I have tried loads of them! Best I have come up with is my present set-up. Roland XP-80 driving Oberheim drawbar module output to Hughes&Kettner Rotosphere. The H&K is impossibly noisy but this can be toned down with a Boss NS2 gate. I have tried the Roland VK-8M but dont think the cost is justified. Any others?? Other gear is a Roland JV30, a lap-steel through a Studiomaster 8:2 desk. Also have a Washburn fretless bass, Ovation, Strat, chromatic harmonica, flute and bagpipes.
Stick with the Oberheim and the Rotosphere. I hear good things about the Hammond XK-1 and also the Neo Instruments Ventilator. Did you try either?
I'd highly recommend the Clavia Nord Electro - very realistic tone, response and Leslie effect including great overdrive.
Many thanks for responses guys. No, I haven't tried either of your suggestions (yet). The financial controller takes a very dim view of further expenditure on music gear as she prefers to waste money on stuff like washing powder, clothes, dishwasher salt and other expensive luxuries.
B3 Sim I went to a music go round(used equipment exclusively) and they had a hammond XK1 and a VK8 both single boards, both had the funky(11 or 13 dont remember) Leslie jack and simulated Leslie effects on board, both $800. I instantly went to the hammond which was decent but not amazing. The Roland totally schooled it and I love it. A guy actually wanted to trade me his B3 and leslie for my VK8. If I couldve afforded another VK8 for live totally would of but anyway. The XK 3 is really good as is the Nord Electro or C2( i think) Nord has the double manual that is sickening in its modeling and the electro does the same on a single keyboard. Ever thought about a laptop and the Native Instruments B4II or classic B4. Korg does a CX3 as well. My favorite is still the VK8 all in all it had enough of the qualities of the B3 I played at in a Baptist Church round Chicago to sell me. Every B3 is different some have more click some have more of the stutter effect. Each player likes or hates these kind of qualities so in going for your "Clonewheel" you really gotta get hands on. Real Boards: Vk 8, CX3, XK2 or Xk3, or Nord Electro(comes with great Rhodes wurli clavs piano so on) or C2. Lots of software choices personally like Native Instruments B4 II the best! Hope it helped
I gigged with a B3/Leslie and an Aeolian Melody Pro Piano with factory installed Helpinstill pickups in it for many years when I was younger. Then in 1993 E-mu came out with the Vintage Keys - it was love at first listen. Sold the B3 and never looked back (my Alesis QS8 replaced the Aeolian spinet a few years after that). I use 2 Vinatge Keys and 2 Fatar controllers so I have "upper and lower manuals". Now, I'm not even putting this rig in the "best" category, just sharing what works for me - actually for a lot of years now. Still have my original Vintage Keys, and it still works perfect. I'm sure the Roland and the new Hammonds sound and play way better. However, over the years I've had many keyboardists approach me after a gig wondering how I was getting such a killer B3 sound. I'll never part with my Vintage Keys rig though.
No has mentioned the Roland VK7 ... I used this in blues band and after a bit of work the sounds are amazing ... you can change the amp settings leslie settings chorus ... leakage .. etc... Old Vk8 but much much better I think.
I think I've tried the majority of clones over the years, and twice I ended up going with a Korg CX3. My choice was based on a lot on the fact that I could manipulate the drawbars in real time. For someone who has played real Hammonds in the past, that drawbar interface can mean a lot. These days there are a lot of choices in clones, and several sound very good. I had retired my CX3 for several years, then bought the Neo Ventilator (leslie simulator pedal)....boy did it make the CX3 have new life. In fact, just about everything I've played through it sounds good. Last weekend I did a one set gig in a large civic center and just took my Motif ES with the Ventilator. Man, it sure made the Motif Hammond sound much better. Don
Don - what were you running the Motif and Vent through? Were you using other sounds from the Motif than organ and if so did you go through the Vent for those too? I've no easy way to try one but see the love the Vent gets online.
I ran mono out of the Motif Es into the Neo Ventilator. The Neo has 2 out puts which separate the simulation of the upper and lower leslie rotors. Those route into a small mixer board with the output to two Mackie "Thump" cabinets. I stack the cabinets, so it actually seemed like a real leslie is being used. I used a stock patch (Daves B3 ) for the organ sound, and another Motif patch for rhodes. I have a foot pedal to control the Vent, and can select the rotor "stop" setting when playing the rhodes. It worked great for the one set, and sounded good out front without being in the PA. The Neo Ventilator sells for about $450 to $499 here in the US , so it isn't cheap. However, it is much cheaper that a real leslie, only weighs a few pounds, and you can carry it in one hand..
