/ @nickfoleyuk Good afternoon folks, this M-solo is a bit of a mini-beast isn't it? If you were a studio owner is it worth you having one? and if so, what setup would yield the best possible sound for your money? Lets see!
I have the M-Solo and knew it was close to the sounds of 2 previous b-3s I had over the years. This vid confirms how accurate it is compared to the originals!! thank you!!
Excellent stuff Nick. If you played the M-Solo in a band through a Leslie, no one would know just by listening, that it wasn't a B3/C3. The overdrive, percussion, chorus is great plus loads of other features. The differences in tone can be adjusted - all the old Hammonds had their own characteristics. (We all lack a bit of tone as we get older!). When I played my XK3 plus Neo-Vent in a local band years ago, everyone said what a great sound the Hammond was. Perhaps we Hammond geeks get a bit too picky. Just accept this new Hammond for what it is - a great buy at around a grand !
The c3 to my ear has more attack and depth and definition,slightly.And for the type of playing I do it would more than suffice. Also wouldn't pop a bollock humping it up the stairs in a hot n sticky venue. Love your reviews and tutorials. Thanks. Mik.x
Great demo. I've always reccommended to players that it's always better to have a decent digital keyboard with a real leslie than a real hammond and no leslie.
Superb demo, I think the M Solo is good enough for sound, despite one less octave. Wish you had commented on the keys/action, though you seemed to switch between the instruments easily enough. Loved the sounds and your switching drawbar settings was useful in itself for us who don't own a real Hammy.
Very well done. I'm a gigging musician in 2 tributes bands carrying a Korg 01W-FD and a Hammond XK-2, both are heavy. I could get away with having 4 octaves because I'm doing chords and solos (not playing left hand bass). You can hear slight differences but a crowd at a live performance wouldn't notice. To me, the higher notes sound electronic. This happens on my XK-2 as well.
Loved the past two videos on the Hammond M Solo. Very impressed. I think maybe you had one too many coffee, or tea, you are in rare form and wound up a bit in this one. Loved your personal insights and comic relief. 😎 😍 🎵
As always nothing sounds like the real deal, but clones these days are getting scarily close. With the exception of the Leslie that's a phenomenon by itself, there never has a better time to be alive when it comes to the newest and greatest of keyboard gear. Thanks Nick !
The Boss RT-20 does a very good rotary cab impression, maybe a little more of a Yamaha RA-50 likeness, but close enough to a Leslie, I managed to find one on Ebay for £130 with postage.
love the overdrive, the clonewheels like the VR09 blew it on the overdrive, it would become much too distorted before you could draw its power.. love how the solo sounds.. gonna get one as soon as its needed..
My first thought is : the below instrument sounds like driven by a spirit underneath, and the above one, sounds like driven by a A.I. But, as we all live in a virtual, matrix world, it doesn' t really matters ....cheers my friend.
This is just my opinion . The B-3 and the A-100 are the two Hammonds that have the closest tone as well as the crackle of the tubes and also the mechanical sound of the keys and even the tone wheels in action , paired with a beautiful Leslie , it was the sound that I grew up with hearing everywhere and a sound that I have always been drawn to no matter what the genera of music . Now This is the first that I heard the M Solo (I like) , I think it has a bit of a more mellow tone and much cleaner with no tube crackle or mechanical sound , I think I would be prone to using a bit of percussion on the keys for that slight click sound of the old school analog Hammonds , yet I would not mind one bit getting to mess around on the M Solo for an afternoon or two , I wouldn't want to give it back I think . I never could afford a Hammond B-3 or A-100 so I had bought a life time ago a Hammond (If I remember correct) F-145 or 147 console organ , had the drawbars and the built in Leslie , life happened it had to get sold , boo hiss . I stopped the vid @5:31 to comment , well you wanted a first impression , Mine is I like it .
B3, C3, A100 and RT3 have same tone wheel generator and tube preamp, so they should sound same, but.... Because of manufacturing process no one of this 4 models sound same, and also this depends about aging of components inside.
Very Good! Always the Leslie makes a difference, and the point that every Hammond is different is important, and commenters of the simulators can maybe a little too unrealistic as what are you really comparing too?
Love this video Nick! I picked up the Solo in red about 2 weeks ago and love it. I have a B3 and 122 also. QUESTION for you although it might be basic. How do you put the Solo thru the 122?
Love it- but- why not a 61 key model. I can see gigging possibilities as an auxiliary hammond clone for a keyboard player that already has their Acoustic pianos/EP’s/& synth sounds covered. A wonderful presentation as always. 🎧🤙🏼
Because then the price is now in SK territory, they are trying to make something authentic and 49 keys and soloing and plenty of chords and swipes will be fine, plus, the Hammonds for a band that doesnt use organ only but wants a great organ sound, this is a great 2nd keyboard, and thats what its meant to be, and now you can get it for under 1000 soon in the market and with the apps getting better, the controls are always missing.. can't ask for a better combo for that purpose.
Ok great comparison and I must admit it sounds very close to C3. Yes I can hear some more brighting sound coming out from the M solo. Ok for my personal preference the only concern is the 49 keys, but obviously as you mentioned someone running a studio recording this little fella can replace that C3 I don’t have any objections on that . My current dilemma is keeping my current XK1 which is an old model, or get an SK1 61 or 73 keys, or get to an SK2 dual manual. Those are the one I can more or less afford as second hand, I would love your quick thoughts?
Yes it needs some EQ, & the Leslie is fast, the percussion is a bit harsh at times. I like it, but I'm still trying to get a good live working sound. Any suggestions as to what to run it through ?
Does the Leslie sim have modulation on the solo ? The raw B3 sounds a bit AI to me. For a couple more $ I got the mojo 61, 1 more octave, yes it’s missing the synth voices, but shines in so many more samples, mainly the clavinet, pipe organ, acoustic piano, etc. Leslie is far more natural. Plus with the updates, it sounds true vintage. Nice clones though. For me mojo is a better investment.
There is - or seems to be - just that indefinable "more" going on with the C3. That said, in a mix or for the odd solo, the M Solo is going to be fine or actually better because of the weight factor and you can have a pint much sooner afterwards.
I listened to this video on my TV the other night and today again with good headphones. I don't know where the 'shocker' relates to. The M sounds good for an electronic organ, but NOTHING like the C3. The most painful is when soloing. Every note on the C3 is fat, nasty, and full of personality. The M solo sounds like a souped-up FARFISA or like the best of the 'transistor' emulations of the 70s. Honesty, when compared they are night and day. Sure, it is a good "better than nothing (the real thing)" it's fine for a grant.
Do you think Hammond would release updates for say control of Leslie speed the fast is well fast,, or model and percussion brightness, mine is way bright!
As it still is with clones, there's a limit in the details of the tone which makes them sound rather generic as opposed to the original instrument, which will always sound unique. Interestingly, if you do a tone generator recap, the tonewheel Hammond will be brighter than any clone. My waxpaper cap '57 C3 got recapped half a year ago and its brightness still amazes me. However, taming a bright instrument is less difficult than adding brightness (which originates from somewhere else). In a loud stage setting, the brighter tone will also be an asset. That's why clones are generally OK, even if the original Hammond sounds better. When it comes to the raw drawbar sound, without the original Hammond next to it, it's really hard to say if the M is a clone (eyes being closed). Maybe, the Scanner Chorus or Percussion will expose it a little.
I'm seeing more and more demo comparisons, and kudos to the guys doing it , But can we PLEASE have some part of the demo with an open , clean, no distortionn Hammond Sound.....??? Pull out all the white drawbars for a change add in either chorus or vibrato and let's hear a wide open smooth Hammond Sound ....!?!?? Not every Hammond player is inspired with the cliche " Slo Cuzzin Walter " aka Smoke On the Water Sound and other Overdriven Dittis .... I think the M sounds great .... I have an XK-1 and love it as well as the pack of internal Leslie's that be fully customized.... Looks like the M does not have a parameter screen to make these adjustments???? If you can't get the internal Leslie configured right , the unit is a compromise. 🙂
@nickfoleyuk Sorry if I sounded inflammatory Nick .... I didn't mean to, I guess jumped the gun. So many of these comparisons have been around lately, and the bulk of them spend way too much time with the overdriven Sound of the keyboard and Leslie ...... I don't walk away with an overall fair comparison of all things organ that the new boards can do ...!?? May I make a Recommendation...... At least throw in Felix Cavalerri's solo from Good Lovin for a Cleaner crushing Hammond Sound ....!?!?? ( Remember : Play every note you can, while you still can ....! ) 😁
