Oberheim OB-3 Squared

If you've used a Hammond, you can use this keyboard. Pull the drawbars to the setting you like. The vibrato/chorus knob is like the one on a Hammond console. The percussion is different - small buttons instead of rocker switches. This is a single manual board, so obviously, using the "lower manual" setting is different from playing the real thing, but it's not difficult. Any Hammond 'clonewheel' should not be hard to use.

One drawback to this board is the small size of the buttons. You really need to be careful if you're a player who switches settings 'on the fly' like I do. For example, when playing my Hammond M3 or T-212, it's easy to turn percussion or vibrato on or off, but on the Oberheim, you have to be careful to hit the right button. Another reviewer mentioned the fact that the "Midi" button is right next to the end of the keyboard - it is WAY to easy to accidentally hit this button and silence the board. I think I will do what he did and make some kind of cover over this button to avoid this problem.

Some good effects, some bad.

I think the on-board reverb is awesome. I have been using "spring" with the volume set fairly high. It really enhances the sound.

Percussion? I don't know if this qualifies as an effect, since it's an integral part of the Hammond sound, but it sounds very authentic and true to the real thing. 3rd/Fast is the way to go, man.

Overdrive is absolutely awful. It really does sound like white noise being added to the tonewheel sound, and is completely un-useable. I drive my Pro-3tm if I need overdrive.

The Vibrato/Chorus effect is somewhat useable. It varies with what drawbar setting I'm using, and whether the Pro-3tm is on Fast or Slow. Sometimes it sounds good, sometimes it sounds 'warbly' and not authentic.

Keyclick and leakage are not adjustable, as far as I know, but they seem to be set at a good level. I would like control over them, but hey, for a 10+ year old board and the price I got it for, I can't complain.

And lastly, the Leslie sim. It's pretty un-useable. Maybe it was good 10 years ago, but by today's standards, it's bad. It may sound good in a mix, though. The 'slow' setting is much faster than a real Leslie on 'slow', and the fast setting sounds 'squirrely'. But, I don't know that you should buy a decade-old Hammond simulator and expect a good Leslie sim, so this feature shouldn't be a major factor. In my opinion, the board sounds great through my Pro-3tm, and I would guess that any newer Leslie sim (Spin II, Rotosphere, Korg G4, etc.) would work fine. Not to mention a real Leslie- that would be Heavenly...

Use a volume pedal! I love my Ernie Ball pedal. I think it has a nice feel and sweep to it. You just can't play Hammond without a volume (or expression) pedal.

I think the basic tonewheel sound is great. I bought this board as an upgrade from my Voce Micro BII. It sounds warmer than the Voce, and I really like the fact that there is no "harmonic beating" or "phasing" (when using it as a single manual). It is really noticeable on the Micro BII. However, when using the split-manual function on the Oberheim, there is beating. I mostly do right-hand playing, so I probably won't use the split-manual setting that much, so it will not be an issue.

I think overall, this board sounds pretty authentic. The keyclick/percussion/leakage are good, and through a real rotary system, you should be able to fool most people. Of course, nothing but a Hammond sounds like a Hammond.

The keyboard action is not the greatest; they're not the "waterfall" keys found on a Hammond console, but it suits my style of playing just fine.

I have had this board for about a week. I would gig without a backup, but I am still deciding whether or not to sell my Voce just in case something would happen to the Oberheim, like the wall-wart going bad, which we all know can happen at the worst time. I suppose I'd better keep the Voce just in case. I probably wouldn't get much $$ for it anyway. It's fairly outdated.

If this were lost or stolen, I definitely would try to find another one. For the great sound and price I got it for, I can't beat it. I can't afford any of the current Clonewheels (VK-8, XK-1/XK-3, CX-3, etc.) However, the OB-3^2 seems to be somewhat rare, so I don't know if I'd have any luck finding another one. I pretty much ruled out the Hammond XK-2 and XB-2. The reviews I've read and the sounds I've heard them make just weren't enough to convince me.

I have been playing in a group setting for about 4 years. My gear is as follows: Oberheim OB-3^2, Roland RS-5 synth, Pro-3tm, Roland KC-500, Wurlitzer 200, Voce Micro BII, Casio PX-100, Yamaha PSR-225, Hammond M3, Hammond T-212, and I used to have a Rhodes Suitcase MK 1 and a Wurlitzer 140B.

I have been looking for a newer clonewheel product for several years. I really had my sights set on the Hammond XK-1, but it is out of my budget. I almost purchased a Roland VK-7 about a year ago, but the seller ended up selling it to his son. I think overall, any of the current clones are pretty damn good, but each has it's pros and cons. I think the Nord Electro sounds incredible, but I just don't think I could deal with the LED-type drawbars. The Leslie sims in the newer clones sound pretty good, so that was a factor I was considering when I was shopping - sometimes I get tired of miking the Pro-3tm - it would be nice to be able to plug directly into the board. But IMO, nothing sounds like a real rotating speaker. I know the Pro-3tm isn't a real Leslie, but I have had it for 4 years, and I couldn't be happier with it.

And BTW, the wood/cream color motif is very sharp. Some hate it, I think it looks pretty cool.

Easy peasy.

It has some MIDI functionality which made be awkward. Don't use, don't care.

Polyphony is full. The keyboard action is nice, but not special. Build in effects are very average, but useful. No aftertouch on keys (no need). No sequencer. No nothing! Switch on, hook up, and play.

My band loves this thing. I love it.

It's cheap bliss.

It's kept up for two years now, and I'm not very careful with it. Feels reliable, except the shaky powersupply connection. Just tape it on and you're set.

My powersupply burned out. The OB3#2 survived, and I needed a replacement. So I contacted Viscount in Italy, who were moderately helpful. In the end I bought a powersupply for it in the Netherlands, which works fine.

I love this board.

With some additions to its sound, I'm a happy guy. The build in Leslie sim is pretty weak: it beefs up the sound nicely, but not in a Leslie sorta way. The distortion is more like added noise, but it works for me since I like a very rough, 'low quality' Hammond sound to cut through the guitars. The effects are a very limited delay, and some reverbs, and y they're servicable.

The 'secret', if there is any, is to add some gear to it. I'm running through a Roland RV-100 spring reverb and a H&K Tube Rotosphere pedal. With these additions, or similar, you'll fall in love with the sound, unless you're used to a real Hammond or something like the Nord Electro, which is three times as much s&h.

Yes I would get this board again, no doubt, unless I could lay my hands on something more convincing for the price, which I doubt. I've been playing for 20 years and have owned numerous analog and digital synths. At present, my only other keys are a Philicorda organ and a borrowed Logan String Melody II.

I love the sound (with the additions), and the feel of it. It looks gorgeous! I hate the seperate powersupply on a shaky connect. Without the springverb and tube 'sphere, I hate the distortion, and don't like the build in Leslie. But a few cheap additions and... bliss =)

I own the expander version and it is VERY VERY easy to use even for a first-time approach to a hammond wannabe.Probably it is so simple to use because its features are minimal.The ob3^2 comes equipped with a 6 presets(LOWER) that may be useful if you split your master keyboard to play with the left hand the lower keyb of a virtual hammond and with the right one the upper keyb.These presets are so and so.It would be better if Oberheim would have let us store our sounds builded with drawbars in those six lower presets.Editing patches it's a joke:just use the drawbars and store your sound in the six user's patches.I don't know if there's a patch editor for this unit,i've read you can save your sounds sending data via sysex to a pc.Can anyone tell me which software to use?Manual is short,simple,sometimes enigmatic,but almost unuseful(because the module is self-explanatory,look there how to set the volume of percussion,lower presets and bass).You can read it on the net in english just searching it with google.

Polyphony is full.I think 96.No keyboard on the module,and never play the keyb version.There are the classic Vibrato 1-2-3,Chorus 1-2-3.The amplitude of the modulation increase from 1 to 3.I find useful Chorus1.The others....There's a Leslie Simulator slow/fast.You can apply Hall,Room,delay,Plate,Spring,No effect, and the Overdrive and modify the quantity of these latest effects.On Percussion 2nd,3rd you can decide if they will be soft(ok) or not and their decay time(really?).You can set the speed of the leslie and the acceleration from slow to fast via sysex.Anyone can teel me how?
No aftertouch or velocity.MIDI out,thru,in,OUTputs left,right,phones,Fine tuning wheel,NO TRANSPOSE(only using master Keyboard),Slow/fast leslie jack,storing via switch jack.External adapter(brrrrrrr)

I went one night in a pub where there was a rock and roll band and when i listen to the sound during Deep Purple's Burn from that keybrd i fell in love.It's very very hot and full.I play too Deep Purple,Santana, Pink Floyd with my group and the ob3 radically transform my sound:in fact i was equipped with a korg m1(ok for a distorted organ solo) and a roland d-50.But no way out:to play an organ you need an organ clone with drawbars so you can edit the sound suddenly.And this module has all you need to play organ for a Super-reasonable price.There are Vk-7,Cx-3, etc. but even if these are superior in sound they are three times superior in price.Though i found very very closest to the hammond sound those two wannabes(their leslie emulator and the overdrive are marvellous,plus there are a lot of things you can edit by the keyboard such as the amp type,the overdrive type,ecc.)the Ob3 is good enough.The fast leslie as the others reviews said sucks:use this with the c-3 chorus and you'll heard only noise.Roland and korg's clones are more realistic in the middle-high freq of the hammond sound and then again the leslie IS the difference.Use 888800001 to play highway star intro with vk-7 and tell me if you hear any difference from Jon's Lord sound in Made in Japan.The overdrive is another so and so point:it makes the sound too dark for me.It become perfect to play Born to be wild.

I found it 2nd hand last year.I use it with my tank-built korg m1 as a master during the gigs.One thing:i HATE the tiny external ac adapter.Do they do them to free weight and space or to make us break them?Have keyboard's constructor any idea of the amount of cables involving a non professional player during gigs?And of the soccer-field's space in which he play in the pubs?If so,STOP the external adapter policy!Luckly,no problem.

no contact with oberheim,viscount.I took the module to the assistance because the little fine tuning wheel on the back of the ob3 start working as a bender the first time i played home the module out of the shop.They update the software version of the module too(in the older there's an empty space between the highest B and C of the lower preset 1.

Lost or stolen,go for another one:it's C H E A P and good and it screams in live performance,really have had lot of satisfaction from this module.Futhermore i like its look(the keybrd version)more than roland and korg(but these are monsters with their sound!).I've been playing keyboards
for more than 10 years.I own roland d-50,korg m1, and before buying the ob3 i tried korg ai2's organ sounds in a korg N1 rack module.I read good reviews on this about organ but i found them(the presets) to plastic and unrealistic.Probably tweaking with the effects..the sound may have changed,no patience this time.
As others reviews say:no general workstation if you want very good piano or good organ. Thanks harmony-central!

The keyboard version, just like the module version is a fairly simple device to use... just plug it in, bring up the drawbars and you're away. Was easy to get some good sounds going within seconds. The manual (if you can call it that!) is somewhat useless, as everything on the keyboard is pretty self-explanitary.

For a basic Hammond organ simulator, there's what you'd expect. All the standard features of a B3 (Chorus/Vibrato settings, 2nd/3rd Percussion) plus a few reverb settings. The keyboard is a 61 key, non-weighted (obviously) keyboard. After some use years, I have found that there are a few things that i find _really_ annoying. For a start the MIDI button is located far far too close to the keyboard. When this button is pressed, is cuts all sound coming out of the keyboard. In a gigging environment, this is a potential disaster and I have on many occasions been in the middle of a solo, run down the keyboard and lost all sound. Very embarrasing! I have found that taping a small cover over this button (as I never have to configure the device via MIDI) seems to do the job... but Oberheim could have positioned this button in a much better location away from the keyboard!
Secondly, I don't like the 'lower manual'. These are eight presets which, when switched on, convert the lower half on the keyboard to a lower manual. This leave you with far too little space for the upper manual. I have therefore learnt not to use these presets.

A mixed bag as far as I'm concerned....
The basic drawbar sounds are pretty good. I play mainly blues on it, so the standard 888800000 sound with 2nd percussion (w/ soft and slow) comes up pretty well. Reading what other folk have to say on the sound, I would mostly agree. In the mix, some of the drawbars don't seem to have that much affect, and so you cannot transate your settings for a B3 directly onto the OB3^2.
The rotary simulator is quite good, but it sometimes becomes hard to tell, when gigging, whether the speaker is fast or slow. I find that a little frustrating at times...
The main thing that lets the sound down is the 'distortion'. One of the distinguishing aspects of the B3 sound is the cutting sound from the tube amp circuitry. On the Oberheim, this simulation doesn't really work at all, and simply sounds like white noise being added to the sound. If possible, I would suggest getting a simple tube driver guitar pedal, or something like that to get a better overdrive sound.

Comparing this keyboard to others of it's kind, it performs really well. Distortion aside, the sounds are pretty authentic. Though comparing it to some of the new software emulators, such as Emagic's EVB3, and Native Instruments B3, i don't think it performs as well. I am seriously thinking of investing in some kit to allow me to use the EVB3 from the oberheim, which i guess makes the oberheim an expensive controller keyboard, but listening to the sound, it's vastly improved.

I would also like to hear the OB3^2 through a proper leslie, as I'm sure that would also drastically improve the sound.

Can I depend on it? Well, I have used this keyboard in a gigging environment for about two and a half years now. I have experienced trouble with it on a few occasions. A couple of times, I have switched the device on, and it's not aloud me to switch the rotary speaker on. I can only assume this is due to a bug in the firmware. The only way I could get the rotary speaker back was to hard reset the device (pressing both rotary button whilst switching on the keyboard - something i believe the manual doesn't tell you). This did the trick but lost all my settings...
I have also had some keys start to stick down, though this is after some time playing it. I was able to fix the problem by taking the top off and replacing the springs.
On the other side, I have actually dropped the keyboard once, out of it's flight case, and it coped remarkably well!! I had to push some of the IC's on the main board back into their sockets, but it was fine after :-S
Apart from those points, I have had no other problems with the keyboard. Assuming you know how to cope with the problems that I've experienced, then I can say that it is a _fairly_ reliable keyboard.
(Probably an obvious point, but.... If you're using (or going to use) this keyboard for gigs, make sure you get a decent flight case! I got a semi-flight case made (by Freestyle) for about 150GBP, which i though was reasonable. )

Never had to use them.

Overall a pretty good piece of kit. The price is reasonable for what it is.

I have the OB-3 Squared module version.
The module is rather easy to use even for those, like me, that never had to deal with real organs with drawbars. Everything is immediate although it is obviously not easy to create your own sound.
The only thing that is not immediate clear is the meaning of those buttons that work as switches: do they select the first option when the light is on or off? Just a try and you learn.

I don't know about poliphony, but I never heard about cut sounds, the feeling I get is "complete" polyphony.
The effects are great and give you everything you need! Exactly like they were in the seventies: a small equalizer, plate or other electric / mechanic effects emulators like spring, chorus and vibrato, percussion, distortion and leslie.
IMHO there are too few presets, although you still have drawbars to deal with.
Good MIDI management of the two sections.

I've become crazy for general workstations organ sounds! As soon as I saw this, I fell immediately in love. You can be a medium level player, like me, and in few minutes have angelic sounds and rock solos sounds, ranging from deep and dark to light and aerial. What I was playing before suddenly becomes beautiful.
The best buy I ever did in 15 years of keyboard playing.
A small suggestion: use a VOLUME PEDAL!

I've been having it for only 3 months.

If it were stolen, I would rush to buy the keyboard version. A good idea to make a improvement! 8-)
I own a Korg M1, a Yamaha DX7, a Roland XP50, a Roland Sound Canvas, an Alesis D4. The organ sounds were definitely a hole in my garden of sounds and it was filled by OB3.

First of all what I'm writing about is the OB3 Squared-Keyboard, that means the keyboard editon of the organ module. Anyway, the usage does not differ from the expander module expect that there is some keyboard with it.
Usage is easy. Everything is self-explaining I think. The only thing you won't figure out is this MIDI stuff but a short look at the manual will help you out.

Polyphony? Hu don't know. The FX are delay and some reverbs (Spring, Plate, "Room", "Hall") and they do sound well. There's several MIDI modes. E.g. you can have the lower, upper and bass section on 3 differen channels. There's e Leslie simulator that I personally find OK, distortion sounds very lousy! ... and a little equalizer, tiny but useful.
Vibrato and chorus are on board and they do sound fine.
The keyboard is parted in 3 sections: Bass, wich always sounds with the same preset and is layered on Lower by default (but can of course be switched off). Lower can use 5 presets and can be switched off, too. And the Upper section can use 6 memory patches or the drawbars (settings can be saved into the patches).
There's some buttons for percussion settings, too.
Altogether the features are very basic. But what do you expect from an organ? Heaving AI accompaignment patterns? Is this a Yamaha PSR? No, it sounds fantastic so it isn't. So what... ;-)

The organ sounds are ass-kicking great. Anything more to say?
OK, it is not a real Hammond organ. Same as a stage piano isn't a piano. And it fits into everything where you could use an Hammond-style organ. Heavy Metal, Reggae, Blues...
They keyboard is very much like the one of my Roland Juno106 Synth. Lightweighted, no aftertouch and no velocity response. (Why shoukd an organ have this, anyway...)
The FX are great - apart from the distortion effect, this one sounds quite messy. Therefore definitely no 10 points.

IT doesn't look like a device that fails. Robust, wooden case...

Didn't need any support yet so no rating.

A very good "virtual organ" at this price. It sounds like an organ, it looks like one. There's no reason to feel ashamed with it on stage. :-)
If you don't need the look but only the feel, buy the expander module.
Only thing that sucks: Distortion effect. All the other stuff: Perfect.

Very easy! I have used it for 3 years now. You can set your own presets or use the sliders. The manual is basic but gets the point across.

The keyboard is synth like, not the waterfall of the hammond. This will alter your playing style as compared to the B-3. (I had owned and played a B-3 for 10 years) It is a good quality keyboard and has held up well. It can be used as a midi controller but is limited in that domain. The best features are it drawbars along with the vibrato. The percussion is ok but not adjustable. I find it either to soft or to loud. The overdrive effect has a transistor sound to it, not the gnarly tube distortion that is so popular. The bass and treble controlls can come in handy and the various reverb effects can be usefull.

I feel the big selling point is it's sound and value. For a reasonable amount of money, you can have good B-3 emulation. I must point out that the built in leslie effect is lacking. The low speed sounds ok but the fast is squirly sounding. I use a motion sound KBR-3D. With this combination you can get a more realilistic sound along with tube overdrive. The B-3/leslie combo has been one of the hardest to get right. Each B-3 wannabe has it's own sound(so did the hammonds) For the money, this one is the best value though others can do it better at a price.

Have used it in many gigs and at home. Never had a problem with it. Since I play alot of R&B, it is a staple in my rig.

Never had to.

I would replace it with a new one if I could find one, otherwise I'd buy a korg CX-3 since it's sound is even more realilistic (along with being much more expensive). Having hauled a B-3 with leslie for a number of years, the OB-3 squared has been a joy to use. It's easy to move(27lbs.)and coupled with the right speaker(leslie type) it sounds great!

The unit is very easy to use with just a few easily laid out, clearly labeled buttons and drawbars. Perfect for live. The preset sounds are useful, or for the seasoned pro, playing the drawbars is great too. Its sounds are nice though not terribly fat. I am running mine through a Leslie model 303c which is solid state, so that may account for some of this. I have recently added a tube compressor and an overdrive stomp box in the signal chain before the leslie which has made it come alive! very fat and nasty. the reason for the overdrive stomp box is because the only way you can access the built in overdrive setting in the organ is to use the leslie simulator, and I am using a real leslie. I have an old fender tube head that I would love to use it through, but it sits with my guitar setup. the manual is very, shall we say, SIMPLE to a fault. It tells you little, but the organ is very simple. both the viscount/oberheim website and the armadillo (U.S. distributor for oberheim) site give no further info that I can tell. A very useful item would be a MIDI command list to change the parameters. But sound is why I bought it and it does sound good! i have played a real B3 on numerous occasions and the OB3'2 is my favorite simulator, and a WHOLE HELL OF A LOT LIGHTER!

I prefer the light touch of the keys on this as compared to many other sims Ive played. the hammond XK2 is nothing like the real thing as far as touch, the oberheim gets pretty close, nice responce but not to springy or bouncy like the VK-7 is. overall it plays like a dream. I like the onboard effects pretty well, the spring reverb is nice. the percussion is nice also. adjustable key click would be nice, oh well, cant have it all.

as i said sounds good, pretty close to the real thing. I like the way that the synthesis is done, 91 individual tone generators to simulate the 91 tonewheels found on the C3. it gives is the sound of a real instrument, not just a digital copy of one, giving it its own identity as a real organ. It responds well to light or hard playing. one thing that a lot of classic players did was sort of bounce lightly on the bottom end for a percussive feel, this picks up on the slightest touch, very nice indeed.

so far it has traveled like a champ. i dont mind the wall wart, but I have never had one go bad, knock on wood.

I would replace in a second if stolen, my staple piece of gear. I have been playing for a long time. I have owned many a keyboard and i even work in a music store, so I am a real gear junkie. It is a great instrument, and I hope to enjoy it for years to come.

The OB-3 Squared is extremely easy to use - all functions exist on the front panel. The presets are decent and basic, and you can reprogram them without difficulty. The manual I received is nothing but a leaflet, and doesn't really tell you much.

Features are minimal on this module. It was designed to provide the exact functions on a real B-3, and adds reverb and overdrive, as well as a two band eq. If you need to make more complex adjustments, though, you're out of luck. Definitely the least programmable B-3 emulation on the market.

The sound quality of the OB-3 Squared is an interesting topic. The tone itself is really great, but it doesn't necessarily respond precisely as a B-3 would. I've found that I need to use drawbars in much different ways on both instruments. I strongly recommend that time be spent tweaking drawbars in order to really find the good sounds, no matter what your prior experience with a B-3. It's just a different beast, but it can sound really great if used right. Here's a few tips that have helped me. First, the fast leslie effect isn't really happening. However, if it's always used in conjunction with the chorus C3 effect, the sound will fill up nicely. Unfortunately, this makes leslie play much more difficult. In fact, if anyone reading this knows of a way to turn the chorus and/or leslie on and off through MIDI (CC#s or SysEx), please let me know - I'll be most grateful. Also, be aware that the percussion setting sounds very loud. Try using with the soft button lit, unless you're really going for that sound. As far as drawbar settings, the most obvious example I can use is the base rock sound of pulling the first four drawbars all the way out. I'd advise pulling only the first three, maybe a little of the fourth. The sound is much more centered, and cuts better in the mix. The first and last bars pulled all the way out provide the basis for some nice gospel sounds, and splitting the difference between the rock and gospel settings will get some effective jazz sounds. This is basic knowledge for B-3 players, but I hope it's helpful to novices.

Be careful with the power supply - the requirements are unique, and using a different adapter may cause the unit to flash on and off (I learned this the hard way, several times). You may still have more problems than with other gear if you're playing somewhere with a generator supplying AC. Also, the output levels are lower than those of typical sound modules - be aware. Other than that, I've never had any problems, and I've had my OB-3 Squared for 4 years.

The OB-3 Squared is a staple of my rig - I use it on almost every gig I play. Running it in stereo definitely provides a sonic improvement, though I generally run mine mono. I can understand Oberheim's mindset in creating an instrument that's probably more astheticly pleasing than it's competion, hence leaving the panel simple, with no LED - probably made it a lot cheaper to produce as well. However, I really wish I could control functions through MIDI - it would make my life a lot easier. Control of key click noise and leslie speed would also be nice. Although it's a little older than the B-3 emulations on the market today, I find that I can produce some great tones that I can't reproduce on newer, pricier equipment.

This little organ is very easy to use, no complicated programming as with the XB-2. With the upper keyboard it is very easy to set the presets. The lower keyboard presets although not changeable will suit most needs. I have the full version with built in keyboard, and use a Korg keyboard thru midi for the lower manual.

I do wish the lower presets were programmable or had another set of drawbars. The nice thing about this organ is that all sounds are easy to change while playing. Thru midi a separate lower manual and bass pdeals can be added. Bass can also be played on the lower part of the keyboard with the touch of a button.

This is a very accurate instrument. The drawbar settings are a perfect match to the real Hammond. The percussion is great and the Chorus-Vibrato settings are actually pretty good. I play this through a Fender Showman tube head and a real Leslie 145. The sound is awesome and very powerful. The Leslie sim leaves a bit to be desired as compared to the real thing.

It always works. I've had no problems with it after owning it for over a year. It gets played a lot.

I have no experience in this area

I think this is the best Hammond simulator for the money out there. I've played an XB-2 quite a bit and really prefer the Oberheim. I'll have to admit I would like full control over two keyboards in real time, like the OB-5 which may be my next one. Korg's new CX-3 reissue looks like it has the missing features if this unit, but you could buy two of these for the same price and have two independant manuals and be able to carry half of it if you wanted to.