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+ADw-H1+AD4-Review: KORG CX-3 Combo Organ+ADw-/H1+AD4-
+ADw-H3+AD4-by Bruce Wahler +ADw-/H3+AD4-
+ADw-H2+AD4-Prologue+ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-The resiliency of the Hammond B-3 amazes me. Here is an instrument whose
basic form was developed in the 30's, honed into shape during the 40's, and
produced by the tens of thousands in the 50's and 60's. It fell out of favor and
was essentially scrapped in the mid-70's, when the Hammond Organ Company fell on
hard times -- yet its sound is as popular as ever, nearly thirty years after the
last production model left the assembly line+ACE- The organ has a tenth of the pure
sonic versatility of a modern digital +ACI-workstation,+ACI- yet even road-weary
examples command high prices at sale. The instrument has the kind of universal
recognition seen in items like the Fender Stratocaster and the Shure SM-58 -- no
small feat for an instrument that was, and is outside the purchasing power of
many of its fans.
+ADw-P+AD4-Along the way, a wide variety of B-3 clones arose, attempting to capture the
organ's sound, but not its bulk. One of the best copies came from KORG, a (then)
comparatively small Japanese musical instrument company whose claim to fame
centered around a series of quirky synthesizers and other electronic keyboards
with names like +ACI-Lambda+ACI- and +ACI-Mini-Korg.+ACI- The KORG CX-3 -- and its bigger
sibling, the BX-3 -- captured enough of the subtle nuances of the B-3 to develop
a cult following among professional and amateur keyboard players. Unfortunately,
the organ's popularity fell prey to the synthesizer craze of the 80's, and it
was eventually discontinued.
+ADw-P+AD4-Twenty years have passed since the original CX-3 made its debut, and working
units are very hard to find these days, with spare parts being even worse. After
listening to former owners reminisce about the CX-3 that they dumped to buy that
FM synthesizer, or the one that wore out on the road, KORG finally released an
updated version of their classic.
+ADw-P+AD4-The following are facts and subjective impressions about the new KORG CX-3,
which I have owned and used for about two months. I use the CX-3 in rock and
R+ACY-amp+ADs-B bands which play small to medium sized venues.
+ADw-H2+AD4-Overview +ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 is a Hammond organ copy which simulates the sound created by
rotating tone wheels in a Hammond console model organ, such as the B-3. It also
provides a number of subtle nuances associated with the Hammond organ, all
electronically. The CX-3 uses digital sampling and +ACI-modeling+ACI- technologies to
produce and modify its sounds. It is very programmable, and includes Leslie
speaker and amplifier cabinet simulations. The relatively lightweight unit
contains all the necessary components to play organ except an amplifier and
speakers.
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 produces two channels of output: an upper channel with percussion,
which also controls the overall tone and character of the patch, and a lower
channel, which can use its own set of drawbar controls. It also has an
+ACI-Expanded+ACI- (EX) mode where the upper channel produces sound using thirteen
drawbars and up to five percussion stops. The CX-3 is designed to use any and
all of its 91 virtual oscillators at the same time, providing dual 61-note
polyphony.
+ADw-P+AD4-As with any Hammond clone, there are areas where the CX-3 comes up a little
short from a perfect copy of the original, but I believe it is the best B-3
substitute made to date. This review criticizes the CX-3 on some fine points,
but it's a great choice for keyboard players who are looking for the B-3 sound,
but not the B-3 size and weight.
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 actually has advantages over a real Hammond: +ADw-BR+AD4-
+ADw-UL+AD4-
+ADw-LI+AD4-the CX-3 is more portable+ADs-
+ADw-LI+AD4-it requires minimal maintenance+ADs-
+ADw-LI+AD4-it can simulate a range of Hammonds, from mellow older models to bright
newer pieces, to B-3 supersets like the X-66 and X-77 -- and even some Hammond
models that never existed.
+ADw-LI+AD4-the tone, overdrive, and features like vibrato and percussion, can be
programmed on a patch-by-patch basis+ADs-
+ADw-LI+AD4-the rotary speaker simulator can substitute for a real Leslie in crowded
playing situations+ADs-
+ADw-LI+AD4-many of the functions can be controlled by a variety of MIDI messages.
+ADw-/LI+AD4APA-/UL+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-Compared to other Hammond clones, the CX-3 sounds more realistic and musical,
and cuts through the mix like a real Hammond. It's not a perfect replacement for
a B-3, but it's very close. The CX-3's programmability and MIDI support are
first-rate.
+ADw-P+AD4-Unlike many newer keyboards, the CX-3 has a built-in AC power supply, using
no +ACI-wall wart+ACI- to power it. At around 30 pounds, the unit isn't exactly
feather-weight, but it's light enough for one person to easily carry it.
+ADw-H2+AD4-Physical Description +ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-CENTER+AD4APA-IMG src+AD0AIg-ReviewKORGCX-3+AF8-files/cx-3+AF8-exp.jpg+ACIAPgA8-/CENTER+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-At first glance, the CX-3 looks like most 61-key keyboards, albeit with a
better looking cabinet, reminiscent of its heritage (both Hammond and KORG). The
control setup above the keyboard is very B-3-like -- the standard four
percussion switches on the right, vibrato controls on the left, complete with
separate enables for each manual and the +ACI-V-C+ACI- knob. The organ provides two sets
of Hammond-style drawbars, which can be used for either or both manuals -- and
this is the first clone in this price range that puts the drawbars back above
the keys, where they belong. Percussion is only available on the second set,
just like a console Hammond. An Expression/Overdrive knob is added on the left
to allow the volume and growl of the CX-3 to be changed without the use of a
foot expression pedal.
+ADw-P+AD4-To the right, the upper panel provides a large, easy to read fluorescent
display, eight Program buttons, and - buttons for bank selection, an EX mode
selector, a set of Edit buttons and a dedicated Split button. The Program
buttons serve as quick scroll tabs to move around the different programming
feature groups when in Edit or Global modes. The display can be toggled to show
the upper drawbar preset, the lower drawbar preset, or the patch name. I wish
that the drawbar readout was numeric, rather than graphic though, because its
resolution isn't tremendous, and small drawbar changes are sometimes tough to
see clearly.
+ADw-P+AD4-The panel to the right of the keyboard features four control knobs: Master
Volume, Treble, Bass, and Reverb. The latter three are designed as +ACIAIg-
adjustments, adding or subtracting from the nominal setting of the current
patch. The panel also contains switches for each manual to select either of the
two drawbar sets, or the preset sounds, and switches to control the internal
Leslie simulator, On, Stop, and Fast. The speed switching method is a little
quirky: Changing the Fast state automatically cancels the Stop setting, although
it doesn't send a MIDI +ACI-un-brake+ACI- command when it does so.
+ADw-P+AD4-The rear panel of the CX-3 provides 1/4+ACI- jacks for output (mono or stereo),
an expression pedal, and two programmable inputs, which can accept either on/off
or continuous pedals, plus MIDI In, Out, and Thru DIN jacks. The use of the
pedals can be programmed on an individual-patch basis, a nice touch. The
removable power cord uses the 3-pin AC connector popular on PCs and Macs, most
mixing boards, and many rack-mount effects, making replacement simple.
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 comes with a KORG-labeled version of the venerable Yamaha FC-7, my
personal favorite volume pedal. This pedal can be adjusted for sitting or
standing use, and stays put without being hard to push.
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 provides 64 patches for each of the two operating modes, Normal and
EX. The CX-3 is manufactured in Japan.
+ADw-H2+AD4-Signal Routing +ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-An additional MIDI keyboard, modules, etc. are plugged into standard DIN
jacks in the CX-3's rear panel. The CX-3 provides stereo output sources.
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 allows continuous pedal control for expression, amp gain, and
reverb. The minimum setting for the expression and the min/max settings for
reverb can be adjusted. The expression pedal attenuates high frequencies more
than low ones, simulating the human ear's audio response. (Hammond organs also
use this method.)
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 does not have a built-in Leslie speaker interface. If you plan to
use the organ with a Leslie, you'll need a combo pre-amp or some other means of
both getting sound to the Leslie, and controlling its speed.
+ADw-H2+AD4-Programming +ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-Although long-time organists may find the CX-3's programming menu a bit
daunting at first, synth players will be right at home with its menu style. This
is perhaps the most programmable Hammond clone ever made, with adjustments for
tone wheel style -- +ACI-Clean,+ACI- which is basically a pure sine wave, and +ACI-Vintage,+ACI-
with included overtones and leakage -- additional overtone and leakage levels+ADs-
amplifier type (preamp or two styles of Leslie cabinet)+ADs- amp gain+ADs- 3-band EQ+ADs-
keyclick (both on-click and off-click)+ADs- reverb type, decay time, and amount+ADs-
percussion level, decay time, Soft volume drop, and drawbar volume drop+ADs- vibrato
type+ADs- plus about a dozen Leslie adjustments, including horn/rotor balance,
acceleration/deceleration times, microphone placement, and stereo separation.
(Interestingly, while the leakage provided by both the dedicated control and the
Vintage selection are virtually identical, the overtones that the Vintage
setting provides are mostly second-harmonic, while the Overtone level control
adds a bit of the third harmonic as well.)
+ADw-P+AD4-Many of these adjustments can be changed per patch, and the user can choose
to change only the internal (drawbar, amp, and EQ) settings when changing
patches, or allow percussion, vibrato, and Leslie settings to change, too. Using
Internal Only allows you to queue up a new sound in the preset, keep playing as
you were, and then change to the preset at a certain point in the song. The
function of the two non-dedicated pedals can also be programmed per patch. I use
this to call up two-speed Leslie foot control on some patches, and one-speed
(Tremolo/Brake) control on others.
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 provides an EX mode where the two drawbar sets are dedicated to the
upper manual, and two-manual operation is disabled. The first set of drawbars
acts in the normal manner, while the second set is split into four additional
high-harmonic drawbars -- user-programmable, of course -- and five variable
percussion sliders. I've played around with this mode a bit, and frankly, I
can't see what the fuss is all about. Perhaps a current or former X-77 owner
might see differently, but from my point of view, dedicating half the patches to
this mode is not the best use of the memory. Then again, with all of the
programming and real-time capabilities of the CX-3, 64 patches is plenty for
most users.
+ADw-P+AD4-Once you get used to the programming choices available, almost any classic
Hammond sound can be called up on the CX-3 -- old, dark models+ADs- showroom-ready
pieces+ADs- noisy +ACI-road warriors,+ACI- you name it.
+ADw-H2+AD4-MIDI Support+ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3's MIDI programming support is first rate. Virtually every
programmable item in the CX-3's menu can be accessed by the user's choice of
MIDI controller, all in real time. I spent a couple of hours just trying out
various control combinations in my MIDI setup to find the ideal mix of
functionality for my rig.
+ADw-H2+AD4-Sound and Performance+ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-How does the CX-3 compare to the Hammond B-3? I've separated my comments
about the keyboard, organ sounds, and Leslie simulator.
+ADw-H3+AD4-The Keyboard+ADw-/H3+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-Although the keys are not +ACI-waterfall+ACI- style -- they are piano-like, but with
a short but wide lip -- the basic keyboard feel is great. Palm glisses are easy
to do, and there is very little black-key wiggle, a pet peeve of mine on newer
keyboards. KORG provides a very +ACI-hot+ACI- action which plays keys after they are
lightly pressed+ADs- i.e, at about 1/8+ACI- depression. This is designed to mimic the
extremely fast action of Hammond keyboards, and it's great for +ACI-machine gun+ACI-
trills, but makes runs with the percussion on a little tricky. I didn't like it
at all when I bought the organ. My first CX-3 had some problems, and KORG
swapped it out for a new unit with a higher serial number. The new unit has the
+ACI-final+ACI- keyboard, which KORG is reported to have phased in at S/N000601,
according to the review in +ADw-I+AD4-Keyboard Magazine+ADw-/I+AD4-. (It was actually phased in
to correct a problem with occasional double-striking of keys, but it also
changes the feel slightly.) Although this new action is a little less responsive
than the old version, it seems to mesh better with the hot keying action. I've
grown fond of the action on my second CX-3, and it does mimic the feel of the
Hammond keyboard pretty well.
+ADw-P+AD4-If you don't like the hot action, there is a +ACI-hack+ACI- way to turn it off,
although it requires adding a cable from MIDI Out to MIDI In. This makes using a
second keyboard for the lower manual more difficult+ADs- you have to add a MIDI
merger to the setup. (Perhaps KORG will add a disable feature to the menus
someday, if enough owners show dislike for the action.)
+ADw-P+AD4-Used as a control keyboard, the features and MIDI implementation are good,
but not a perfect replacement for your master keyboard in a complex MIDI setup.
There are no pitch bend or modulation wheels -- even though the CX-3 responds to
pitch bend commands -- and while up to four MIDI channels can be transmitted at
one time (fixed and velocity on both upper and lower/split manuals can have
different MIDI channels), transpose information applies only to the internal
sounds.
+ADw-P+AD4-One puzzling omission from the CX-3 is the ability to support a pedal
channel. Simply put, it can't be done, unless you want to give up the lower
manual. In the venues that I play, this is not a big drawback, but I have to
think that KORG has alienated jazz trio organists by this missing feature.
+ADw-H3+AD4-The Organ +ADw-/H3+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-I love the sound of this thing+ACE- Played through a real Leslie, this keyboard
is +ADw-I+AD4-very+ADw-/I+AD4- close to the real thing. I mostly play rock, R+ACY-amp+ADs-B, and blues,
and this keyboard covers all of those genres well. Does the CX-3 sound like a
Hammond B-3? With a little adjustment, a definite +ACI-yes.+ACI- The engineers at KORG
have spent a lot of time working on the subtle details that separate many clones
from the real thing. The drawbar foldback, key click, and tone generator leakage
and overtones are dead on. The tuning of the CX-3 is chromatic rather than
harmonic-related, so there is no phase-shifting when playing chords, regardless
of the drawbar settings used. The overdrive simulation, while clearly digital,
is useable in non-Leslie situations. It won't replace a tube amp or pre-amp, but
it's close enough for pickup gigs.
+ADw-P+AD4-If I want to be extremely picky: The vibrato-chorus has a bit more high
frequency than I remember, and the percussion in the lowest octave doesn't quite
have that authoritative +ACI-mallet+ACI- sound that a real B-3 has (but it's much better
than the percussion on the V3 I used to use). All in all, though, it mimics a
B-3 extremely well. I've owned more Hammond clones than I care to admit, and
they've always been close, but no cigar. We're lighting up with this one+ACE-
+ADw-P+AD4-In particular, the tone of settings like 888000000 is more musical than on
other clones. I've often shied away from that setting on clones, but not on the
CX-3. As soon as I heard it through the Leslie, I could tell you exactly what
was missing in the other Hammond wannabees I've owned. I can't really explain
why, but the CX-3 also sounds fatter than some its competitors, fatter than
anything but the Voce V3 and V5. It may not sound +ADw-I+AD4-exactly+ADw-/I+AD4- like the
Hammond you're used to, but it's probably as close as putting two Hammonds in
the same room -- they won't sound exactly alike, either+ACE-
+ADw-P+AD4-The built-in reverb is a little bright for my tastes, but useable, and can be
put ahead or behind the Leslie simulator, a nice touch. Although the CX-3 is
somewhat forgiving of its amplification source, it requires a real tube Leslie,
or a high-fidelity stereo sound system, to perform at its best.
+ADw-P+AD4-KORG provided a lot of little additions that make this organ a lot of fun to
play: separate vibrato enables for each keyboard, the ability to put percussion
on the preset sound of a patch, and even a wheel brake+ACE- (For those of you who
aren't familiar with the term, it's the sound you get when you turn off the tone
generator's motor, and allow the pitch to fall. Think: +ADw-I+AD4-Smokin'+ADw-/I+AD4- by Boston
or +ADw-I+AD4-Hold Your Head Up+ADw-/I+AD4- by Argent. It's the kind of effect that shouldn't be
overused, but once a night ...)
+ADw-H3+AD4-The Rotating Speaker Simulator +ADw-/H3+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 contains a stereo rotating speaker effect. As mentioned previously,
the circuitry has a number of adjustable parameters to allow the user to
customize the sound for personal tastes. I found the factory settings to be a
little off in certain areas, but it is possible to adjust the settings to better
mimic a Leslie 122 or 147. I especially like the ability to set the accel/decel
rates of the stopped rotors differently than when in two-speed mode+ADs- that's how
a real Leslie works.
+ADw-P+AD4-Does the simulator sound like a Leslie? Well, you won't be fooled in a
blindfolded test, but it's pretty good, especially at Tremolo speed. A little EQ
-- -6DB at 10-12KHz, +6DA- at 2KHz, -22DB at 80-100Hz was what I settled on -- and
stereo amplification improves the illusion. (Unfortunately, those EQ points
don't seem to be the ones on the internal EQ, because I could get better results
by setting the CX-3's EQ to 0/0/0 and adjusting my mixing board, than the other
way around.) I won't use the internal simulator for gigs where a Leslie can be
justified, but it will come in handy from time to time for smaller venues and
practices.
+ADw-H2+AD4-Cost and Portability +ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-Like most Hammond clones, the CX-3's advantages include portability and lack
of oiling and other maintenance.
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 is no +ACI-bargain basement+ACI- product. It is possible to buy +ADw-I+AD4-two+ADw-/I+AD4-
of some of its competitors for the same price+ACE- Some prospective buyers will
think that the cost is justified+ADs- others will not. When considering the cost of
the CX-3 as a Hammond replacement, you need to factor in the entire MIDI system:
second keyboard, pedals for switching, and amplification system. If you already
own an amplification system or a Leslie, and have a second keyboard for piano or
synth, the CX-3 may be extremely attractive. If you need to buy the whole setup
from scratch, you should compare the CX-3/amp/speaker combo to a new or used
Hammond and Leslie, put a figure of merit on the CX-3's portability, then decide
what's best for your situation.
+ADw-P+AD4-The unit retails for +ACQ-2595US. Street prices vary quite a bit, but prices of
around +ACQ-2000-2100US seem about right.
+ADw-H2+AD4-Support +ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-KORG phone support is decent, but no better or worse than most of the large
musical companies. They have a tech support line, but it's really geared toward
+ADw-I+AD4-dealer+ADw-/I+AD4- support, not end user problems -- and it's on your dime, not
theirs. Good companies, however, will stand behind their products and arrange
for your gear to be repaired or updated, and based on my experience, KORG does
follow through in this area.
+ADw-P+AD4-My original unit had several problems, including bugs that seemed to be
related to the programmed firmware, rather than hardware. Most of these issues
have been eliminated in my second unit, which leads me to believe that the
firmware has been updated. I have been told that firmware updates will be in the
form of a user upgrade by MIDI SysEx file, so the organ will not have to be sent
to the shop for updates, another nice feature on KORG's part.
+ADw-H2+AD4-Conclusion +ADw-/H2+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-The CX-3 is a superb product for those players who want a high quality
Hammond sound in a portable package. As with any product, the CX-3 has its good
and bad points, but the unit offers excellent organ tones. It's far from the
cheapest Hammond solution out there, but I really think that this is a case of
+ACI-you get what you pay for.+ACI- If you're in the market for a tone wheel organ, you
should definitely hold off your purchase until you check out the CX-3.
+ADw-P+AD4-
+ADw-HR+AD4-
+ADw-P+AD4-
+ADw-CENTER+AD4APA-SMALL+AD4-Copyright (c) 2001 by Bruce A. Wahler. The opinions represented
within are those of the author, who is not affiliated with KORG USA, Inc. or
KORG, Ltd.
+ADw-P+AD4-Reprinting of this document, in whole or in part, for commercial purposes is
prohibited without expressed written consent from the author. Use for
non-commercial purposes is freely allowed, with no express or implied warranties
of suitability or accuracy.+ADw-/SMALL+AD4- +ADw-/CENTER+AD4-
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