From funkyhammond@yahoo.com Thu Jan 08 20:19:46 2009
Subject:Re: Lack of Drawbars - Nord C1

Considering how successful the Nords have been, criticizing Clavia's
design decisions really doesn't hold much water. C'mon, we're just
being biased, face it. If drawbars were such a big deal, the C1 would
have been a total failure.

I love drawbars, and when I really want them, I hook up my VK8M via
the MIDI Solutions EPP and use it to drive my C1 (and previously my
NE2). I can even switch which manual it's controlling. But on gigs
where I don't need lots of dynamic drawbar manipulation, I leave the
VK8M at home to save setup time.

Real drawbars would add depth, weight, and a bit if height to the
instrument. Just compare the XK3's depth to the Electro's. Of course,
the added depth will also mean that cases will also be bigger and heavier.

I like the compactness of the Nord gear. Obviously lots of people do.
Clavia found their niche. If you want drawbars and knobs and switches
to be more familiar, there's the XK3c. It seems like a damn fine
clone. But I love the portability of the dual-manual C1. And if I
really want drawbars, I deal with a bit of extra setup time to hook up
an external drawbar unit. Problem solved!