Yamaha CK-88 Keyboard musings

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The 29 lb, under $1500 Yamaha CK-88 (or 12 lb CK61)I just got one of these and find that for the price point, it's a great piece of gear. One one thing I have been unable to get to work to my satisfaction is a playable B3. The split options did not seem to be what I needed - but wait (this may work on some other clonewheel synths as well:)
1: The CK has a Split A/B+C option. Set up Part"A" with standard 80 8000 000 or 83 8000 000 "Jimmy Smith" LH bass registration. No percussion, use C2 or C3
2: Set up Part "B" with the identical setup.
3: Set up Part "C" with the regular Jimmy Smith 88 8000 000 or 88 9000 008, this percussion obeys Hammond rules. or any other registration you want as a preset.
4: Now subtract out of the C drawbars the 80 8 setting ! You should have a clear JOS standard jazz registration in the upper half and typical jazz bass in the lower.
5: Set your Sustain pedal to switch on/off CC87, the Part "C on/off. Test it to see.
When you just play, he keyboard is the lower manual. When you hold the sustain pedal, the keyboard splits and the upped is your solo. Leave the "C" select hot so the drawbars change your solo. The closest thing I've found to a second manual (Which this will do quite nicely.) It would be great to have the option to toggle, but that can be done on the interface.

Anybody else tried this puppy out? Any fun tips?
 
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The 29 lb, under $1500 Yamaha CK-88 (or 12 lb CK61)I just got one of these and find that for the price point, it's a great piece of gear. One one thing I have been unable to get to work to my satisfaction is a playable B3. The split options did not seem to be what I needed - but wait (this may work on some other clonewheel synths as well:)
1: The CK has a Split A/B+C option. Set up Part"A" with standard 80 8000 000 or 83 8000 000 "Jimmy Smith" LH bass registration. No percussion, use C2 or C3
2: Set up Part "B" with the identical setup.
3: Set up Part "C" with the regular Jimmy Smith 88 8000 000 or 88 9000 008, this percussion obeys Hammond rules. or any other registration you want as a preset.
4: Now subtract out of the C drawbars the 80 8 setting ! You should have a clear JOS standard jazz registration in the upper half and typical jazz bass in the lower.
5: Set your Sustain pedal to switch on/off CC87, the Part "C on/off. Test it to see.
When you just play, he keyboard is the lower manual. When you hold the sustain pedal, the keyboard splits and the upped is your solo. Leave the "C" select hot so the drawbars change your solo. The closest thing I've found to a second manual (Which this will do quite nicely.) It would be great to have the option to toggle, but that can be done on the interface.

Anybody else tried this puppy out? Any fun tips?
I have the YC88 I am going to play around with the organ section today! The CK88 is a helluva keyboard for $1500!
 
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Finally got to gig with it, performed like a champ. Didn't use the organ setup except for one solo with el pno left hand. But what I so far CANNOT do is is get the solo (upper) manual to be the default JOS registration (888) with standard (808) lower manual split and use the sustain pedal to turn it OFF so I temporarily play full-range lower manual. This works the OTHER way, use the pedal to solo. But not in reverse.
I've thought of sending a controller MIDI out and plugging back into the other port, but still don't see how that could work either. Anybody got it working, let me know, thanks.
 

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