From ynottnaro@yahoo.com Tue Jan 14 04:54:32 2003
Subject:RE: Clone Keyboards vs. The Palm Glissando...

I would pretty much second Eric in toto....except I
would place the VK8 at #3 and the VK7 at #5.
Playability-wise, the VK8 has the true waterfall keys,
and some of the "menued" functions have now been moved
to the surface for easy accessibility (ring modulation
for that Jon Lord MKIII organ solo stuff) and can be
controlled with the D-beam which is kind of a silly
controller, but does have some interesting
applications (leslie fast/slow, ring mod, crescendo,
and my favorite which is not available on ANY of the
other clones, tonewheel brake...if you're not familiar
with it, it was a stunt old schoolers would do: in the
middle of a ripping passage, turn the organ off, and
hear the pitch drop dramatically, and then at just the
right moment, fire the organ back up and hear the
pitch return to its normal position...quite awesome
and effective when done correctly). Like the VK7, the
VK8's keyboard is a lighter but very playable action
(a little heavier than the CX3). I too owned the XK2
for a long time, a new CX3 for a short time, and now
the Electro for a few months. It's keyboard is very
playable, but there was something more Hammond-y about
the XK2.

As for tone, your results will vary as well, but for
authenticity and enjoyment (and I base my rating
purely on these instruments as a standalones, no
leslie or outboard leslie simulators)...

#1-Electro (the 73, so you can do 2 handed playing
with

--- Eric Lawson wrote:
> Robert,
>
> Here is my opinion on the robustness of the various
> clone keyboards. Your
> mileage may vary.
>
> #1 - The best is the Hammond XK-2. I used one for a
> year and a half and
> beat the living crap out of that keyboard and it
> never flinched. It is
> every bit as robust as a tonewheel Hammond keyboard.
> True waterfall,
> squared-off keys.
>
> #2 - The Nord Electro is a close second. The action
> is very similar to the
> XK2 but has more play at the bottom of the action
> rather than being as
> stiff. The Electro is such a light instrument that
> this keyboard cannot be
> pummeled quite as viciously. But it can take the
> abuse and feels great.
> True waterfall, squared-off keys.
>
> #3 - I would rate the Roland VK-7 around here, as it
> does have a very sturdy
> keyboard, but it is not a waterfall action. It is
> regular synth style.
>
> #4 - Korg CX-3. This is an almost featherweight
> action. Very light and
> fast. Some users have complained of broken weights
> in the keys, so I
> question the long-term robustness. I used one for 9
> months and did not like
> the action nearly as much as the XK2 or Electro. I
> had to modify my playing
> technique to adjust to this action. Also, the v1.0
> software had an annoying
> double-bounce glitch that would cause the entire
> tone to slapback like a
> delay after percussive playing. v1.0 has
> semi-waterfall keys with a little
> lip. v2.0 has true waterfall keys.
>
> #5 and up - Starting to get into gray area for me,
> as I have not played
> every single one. I have not played the new
> VK-8...it is true waterfall and
> users say it is good. It might bump into #3 if it
> is that good. The older
> Hammond XB2 had a pretty bad action. Very light
> synth-style keys that broke
> easily. I don't know about the Oberheim organs.
>
> Regards,
> Eric
> CloneWheel Support Group Moderator
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Cooper [mailto:rdcooper@rogers.com]
> Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 11:48 PM
> To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [CWSG] Clone Keyboards vs. The Palm
> Glissando...
>
> Hello all... this is my first post to the list,
> and I must admit, it's
> great
> to find this source of knowledge (and opinion). By
> way of introduction, my
> "setup" is a Rhodes VK-1000, plain and raw. I know
> I need lots of help,
> but
> that's partly why I'm here. :-)
>
> My first question is with respect to the various
> clones and their keyboard
> actions/ruggedness. How many of these clones can
> actually be played *like
> the real thing*? Do any of the new waterfall
> keyboards truly allow a nice
> smooth palm gliss like a B? I'm interested in
> hearing the experiences of
> the
> list in general. Have you had to modify your
> playing style because of the
> plastic keys on (most of) the clones?
>
> Also, are there any other VK-1000 owners on the
> list, or have you all
> upgraded? ;-)
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Rob
>
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>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>

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