ThomasK

In the meanwhile, the Leslie simulation in the Uhl X3-2 is really great. It is on the same level than the Vent2. So you would love it. The weight with 16,8 kg is perfect. The new smooth keyboard is a dream. So there was a second update and now it is on the same feel like a B3. Uhl looked after the weight from a real B3 and implemented this in the keyboard. New Chorus and new taperings are great. the keyb Legend looks fine, and I see the organ since 4 years at Frankfurt Messe. Will it come? The look of the drawbar area is really nice. Now we will see were the sound is standing. The XK5 looks good as well. But it seems, that this is a software update and no real new hardware. Does anyone know, which electronic chips are used now compared to XK3c? The generator sound is the same than before with the same weaknesses. The keys have a very good feel. kind regards Thomas

I love the Sound of my Hammond B3 and my RV122 Leslie. Last November I decided to buy the Hammond SK2. A great organ sound and I am still convinced. In December I bought the new HX3 Organ Expander, built in Germany. I tested it and I decided to use this unit as my organ sound engine. Now with the new firmware update, it went one step forward. So now, both units together are the best solution for a portable Hammond organ. Please try. I am only convinced about that solution. So I have nothing to do with the manufacturer. Greetings from ThomasK from Germany

Hi to all SK2 users. Yesterday Hammond Suzuki Japan published Release 8. The main improvement is the. MIX mode of the scanner vibrato. The rest is nothing important and more controlling things. The leslie simulation is not improved compared to the XK1-c, because of the lack of DSP, which is used in the SK for extra voices. But this is ok, because the Vent does that job or a real leslie. So I like the SK2. It is a great instrument. I also have the HX3 expander. It is the best module in the market. It makes the best sound of B3s from the fifties. SK2 and HX3 is the best combination I know. The HX3 expander is more known in central Europe. I hope, that other musicians from other countries will be convinced from this unit for less than 600 Euros. Kind regards Thomas

Dear SK2 users. I got an email from Gregg from Hammond US. Release 8 will be available next week. I hope, that there are some good improvements implemented. Regards Thomas

Hi Jim, I got the HX3 Expander. As you know, I love my SK2. It is the best unit for me to play regarding weight, sound and functions. Your tonewheel setup is great and I made some new organ sounds with the internal cabinets, etc. So it is perfect. Now I tested the HX3 Expander and I must say, that the sound is like a real B3. I was surprised. The designer had a B3 from 1957 to copy the sound. The designer had no SK2 for testing and investigating the Midi implementation. I helped him with MidiOx, which is perfect for recording Midi datas. I tested it with the SK2 and I found only 2 bugs in the Midi controlling, which the designer will make the correction in the next days. the HX3 Expander is a must for you. You will be impressed from the sound. You can also edit round about nearly 100 parameters, if you want. Once you have made this, it is ready. You need 2 hours to understand this part. It has a display and two up and down menue buttons. You see the drawbar settings in the display. You also have LEDs in the front panel for the different status of Percussion and C/V. Great. You will love the C/V and the sound, if you pull out all drawbars to 8. The unit is small and the weight is around one pound. Less weight than the Neo Ventilator, but the same size. The price is more than fair, because you get the best. 550 Euros. You also can connect it to the XK3. I know, that you like the SK2 for gigs and I do it also. And then you use the HX3 Expander as tone generator, you will love it. I will make an adation for the Expander at my Omega stand. I know, you use it as well. I will adapt the HX3 on top of the left side of my SK2. Please let me know, as soon as you have the unit. So you must buy it. You will be impressed. Regards ThomasK

Hi Jim, I like the sound of the different cabinets in "Stop" function. Now I am waiting for the HX3 engine. It should be ready next week. I will let you know.. Kind regards Thomas

Hi Jim, I use now the 1/4" output, have all used patches programmed with Leslie Stop, the advantage is the different basic sound of the cabinets. PR-40 and 122 are sounding nearly like the direct output of the 8-pole connection. The other cabinets have a special colour in sound. The halfmoon CU-1 is directly connected to the Remote input of the Neo Ventilator. Runs perfect. kind regards Thomas

Dear Jim, I made some tests with the Mono Output and the 8-pole Output connected to the Neo ventilator. The Mono Output sounds different from patch to patch, because of the internal different tone cabinets. So what is your impression. Which output are you using? HX3 engine. I helped carsten Meyer with the Midi implementation. I gave him all the datas, which I recorded with Software out of the SK2. Next week, he will be ready with it. So you can get a unit. The unit will also run with the XK3- series. Kind regards Thomas

Dear Jim, dear all, has anyone investigated and tested a tube preamp, If yes, what is the experience and which one is good enough. Please let me know. Kind regards Thomas

Hi Jim, today I made the double cable from 8-pole connectot of the SK2 to the Neo Ventilator for Input and Remote. It runs perfect. Then I made the sound test between the output of the 8-pole connector and the Mono output of the SK2 without internal leslie (Stop) and the result is, that it sounds better over the Mono output from the SK2. The next invest is a preamplifier with a tube. Maybe this is something good and brings the old sound? Greetings Thomas

Hi Jim, Carsten Meyer will come with a HX3 board in a box in December. Price is round about 550 Euros. It is plug and play over Midi. He still has to implement the SK2 protocol for SK2. If you wish, I keep you updated. He also wants to come with an expander module with drawbars in the new year. That's for people with a normal Keyboard, which has no drawbars unit. You can see the unit on his website: www.keyboardpartner.de It is also in English language written. Setups for SK series. It would be great, if the community of SK users could communicate theirs setups on this platform. I recognized that your setup is fantastic and it is not easy to programm a more realistic setup than this. But we never know. Maybe Hammond does one. Do you know, whether there are additional custom wheel setups in the new XK1-c? Kind regards Thomas

Dear Jim, many thanks for the great setup for my SK2. I got the SK2, XPK200, EXP50 and Softbag last week. I use the Neo Ventilator, which is the best Leslie Simulation. The internal Leslie simulator is good, but not as good as the NV. The Chorus vibrato is also better than on my old XK1. I also compared it with my old B3. The SK has an improved DSP. I heard the XK1-c and there is a good feature implemented, which has the possibility to mix chorus and direct signal. Hammond will come with a Release 8 for SK, which will have this features in the next weeks I heard. I also are happy with only one drawbar set. There are good tools in the SK to change quickly from upper to lower manual. I see no real big advantage for a XK1-c with double manualsand two drawbar sets. The engines are still VASE III and this is fine. HX3: This is a pc board from Carsten Meyer from Germany. It sounds killer. But it is no instrument. I talked with him and he would do the midi implementation for SK2. He also wants to make a box for that board. The board costs only 430 Euros, which is nothing. It is worth to look at and to buy. You find also some examples on Youtube. HX3 organ. So I am happy with the SK2. If you count all together it is the best. Sound, accessories, quality, service and software releases. Kind regards Thomas K. from Stuttgart Gerrmany