From fingerz@woh.rr.com Sat Dec 10 15:35:55 2016
Subject:Re: XK-5 warnings...!
Not many people give the VR-09 it’s due but it’s a monster bang for the buck in a small easy to move package…
From: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2016 5:37 PM
To: clonewheel
Subject: Re: [CWSG] Re: XK-5 warnings...!
Not really related to this header but I did a throw together gig last night and played a bunch of organ tunes using my VR 09..
In mono!!!
Not too bad..
And fun..
On Dec 10, 2016 2:33 PM, "Barry Carson organbarry@gmail.com [CloneWheel]" wrote:
The VK7 was an amazing organ - I had a Hammond XB2 when I first played the VK7 - I think of the VK7 as the first 'magical' clone that really got it - I used it for years with its built in Leslie Sim - had a lot of fun with that organ!
On Sat, Dec 10, 2016 at 4:43 PM, Adam Horne ahorne345@aol.com [CloneWheel] wrote:
With what's being said about the HS XK-5... in 1999, I made the biggest mistake of my organ playing life. After extensive A/B-ing a Hammond XK-2 and a Roland VK-7, I found the latter to be aeons ahead of the former, I mean the sound was so, SO much more authentic. The feel? Well, synth-y keys on an organ don't do it for me but I'm sure I could've really enjoyed the Roland anyway. I bought the XK-2. I mean, why not... it was a HAMMOND! And OH, the pain... this was ended 3 years later by a CX-3 (the latter of the 2002 CX-3s, that is the kind without that lip on the keys), 6 years later a Nord C-1, later enhanced by a Vent. Point being NEVER AGAIN will I buy anything based solely on a name, even as renowned a name as HAMMOND. God, was I dumb...
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 10, 2016, at 3:32 PM, Craig MacDonald ccmacdon@rogers.com [CloneWheel] wrote:
Barry,
I'm reasonably confident that HS will sort out these issues over the course of the next few months..
I said, on another forum, I thought HS were pressured to release the new XK-5 early because the competition was starting to pose a serious threat (for example my impression is that the Mojo 61 is a huge success).. and I was criticized by one of the Hammond fan boys, who scoffed at my suggestion. but I stand by that.. I think that they're an OS update (or two) away from a reliable high quality clone.. and they pushed the products out the door 6 months too early and they're paying the price... actually their customers are paying the price.
Are you planning to take another shot at this?? IF you are, I would honestly wait 6 mon ths.. give them time for another update or two, and let the supply/demand settle down (you might get a much better price down the road a bit).
Anyway, sorry to hear about your troubles.. I know how disappointing this can be when you're looking forward to a great new keyboard and it flames out like this.. I had the same experience with both an SK1 and a Numa.. I bought both of them very early in the product cycle and they both ended up going back and I moved on to the Mojo, and I've had great experience with it.. although to be honest I had some early life issues too but the service was excellent and it sounded so great that I worked through a couple bugs and now I've had 3 years of flawless performance from my Mojo.. and now I have a Mojo, a Mojo 61, and the Gemini..
Craig
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 10, 2016, at 2:33 PM, Barry Carson organbarry@gmail.com [CloneWheel] wrote:
Well, with a little editing I love the sound and feel of the XK5, (and I've been really happy with my sk1) but if the two I have are anything like the rest of them I can't imagine many people using the xk5 for any kind of serious playing. I play gospel and rock n roll and all I could think of was how stuck notes or a suddenly dead organ would sound in the middle of moving gospel tune or a burning rock solo... I'm assuming HS makes these things so that people will buy 'em. Oh well, now I gotta pack up these two clunkers and get 'em outa here...
On Saturday, December 10, 2016, ccmacdon@rogers.com [CloneWheel] wrote:
Barry,
I really hate to be too negative towards Hammond Suzuki, because I am so often labeled a "Hammond hater" but really.. do you expect this with an instrument that is this expensive?? do you expect this in an instrument that has the name "Hammond" on it..??
The answer to both questions is a resounding NO!!!
I had a stuck note on the XK-5 that I was playing up here in Toronto during the XK-5 demo put on by Scott May. Scott sluffed it off as a "pre-production model" that was "only 80% there". At the time that seemed like a reasonable explanation, but apparently that wasn't quite true because there are numerous reports of this stuck note thin g with the XK-5's that have reached customers. This, along with a recall of a particular serial number range, and mismatch finishes and a number of other odd problems. BUT then again... you hear NOTHING BUT PRAISE FROM ALL OF THE HAMMOND ARTISTS!!!
This really does reinforce what I dislike about HS... Every new product is "the ONE", "the new original", the "New B3", whatever the new marketing catch phrase is for that product, and they hype the crap out of it, and it just doesn't deliver and/or it's hugely overpriced!! Speaking of not delivering.. the promo material for the XK-5 says that you can duplicate the sound of a Hammond right down to the model and serial number, but the XK-5 owners are quickly learning that there's no place to input model/serial number...? WTF is that all about?
I am not a Hammond Hater.. I sincerely want to rekindle my love for Hammond (Suzuki) products !!! But they never cease to disappoint me both in the quality/price of their products AND the way they conduct their business.. releasing defective products, false advertising, overpriced products, their evangelistic "artists", and their lack of leadership in this tonewheel emulation market. Honestly, I can't ever recall a time that I could say an HS product was either the best sounding OR the best value in the market..
I sat at a beautiful looking XK-5 for about 45 minutes and unfortunately once I started playing it, things started to go downhill, and the stuck note was just one thing I didn't like.. while the tone had nice authentic detail (something missing in the previous VASE engines) through the QSC K10's it lacked warmth, and while the sense of motion from the leslie sim was good, the overdrive wasn't great (despite having a real tube). Lastly, I didn't feel as if there was anything specia l about the keyboard, with it's much-hyped 9 virtual key contact system.. to me it just felt a bit weird and really springy, and despite Scott telling me that it was "exactly like the real Hammond keyboard", it didn't feel like any of my hammonds. For the record, the XK-5 keys don't have the same pivot point, so how could it ever feel exactly like a real Hammond..? (I think Scott took me for some kind of Hammond newby).
Not a great start for HS with the new XK-5..
Regards,
Craig MacDonald
_____
From: "Barry Carson organbarry@gmail.com [CloneWheel]"
To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2016 9:13 AM
Subject: [CWSG] XK-5 warnings...!
My XK-5 showed up - gorgeous instrument, incredible sounding, with a Leslie sim that's uncannily realistic - but it had a problem with notes frequently getting stuck on - hitting the panic buttons usually took care of it, but in a performance setting it would be a disaster. It also crashed a number of times while editing and had to be restarted. The good folks at Sweetwater sent me a replacement - it crashed while editing like the other one, and while playing parts of the display would flash on and off making a nice light show but freezing up the organ. The 2nd one also had a myriad of very fine scratches on the wood top - hardly noticeable but something you shouldn't see on a $3700 instrument (or a $200 instrument for that matter). The XK5 has the potential to be an incredible instrument, but if you get one, make sure you can return it just in case something is wrong with it. You'd think the folks at HS would take more pride in their work...