From winansml@bellsouth.net Tue May 11 14:20:06 2004
Subject:Re: Running on about the XK-3

Good post MT...What's your impression of the Leslie sim on the XK-3?
----- Original Message -----
From: M T
To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004 5:14 PM
Subject: [CWSG] Running on about the XK-3

You all have made some great points on here regarding
the XK-3 and gear lust and the "next big thing". Let
me give you my perspective.

I have always found that when an instrument sounds
like what I am used to hearing on records that it
inspires me to greater flights of improvisational
fancy, so to speak. In other words, I am inspired by
the sound.

I am a picky bastard when it comes to my organ and
Rhodes. I have the real deals. I know the difference.

I had a VK-7 for a long time and had momentary gear
lust for the CX-3 when it came out. However, for the
good things it had, I thought the leslie was horrible
and the feel was bad so I stuck with the VK. I really
hoped the VK-8 would fix the problems with the VK-7.
They added a lot of bells and whistles but didn't fix
the basic sound issues.

The quality of the leslie simulation means nothing if
the organ sound is sub-par.

I only heard the Electro online and was never
impressed. So that was out.

When I found the B4, I found it to be head and
shoulders above the other clones. So, I made the
investment of a Quattro and an Alesis Microverb (I had
a laptop and controller boards). Of course...that
thing was a HASSLE to take to gigs and had latency
issues (not to mention the crash issues always hanging
over one's head). But, it sounded so good it was worth
the effort. But it was getting old.

When I first heard about the XK-3, I was hopeful, yet
skeptical. I mean...we are always searching for the
Holy Clone Grail right? The initial reviews were
mostly positive but there were issues. But when Tony
posted about playing the new version side-by-side with
the NAMM version and how much better it was...my heart
started to race.

As I told my fiancee and anyone else who would
listen...it is so rare when something lives up to your
expectations...and even rarer when something SURPASSES
them! Dave said he has to decide if the XK-3 is worth
a $1,000 upgrade. Well...it was a $2,000 upgrade for
me and it was worth EVERY penny!

I am INSPIRED to play this thing! It just sounds
right. You could analyze why for days but let's just
leave it at that. For what I play (jazz and R&B a la
Chester Thompson), this thing sounds right. It sounds
like Tony is a rocker and he seems to think it sounds
right for his applications too.

I know I sound like a Hammond plant and believe
me...my pocketbook wishes I was. It's just that I feel
like writing Hammond a love letter! I actually wanted
to hug the damn thing the other day at rehearsal!

Some people get attached to their rigs and I
understand that. For me, however, more often than not,
familiarity breeds contempt. If it's not the real
thing, then mostly it's gonna get old.

I don't see that happening anytime soon with the XK-3.
(Especially through a real leslie).

It's like Hammond finally came to the table and just
messed up EVERYBODY with enhancements and parameters
that no one had ever thought of making...things that
most clone players only dreamed of having.

I have never owned a Hammond clone before now because
they were the also-rans. (I played a set the other
night on someone else's XB-2 - what a piece of crap
that thing is). Well...they have redeemed their
reputation in spades.

I am babbling. Someone stop me.

Mitch



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