From james_eaton@btopenworld.com Sat Nov 15 02:52:29 2003
Subject:Re: New and Improved???

--- In CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com, barry reynolds
wrote:
> I've heard people are fairly happy with the sound but not so happy
with the keyboard action, but I haven't played one.

There was a portable one and a normal one at Pizza express earlier
this year. Hammond had arranged a New B-3 "workshop", and I managed
to have a go on it.

I already knew that the action was not identical from what I had
read on this list and others, and seen in the brochures (There's a
small view of the side profile of the key action in the pdf).

In practice however, the action felt a bit sloppy. There was a lot
more sideways movement than I expected.

I have a '62 A-100 that whilst it might have had new keycombs at
some point in its life just feels much tighter.

The fulcrum of the keys is much closer to the back of the key than
on an original console. This didn't bother me too much, but I bet
it would after a couple of 1hr sets.

Maybe its a problem with my playing technique but I find after a
long gig playing on modern keyboards, the tips of my middle fingers
and to a lesser extent the the two fingers either side feel bashed
in, because the force needed to press they key closer to the back of
the key is much greater. Original consoles are very nice to play
for this reason - the downforce needed at the back of the key is
practically the same as at the front because the key channel is so
long (it is also what makes the keyboard very heavy)

I didn't completely fall in love with the pedals either. They didn't
seem to have the immediacy of an original console. There's a good
reason for that in that they use an XK-2 style VASE2 tone generator,
so you miss some of the same feel, and the interplay between pedal
and manual.

On another note, the Leslie sounded a bit too clean to my ears.
Maybe it was the room acoustics. Maybe it is the particle board that
is used. Maybe my Leslies are on their last legs.

I definitely left feeling that my A-100 at home was a better
instrument to listen to and play, but then again, it weighs more
than a even C-3, it is not in a B-case.

Regards
James