small module on the used market.
>
> Some might notice that I post less frequently, but I am still
> reading every
> single post and will sound off when I have an opinion or answers to a
> question. Actually, I've been trying to discipline myself to spend more
> time practicing and listening to music, rather than constantly obsessing
> over what I should buy next. Staying away from the PC is a step in the
> right direction. I'm pretty fickle and have a weakness for a lot of toys,
> so eBay continues to be my master...but I am taking that first step to
> admitting that I have a gear problem. Hi, my name is Eric
> Lawson, and I'm a
> gearaholic. Thanks for listening.
>
> Regards,
> Eric Lawson
> Moderator
> CloneWheel Support Group
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CloneWheel/
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Damon Fibraio [mailto:dfibraio@comcast.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 4:37 PM
> To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [CWSG] gearing up to upgrade gear
>
> OK, folks. Here's my situation. I am looking to see what a
> Roland VK7 with
> case is worth. Iwant to get a Nord Electro, or maybe get
> ambitiout and go
> for the CX3. I am leaning towards the electro because of the
> extra sounds
> and the waterfall keys. Here's my questions.
>
> 1. What can I sell a mostly mint VK7 for. Bought in about 1999 or so,
> missing a knob cap, but otherwise in great shape. Coming with a protect
> case and some pedals, manual included. No idea of rom version.
>
> 2. Which is better to replace my VK with. Is the electro organ better? I
> know I don't have access to the drawbars anymore, but are the drawbar
> buttons just as easy to use when manually tweaking the sound?
> How good is
> the Electro at dirty distorted organ sounds? I am obviously gearing
> towards
> Electro 2. I downloaded the demos from Clavia, but the organ demo leaves
> me
> a little cold in the playing department and I want to hear more of its
> capabilities. the CX3, from what Ihear is a better organ sound, but you
> don't get the extra pianos. Is the electro's organ better than
> the VK7 at
> least? Help me...
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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