Hammond-Suzuki XK-3

Very easy to use. Sounds great.

Sounds best with a real Leslie. The Leslie is tweakable but will never ever begin to do what machanical horn in a Leslie will do- not in this lifetime.

I wanted to address a statement that a person writing a review named "THE PROFESSOR" wrote. He stated a Hammond B2- in fact his B2 sounds better than a B3. I personally think you should be drug tested. Here's a little Hammond Organ 101 for you DUDE. B3's and B2's as does C2's, C3's, A100's etc.......are all absolutlely Identical mechanical engines except for the "3" meaning it has percusion- a 2 does not unless you add something like a TREK Kit or Edwards- which the latter blows Trek away- but that discussion for another time. I have owned at least 4 B3', 1 B2 ad 2 A100's in my life and they all ARE THE SAME Period. Don't listen to that review- be your own judge.

Okay, the NEW XK3's sound great. I've played one for hours-its great. Does it sound like a B3- sort of- all the clones actually sound way too nice unless you use their artificial ODrive and then it sounds canned. What makes a Hammond sound great is a Leslie- a real Leslie. Now if you have a Leslie 147 or 122- then any of the clones will sound killer. I own a CX3 and think the $$$$ difference is absured. Its (CX3) close enough as is the XK3, XK2, XB2, and the Voce and Roland stuff. How close does it need to be? Go lug 400 lbs around and then you'll figure it out. Is it worth 2K- I think not. Get over it.

Don't know. I'm sure tey are real good-I had an XK2 for 3 years and was excellent.

Nope

The big question is- how good does it have to be? You can buy a used B2- add percussion for $250 so haul a real one and discussion is over. The clones just make our lives and vertabrae easier to deal with when we get older- so grow up ya'll. Enjoy life and kick but.

Quite simple

reverse colour preset keys are great and bring a vintage touch,
great look,BUT IS A SHAME THAT VIB/CHORUS DOESN'T WORK ON LOWER MANUAL!!!
MORE,HERE(ITALY)IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE!!!!

This is,in my opinion,the best Hammond B3 clone,with a fat,dirty valve sound,great percussion,Vib/Chorus (but only on upper manual,
shame!),the only thing to be improved in a next release is the Leslie effect:PLEASE,HAMMOND/SUZUKY ENGINEERS, LISTEN TO THE NI B4 AND NEW CX3 LESLIE EFFECT!!! the XK3's leslie effect is quite unconvincing and sounds artificial,with poor doppler and less "air moving" effect than the competitors:NEEDS ENERGIC IMPROVEMENT!!if this baby had
the same leslie effect of NewCX3 or NI B4 it would be unbeatable.

This is a great clone,I've played it for hours in great musical instr shop.I'll buy it when they improve the def features

Unrelated to the xk3, the cx3 does do midi out. or at least mine does(so does my xk3). it does have midi in/out/thru, and I have had a jv1010 hooked to it for a real quick 1 set gig I did a few months back. And you're not the only one who transposes so don't sweat it, sure beats playing a ripping rock tune in A# doesn't it? as for the xk3

the preset keys and tube overdrive are nice, keys feel a little on the small side for me, even from my b-3, but I guess thats a matter of taste whether or not it makes any difference.

the sounds sound like a b-3, but defintely one without a leslie. my studios' 2 leslies are rigged"hot"(that's an old term that's too involved to get into the specifics) to get the great sound they get, that was a trick my father did to them before he took them out on tour in the late 70's, and that is what made our b-3 smoke. So to get that sound an xk3 with a real leslie is what's gonna do the trick to rock the sound. I'm not overly impressed with the internal leslie, and definetly not with hammonds leslie 21 system, but we're talking about the sounds of the xk3.

xk3 with a real leslie is the way to go, no leslie in a quick gig situation the korg is hotter out of the box due to amp type and bright-mellow sound modeling and a great leslie sim.

I still see xb2's floating around so I guess we'll see xk3's stand up to wear and tear.

Hammond-suzuki people are very nice, they send me great demo stuff and paperwork.

like the idea of being able to put together the whole system piece by piece to build a double manual organ, just wish without a leslie it had more balls so I could just take 1 board out and use it stand alone on small gigs without carting a leslie.guess i'll keep the korg for that and lug the compact hammond system with my leslie on bigger gigs.

Just a mention of about the Cx3v.2 Thats what I use on the job...but if you like to sing in some weird keys and wanna transpose to an easier key to play in..Ie Key F# to say physically play it in F...the CX3 does not send midi info out to a module...so if you have needs for other sounds while your transposed...you better stay on the organ keyboard only!!! Thats right the CX3 does not send midi info out the midi out jack and control a piano module!It is an internal transpose only...I am not sure if th XK3 send this info out or not?...I would be intersted to know...I would probably buy one..I called Korg and they first said yes it does...they checked and then said no it does not send midi out!I mention this only because some other weirdo transposer like me may run into this problem..or maybe I am the only guy who transposes??? but I doubt it!No disrespect to Hammond or Korg..I actually love the sound of the Cx3 and I'm sure the new xk3 is great.....but I have to use the RD170 as the controller to do what I want...drag a CX3 to a job like a big module is what I end up with!!!"some days you eat the bar and some days the bar eats you"

Very easy and intuitive to use. All the controls are most hammond-like. No switch to get the wheels turning on start-up, though. This thing about plays itself. The manual is very comprehensive and thorough. Bottom line it is much less trouble than the venerable and honored old girl, and sounds just as good!

This is the same sound engine as the 'new B3' that is digitized tone wheels - 61 key polyphony + percussion. It has a built-in, two 12au7 or 12ax7, tube circuit for overdrive/distortion controlled at the console, reverb, leslie simulation (programmable by leslie type, rise and fall times, speeds, etc.), tone adjustment [bass to treble], midi capable, pre-sets by banks (programable), keyboard just like a B3. Type of B3 is a programmable entry. The cabinetry is beautiful, and of course, it says "Hammond" across the back.

Fabulous sound - that old B3 sound. There's nothing better. I have used it with Motion Sound amps to very good effect, with and without a speakeasy pre-amp. My favorite set up now is with a pro3-t with right and left outputs to stereo amplifiers for better bass control. It sounds good through a KBR-M, too, although I prefer my jury-rigged set up of late. Throwing the air around makes this sound come alive. Chorus, vibrato and percussion are spot-on.

I use it all the time w/o back-up. It is dependable

Dealing with Young Music Co. our local dealer is a pleasure. Great customer service.

In my humble opinion, this is the best instrument I ever bought. I am on edge waiting for the rest of the xk3 system to come out so I can expand this beauty to a proper "chopped", two manual, no legs, xk3. I was a loyal Voce owner for years: v3, micro-b, v5, and until this came along, nothin' beat 'em. But the xk3 is the best I ever owned. period. I really do not believe it has a peer in the clone ranks.

This is an update since I have had my XK-3 since October.
Beware the Korg CX-3 owners who bash it or the so-called Hammond experts. None of them were man enough to leave contact info so that I could confront them.
There is a lot of misinformation on this website about the XK-3. First of all , you should not use it with a Motion Sound amp. It is made for a Leslie. The vintage tube pre-amps may be overkill. Unlike the rest of the clones , it does not need to be "warmed" up.
The sound is far superior to any Korg or Roland. The CX-3 has too much bass and has an artificial sound. Guys who buy the CX-3 , probably buy it because want to save money. The keys feel cheap and do not respond like real Hammond keys do. The Leslie simulation of the CX-3 is not as clean as the XK-3 thru a good system. Good system meaning subwoofer , not guitar amp.

I have a B2 , which sounds much better than a B3. It has more bass in for jazz trio gigs. So those that tell you that they are jazz players , have not played a good B2. My Xk-3 has an even better bottom end. I wind up playing it more than I do my B2.
As far as the separate vibrato, that is not an issue. Who uses vibrato on the lower chorus anyway in jazz. Jazz is the pedals and the left hand. Again, some of these guys can only dream they play jazz. I do.
One guy claims to be a salesperson. Maybe he makes more of a commission on the CX-3. But a true Hammond lover will love the XK-3.
I hang out with some of the most famous names on the Hammond and they are amazed at the Xk-3 sound. None of them play Korg Cx-3's. It is strictly a rock players organ.
This is the real deal. The Hammond sound without all the quirks of the vintage Hammond.

I have come to prefer the sound of my Xk-3 to that of my vintage Hammond which is in great shape and keep well-maintained. I am very critical about the sound. I will pay extra to have the real sound. You can A/B this with any of the clones and it beats them hands down. I did before I bought it months ago. I did the research. I had to wait for them to have it in the stores. Speaking of which , do not listen to anyone who just played it in the store. Listen to the owners. Find me one that is dissatisfied.
Hammond knew what they were doing. These are the same sounds as in the $25K Hammond. The only difference is the single manual and the absence of the other contact points. Played the $25K . They sound the same.
Those who compare it to the XK-2 are also bogus. This sound is completely new. A different technology. What Roland started , perfected to the nth degree.

I am a touring pro. I can't have things breaking down on me. That is why I don't use or own any Korg keyboards. Only Roland, Yamaha and now Hammond.
You don't need a backup, only a good road case. No fabric bags. Get the Hammond expression pedal . It's part of the Hammond technique. The Hammond needs to breathe.

Customer support has been great . I have not needed them , but when I contact them , they always are helpful.

There are a lot of Haters on this webpage. Believe them and you will find that misery loves company. Many claim to be experts , but they never have the guts to leave their name. They are just frustrated guys who couldn't pay the extra premium for the best.
I tried all of the clones and I am a nationally known Hammond player. The Korg was OK until the Nord and the Hammond came out. Everytime I play a Korg now, I realize how bad it was. Especially the overpowering bass. Bass with no way to control the volume. The XK-3 controls the pedal bass like the real one does. Try that with a Korg.
Send all the Hammond XK-3 haters to me. I will show they are bogus. And check out all the gospel groups and jazz pros that use the new Hammonds now. And don't hool it up to a keyboard amp or Motion Sound. If you don't have a Leslie , hook it up to a good PA system . The bass alone will show the limitations of an amp, even a bass amp. You need a subwoofer. I use the Mackie 18 inch, 900 watts.
Try that with a 40 watt vintage Leslie.
If you don't have a Hammond , you wasted your money. You deserve to play in those dingy clubs the rest of your life. Invest in your career.
You can scroll down and read my intial review when I first got it. I love it even more now. Only a BMW can make you love it more.

Please! let's not kid ourselves by using terms such as "exactly like a b-3". No clonewheel is ever gonna replace a b-3, only do a good job of emulating. This guy sounds like a Hammond Rep!

I do agree that the hammond action is good, the korg is also(you must of had an early model, 1st 1,400 had double trigger issues and did not have waterfall keys.)As for the tube it's not about being in the "proper place", it's about quality. I've saved the money you've been charged extra for name and tube gimmick and bought a vintage speakeasy preamp. Which do you think is gonna do a better job? Now I won't just knock hammond on this because korg is just as guilty with the triton extreme, but that's another review. As someone who get's paid to sell this gear, and also get's paid to play it 5 days a week for the past 17 years,and having a real B and leslie, I feel qualified to make good"objective" observations on both organs. The hammond will be a huge upgrade from any synth organ patches, it just lacks in some areas where the korg excels, and vice versa.I too like the sound of my B-3 and my leslie, so anytime someone wants to offer to transport it, carry it, and set it all up for me 5 days a week, then i'll drag it out. For now my motion-sound does a great job, but if stuck without it the cx-3 leslie is tops for a sim. Let's not forget the point of clonewheels in the first place. Or forget the fact that 99% of the people in the crowd at a live gig (a)wouldn't know the sound of a real leslie to save their lives, and (b)don't care anyway!

better than the average organ patch, better than the roland vk, splitting hairs between korg cx-3 and hammond-suzuki xk3. Now I know that hammond"purists" are always gonna be loyal to the hammond name but I guess that's just the way it is. My loyalty lies with the best product. If yamaha or kurzweil came out with a better organ clonewheel tommorrow, It'd replace my cx3 by the end of the week. If the hammond was better, it'd be in my rig already. That's why other pro-keyboardists come to see me when they want advice on what to buy for their keyboard set-ups, I'm objective, It's not about brand but about quality, and they know I only use the best portable equipment on the market in my set-up. So if it's in my rig it's the top in it's class.Someday if that's a hammond-suzuki, i'll have it.

check previous review

Overall it gets a 7, cx3 a 7.5, no one gets a 10, hopefully someday we'll see 9, but they're not there yet.

exactly like a B3...hello!

This is the way it should be, perfect action (VK8 quite nice too). You CX3 fans, please... I had one, the action was like a bad synth -- not an organ -- and I was suddenly stumbling over riffs I played perfectly on a B3 for 20 years. The XK3 feels exactly right (considering it's HAMMOND -- duh!).

I love this guy who says wait for the next one. He's kind of funny: he can't understand why Hammond put a tube in the XK3 (the purist is offended), then proceeds to tell us how fond he is of the Leslie sim in the CX3 (who needs a Leslie?). He objects to an actual REAL tube (AX7) solely because he doesn't think a keyboard is the "proper" place for a tube...But he doesn't miss a real Leslie at all, for that he's just fine with a sim in his CX3.

The XK3 is simply the best sounding B3 clone available. Subjective opinions will vary, but anyone who gives this thing anything less than a 9 simply doesn't know their stuff, sorry. H/S nailed it here, big time.

Don't know yet

Ditto

Love it

It's an organ! How hard can it be?

Tube overdrive is pretty cool, it actually works! On the other hand a tube pre-amp built in a clonewheel or synth for that matter is a waste of all of our money, and in insult to boot. Reverse preset keys are cool too, this board looks great, but that don't mean squat.

Here's where the problem is. The sounds aren't much different than the xk2, which were never great to begin with. The leslie sim is just as bad too! It's dissappointing to think that a company named hammond can't do a great hammond b-3. I grew up playing b-3's and have seen all copies and wannabees come and go, done this pro gig for 17 years straight, and also work for a music equipment dealer(hammond dealer too!),and I think run with a leslie it'd do ok. On it's own with the package it's got in it, it's just a second place clonewheel.

I'm sure if you take care of it it'll last you UNTIL THE NEXT ONE COMES OUT.

People at H-S have been real nice in my dealings.

Save the extra cash and buy a cx-3, nice thing is it's easy to use and still has some nice editing capabilities. And leslie sim is hands down the best(though I use a motion sound kbr 3-d). Just add a nice vintage tube pre-amp and you'll go nuts.

I used to own an XB-2, traded it in towards the XK3.

The XK3 is much easier to use. Any B3 or console user will feel right at home on the XK3. You select presets using the reverse color keys, which is easy to do on the fly. Hold down the BANK button and you use the same keys to select different banks of presets. Unlike the original these preset keys don't latch, but an LED shows you which preset is active. The low C cancels and silences the organ, but hold it down for a few seconds and you get an initial organ patch - nice touch. If you hold down a preset key for a few seconds, the preset registration is replaced with the current drawbar settings while all other settings (vibrato, reverb, etc) remain unchanged.

Three sets of drawbars give you control over upper, lower, and pedal manual registrations. No other single manual clonewheel has three sets of drawbars. You get the full nine drawbars for each keyboard manual, and 16'/8' pedal drawbars. They are always live, if you punch a preset you can change the drawbars immediately. The XB-2 didn't do that. Although the XK3 is single manual, you can split/layer from its manual or use external MIDI controllers for lower/pedal - there are two MIDI inputs for each. The XK3 is multitimbral as upper and lower manuals can dial their separate presets.

Plenty of buttons for real time performance, and laid out in the same order of the original. Even the rotary vibrato/chorus dial is there. All the buttons have LEDs to indicate their state. A 40x2 LCD display and navigation buttons give you access to the internal settings. The navigation buttons are page up/down, left/right, increment/decrement, and a rotary encoder is included for varying parameters. The left/right/inc/dec buttons do double duty, they are context sensitive like Windows menus.

The OS is v1.20. The menu system is very intuitive, I found my way around before I even opened the manual. Hold down the VIBRATO ON/OFF button (or any button) for a few seconds and the relevant menu appears in the LCD. This is way cool, something I'd like to see implemented as standard. The manual is the engrish version, too much grammar and spelling errors (no surprise it is not on the website). It does explain enough detail for the Hammond connoisseur.

Full polyphony, waterfall keys but not same action as an old Hammond. But to be realistic, one single manual from a vintage Hammond weighed in excess of 100 lbs so I'll forgive this for a compact clonewheel. You can split the keyboard and play either lower manual or pedal manual parts.

Percussion has that classic wooden thunk, which I haven't heard on any other clonewheel. There are buttons for slow/fast, soft, and second/third harmonic. Unlike the original, you can combine both harmonics. You can fine tune the percussion in the menu system, it even has an option to attenuate the drawbars when percussion is not set to soft, just like the original. Key click is variable in both down and up stroke.

The vibrato/chorus is dead on, it nails that scanner vibrato purr. It also gets a little brighter with the vibrato engaged, which I like. You get the traditional V1/C1/V2/C2/V3/C3 varieties plus an on/off switch, and the vibrato speed can be changed in the menu (needed this to impersonate a Vox Continental, more later). However the vibrato affects both upper/lower manual - the classic B3 let you apply vibrato to either/both manuals. MIDI control doesn't fix this, if I use a split on a MIDI controller and select a preset for upper with vibrato and another for lower without vibrato, both manuals have vibrato. If you're a traditional jazz/gospel organist this could be significant, but for other styles on a single manual I myself don't find it negative. Fortunately the pedal manual does not have vibrato processing, crucial for bass parts.

The XK3 includes a dual tube preamp which can be configured in parallel or in series. Parallel mode means each tube processes a different frequency spectrum, so you can have independent control of tube overdrive in the bass and treble region. Very nice if you want bottom end crunch but clear highs. You can specify the crossover frequency that splits the frequency band, and yes 800hz is there for simulating Leslie grunge. An overdrive knob varies the grunge amount, and a tricolor LED tells you how hard you're overdriving. There is an option in the menu to vary overdrive with volume pedal amount, so you can back off overdrive when you let up on volume. Hammond-Suzuki really did their homework. No other clonewheel has a tube preamp.

A three band EQ with sweepable mid (discrete, not continous) helps you tailor the sound. Combined with the custom tonewheels and the drawbars, the EQ is effective.

Hammond-Suzuki implemented a better Leslie simulator than any other clonewheel. There are two processors for each horn, which is the way the Dynacord CLS-222 did it. They included models for 122, 147, 760, and 830 Leslies. There are fast/on/brake buttons right under the mod/pitch wheels. You can vary speed, ramp times, upper horn response (flat or honky), mic distance and separation (two mics x degrees apart). You can dial up your custom Leslie configuration (up to three) which can be used in the presets. Unlike earlier clonewheels, the vibrato and leslie simulator can be used simultaneously. Reverb/delay effects - halls, rooms, plate, church, mono and ping-pong delays are included. The reverb decay time and level are adjustable, but not much else - no need, they sound quite good.

An 11-pin Leslie socket connects to the real deal, and the internal Leslie simulator is bypassed on the Leslie socket - nice touch, I don't have to reset all the presets to turn off the internal Leslie. An effects loop lets you use any processor of choice, and is pre-EQ/Leslie/reverb.

Now we get to the selling point for me - custom tonewheels. The XK3 has 96 virtual "tonewheels" that produce the Hammond voice and they can be user calibrated. I read of this feature in Keyboard mag and I bought an XK3 without trying one in a store. The XK3 has different tonewheel sets, and you can make your own customize set. Vintage Hammonds are calibrated at the factory and they all sound different from one a

This is the BALLSIEST clonewheel I have ever played. It has that warm flute tone, and the tube overdrive adds some crunch to the sound. Hammond-Suzuki nailed the authenticity, everything is there - the scanner vibrato purr, the percussive wooden thunk, the key click. While the keyboard action isn't authentic, it isn't that featherlight spring action like cheaper clonewheels. Staccato playing is easy to pull off. The waterfall keys make palm glissandos easy.

The reverb/delay effects are very useful, clear lush and not at all muddy. The delay settings are optimized for short delays - the delay times are fine for short delays, but REALLY coarse for longer delay times.

I'm a stickler about Leslie simulation, and the XK3 is better than clonewheel I've heard. It's convincing in stereo, but when I tried it in mono with my stage amp it lost its authenticity. I've got a real 760 Leslie and a Dynacord CLS-222 simulator here. The CLS blew away the XK3 simulation. Leslies do not have flat frequency response. The CLS got the animation and the frequency response down pat. The XK3 missed out on the frequency response. But it's still good enough in a pinch, the separate processing of both horns does a lot to duplicating the animation of a real Leslie.

If you play rock, fusion, blues, R&B, gospel, or popular then the XK3 will do the job very nicely. Jazz organ purists will find the lack of separate vibrato processing on the manuals annoying.

The custom tonewheels were the reason I bought this organ without trying one in a store. I had the service manual for the Porta-B which included a chart showing tonewheels related to drawbars and keys.

Here is how you calibrate the XK3 to your favorite tonewheel organ. You need the chart and a dual channel scope (DO NOT probe inside a vintage Hammond organ unless you are a qualified tech - there are lethal voltages inside). Turn off the tube overdrive and set the EQ flat.

DO NOT use the XK3's 16' drawbar for calibration. The tonewheel for high C on 16' is the same for low F (spinet organ) on the 1-1/3' drawbar. If you alternate both keys/drawbars on a vintage Hammond, the amplitude is the same - repeat it on the XK3 and the 16' is slightly hotter. The rest of the XK3 drawbars do not exhibit this fault though.

I identified the loudest tonewheel and used that as my "0dB reference point", because it is much easier to attenuate XK3 tonewheels. I played the "0dB reference point" and normalized both vintage and new Hammond waveforms on my scope, then stepped one key at a time to match the XK3 to the Porta-B. With the arrangement of the rotary encoder and the menu buttons, it was easy to advance through the tonewheels without turning away from the scope.

When I finished, I duplicated the drawbars - and the XK3 sounded like my Porta-B (although the "fault" of the XK3 16' drawbar didn't seem to affect the sound). Both were going through my Leslie 760 (via stompbox preamp) and there was NO A/B DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORGANS. That was the single feature that sold me on the XK3 sight unseen, as I have been looking for a clonewheel that could impersonate my screaming Porta-B. Clonewheels can nail the percussion, the vibrato , the flute tone, the leslie - but the missing gap to duplicating your favorite vintage Hammond drawbar registrations was the custom tonewheels. No other clonewheel offers this kind of customization.

Among the factory tonewheel sets are voices for combo organs - Hammond X-5, Vox Continental, and "junky organ". I have a real Vox Continental here and the A/B test (listening test and scope viewing) showed a match for 16'/8'/4' drawbars. Then there is the IV drawbar. It is the 2-2/3', 2', 1-3/5' and 1' drawbars combined. In the upper half of the real Connie, the IV drawbar really pierces while the XK3 is still flutish. I tried attenuating the 16'/8'/4' drawbars but that didn't make any difference. The Vox waveforms a

Seems to be sensitive to flaky power, had a couple of mysterious changes in settings. I found that the wall outlet was loose, once I changed to a better one it was fine. The XB-2 held up well for gigging, time will tell how the XK3 fares on stage. I did get a flight case for the XK3.

Bought it from Goff Professional - I did have a couple of services calls and they were very supportive. They are a professional Hammond organ service center and Hammond-Suzuki dealer/service center, and they are very knowledgeable.

I have tried many clonewheels - NI B4, Voce, Korg, Roland. While the Roland VR-760 was the better clonewheel running, I was turned off by the fact that there are no separate outputs for piano and synth sounds - I don't want them running through a Leslie. The B4 is a very good Hammond softsynth but I like drawbars and controls right under my hands, not a mouse.

The XK3 blew them all away in authenticity, balls, and simulation of the classic Hammond vibrato and percussion. It was a complete OS redesign from the ground up, and Hammond-Suzuki really did their homework. It was far better than my XB-2 and the predecessor XK2. I did buy the optional EXP-100F, which is an optical volume pedal with integrated Leslie fast/slow speed footswitch - it's a spring loaded lever right next to your foot, all you do is twist your foot to switch speeds.

The best Hammond clonewheel yet, and essentially the complete package. Others miss out on the leslie simulation, the vibrato, the FX, the warmth, etc. None of them have customized tonewheels. The XK3 has it all. Well worth the price I paid.