From gegerton@ameritech.net Mon Feb 07 14:01:38 2005
Subject:Re: XK3 vs Electro vs CX3

I feel about the same here Jay. I bought an XK-3 and
MS-145 awhile back and was using it with great
confidence and results. Then everybody kept raving
about the Electro and it's great simulator.So I broke
out the plastic and bought the 61 key model from
Sweetwater,just hoping that I didn't make a mistake.
Now I usually just bring out the Electro for jobs
without a leslie. Its such a pleasure to travel
lighter and not sacrifice sound quality.
However, side by side, I think the XK with my MS
has more of that B3 sound and feel. I also like the
real drawbars, its easier to change on the fly. Anyway
you cut it both of these clones have their strong
points and both are worth the investment
--- jayfo88 wrote:

---------------------------------

In the hope that this will be of interest to someone
else in the group
here's my CX3 vs Electro vs XK3 saga.

I have owned a CX3 for several year (updated to V2)
and do like it
(especially through my new Speakeasy Clone preamp and
Barbetta
SE41).Since recently joining this group all the talk
about the Electro
and XK3 has made me more curious about these boards.I
had tried both
briefly a while ago and my only impression at the time
was that the
keyboard on the XK3 was very disappointing.On one of
my recent visits
to Guitar Center I saw that they had an Electro73 and
XK3 set up right
above one another which made comparing them very
convenient and I
spent some time doing just that.They both sounded
really good and I
don't know if I just got used to the XK3 keyboard or
Hammond has
upgraded it from the earlier ones, but I found it to
be OK.What really
impressed me was how close the sound of the Electro
was to the XK3
especially since the Electro was playing through some
bookshelf sized
monitors and the XK3 was hooked to a full Leslie 21
system (granted
this was a low volume).I decided to level the playing
field I would
listen to both through my own headphones, ones that
I've used many
times at home with my CX3 (Sony MDR-7506).Saturday I
returned to GC
with the headphones and spent an hour or two
comparing...here are my
impressions:

Both boards sound better than the CX3.The reason I say
better as
opposed to just different sounding is that not only
doesn't the CX3
get the whistle right on the higher drawbars, it also
sounds shrill.
It also doesn't come quite as close to the fat and
flutey real Hammond
sound.

The Electro overall is very close to the XK3 but when
you switch from
one to the other I have to say that there is more
clarity and
definition to the chords played on the XK3 and that
even though the
whistle of the Electro is pleasing, there is something
more immediate
and exciting to the sound when you switch to the
XK3...I think it just
plain sounds more like the real thing.

As far as Leslie simulation goes the XK3 is definitley
the least
convincing of the three, it just has a slightly wierd
warbley
component.Without hearing the CX3 and Electro together
I can't say if
one is better than the other but to me both are very
good (for C/V I
think the CX3 might be slightly weaker than the
others).

Therefore, based on sound, portability, the great
additional "e-piano"
type sounds and the Leslie simulation for me buying an
Electro is a no
brainer (I'm just not sure whether to get the 61 or
the 73).

And of couse I want an XK3 too....

Jay

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