From ccmacdon@rogers.com Sat Feb 19 08:01:59 2011
Subject:Numa, Xk3c, Nord, most authentic?

I have spent a day with the Numa (we have a demo in our store) and I am familiar with most of the current crop of clones.
 
I have to say that I think the NUMA is perhaps the best sounding clone available straight out of the box.. it certainly is if you're playing jazz!!  The keyboard is fantastic (best of any clone I have ever played) and the raw sound, C/V, percussion and leslie sim are all very realistic! Nice overdrive and leakage. Even the leslie sim is great, almost as good as the Ventilator.
 
The Numa would be an absolute "clone killer" except for a few weak areas:
 
1. The interface - While it's quite "hammond-like" (great keyboard, reverse preset keys, actual CV Knob, Percussion buttons properly organized) it has some failings. I hate the sideways placement of the pitchbend and modwheel/(leslie switch, and I'm not a fan of the drawbars/buttons/knobs that are used, they feel a little cheap (however at this price point you can't expect it to have real high quality hammond toggles etc) and there are only 12 presets (no banks) and one set of drawbars, which is limited as compared to the XK3c.
 
2. Lack of Tweakability - certain parameters that are adjustible in other clones are not accessible in the current Operating System.  For example you cannot adjust percussion intensity, or the reverb type, or amp type etc.. and neither can you adjust any parameter of the leslie sim).  That said I have heard that new OS's will allow adjustment of various hidden features.. so we may see this in an upgrade (and the manual suggest that new organ models will be available!)
 
I'm not surprised that Joey D is hawking this Numa organ, in it's current form it sounds fantastic for jazz/blues/gospel.  On the other hand if I wanted that close-miced sound of my favourite classic rock album, I could use the Numa but I would add the Ventilator!!
 
BTW, you will have no problem getting that Jimmy Smith 88800000 sound using Numa by itself, however I am surprised that you can't get it with the CX3 and the ventilator.. any chance it's those JBL eons?    Anyone else care to comment on the JBL's for organ??
 
All that said, I'm still loving my Nord C2.. but if they come out with a double manual Numa with better tweakability, I might be tempted.. 
 
Regards,
Craig MacDonald

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Numa, Xk3c, Nord, most authentic?
Posted by: "birdtrane2003" birdtrane2003@yahoo.com   birdtrane2003
Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:24 pm (PST)

I play jazz on the B3
I heard Joey De playing his design.. the Studio Logic Numa.
Is this organ clone presently considered to be the closest thing to the real deal?

This is a complicated question because the real thing is really 2 things.
As has been stated here, the amplification is perhaps more important than the clonewheel, given the fairly high level of clonewheels in 2011.

Additionally I just bought the Vent, and it seems to be better than the sim in the cx3.
How does the Numa sim compare to the Vent?

I am playing a newer model cx3 with a Vent and jbl g2 eon.

I am having difficulty getting the 88800000 Jimmy Smith solo sound, believe it or not.

I am thinking about getting another clonewheel, since the cx3 has no option for bass pedals
and I have a hunch 2 manuals is better in general for jazz style.

Is the 2 DIFFERENT clonewheel idea a bad idea? I am concerned about expression pedal, for one thing. My thought is that each clonewheel is a slightly different sample of a B3 ( and each B3 is different as well ) . So it might be fun, to for instance have a cx3 AND a
Numa, or Nord, or XK3c

I know this is long, but, I was hoping for some thoughts opinions experiences with these options.
Thank you

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