From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Fri Oct 07 18:33:03 2005
Subject:Re: xk-3 key travel

Hi Steve,

I came up with a similar trick on the CX-3 a couple of years ago, for exactly the same reasons. If you turn Local Off, there is no connection between the keyboard and the sound module. Then, you can send velocity-base key info to the organ over MIDI, reconnecting the link. The reason that this works is 1) the organ sends velocity based key data, and 2) the sound module ignores the velocity info, returning to the original format.

The technical reason that this works is that all MIDI keyboards have two switches, one near the top of travel, and the other near the bottom. The CPU in the organ times how long it takes between switch closures, and then uses this to calculate the note's velocity.

Some organ makers (Korg and H-S) noticed that the keyboard wasn't quite as responsive when using both contacts. You are correct that a real Hammond slowly adds the drawbars in as the key is pressed, but even if the key is only partially pressed, some sound comes out. If you press a Hammond B-3 key down 1/3 of the way, 2-4 drawbars will trigger. This allows players to play really fast runs -- even if all the drawbars don't sound, the notes still come out. If you are using 88 8000 000, it will be very hard to even hear this difference.

This is NOT true with a digital velocity-based keyboard. Try it yourself: push a key down on your digital piano, synth, etc., but only go about 1/3 of the way down. Then let go of the note slowly (so it doesn't bounce). You won't hear anything. While the Korg/H-S method doesn't perfectly simulate a Hammond, neither does the test I just described.

It's funny how players either love or hate the "fast" action. Personally, I love it. It's one of the reasons that I keep my BX-3. I call it the "Blue Collar Man Test." Try playing the intro to that Styx tune on a keyboard that uses both switches. Maybe you can play it nice and evenly; I can't.

Then again, I was delighted to sell my '73 Rhodes Stage Piano. I could never get the action light enough for my tastes, no matter what I did.

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions™ http://consult.ashbysolutions.com
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com

At 10:51 PM 10/7/2005 +0000, you wrote:
>I actually returned my XK3 and got the Nord Electro JUST BECAUSE of
>this problem. The keys on the XK3 trigger sound near the top instead
>of the bottom of their throw. They were trying to emulate more
>closely what a real hammond does. Unfortunately, real hammond does
>not work quite that way. A real hammond GRADUALLY adds volume to the
>note as the key goes down...as it gradually opens up the tone
>wheels. But the XK3 turns on the full sound if you even barely
>glance the keys...I found it extremely difficult to play cleanly. I
>have short fingers...and my fingers often have a difficult time
>reaching notes without pressing partly down some black keys...
>PRetty much...it was a deal breaker for me on the XK3.
>
>That being said...I never heard about this trick to run a midi out
>cable from out to in with midi local off... That is interesting.
>And that somehow negates things so that the normal style of playing
>works with the keyboard? I might have kept my XK3 if I had known
>about this trick...but I'm pretty darn happy with the Nord Electro at
>this point.
>
>--- In CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com, "blackmusicmment"
> wrote:
>>
>> Has anyone discovered an easy way to alter the trigger depth on an
>Xk-
>> 3?
>>
>> when i play an F#m triad it is impossible for me to finger the
>chord
>> without sounding either the G# and/or the Bb when i depress the A
>> note! My fingers are not unusually big. I had to perform a song in
>F#m
>> on a TV show the other day and it sounded terrible because of these
>> extra "unwanted" notes. most of the tunes I played were in "guitar
>> player" keys and this problem hadn't occurred before. On the day
>the
>> singer decided to transpose one tune to F#m and the problem
>suddenly
>> appeared. Ouch! Anyone else had this problem?
>>
>> thanks
>>
>> James
>>

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