From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Wed Jul 14 16:41:23 2004
Subject:Re: Musings on the XK-3 brouhaha / lack of posts

Hi Scott,

>About your remarks on dual-manual setups: Although this doesn't
>address your desire for a "fast" lower manual, it's quite easy for
>me to plug in a cheap MIDI keyboard and set it up as a lower manual
>for the XK-3. Since I have one of those god-awful 'A'-frame stands,
>I can set the lower manual to be very close to the upper.

Yes, I did the exact same thing myself in the past, using a CX-3 and a Fatar CMS-161. However, I want the two manuals about 1.5-2" apart vertically, and I want the tails of the upper keys right above the heads of the lower keys; in short, just like a B-3. With the right gear, one can get pretty close to the scenario with two keyboards, but my BX-3 can always get closer.

>Also, it is my understanding that the Ham-Suz lower-mnual project
>for the XK-3 has been cancelled, because it would cut into sales of
>the B-3p.

This makes complete business sense. If I owned H-S, I'd probably do the same. Face it, the B-3/B-3P project cost a lot of $$$ (technically, Yen) to develop, and was probably approved based on a business plan that sells x-number of the high-test Hammonds. Until that money is recouped, why risk the whole game with a much lower cost product? The name of the game in capitalism is to make money, not cool products. Cool products is just a happy accident of the process! ;^)

Regards,

-BW
--
Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions™ http://music.ashbysolutions.com
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com