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Thread: Neal Morse undergoes organ transplant

  1. #1
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Neal Morse undergoes organ transplant

    Neal Morse has been lugging around his old Roland VK-7 organ since the 90's. On the Flying Colors DVD/Blu-Ray, he played a brand spanking new VK-8. It's about time he upgraded! The only time the VK-7 sounds halfway decent is when it's plugged into a leslie speaker. Otherwise, it's actually kind of cheesy.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  2. #2
    *cough* *cough* Nord *cough*

  3. #3
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Nord is fine if you also want your organ to be a piano.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    Nord is fine if you also want your organ to be a piano.
    They also make a dual keyboard organ only.

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    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rarebird View Post
    They also make a dual keyboard organ only.
    For $3,700. A little pricey if you ask me.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  6. #6
    The Nord Electro 2 is the best hardware organ replacement I have ever played. The presence of decent electric piano and clavinet sounds is nothing but gravy.

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    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    After checking prices, I'd have to say I'd buy the Electro 4 if I were shopping today. When I bought my Hammond XK-1 years ago, I paid $1,500 for it. The Electro 2 at the time was over $2,500. Now that Hammond replaced the XK-1 with the SK-1, they jacked up the price to $2,000...surprising considering its flimsier construction. Roland also jacked up the price of the VK-8 to $2,200 from $1,700 when I was shopping. The Korg CX-3 doesn't appear to be available any longer. Meanwhile, Nord has lowered the price of the Electro 4 to the same price as the VK-8. Technology prices are supposed to drop, not rise. Clavia seems to be the only company who still gets that.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    Marklar Jimmy Giant's Avatar
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    I bought a used CX3 (V2) a couple years ago and they were out of production by then. Probably around 2008.
    Unfortunately, the early run of these didn't have true waterfall keys, which is what I got. However, the keyboard is still easier do washes that a synth keyboard. I love the sound of this. I sold my original CX3 around 1995 and it's really nice to have the upgrade.
    However, the newest Hammond seems to be a little better for whats available now. I haven't heard the Electro 4 though.
    JG

    "MARKLAR!"

  9. #9
    The main thing for me that Nord has nailed is the Leslie sim. It's pretty darn good. I had a Hammond XM-1 module and ran it though a Leslie and it sounded very very good but direct it was appalling. And the CX3s were about the same... but the Nord sounded really good in a live mix. Now I use GSi VB-3 software which I like better than any of them.

  10. #10
    Member Yodelgoat's Avatar
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    I'm not a great keyboardist (or a key techie) by any stretch, but I will say that the organ sounds on the first few SB albums were absolutely gorgeous to my ears, like milk and honey. I don't keep up with with who is hauling what around, but I sure cant complain about the sound they get in the studio.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Yodelgoat View Post
    I'm not a great keyboardist (or a key techie) by any stretch, but I will say that the organ sounds on the first few SB albums were absolutely gorgeous to my ears, like milk and honey. I don't keep up with with who is hauling what around, but I sure cant complain about the sound they get in the studio.
    In the studio they used vintage gear- that was a real Hammond...

  12. #12
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by trurl View Post
    In the studio they used vintage gear- that was a real Hammond...
    Even to this day, Neal will rent a B3 and leslie to re-record the organ parts in the final production stages.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  13. #13
    I love my CX-3. Have had it for 11 years now, bought it for what, $1800 brand new. I LOVE the Leslie simulation and the great thing about it is that the rotation simulation is variable depending on how you think your rotors should speed up and slow down. I would like to get a Nord because the tonal clarity is better, but on the other hand I can't get over how the CX-3 allows you to dirty things up with a rotary pot to simulate overdriving the Leslie, and what can I tell you, it brings out my inner Jon Lord and Keith Emerson. Not worrying about getting anything to replace it although if I ever make a little money at this I WILL find me a Leslie and Combo Pre-Amp to put the CX-3 through.
    A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission!

  14. #14
    The Nords also let you control overdrive and adjust Leslie rotor ramp up/down speeds. Actually, the GSI plugin does all that, plus gives you 6 different Leslie cabinet models, top/bottom balance, mic distance, stereo width and has a Leslie brake function, and it only costs a hundred bucks The Korg through a 147 will rock though

  15. #15
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    A bit derailing perhaps but are the analogues coming back?
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasperha...nalog-economy/

    Dave Smith:
    “Musicians appreciate being able to buy new analogue instruments,” he said. “Before, they were buying vintage stuff that was over thirty years old, unreliable and basically falling apart, just because they wanted that sound. Now this time, musicians have so many choices, and many are deciding that they like the sound, look, and feel of an analog instrument.”

  16. #16
    "Imagine if Tim Cook fired up the production lines and started churning out the Apple II instead of the latest Macbook Pro. The world would think he had gone barking mad. After all, what company in its right mind would decide to start rebuilding technology last manufactured in the 1970s?

    But in 2013, that was exactly the business decision made by the bosses at Korg, a Japanese multinational corporation that is one of the world’s biggest musical instrument manufacturers."


    Nnnnnnnooooooooooo... that's a terrible analogy, and the writer has no idea what he's talking about. Of course, I guess a business writer wouldn't, you kind of have to know the equipment to get it.

    Anyway, that's all well and good but there will never ever, EVER be an analog Hammond organ produced again

  17. #17
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    A quick look through the keyboard section of Musician's Friend, Sweetwater, etc. shows that analogs are indeed coming back. In fact, this is old news by now.

    Parallel to this is the continued strength of virtual analog (hardware) synths, kicked off by the Nord Lead in 1995. The article made no mention of this. (I did just skim it, so maybe I missed it.) Anyway, Korg released their new VA the Kingkorg at the same as the new MS20 Mini.

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