I need some guidance!

[dustyelmer]

Howdy folks, been reading here for a while, this is my first post. I apologize if it’s been covered a million times before, I haven’t really found the answers though.

I’m purchasing my first real gig-ready organ within the next couple weeks (a used Hammond Xk1c) and I need help figuring out what my setup should be. For context, I play with an Americana/folk/country-rock kind of band, and I’m transitioning to playing organ from other instruments. Generally pretty small gigs (think wineries, breweries, “listening rooms,” that sort of thing.)

I’m completely lost when it comes to choosing an amp. I’m looking at the Roland KC-400 vs the Behringer Ultratone KXD12, but any other ideas would really be a huge help. Considering a Neo Vent for overdrive too.

Again, I apologize if this has been covered before, it’s overwhelming! I appreciate any tips. Thanks in advance.

-Dusty

 

[happyrat1]

No constructive advice here but I wish you luck with the gig.

There's quite a few gigging musicians on the forums and they'll have plenty of recommendations.

@Old No7 or @delaware dave should be able to help.

But who's your sound guy? He should be your main source of info.

 

[dustyelmer]

No constructive advice here but I wish you luck with the gig.

There's quite a few gigging musicians on the forums and they'll have plenty of recommendations.

@Old No7 or @delaware dave should be able to help.

But who's your sound guy? He should be your main source of info.

Asking the sound guy is a good idea that I hadn’t thought of. I should have also added that realistically I’ll be going from the amp directly into the board, so the amp would probably be more of a monitor 75% of the time, as well as being used at home to practice. Keyboard-wise I’m hoping to use the Xk1c for a few months until I can get a Crumar, not that it probably matters. This is my first real keyboard purchase though, so I still feel pretty novice about it all. A whole new world for a banjo player! Thanks for your input, happyrat!

 

[happyrat1]

Since you're running a Hammond maybe a Leslie is the best choice?

 

[dustyelmer]

Since you're running a Hammond maybe a Leslie is the best choice?

That’s a good thought. I’d been fairly price-conscious in my initial research but I think a Leslie isn’t really that far away from what I’d been considering, so that makes sense. I was banking on the Leslie simulation to be good enough, but I’ve also heard that it doesn’t compare to the real thing.

 

[anotherscott]

For less money and less travel weight than a Leslie, running the sim in your XK-1c (or, better, a Neo Vent) into a CPS Spacestation will sound remarkably good.

 

[dustyelmer]

For less money and less travel weight than a Leslie, running the sim in your XK-1c (or, better, a Neo Vent) into a CPS Spacestation will sound remarkably good.

Thanks! I’m going to shoot for that after looking up the prices on actual Leslies! I’d come across the Spacestation in my research and that was in the top 5 of options.

 

[Old No7]

I run my Hammond SK Pro-73 through (2) Mackie Thump 12A powered speakers at the house (quietly -- except when my wife isn't home!!). There are better ones for sure, but those sound great to me and didn't break the bank.

I don't know how good the Leslie simulation (emulation?) is in the Xk1c, but it's very, very good on the SK Pro, and I don't ever see myself getting a Vent or similar pedal. For sure, I carried enough Leslie 145s & 147s back in the early 80's (as we often played gigs with me having 2 Hammonds and 2 Leslies -- just because we could!) and I don't see myself lugging one of those beasts around again.

The Leslie sim on the Crumar Mojo 61 is very, very good too -- one thing it does, which you'd never hear during a song, is they modeled the sound of the AIR moving and the HUM of the Leslie's amp -- with no notes played. So again, you'd never hear it while playing Smoke On The Water. But when I had mine, I'd crank up the overdrive and the volume, and you'd get that amp hum going (with Leslie rotors off), then hit slow, and then fast -- and OMG, it sounded just like what I recall my 145/147s sounding like back in the day. If I closed my eyes, I was back in the 80's...

Anyway...
Just don't get "studio monitors" for gigging out, as they have a flat frequency response by design, and if you want a fuller/rounder sound you'll probably want to get at least 10" powered speakers. Many have variable EQ settings too, which is a needed plus, in my opinion.

Good luck.

Old No7

 

[dustyelmer]

I run my Hammond SK Pro-73 through (2) Mackie Thump 12A powered speakers at the house (quietly -- except when my wife isn't home!!). There are better ones for sure, but those sound great to me and didn't break the bank.

I don't know how good the Leslie simulation (emulation?) is in the Xk1c, but it's very, very good on the SK Pro, and I don't ever see myself getting a Vent or similar pedal. For sure, I carried enough Leslie 145s & 147s back in the early 80's (as we often played gigs with me having 2 Hammonds and 2 Leslies -- just because we could!) and I don't see myself lugging one of those beasts around again.

The Leslie sim on the Crumar Mojo 61 is very, very good too -- one thing it does, which you'd never hear during a song, is they modeled the sound of the AIR moving and the HUM of the Leslie's amp -- with no notes played. So again, you'd never hear it while playing Smoke On The Water. But when I had mine, I'd crank up the overdrive and the volume, and you'd get that amp hum going (with Leslie rotors off), then hit slow, and then fast -- and OMG, it sounded just like what I recall my 145/147s sounding like back in the day. If I closed my eyes, I was back in the 80's...

Anyway...
Just don't get "studio monitors" for gigging out, as they have a flat frequency response by design, and if you want a fuller/rounder sound you'll probably want to get at least 10" powered speakers. Many have variable EQ settings too, which is a needed plus, in my opinion.

Good luck.

Old No7

Thank you, exactly what I was looking to know. I really appreciate your time and input.

 

[phatsmitty]

Brother got a Mackie Thump 15 for his electronic drums, years ago...... He was so happy with it, he bought a second one.

They STOMP!!!!!

I gigged with a Roland (believe it was a KC150) years ago, it did a nice job. My son now has it.

 

[ca.88fingers]

I reco staying away from the low-end budget brands, like Behringer, Harbinger, a few others. They have terrible long-term reliability. Generally you get what you pay for, let your ears and your budget be your guide. Try renting first if you can.
I also reco getting a small PA system: mixer/powered mixer/power amp into two 12" speakers. Something like this. Of course this at the high end. You can always scale down with 1 speaker, but on those occasions when you're dealing with a soundman that doesn't know what to do with keyboards, you can remove that from the equation and be loud enough from stage.
And, of course, a Leslie is ideal, but impractical if you're gigging a lot.
Always ask yourself: What Would Jon Lord Do (#wwjld)
Cheers

 

[dustyelmer]

I reco staying away from the low-end budget brands, like Behringer, Harbinger, a few others. They have terrible long-term reliability. Generally you get what you pay for, let your ears and your budget be your guide. Try renting first if you can.
I also reco getting a small PA system: mixer/powered mixer/power amp into two 12" speakers. Something like this. Of course this at the high end. You can always scale down with 1 speaker, but on those occasions when you're dealing with a soundman that doesn't know what to do with keyboards, you can remove that from the equation and be loud enough from stage.
And, of course, a Leslie is ideal, but impractical if you're gigging a lot.
Always ask yourself: What Would Jon Lord Do (#wwjld)
Cheers

Thank you, that makes a lot of sense. This thread has been very helpful, and it’s just as useful to know what not to buy. More and more every day I’m asking myself “wwjld?” and it’s pretty exciting because I haven’t been so fired up about an instrument in a loooong time.