Oops! You beat me to the draw.

Best,
Mike

No Drawbars will always keep people away

On second thought, I could do without the B3 sound...would only really be good for chording anyway, as weighted action is not so cool for organ leads and smears etc.

If you want to see/feel what an 88 note Tyros2 would be like, just go and spend some time playing a Yamaha CVP-409,(the Roland aficionados can try the KR-series).

In my opinion, the weighted keys are superb for PIANO, but are really clunky for other sounds, especially organ, Saxes or other instruments where a lighter action would be desirable.

That's where Hammond XK-1/XK-3c and clones like the C1 really shine...the action is IMMEDIATE...like a B3 IMMEDIATE.

Just like a weighted hammer piano action as opposed to semi-weighted, there's no substitute for the real organ action like the C1 and others.

Ian

This discussion is so interesting and refreshing. Now that I have my XK-1 it seems everyone wants to get on the drawbar bandwagon. Would any of us give up our arrangers to go clone + hammered 76/88. What about all those styles?

Hammond has (had) some sort of spinet or keyboard with styles. ROland has that karaoke keyboard and Yamaha has some double keyboard thing out there in Asia. Maybe we are seeing a peek of a new direction in arranger design.

Couldn't disagree more, Ian...

There are perfectly good SUBSTITUTES for the extreme actions of organs and pianos. What's in the middle of no weight and heavy weight? That's right... semi-weighted.

Light enough to play organ, heavy enough to play piano. Long enough to play most piano parts, short enough to get in most cars.

They are called 76 note keyboards, and every manufacturer makes them (including Yamaha). Every manufacturer makes all their keyboards in EVERY size and feel, EXCEPT Yamaha, who somehow seem to feel that ONLY arranger players wouldn't find 76 semi-weighted plastic of any use. Of course, they don't feel that way about workstation users. Somehow, they have more needs than us... They must be MUCH better players, eh?

You seem to have managed to accept the awful PSR action as a SUBSTITUTE for all other actions. Don't tell me you NEVER play a piano line or two on that no-feel 61... In fact, you play every single sound in the entire instrument on that action, Rhodes, organ, clav, piano, you name it. So please don't tell us there is no substitute, you seem to have found one you can live with. And most of us that DO play quite a lot of piano AND organ on the same keyboard feel that a 76 semi-weighted is at least as good a substitute for the real things as that PSR action. And the majority that have played them, I am QUITE sure, recognize they are actually FAR better substitutes than the one you currently use.

76 semi-weighted plastic... probably (at least for me) the ONLY type of keyboard you can play piano AND organ on, and come VERY close to fooling everyone (except yourself!). A 61 is just too short, an 88 wood is just too stiff. I feel like the baby bear... 'This one is JUST right!'

What ever works for you, buddy.

Light action PSR is perfect for me for arranger work, AND, I only have to please ME...no one else.

Never liked semi-weighted keys...horrible for organ...wimpy for SOLO piano.

I adhere to the old saying by Dr. Seuss...
"Do what you want because those that mind, don't matter...and those that matter, don't mind!"

Make sense to you? Works for me quite well.

Ian

I think I have nirvana for my Hammond B3 sounds. I have been using the Roland VK8M Drawbar module for a few years. I use this in combination with a wide variety of midi capable keyboards; from the Tyros 2 to the Korg Triton Extreme. The sounds of the Roland are amazingly realistic and perfect for live gigging. The module weighs very little.

I can't see just bringing a Hammond on a gig unless I'm playing Blues all night, so I need a variety of sounds for different songs. That makes this module very handy.



------------------
Al Giordano
http://www.arrangerworld.com


Tyros 2, Yamaha P-250, Korg Triton Extreme 76, Roland VK8-M, DW Collectors Series Drums, Roland SPD-S.

Al,

I tried the VK8m on my old PSR-3000...worked exceptionally well....the PSR's action seemed to compliment the VK's organ sound, and I was able to use the auxiliary ins on the PSR and avoid using a mixer.

Very realistic Hammond clone...really liked the nice crunchy distortion you could get...nice Leslie sim....great product.

Ian

Ian,

How cool is it to turn the Leslie speaker on and off with just the wave of the hand using the D-Beam controller. Just make sure it's on the Leslie setting and not the BRAKE!!!! Which I've done a few times to the dismay of the audience. hehehe.

Regards,
Al

------------------
Al Giordano
http://www.arrangerworld.com


Tyros 2, Yamaha P-250, Korg Triton Extreme 76, Roland VK8-M, DW Collectors Series Drums, Roland SPD-S.

Al,

Yep the D-beam is pretty freaky...a friend of mine has a VK8 organ...he tells me he gets all kinds of comments, from people thinking he's chasing flies away, or he gets people looking at him curiously, and then waving back at him.

The Roland VKs definitely have the "sound" pretty well nailed, but it's that distorted, warm, ballsy tone that really impressed me.

Ian