Modelled Tonewheel Organ & Rotary Speaker System
Reviews : Keyboard
Hammond's New B3 was the best-ever digital
emulation of an electromechanical organ, but at over 15 thousand
pounds, it didn't come cheap. Fortunately, the XK3 puts the New B3's
sound engine into a much more affordable package...
Two years ago, Hammond-Suzuki introduced the 'New
B3' organ, which proved to offer the closest ever digital reproduction
of the original Hammond B3 organ's sonic and performance characteristics
(see my review in SOS July 2003, which can be read at www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul03/articles/hammondb3.asp).
Naturally, there is a lot of very clever digital technology involved in
the New B3, but this is combined with some relatively crude mechanical
switching techniques which were derived directly from the original
Hammond keyboard design dating back nearly 80 years! This rather bizarre
combination of old and new technologies was required because no other
way could be found of replicating the unique multi-contact switching
action and contact-click characteristics of the original. These factors
have a profound effect on playing technique and are essential to
reproducing the character of this fantastic keyboard instrument.
Photos: Mark Ewing
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The New B3 has been a success, and was widely acclaimed on its release by B3 aficionados
including the late Jimmy Smith. It achieved what many attempts — by
Hammond themselves as well as other manufacturers — failed to do, which
is to accurately recreate the original B3's characteristics. However,
because of the way it has to be made, the New B3 is inherently a very
expensive instrument — £15,000 pounds in the UK. So although every
keyboard player needing that classic organ sound would undoubtedly want
one, it is priced well beyond the means of many. It is also very large,
and, although a lot lighter than the original B3 and its stablemates,
still a bit of a beast to be lugging around to gigs in the back of a
car.
Enter the new Hammond XK3, which was launched
towards the end of last year. This is an all-new single-manual
performance organ following on from the well-known XB-series keyboards,
but the XK3 is particularly significant because it embodies all of the
sophisticated digital tone-generating technology of the New B3. However,
instead of the complex, expensive and bulky multi-contact keyboard
design of the New B3, the XK3 controls the sound-generating electronics
with a much simpler standard MIDI keyboard design, and the organ is
housed in a more easily portable package. So if the playing
characteristics have been compromised slightly from a purist's point of
view, the result is a greatly reduced price and a far more convenient
package for the gigging musician. However, from a sound point of view,
this new keyboard has to be the best-sounding single-manual Hammond yet,
and by quite some margin.
For the intricate details of the digital technology I
would recommend reading the earlier review of the New B3, since the
underlying VASE digital technology is identical. To briefly recap,
though, the system digitally emulates two complete sets of 96
independent tonewheels (to provide independent upper and lower keyboard
configurations), complete with controllable amounts of 'leakage'
(crosstalk) and different settings for foldback (the duplicated notes at
each end of the keyboard which play an important part in the
characteristic Hammond sound).
The rear panel of the XK3 (shown here still
attached to the XKL3 dual-manual expander underneath) features the MIDI
I/O sockets, the Compact Flash slot for data and patch storage, and the
connections for a standard footswitch, an expression pedal, and the
traditional Hammond EXP100 pedal. In addition to the standard stereo
line out and headphone jacks, there are also send and return connections
for use with outboard effects, as well as the traditional 11-pin Leslie
connector. The XK3's internal valve can be seen glowing away through
the grille on the right.
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Instead of switching the individual outputs through
multi-contacts below each key, the XK3 employs a much cheaper digital
switching arrangement, coupled to a sophisticated and configurable
key-click generator to create something close to the multi-contact
glitching of a real tonewheel organ. Furthermore, this 'standard'
keyboard incorporates note velocity facilities to control external
keyboards or sound generators via MIDI. The keyboard is a traditional
'waterfall' design with flat-fronted keys, and has the familiar
reverse-coloured preset keys in the bottom octave — although these are
not the heavy latching switches of traditional console Hammonds (or the
New B3, for that matter).
While the New B3 was designed for use with the XB122
Leslie and its integral valve power amplifier, the XK3 has a clever
valve preamp built in to provide genuine tube-amp overdrive and
distortion effects. In fact, the valve preamp is configured as a
dual-band affair to ensure the harmonic clarity and detail is retained
even when being heavily overdriven.
The XK3 also employs the same DSP-based
scanner-vibrato system as the New B3 organ to provide the complex chorus
and vibrato effects unique to tonewheel Hammonds, but takes this signal
processing a step further by also incorporating a DSP-based reverb and
Leslie simulation as well. This can be disabled if you wish to use a
genuine external Leslie (or similar) cabinet, but it does provide a very
convincing and convenient built-in effect for live sound applications. A
standard 11-pin interface is provided to couple the XK3 to modern
Leslie systems such as the XB122 or the new portable 2121/2102 system,
which although sold separately, was also supplied with the review XK3,
and which I'll be discussing in detail towards the end of this review.
In addition to the 11-pin Leslie output, there's a pair of unbalanced
line outputs on quarter-inch sockets, which provide a stereo signal if
the internal Leslie and/or reverb effects are used. Nor does the
connectivity end there — in addition to a headphone jack, there's a mono
insert point with separate send and return sockets operating at a
nominal +4dBu (the return socket can be used as an external input as
well, if required), plus further quarter-inch sockets to accept
footswitch and standard volume pedal control inputs, and even a latching
DIN socket for the dedicated Hammond EXP100 expression pedal which uses
traditional opto-sensors.
The complexities of the VASE tonewheel modelling
engine have to be dealt with via the two-line LCD and menu-driven
operating system, but otherwise the controls are either fairly
self-explanatory, or like those of a real Hammond. The pitch-bend and
mod wheels might seem out of place on a Hammond, but they're useful when
controlling other sound sources via MIDI, or can also be assigned to
virtual tonewheel speed and Leslie speed if you wish.
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While the New B3 only offered MIDI Out, the XK3 has a
pair of MIDI In sockets in addition to MIDI Out. The multi-contact
keyboard arrangement of the New B3 prohibited external MIDI control, but
as the XK3 employs electronic note switching, MIDI control is available
here, allowing the new organ to be controlled remotely from a
sequencer, for example. The two MIDI In sockets are provided to allow
separate external keyboards or controllers to access the lower manual
and pedal sound-generating elements independently. The MIDI Out socket
contains merged data from the external lower and pedal controllers (if
in use) and allows other devices to be controlled from the keyboard. Up
to three external zones can be configured through the menu system,
specifying the keyboard note ranges which are sent to the required MIDI
channels.
Like its big brother, the XK3 also has a socket for a
Compact Flash memory card which can be used to store all of the
keyboard's settings or to load new settings. Power is connected via the
usual IEC inlet with an adjacent power rocker switch, but there is no
provision to select the mains voltage — European models will only accept
230 to 240V.
While the XK3 is a single-manual keyboard, its sound
engine offers two complete sets of digital tonewheels and consequently,
there are two sets of real drawbars to allow the keyboard to be split
for upper/lower configurations. There is also a separate bass pedal
section derived from the lower keyboard tonewheel set. For many players,
this ability to split the keyboard is perfectly sufficient to allow the
traditional left-hand bass with right hand comping or solos, but with
only 61 playing keys available, things can get pretty cramped sometimes.
However, the second set of tonewheels and drawbars can be controlled
independently from any external MIDI keyboard, and the bass-pedal
section can be controlled from a suitable MIDI pedalboard such as
Hammond's own 13-note XPK100, for example.
The ability to hook in an external MIDI keyboard is
great, but it gets better! Hammond have produced an optional lower
keyboard specifically for the XK3 called the XLK3. This is simply a
second keyboard — identical to that of the XK3 and complete with
reverse-coloured preset keys — housed in a matching wooden frame that
sits neatly beneath the XK3 to form a composite dual-manual organ, as
shown in the picture at the head of this article (the XK3 is also sold
together as the XK33 Prolite package, which includes the XLK3 and the
optional stand). The wooden side panels are styled to resemble a
traditional console organ, and the whole thing makes a very portable and
very playable dual-manual organ system.
A large part of playing the Hammond is, well, how
you play the Hammond — by which I mean the tactile way the player
manipulates the controls, especially the drawbars and Leslie controls.
The XK3 is set up in a very similar way to a traditional console Hammond
organ, and most of the functionality will be immediately familiar to
Hammond players, but there are also some significant departures to
enable a range of additional features and facilities more appropriate to
this kind of live-performance keyboard.
To the left-hand side are three rotary controls to
adjust the master volume, tone and valve overdrive. There is also a
backlit LCD screen with four 'soft' keys and a pair of page up/down
buttons to navigate the various configuration menus, plus a data input
knob. By default, the display shows the current drawbar settings, either
as graphical bar-graphs or as slider numbers, along with the preset key
and name, and the current tone control value. Below the LCD panel are
seven more push buttons to access the menu system, store or recall
presets, and to select various functions such as the tube distortion or
the frequency band affected by the single tone control knob. Since the
reverse-coloured preset keys don't latch down, LEDs above each key are
used to identify which preset is currently in use, and when separate
upper and lower presets are in use, the upper preset is shown by a
steady light, and the lower by a blinking light.
The XK3 offers two complete sets of nine drawbars — one for each manual — plus two bass drawbars for pedal sounds.
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To the right of this control section is the start of
the more traditional-looking controls: the rotary vibrato/chorus
selector is accompanied by a single on/off button, and two sets of nine
drawbars are separated by a pair of pedal drawbars. These two sets of
nine can be switched to operate either as the A# and B preset's live
drawbars operating on a single manual, or as separate upper and lower
live drawbar sets when using the split-manual mode or when using an
external MIDI manual or the XLK3.
At the right-hand side of the XK3 are eight more
buttons, each with an integral LED. The first four control the
percussion effect: second and third harmonics, fast decay and soft
modes. Traditional console organs offered the choice of second- or
third-harmonic percussion. However, the XK3 allows both at the same
time, and although this confused me at first it allows for a more
interesting tone combination.
The next two buttons configure the keyboard to allow
the bass pedal section to be played from the bottom end of the
keyboard, and to engage the split keyboard mode with separate
upper/lower drawbar settings. The last two buttons select the built-in
digital reverb and activate the Demo song playback mode — although this
last button can (sensibly) be reprogrammed for a variety of other
functions including activating an external MIDI zone, switching the
vibrato/chorus on/off, or switching the Leslie speed. The last two are
very handy options as they allow these features to be controlled with
the right hand (even while holding down the keys, at a stretch), instead
of the left, which can make it easier to add effects without breaking
the rhythm or flow of a left-hand bass, for example.
To the left of the keyboard, where you'd find them
on a conventional synth, there's a pair of wheels for pitch-bend and
modulation. These aren't usual tools on a Hammond, but they're useful
for controlling other keyboards, and can be assigned to control the
actual pitch or virtual tonewheel motor speeds and the Leslie speeds,
respectively, if required. The Leslie Brake, On and Fast controls can be
found on the side cheek too — although if you prefer the traditional
half-moon Fender switch screwed to the front rail, you can apparently
order this as a custom option from Hammond instead.
The reverse-coloured presets provide a significantly
greater range of control than on a traditional Hammond. Not only can
you select different preconfigured drawbar settings by pressing the
different keys, but each preset also stores a range of other keyboard
parameters including vibrato/chorus settings, Leslie parameters,
distortion characteristics, tone controls and so on. So selecting a
different preset can completely change the sound of the instrument in a
way which the vintage console organs could never do. Furthermore, there
aren't just the nine preset keys to play with (C normally being a cancel
mode and A#/B being live drawbar selectors). Every preset key can store
a different configuration, and can also access a different memory bank —
so by my reckoning there are 132 different preset memories available,
which should cover every possible eventuality, no matter how complex
your gig is or how diverse your playing style!
The usual controls for Percussion and setting up
splits are accessed at the far right of the panel, as is the button that
triggers the built-in Demo — but it can be reassigned to more useful
Leslie- and effects-control functions.
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Configuring the instrument is a relatively painless
process once you have become familiar with the LCD menu system. Pressing
the menu key accesses the last-used menu screen (there are five in
all), showing up to four sub-pages. The different menu pages are called
up using the Page up/down buttons to the left and the sub-menus are
accessed by pressing the appropriately numbered soft key. Each sub-menu
page then shows four parameters and additional parameters are found by
pressing the Page up/down keys again. Pressing the relevant soft key for
each of the four displayed parameters assigns the data knob to that
function so that it can be changed.
This process involves a lot of button pushing,
accompanied in my case by quite a lot of cursing as I accidentally
navigated away from the thing I was trying to change! Clearly, it's not
something you would want to try to do live on stage, but with 132
presets available, there is no reason why you should ever need to.
However, within these menus are the facilities to tweak and fine-tune
pretty much every possible facet of the instrument. Highlights include
changing the tonewheel type from a traditional early console organ to
the more mellow last-generation types, or the transistorised X5 type of
sound, along with individual levels, resonances, leakage noise and
distortion artefacts. The key click can be controlled precisely in terms
of attack and release levels, rates and brightness, the overdrive
distortion can be made constant or to respond to the expression pedal,
and the vibrato/chorus rate can be changed. The foldback at each end of
the keyboard can be selected from individual notes, the sound generation
for the bass pedals can be selected between a traditional console organ
sound, the simpler X5 sound, or a preset synth bass, and there are
various options for sustain, polyphony and even note velocity. What's
more, every conceivable attribute of the DSP Leslie system can be
configured, including cabinet and horn resonances, bass and horn rotor
speeds and levels, rise and fall times, the virtual mic positioning, and
so on.
Many of these menu configurations allow the
instrument to be honed to reflect specific characteristics of
traditional Hammond console organs, but many others allow the XK3 to do
things no vintage instrument ever could. Two of the more useful examples
are that the percussion volume can respond to the note velocity, and
the envelope can be retriggered with every note even when playing
legato.
Anyone who knows anything about the Hammond organ
sound knows that a very large part is down to the Leslie rotary speaker.
The original mechanical designs have (arguably) never been bettered,
and employ contra-rotating horn and baffle arrangements to distribute
the organ sound in different directions and at different speeds. This
produces a very complex and constantly changing combination of direct
and reflected sounds, with both amplitude and frequency modulated
components. Modern DSP-based simulations are pretty good these days,
especially for live applications, but in a recording situation — and for
the top-flight live performers — it is hard to beat the real acoustic
impact of the sound being splashed around a room by a rotating horn.
The XLK3 on its optional stand, without the XK3 attached.
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Hammond-Suzuki acquired the rights to the Leslie
name a long time ago, and have been making a small range of Leslie
models to accompany their organs ever since. The portable system
reviewed here, which was supplied with the XK3 for review, comprises the
2101 rotary treble horn unit and its matching 2121 stationary/bass
unit. Both were intended for live performance rather than home
installation. Although designed to complement compatible Hammond organs
and sound modules, these units can also be used with a broad range of
instruments including other keyboards and synths, guitars, and even
vocals.
The larger of the two Leslie units is also the
simplest — the floor-standing 2121 stationary speaker. This
self-powered, two-way reflex design incorporates a static 15-inch woofer
and a compression treble driver which is coupled to a wide dispersion
fixed horn — much like a standard compact PA speaker (you can see a
picture of it with the 2101 at the top right of the web page at www.hammondorgan.co.uk/leslie.htm).
The frequency range is quoted as 40Hz to 15kHz, crossing over between
the two drivers at a nominal 700Hz, and the system is capable of a
substantial 121dB SPL at a distance of one metre thanks to its internal
solid-state 150W bass amp and 50W treble amp.
The vinyl-covered wooden cabinet measures 506 x763 x
506mm (whd) and weighs 39kg, so the wheels and chunky side handles make
moving it around a little easier. Although the review model was black,
there are also silver and walnut cabinet versions available, identified
as the 2122 and 2123 respectively.
The rear panel caters for three input channels (the
first with a insert point), two-band equalisation, master volume, and a
line output (to feed a second self-powered cabinet or front-of-house
desk). The first input channel is equipped with a rotary level control,
an XLR combi-jack socket, and a switch to select the unbalanced line
(jack) or balanced mic (XLR) inputs.
The mic mode has a nominal sensitivity of -40dBu,
while line is -20dBu, and there is a slide switch to activate a 24V
phantom power supply for the XLR input. It has to be said that the mic
input circuitry seems to be an odd design. Not only does it provide an
unusual phantom voltage which limits the range of condenser mics that
can be used, but it also presents an unusually low input impedance of
600(omega).
When switched to line input, the impedance is
relatively high at 50K(omega), and I presume this is intended to serve
as a guitar input. Only the first channel benefits from an insert point,
and is the usual unbalanced arrangement using tip and ring contacts on a
three-pole quarter-inch socket, operating at a nominal -6dBu signal
level.
The second and third input channels are unbalanced
line inputs on quarter-inch jacks, with a nominal level of -15dBu and
10K(omega) input impedances. Each input has a rotary level control and
all three inputs are mixed together and made available as an unbalanced
line output at a nominal 0dBu — useful for providing a DI feed to the
front-of-house desk or for driving a second powered speaker.
This mixed input signal is also routed through a
simple bass and treble tone control arrangement, and then to a master
volume control feeding the internal amplifiers. A small trim control
allows the treble amp gain to be adjusted over a ±5dB range to fine tune
the spectral balance of the system independently of the tone controls.
Beside the usual IEC mains inlet connector and
rocker-style on-off switch is a co-axial DC socket labelled 'Remote'.
This accepts a control signal from the 2101 unit (see overleaf) to
switch the speaker's mains power on automatically when the 2101 is
powered on and off, which is a nice idea.
Sadly, the amplifier chassis is cooled by a small,
high-speed fan mounted on the rear panel. On the review model — which,
to be fair, had already suffered from a hard gigging life — this fan was
incredibly noisy. I am told that the fan was in need of replacement and
the noise it made is not representative of the model in general, but
this may be something to watch out for, nonetheless.
The 2101 treble unit, although rather more compact
than the 2121, is by far the more complex product of the two, and acts
as the control and signal processing hub for the complete system. Like
the stationary speaker, the 2101 is a self-contained, self-powered
design, incorporating three separate channels.
A 50W solid-state amp drives a compression driver
coupled to the rotating horn, while a further pair of 50W amps drive two
fixed speaker channels — effectively a stereo replay system built into
the one cabinet — and each channel comprises a five-inch 'woofer' and a
two-inch tweeter. The black vinyl-covered cabinet measures 510 x 520 x
330mm (whd) and weighs 23kg, with strap handles on both sides.
The signal flow within the unit is quite complex but
fundamental to the way the unit operates, both alone and with the 2121
stationary unit. The system accepts four inputs: two for the rotary
horn, and two for the stationary stereo speakers. The first of these is a
line input via a quarter-inch jack to feed the rotary channel. The
other three are all provided via the standard 11-pin Leslie connector.
There are also four outputs, all on unbalanced
quarter-inch sockets. The two stationary channels are made available
directly at the 'Stationary and Bass' line outputs, and incorporate the
very low-frequency element of the rotary input channel as well. The
remaining two outputs carry a stereo digital Leslie simulation for the
low and mid-range frequencies of the rotary inputs.
The 2101 with its grille removed, revealing the treble horn, five-inch woofers and two-inch tweeters.
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The two rotary feeds from the direct line input and
Leslie connector are combined together and fed to a three-band
crossover. High-frequency signals above about 800Hz are routed directly
to the rotary horn amplifier and on to the horn itself, while very
low-frequency signals below 125Hz are separated and passed directly to
the left and right stationary amplifier channels, unprocessed in any
further way. Although it seems a little odd, this is actually a standard
feature of most modern Leslie speakers (ie. those with 11-pin
interfaces) — although the notable exceptions include the 705, 720 and
122XB models. This very low-frequency component is also made available
at the 'stationary and bass' line outputs as mentioned above.
The rotary signal between 125 and about 800Hz is
processed with a digital rotary speaker simulation, emulating the
relatively straightforward characteristics of the bass rotor in a
conventional Leslie. The stereo output of this DSP simulator is passed
to the internal left and right stationary channels, as well as to the
stereo 'low-rotary' channel line outputs, as already mentioned above.
So, to summarise, the high-frequency part of the
rotary channel signal is handled by the horn rotor, the mid-frequency
part is processed digitally with a Leslie simulator and reproduced in
stereo from the fixed speaker channels, and the low-frequency part is
left unmolested and reproduced by the fixed channels (in mono).
With this level of signal-flow complexity, it will
come as no surprise that the rear control panel is equally complicated.
On the left-hand side is a rocker switch to power the unit, an 11-pin
Leslie connector, and IEC mains inlet, and a co-axial remote control
socket. The last is provided for linking with the 2121 stationary
speaker to switch that unit on automatically when the 2101 is powered.
It is also worth noting that the 2101 is itself switched on remotely
when a control signal is received via the 11-pin Leslie connector
(something which is provided automatically when a suitably equipped
organ is switched on). Besides the ability to transfer the mono rotary
channel and stereo stationary channel, the 11-pin Leslie connector also
conveys the speed-switching control signals.
A separate eight-pin DIN socket is provided to
accept the signal outputs from older digital Hammond products like the
XB1 keyboard and XM1 sound module, and is, in effect, a miniaturised and
simplified version of the 11-pin Leslie connector. The separate mono
line input quarter-inch socket allows other instruments to access the
rotary channel, but there is no provision for external inputs to the
stereo stationary channels. Two more quarter-inch sockets accept
footswitch connections to control the rotor speed and to switch between
two DSP configuration presets. MIDI In and Out are catered for, the
former to enable remote control and adjustment of various DSP parameters
in the 2101, and the latter to allow a second 2101 to be controlled
remotely (and for data dumps).
The operational controls consist of three level
controls (left and right stationary channels plus the rotary channel),
and there are recessed trimmers to adjust the bass (under 125Hz) and
horn (above 800Hz) levels relative to the mid range. A fourth rotary
control sets the amount of amplifier overdrive affecting the rotary
channel, and a recessed slide switch reconfigures the stereo stationary
channels to operate in mono, or mutes them completely. This last mode is
employed when the 2101 is used in conjunction with the 2121 stationary
bass unit, which can handle far higher replay levels than the 2101
alone. There's also a small group of controls to adjust various aspects
of the system, comprising a rotary selector, a data wheel, two touch
buttons and a numeric LED display.
When the 2121 and 2101 are used together, the organ
signal is connected to the 2101 via the 11-pin socket and three
connections are made from it to the 2121 bass unit. The left channel of
the Stationary/Bass output is hooked up to input two of the 2121, the
left channel of the low rotary channel is linked across to input three,
and the power-switching remote lead is plugged in so that everything
comes on together. If a second 2121 is available, then the right
stationary/bass and low rotary channels can be patched in to give a
wider stereo effect (as well as more volume). It's all very quick and
simple to rig up.
The involved connection panel of the Leslie 2101.
There are four inputs, one of which comes via the quarter-inch input
jack, while the others are carried via the 11-pin connector. The digital
Leslie simulator is controlled by the buttons, knob and Value dial on
the right. Footswitch and MIDI control is also available, and the knobs
in the middle govern the output levels of the stationary speakers, the
rotary horn, and the rotary amp's overdrive. The four outputs are at the
bottom.
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The complete system is capable of serious volume —
enough to keep up with the most efficient guitar amps or the loudest
drum kit — and provides great Leslie sound. The horn is clearly the key
to this, but the DSP system makes a very convincing job of simulating
the lower rotor of conventional Leslie cabinets too. Of course, everyone
has a slightly different idea of what makes the ideal Leslie, and
history documents dozens of different tweaks that the professionals have
made over the years to their classic 122 and 147 Leslies. To that end,
the 2101 can also be customised in a variety of ways to tailor the sound
precisely as required. For example, the fast and slow running speeds of
the mechanical rotor and the DSP bass-rotor simulation can be adjusted
independently and with considerable precision to simulate different
pulley sizes and motor speeds. Similarly, the time taken for each
element to speed up, slow down, or come to a complete stop can be
changed to simulate belt condition, type of rotors, and so on. The rotor
speed can also be controlled directly using a modulation wheel on a
suitably equipped keyboard, or by an expression (volume) pedal, if
desired. If controlled via a simple footswitch, the system can be
configured for latching or momentary actions.
The direction of the horn rotor can be reversed
(useful when more than one 2101 is used) and its resonant character can
be altered to simulate horns without baffles or different drivers. The
crossover frequency between bass rotor and horn, and the low-frequency
cabinet resonance can also be adjusted to simulate different traditional
Leslie systems, and the virtual microphone angle and stereo spacing can
be adjusted to change the character of the DSP low-rotor simulation.
Facilities are also provided to assign the MIDI
control channel (for remote parameter changes) and program change
channel (for recalling one of the two preset settings). Once set up, any
combination of settings can be programmed as one of two Presets,
allowing two different sound and operating characters to be stored for
instant recall.
On its own, the 2101 lacks the power and weight to
deliver a convincing low end for on-stage levels, and partnering it with
at least one 2121 makes a lot of sense. However, in situations where a
full PA and powerful foldback is being used, the 2101 would suffice on
its own, with DI's being taken for the low end and mid range, and a
couple of mics being used for the horn rotor. This Leslie system is very
compact, and because it comes in two parts, it's far more easily
transported than a full-size 122 cabinet, for example, or even a 147.
Indeed, the complete Leslie system with XK3 organ, stand, pedalboard and
accessories all slotted into the back of a modest estate car without
any problem whatever. The Leslie sound is very good indeed, especially
if a little care is taken to fine-tune the frequency balance and
optimise the speed parameters to personal tastes. The idea of combining
mono bass, synthesized rotary mid-range and a real rotating horn sounds
too complex to work, but work it does, and very impressively.
In 2003, I was mightily impressed with the New B3,
because it was such a remarkably faithful recreation of the real thing,
physically and sonically, and yet still provided a lot of facilities to
modify and tweak the sound to suit personal preferences. However, its
appeal to the typical gigging musician in a band was limited because of
its vast cost and size.
Hammond's XB series of digital portable organ
keyboards have generally been well received over the years, but have
never quite reached the holy grail of the vintage sound so many have
aspired to. The new XK3 is where the two conflicting requirements meet,
offering the sonic quality and flexibility of the New B3's VASE engine
combined with the practical convenience and usability of the XB-style
single-manual keyboards.
The XK3 on its own, as sold separately.
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I'm confident that the absence of the multi-contact
switching will go completely unnoticed by the vast majority of players,
and the bonus of external MIDI control will more than make up for it for
most people. The key-click generation is very controllable to suit
personal preferences, and although it doesn't have quite the tactile
response of the multi-contact arrangement, it certainly exudes the right
sound character. Indeed, the quality of the organ sound is exemplary,
and I can think of no similarly priced equals. Only the New B3 and
arguably the best of the recent software emulations match or better it —
and the latter obviously lack the physical and tactile control elements
necessary for a live performance keyboard. The XK3's internal DSP
Leslie simulation is also among the best I've heard, although there is
still nothing quite like a real rotating horn. However, that's what
Hammond's various current Leslie options are for, such as the impressive
2101/2121 system supplied with the XK3 for this review.
The optional and removable XLK3 lower manual is a
nice idea, allowing you to expand the XK3 to a dual-manual and pedal
combo if required. I think this will appeal to the jazz trio set,
although multi-keyboard players can gain much the same practical playing
benefits with any MIDI keyboard, of course. The fact that it is a
separate unit not only makes transportation easier, but also enables the
organ to be expanded later, as funds and playing requirements allow.
However, one thought that struck me about the
two-manual combo version is the potential limitation of its 61-note
keyboard. For example, you might want to control a piano or string sound
from the lower keyboard during a gig. If you were playing with two
hands on the same keyboard, it would be really useful if the lowest
reversed-colour octave could be allowed to send MIDI note data with the
rest of the keyboard to give a six-octave span instead of five. Although
not possible with the current operating system software, this is
apparently something that Hammond are considering for a future update.
If Hammond sounds feature large in your compositions
or live keyboard repertoire, then the XK3 should be at the top of your
wish lists, because it represents the absolute pinnacle of this kind of
live performance keyboard. The sound is absolutely authentic, the design
and ergonomics of the performance controls make playing the instrument a
dream, and the extensive configurability of the instrument caters for a
wide range of personal preferences, playing styles, and external
control options. What more could anyone ask?
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