From goff747@aol.com Sun Dec 19 21:24:05 2004
Subject:Re: Decided on the CX-3 instead of th XK-3.

In a message dated 12/19/2004 2:56:47 PM Pacific Standard Time,
monkeyputz2000@yahoo.com writes:

> The action on the Hammond sucks. If you blind folded
> yourself, muted the volume and played at the manual of the Hammond,
> you would swear you were playing a cheap digital keyboard. It looks
> and sounds like a B3, but feels nothing like one

I'll have to agree on this one regarding the XK3. I a/b'd this in a store in
Tokyo alongside a VK8M which sat to the left of it on a Roland VK8M stand,
and the keys on the XK3 didn't give me a sense of being at a hammond although
waterfall and the 8M having no keys at all. But the sound of the XK3 was not
apparent immediately and although hooked to a top rotor only leslie it didn't
give me a rush as I was hoping . I was thinking I'd have to spend hours at the
XK3 to find a redeeming sound and feel to justify its acclaim. I still think
hammond is not going to give away the goods on a 2K+ clone, and still expect to
sell its 21K B3 even if its it's own clone. Hammond wants their boards to be
pricey, for some reason although they can't seem to grasp that pricey does not
go along with bang for the buck. I got immediate satisfaction from the 8M in an
LA Guitar center in 2003 through headphones plugged into some other synth for
keys than I did at the XK3. Although not perfect is the 8M, at least it hit
some sonic memories of a B3 for my tastes. The XK3 was off in left field. I
will definitely give the XK3 another try though although I did try coaxing it in
Tokyo. The store guys were not used to hearing anyone fire up their Hammond
and they themselves had no clue what to do with it as they stood gawking. The
Grail is illusive still and Hammond is in the limo business.

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