The Tyros4's organs are very well done. A friend has a Hammond XK3c, and I can play a note on my T4 and the same note on the XK and they are pretty much identical for all settings. That's close enough for my needs.
Electric pianos, including a great Wurly, are excellent, plus I have all the other sounds not on B-3 or Rhodes, plus a whole brace of effects and layering possibilities. And we haven't even touched on programmable auto-accompaniment, sequencing and audio recording.

For the tiny gain of accuracy in some instances, it's just not worth the hassle of the average musician lugging around and maintaining old gear with all it's disadvantages.

Comparing those old instruments to a new keyboard is like comparing an old Cadillac Sedan to a new one...they are both great cars...just from different eras and for different users.

But, I could still carry my Tyros4 in either Cadillac...not so a Hammond B-3.

Thankfully the days of hauling that old gear and having to have a van to move it are way behind us.

I don't miss those days one bit.

Ian

I kind of DO miss those days!

R.

Not me Russ. I miss certain parts of those days, but lugging heavy gear and needing to have a van are two things I can do without.

I do miss the comradeship and interaction in the band days, and I still continue that experience in jam sessions with some fine musicians, but I don't miss the rest of it.

Ian

Can I make a suggestion for you oldies.
Get a strong young lady who can sing. She''l feel safe with you and will work for the love of it. (peanuts) Make sure she can sing and wears sexy clothing. That way, the audience will ignore your faults and just focus on her. At the end of gig, she'll pack up all your gear, drive you home and put you in your favourite chair.
baz

That's a novel idea, baz.

It sounds suspiciously like you are speaking from experience.

Ian

Nah. There's a spanner in the works. It's called "WIFE"
baz

LOL. I used to have one of them too, baz...also required a lot of maintenance.

Ian

I simply know I play better when playing the real thing. How about you?

I know, when playing the B3's waterfall keys, or the slightly stiff Rhodes action, or the quick, short throw Clavinet keys, that the way the keys feel, how they work, affects what I play. All keybeds are NOT created equal! Each of them shapes what you play, to an extent.

You CAN play the exact same thing on the exact same keyboard for each sound, but the the keybed itself doesn't help shape things. That has to come solely from you...

I know that theoretically I SHOULD be able to play exactly the same on my arranger or a Rhodes, but in real life, it simply doesn't work out that way. Making music is a two way street. You play the instrument, but to a small extent, the instrument plays YOU, too!

I suppose you are right Diki...of course playing the original instrument's keys and controls would influence how we play.

I still wouldn't go through the fuss and bother to have and maintain old gear...it simply isn't worth it to me. I like having the one keyboard and the one type action, and the Tyros4's sound set and semi-weighted FSX are ideal for my needs. I was even thinking of getting a weighted action synth and controller (Casio PX-5S), but, I've changed my mind, at least for now. The long term project I'm embarking on, only requires having the T4. Mine has the added memory upgrade, which has proved very handy.

We are all different in what we want (and need)...that's what makes life (and SZ) interesting.

The old gear will always have a special place in my memory, just like many other things back then, but realistically, an arranger keyboard, especially one as powerful as the Tyros4, makes far more sense (and is far more useful) to my present way of making music.

The monthly romp on the B-3 and Rhodes at the jam session is plenty enough to satisfy my jones for vintage gear. In fact, there is even an old mid-70's Mellotron (now in restoration) that will eventually be added to the jam gear, and as you know, it requires a special approach to playing...now, that'll be a hoot!

Ian

PS...Do you still have your two G-70's or has one been made redundant due to getting the BK-9? Are you using a separate amp/speaker, or going through the PA?

Ian, we're on the same page, BUT, from a nostalgic standpoint, I miss the B-3 and Rhodes.

But then, I was never the most practical guy in the world.

There is a group here in town that plays big buck weddings, etc. Danny, the keyboard player and leader drags a B-3 and two 145's to each gig, along with, usually, a dx-7 and a 3rd keyboard.

It's what they're known for. He's sort of a Felix/Young Rascals dude, and fronts the group, including playing left hand bass.

Now, even to me, that's a little extreme.


Be well,


Russ