From jukefox@jukejoynt.com Thu Nov 21 16:24:23 2013
Subject:Re: best clone out there right now?

I have direct experience with three of the current crop; Hammond/Suzuki's XK3c, Korg's CX3 (both 2nd generation hardware and the current CX3 engine for Kronos) and GSi/Crumar's MOJO.

From my perspective MOJO trumps 'em all from a sonic standpoint (VB3CE2 engine ... the "CE" stands for "Crumar Edition" ... I suspect most here already know about VB3), especially when teamed with the Burn pedal. The 2-manual controller is well laid out and is quite playable for a veteran Hammond picker (who plays drawbars nearly as much as the keys), with very little compromise, although I do find I miss having 2 sets of drawbars for each manual for on-the-fly preset mods. The Fatar waterfall keybeds really aren't bad at all, and better to my touch than the H/S.

I place Korg's newly-revamped CX3 engine close on MOJO's heels sonically, but it still finishes 2nd for me, primarily because of the interface (Kronos 61, in my case) ... it's basically a classic Hammond tonewheel emulation encased in a workstation ... albeit a best-in-class music workstation. The sliders are quite playable as drawbars, but Korg's semi-weighted action just doesn't get close enough for my feel to a set of waterfall keys. BTW, Kronos allows two instances of CX-3 to run simultaneously, so it is possible to have a 2nd keyboard under its own separate drawbars, c/v, etc.

The XK3c finishes dead-last of these three for me ... it's not even close. To my old ears, the percussion, c/v, rotary sim and overdrive are just all wrong on the H/S units ... and the drop-out when switching between presets is beyond annoying ... meanwhile, there is just something about the balance between the fundamental tones (white drawbars) that has never sounded quite right to my ears ... and it may just be the way they interact (or fail to do so) in the VASE series engines. Honestly, when paired with the Burn, I actually prefer my old Korg CX-3 (2nd generation) to the XK3c, although it was tweaked substantially to get there!

The one improvement I would like to see from any manufacturer that would absolutely turn my head would be authentic emulation of the original Hammond console action. None of the clonewheels I've played feel like my B-3, C-3, A-100, Frankin-B or any classic Hammond console or diving-board spinet (think M-3) organ I have ever played.

So, that's the view from inside my navel. Others will undoubtedly disagree ... everybody has their own navel. One thing folks would find difficult to dispute however is that there is unprecedented access to GSi/Crumar's customer service/ownership/developers. Guido Scognamiglio or his right-hand man, Andrea, answer emails directly and generally within an hour or two, despite the time difference between North America and Italy. They are participants in this forum (as well as the MojoMusician'sGroup here on Yahoo ... so are Mitch Towne, who wrote the English version of the MOJO manual, and Ken Hall, the North American Service Center owner) and they frequently address issues raised here. Additionally, many of Guido's customers are also among his Facebook friends. This is the sort of access that I have never found with Korg, Hammond/Suzuki, Roland, Yamaha, Nord, StudioLogic, NEO or any other manufacturer of equipment I have had the pleasure/dubious distinction of owning. EVER! This is yet another consideration that makes MOJO easily the run-away leader in the current pack of clonewheel organs.

This, of course, could all change tomorrow! Show me that keybed, Guido!

Peace,
Fox