From ccmacdon@rogers.com Sun Oct 17 06:06:02 2010
Subject:C1 vs C2 sound , is the C2 worth the extra cash?

Brian, that's an interesting question.. C1 vs C2 sound..??
 
Without performing a detailed side by side comparison.. and just based on my impressions after playing my C1 for quite a while and my C2 for about 2 weeks, I'd say that the C2 sounds a bit better.. warmer rounder sound (not sure how else to describe it).. perhaps a little more warmth and body to the sound, and yet the individual drawbars have slightly more clarity.  The real question is, how much better, and is it worth the price to buy a new C2 vs an old C1?  
 
The new C2 is selling at Sweetwater for $2999 and let's assume that the C1 is worth $1800 these days, the last one sold on eBay for about $2000, if I'm not mistaken, and it had a case with it.. I will try to get $1900-$2000 for mine if I can, but it's absolutely MINT, and that's with the C1 stand - ($1800 to any clonewheel list members - great deal!!).
 
So if we use $1900 as the current value for a mint C1 vs $2999 for the value of a new C2 the difference is basically $1100.  So what do you get with a C2 for your extra $1100?
 
- Warranty (this is valuable, although I've found Nords to be very reliable, and we've never had one back for service at the store I work at)
- Slightly better sound (I emphasize SLIGHTLY better)
- Slightly better leslie sim (a marginal improvement, but still not as good as the ventilator)
- Drawbar preview feature (this is a valuable feature)
- Adjustible key click (marginal value) 
- Synth bass (which sounds like a string bass on a hammond, could be valuable to some)
- slightly better reverb/options (but hardly noticable in a mix)
- Updated amp sims - rather than simply "amp 1/2, rotary" you get "twin/jc,rotary" options (but I'm not sure how different these sims really are this could just be different labels)
- Pipe Organ samples (could be valuable to a small audience, but likely no value to most)
- slightly better switch layout, more like hammond (perc and C/V switch location)
 
What is better on the C1
 
- C1 has better keyboard action
- C1 had Unison mode
 
So, with the C2 you do get slightly better sound (but I'm honesly not sure how many people are going to notice this marginal difference), but you do get a fresh warranty, and a few features that might be of value (drawbar preview strikes me as the most valuable feature of the C2), but then again the C1 had better/lighter keyboard feel (my opinon, but I think it's shared with a few others on this list).. and it has a unison mode, which I really like!
 
So is the C2 worth $1100 dollars more?.. If you value warranties, having a product that is current and supported, and you value the additional features and you're like a lot of us hammond/clone fans (willing to pay a lot for marginal improvement in sound) then absolutely the C2 is worth the cash (and it's still the cheapest, lightest, and best sounding double manual hammond clone out there by a mile).
 
On the other hand.. the C1 is a fabulous instrument, and if you're looking for a screaming deal on a 33 pound double manual clone that sounds fantastic, you won't beat a C1. Furthmore, I think that a C1, with a ventilator, sounds and feels better than a C2 and it's internal leslie sim.. SO if you're looking to save a bit of cash.. the C1/Ventilator combination is killer... (and it only weighs about 36 pounds). 
 
Regards,
Craig MacDonald

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Re: Ocean Beach Controller on a C1 and my C1 for ridiculously low pr
Posted by: "Brian Fuller" fingerz@woh.rr.com   rbf45356
Fri Oct 15, 2010 3:40 pm (PDT)

Just curious Craig.But what would you say about the actual organ sound
between the two? One more meatier/ballsier than the other? Or are they so
close in sound it's hard to pick a favorite?

Thanks,

Brian

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