Which Brand has the Best Hammond Organ Sound - Blindfold Shootout!

[@GRAFHC]

Forget the keyboards... lets have a follow up video to just praise Mr. Patrick for a half hour because good lord this man can play!

[@1881Gordon]

You can say that again! Jeez.

[@charonelacheron]

Really, a Hammond sound need a Leslie, try those instead, not the lousy built in ones ...

[@MPOMusicPartnersOrganisation]

Best copy of Hammond tone wheels comes simply from Hammond. Best Brand witch makes copy is MOJO from Italia.

[@SheFishes22]

AMEN!!!!!

[@pneptun]

Omg Mike Patrick never disappoints! Beautiful playing!!! 🤩

[@karayuschij]

The Hammond has the best Hammond sound, period.

[@frankschwartz7405]

Whatever. You can't tell the difference.

[@ytaylor8734]

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@brameetham]

@@frankschwartz7405 Well, you can feel, hear the difference, bute mostly important! drawbars on the Hammond are wayyyy too good.

[@bluarcher5941]

yeah, they should have thrown an SK1 or something by Hammond in there just for kicks... : )

[@geoffwebber8272]

I’m amazed at the number of people complaining that this or that keyboard / manufacturer was excluded from this shootout. Have none of you have actually listened to the first 15 seconds of the Vid, where Jack clearly says that he is using stock from the store. Yes Andertons is a SHOP. They do not stock every model from every manufacturer. I doubt very much that there is any shop in the world that does that. Every video that Andertons shoot is based on what is in the shop or coming soon. That’s what they do. I’d love to know what other video channel actually does what you are all asking for…

[@JackPonissi]

Sure, but it’s odd to see a video about clonewheels with no dedicated clonewheel in it

[@jet357]

As a former B3 owner, every clone lacks one major component IMO, which is an ACCURATE swell pedal. The B3 and its swell pedal gives it an unmistakable sound and feel. Even the Hammond clones havent got it right. Plus no leslie simulator replaces a real 122. But great shootout.

[@koelekahuna9370]

That's easily added on for $100 either via volume or expression pedals.

[@smoak2024]

have you tried a crumar mojo? i was so used to digital clones not emulating the pedal correctly that it took me awhile to get used to it on the mojo.

[@jet357]

@@koelekahuna9370 I have the pedal that is made for my clone...the xk3c. I used to own a B-3 back in the 80s. Trust me, they are not the same.

[@highimpactsexualviolence5512]

The amplification on Hammonds and Leslie were all tube-based, right? As I understand, the way the volume ramps up with tubes is one of the hardest parts to emulate about them. Even really convincing amp emulations seem to struggle with this. As for Leslie speakers, good luck fully imitating the sound and feeling of actual spinning air

[@brameetham]

Exactly!

[@DeyquanBowens]

This was great! I actually think The YC sounded great! Mike sounds great as always!

[@seanbinpa]

I just bought one and I absolutely LOVED it... EXCEPT FOR TWO THINGS... 1. It needs at least one more octave and 2. I wish the keys were larger. Ultimately, I returned it because it isn't cheap and those two things are kind of important.

[@hvarskloxofficial8969]

@@seanbinpatry the YC73, it’s another octave more and larger keys

[@aidancampbell78]

i have the Roland VR-09 and it is fantastic.

[@JonMurray]

I think the Nord was my overall favourite but the Yamaha a close second! Awesome video guys. And outstanding playing from Mike as always!

[@JonMurray]

21:16 ah I’ve got the CS! I love it! What a sound and you can do so much with it too.

[@ericnataf8430]

The demo is again aimed at Nord or Yamaha Patrick works for Yamaha and you for Nord, Roland's instrument which is considered very old came out on the market 10 years ago sounds more biting than all of them, I have a Yamaha modx 7+ synthesizer and I want to cry how bad the organ sounds are, next time bring the demo Corey Henry and we'll see what he chooses, you're no longer objective, you're funded by the Nord company and it's already too obvious

[@Tadaia]

Agree! Wow the Nord was amazing but was surprised at how good that YC sounded.

[@JonMurray]

@@Tadaia for sure! The Yamaha usually wins on these types of shootouts for me! The Nord piano sound has always sounded a bit too clear and sharp/digital/created?? to my ear if that makes any sense whatsoever? That’s obviously subjective and clearly incorrect but you can tell it apart from others and I always want to roll off the filter or EQ a bit or something. In my head that is because I have neither owned nor even played either hahah! Ah KZbin opinions eh!

[@johnhawranick8097]

I connected my Reface YC to an 88-key Keylab and use a Strymon Lex to replace the Leslie. It really does bring that little keyboard to life. Granted, the Lex is a bit pricey, but I have my hands free when I change the rotary speed. Thanks for an interesting evaluation. Keep up the great work!

[@artysanmobile]

This was a really well conceived test.

[@ZaryaMain]

Love this. Please bring him back to shootout Hammond plugins!

[@judddredd8617]

Every time I watch Mike play blindfolded I am amazed at how fantastic he is. That Yamaha Reface was the winner for me considering the costs (which I think Jack should mention).

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Yeah Mike is a bad man. The sound of Yamaha’s instruments is always a surprisingly big win for the money. Especially for their pianos. The fact that they have so many different unique Rhodes samples puts them far ahead of the pack with the CK and CP (imo). Most have 1 sample, Yamaha includes like 6 or something.

[@davebird534]

I actually own a 1963 Hammond a100 and I have to admit did the Yamaha Yc sounds very close. There might be a little bit of difference but the difference still sounds good! It's got a really nice warmth!

[@rubenvanderkooij1571]

Mike is such a nice and knowledgeable guy, and a phenomenal player! Enjoyed all three blindfold vids a lot :)

[@SpicyTechyPodcast]

I’m a keyboard player, and I absolutely love these blindfold shootouts, because as it happens, I myself am totally blind. So as I’m listening, I’m able to play along and pick my favourite sound, just as the tester is doing with the blindfold. I appreciate the detailed verbal description you give the tester (I believe his name is Mike), as to where Middle C is and where the keyboard is. This is very helpful when assisting someone like myself who is totally blind. I’m not quite done listening to the video, but so far between the first and second organ sound, I like the second one better. Now to keep listening! :) I wish I was closer to you guys so that I could participate in one of these blindfold shootouts… except I wouldn’t need the blindfold LOL! :) Too bad I’m so far away! :( Anyway, could you please do one with electric piano sounds? Specifically the Rhodes and the Wurlitzers? Thank you so much and keep up the awesome work!

[@SpicyTechyPodcast]

I have to agree with Mike, both organs 2 and 3 are really good! I like the warmer sound of the third one, but I have to say I was really impressed with both the second and third ones!

[@SpicyTechyPodcast]

Right when Mike said the keys were very small and there weren’t very many, somehow I figured it was the Yamaha Reface! I’ve been looking to get my hands on one as I’ve never played one before! Awesome! :)

[@deanbarrett5953]

Man this is exactly the video I've wanted, been trying figure out a direction to go in when buying a new organ and this video seriously delivers! Would be amazing to get a real Hammond into the mix for sure, though there was some interesting surprises in this selection too.

[@chrisrowley5288]

Great instructional vids! Andersons do a great job with Mr Patrick and Jack in charge! Please continue the great work 👍

[@hiptoalieu]

YO. That Reface sounds GREAT!

[@OrafuDa]

The Refaces are an interesting option, at least for twiddling around or using with a master keyboard, I think. But I really wished it was true that they dropped in price. They sure changed a bit over the years, but now they are again all around £300 or a bit above, right where they started out back in 2015. Interesting comparison! And nice playing by Mike! Thanks for this! 🙏😊

[@G.Man-]

I've noticed that too, i think £250-265 would be a fair price & wouldn't think twice about putting the Reface YC (i liked the sound of this the most) in my basket for that amount

[@MsMarcow]

MikeP can play anything, even a children's piano, it will always be a pleasure to listen to him!! 👌

[@veegee1974]

Them keyboards got blessed by some ordained fingers for real. Bro has got the touch and feel in spades. Great playing, TY.

[@VadimShinnik]

Hammond XK-5, XK-4, Viscount, Crumar

[@electroniccaveman3493]

UHL, Keyboardpartner HX3

[@nathanaelvalville9191]

I'm guessing they dnt have those

[@electroniccaveman3493]

@@nathanaelvalville9191 Yes, they are artisans who sell directly. But musicians should know that they exist.

[@brameetham]

Viscount is so bad not even going to lie...

[@johnbostrom8467]

This man in the blue shirt is soooooo gifted!!!

[@espacemaxim]

Great to have more people chime in on this issue.

[@danw1955]

Damn!! The sound of that Yamaha Reface is just nuts! Too bad it's so TINY!😂👍👍

[@mattthebassboy]

There’s nothing wrong with it being tiny you can bring it anywhere

[@waynestore67]

Killer player!!! I've played Hammond organs for 50ish years. Most of my Hammond playing these days is limited to studio work. For live it's always some form of clone wheel, going back to the Korg CX3 and the Hammond Suzuki XB-2. I've recently toured with the Yamaha Reface YC midi'd, and more recently the Yamaha CK88. Loving the CK. Anyway great video Jack, also a killer player!!!

[@nickpuylaert]

I played in a bluesband 20 years ago with my first “real” Hammond XB-1 and only found out after getting more into the Hammond sound that it had a major flaw. The percussion was routed in front of the vibrato/chorus effect which added vibrato/chorus to the percussion sound. I never understood how they managed to release it like that. It was a solid keyboard however, it only let me down once when it didn’t want to start. Pressing all buttons and turning it on managed to get it working again. I heard of a lot of XB-2’s that somehow got out of tune when getting older. Very strange 😅 Gigging an older Nord C1 now together with a neo-ventilator as a Leslie. Sounds great for the weight 😊

[@dalecsaunders]

@@nickpuylaert- My main concern with the Nord C1 was the overkill on the key click. I somewhat alleviated it with a sensitive and precise equalizer. Also it tended to be a bit thin sounding (with the ventilator) and could not compete with the horns in the funk band, so I reverted to the Roland VK7 and MIDI-ed another board for lower manual

[@glenlewis4430]

Love the vids, love you guys but maybe you should rename this vid the best organ sound that Andertons currently sell. Viscount and Crumar should be in this shootout oh and a certain company called Hammond maybe?

[@luucdentoom6955]

Haha, I was looking for this comment. You expressed exactly what I was thinking.

[@SaintsProduction77]

GSi has a good clonewheel too. HX3 is great too

[@luucdentoom6955]

@@SaintsProduction77 definitely! It might be the best, actually. But I think Crumar uses the same engine? There’s also the famous Korg CX-3 model, included in their Vox Continental keyboards. But I was thinking: these video’s would probably get too long for the fun concept that Andertons is trying to create. Plus, in the end they’re here to sell you the stuff they have in stock. 😃

[@juansaavedra4150]

That was amazing!!! Truly enjoyed this video!

[@nostandingonlydancin]

Mike is just the most lovely person

[@michaelallard2640]

I'm primarily a guitar player. It's good to see a video about keyboards and Mike is an excellent player. Pretty much every keyboard I have ever seen has 100's of sounds and I have been waiting for a keyboard that only has 10 KILLER sounds. That's all I need and want. I'm not looking to produce a score for a movie so I don't need birds chirping, telephones ringing, or helicopters flying. The top ten sounds that I need and want are... B3, electric piano, acoustic piano, strings, pad, horns (sax, flute, etc), bells, bass guitar, clavinet, and banjo. Are you listening Yamaha, Roland, Nord ??? A 49 or 61 note keyboard with those sounds ONLY and I can play almost any pop, rock, blues, or jazz song

[@thomjohn98]

On the Roland VR09 you can adjust the leslie speed and also the volumes, and rise and fall.. Also, use the tone control to take out the muddy and go light on the overdrive it can get really gritty.. It is a really cool board, I use one in my live rig.. Best thing is to play around with the settings, and they are reasonably priced, which is a very good thing...

[@regroberts325]

my thoughts entirely , I have a VR09 B , and once you spend a few hours and a couple of pots of coffee diving into the settings and not just using the presets , you have a great live piece of kit ,my band plays a lot of reggae and it is perfect for what we do , plus new its a lot less harmful on the pocket and can run off batteries

[@seanbinpa]

How does the Ferrofish compare to other similar Drawbar add-on models? Several people mentioned the Roland VR09 (Discontinued).

[@babysfirstweapon]

The Reface sounds like stuff I grew up listening to. They must've been tapping into nostalgia when they made it.

[@markspahr242]

The Nord 6D is good out of the 5. After my auditions , I chose a Hammond SkPRO. No question about the organs. The pianos are great too. Oh well .

[@kozpiano1982]

I have the Sk pro 73 and once you make some tweaks it's an excellent instrument.

[@ProckGnosis]

Surprising to see the Ferrofish B4K+ is still out there and selling. Thought it was great when I first bought it, but fairly quickly enough other clonewheels (IMO) caught up and passed it, especially regarding the Leslie rotary effect. Would agree the Nord has the best overall tone and feel. Finally bought a Nord last year (Stage 3), and at last I've got the B3 tone/aggression/feel (short of a real B3) that I wanted. And as already mentioned, some great work on the keys from Mike Patrick. Thanks for the post!

[@mrdali67]

But is it an updated model ? I hard demos with it before where I really werent impressed, but this one actually sounded well for a "clean" like church sound. Nord always were the goto for a "dirty" sound that cuts thry very well, and the 2.0 update to the YC that fixed the leslie also sounds very nice. I'd like to see a bigger compare with a some of other brands, KeyB, Crumar and of cause Hammond

[@user-nu7xx7pc1d]

all sounds great!!

[@claudevieaul1465]

The man can play!!! 😎🙏 I have a few options when it comes to Hammonds. If I'm playing a small gig: my Hammond XK1 keyboard (a simulation in itself) running through a Neo Ventilator (Leslie simulator) pedal and with a volume pedal - this actually comes pretty close! On gigs where I also might need Farfisa style sounds: my (very rare!!) '74 Intercontinental organ, a dual manual beastie, also with volume pedal, ánd through the same Neo pedal - this sounds very authentic when I'm playing in my The Doors tributeband! And for anything else, if I've got the space for it: *ABSOLUTELY NOTHING* comes close to my fully (personally) refurbished and rebuilt 1961 Hammond B-3 with Leslie 122... Seriously: if you've never tried one, you're in for a massive surprise. I rebuilt it to be portable enough, and I can (and do) get it in and out of my car on my own. Yes, that's possible 😎👍 Anything else, like the toys 'tested' here: nah, I'll happily go for the real deal. Most audience members won't really hear the difference, that's true enough, but * I do* and thát certainly affects the way I perform. The audience definitely hears that.

[@nikhook1114]

I grew up in the 60's, playing in bands in the 70's. We gig'd with a leslie everywhere we went. Also most keyboard players(I'm not) also had a Rhodes along with an organ/keyboard of choice. The simulation is pretty good now a day but nothing beats the real deal. Back in the 70's either a model 145 or 147 was common. But only the serious bands had them. I grew up in Windsor Ontario Canada, that's 5min from Detroit Mich. Motown was huge along with The "Big 8" Radio station in Windsor that was first to promote some of the best musicians in the world. So if you were a band playing live it was a must have for the bands sound and that was a Leslie speaker.

[@summerlaverdure]

YES MIKE IS BACK thank youuuu

[@roelie2104]

Yamaha reface yc! The winner for me compact ! Great feel ! Wonderful sound!

[@myranrivard5416]

The Ferrofish sound great going into a real Leslie speaker. That's how I use it when composing. - Myran

[@pawelsz95]

Not a serious competition without Crumar, Viscount and Hammond-Suzuki...

[@MegaCraptacular]

I guess they are keeping their comparison to "toys" only.

[@nathanaelvalville9191]

I have the vr-09b. Sounds good to both me and the organ player at my church

[@BrianLarney]

I'm bummed the Hammond SK series is no longer in production. Would like to see it in the mix with these otther brands. I've had one for nearly a decade and I love it.

[@simonsbuddy1806]

GREAT shootout...I learned a lot about what's out there as a B3 substitute. Even the Ferrofish to midi up to my piano!!

[@jbachman01]

Do you really have to turn a knob to engage the fast Leslie though on that? That seems rough

[@stevehunt2125]

Now add the Viscount, Crumar and a Hammond!

[@marshallsmith1366]

Jack mentioned that is is a keyboard shootout! . Keyboards with hammond sounds in a more obviously focused package ie drawbars. He never said this was a general clonewheel full compare.

[@tombova1996]

I'm using a VOCE V5"+" (out of production and hard to find "for sale") with a Neo Ventilator 2 Leslie. Best of all the B3 keyboards, except the real B3 I had in the 70's with 2 Leslie 147's (amazing what you'll carry around when you're young) I'm 74 now but still gigging in my retirement! Tommy B

[@jim355ml]

I have and use the Nord E 6D . glad you liked it...

[@Denvermorgan2000]

One thing left out is the VR09B is a really good value I think it sounds just as good as the others.

[@jp4751]

Wonderful playing by Polite Mike as always! If I only had one request it would be that when you bring Mike or Dan in to do the keyboard shoot out that they try to play the same exact song on all keyboards so it's a little bit better comparison. Other than that I enjoyed it as always.

[@xtra8dj]

Guys, you're the best. And yes, Yamaha, please new reface, new an1x, and more ol' school cp piano (when they weighted 40kg and the case was almost 20kg 😀).

[@cvealjr3811]

Enjoyed his playing - makes really good musically choices. Out of this pool, not surprised of the outcome. 👍🏾

[@BananeHammond]

Thank you for that and respect !

[@keithbutler2222]

As a Yamaha/Korg man throughout, very pleasing to see this

[@jazzmike_]

Toured for a while with the VR-09 before getting an Electro - that Roland is a SURPRISINGLY usable stage piano on a budget. I believe was made by the organ division at Roland so it has a different sensibility to it than the synths. I think it is best at predefined organ presets with manipulation of just the Leslie - not so great for “real” on the fly drawbar movements. nonetheless, I found the EP sounds surprisingly usable, the piano quite tolerable and the organ presets I used more than sufficient.

[@ProckGnosis]

Yeah, good points regarding costs and return-on-investment for the keyboards. If something gets me 80-90% of what I want (easy to use interface, pretty usable organ tone, other usable piano/synth tones, etc) for 33% of the cost, I know what I would prefer. Especially for gigging, where the club PA system will often make even top-dollar keys sound middle-of-the-road.

[@SteveM45]

Yes, and the iPad app make all very easy. The VR-09 have more then in the video shows .

[@MarkGardner66Bonnie]

I gig with the Roland VR-09 and the price point as compared to the others is at least half the price. I would look at upgrading one day to the Yamaha, but for now the VR-09 is an amazing synth... Oh... and what a keyboard player Mike is... Dang... blind folded he is better than most...me as well... Love this review!

[@stevec.1802]

brilliant presentation, and entertaining as well. 🎹 love it.

[@Christopher-iu6kq]

Very cool. Thank you.

[@richardpenrose1968]

The YC61 was on a fairly polite setting and can be made to sound a lot more gritty. When I compared them both I ended up preferring the YC61 as I prefer its fundamental tone and the Rotary is also nicer. I YC also has the ability to sound grittier than the Nord and overall sounds closer to the real Hammond I used to own.

[@damienlobb85]

Yeah, I think Nord isn't as amazing as people say it is, definitely not worth the premium for the brand name. I played it, the key bed was nice but the sounds just were a little off to me. I have a Roland FA06 currently but would love to get the Yamaha.

[@whatafrog77]

I’m the world’s biggest reface fanboy and Mike is absolutely right that we need v2s of ALL OF THEM. One of my biggest complaints with the CK is that it feels like the CP and YC refaces combined but is totally lacking on the synthesis power of the CS.

[@mikeygoda]

Normal sized keys please!

[@КэтэлинПетраке]

Whenever power not enough it can be substituted by vst. So synth should be strong

[@DVSnark]

They need to release a general full size 88 key bed for them and release the pianos with just controls as swappable addons. I have mine (yc and cs) sitting on an 80s electone and it works great after you get the midi figured out. The drum machine start and stop buttons and tempo even synch up to the CS’s looper.

[@prezent1979]

YESSS!!! I’ve been eating for this video!

[@zombieman81]

I own the Nord Electro and I think it's probably the best "B3" I've played. I also own a Reface YC and it's a perfectly usable thing I get out if I want to quickly work out something with an organ sound (I predominantly play by ear). I own a Ferrofish too, getting it more as a "just in case" I need to add organ to something else (as Jack said) but haven't really used it in anger so to speak.... I have tried the YC61 actually in Andertons and sound wise it was okay but I didn't get on with the interface and didn't go much on the Leslie which just seemed to be trying too hard IMHO - for me Nord wins on all counts IMHO. Never tried the Roland VR but did think about getting one years ago...

[@damienlobb85]

I do find its pretty easy to like other aspects of a product once you are use to it and have a sentimental connection with the brand. I definitely think Nord can be overrated. They're definitely priced well above most other keyboards of similar ability. Red paint costs a lot I suppose.

[@mattthebassboy]

The Yamaha Reface YC really fascinates me because I like how it has 5 unbelievable organ tones to satisfy any song and I might get one when I get the money

[@noiselabproject9659]

Cool vid with honest blindfolded opinions nice. I`m not really an organist apart from playing a bit of Rock Organ type stuff but I have, amongst other Synths etc, a Nord Electro 6D 73 key that I think I may have bought from Andertons and I was pleased to see it kind of win in the comparisons. I particularly like the sample synth engine in it and have it loaded up, with the help of the online library, with lots of orchestral, Mellotron & Ye Olde String Machine stuff on top of the given sample presets that make good use of the comprehensive onboard FX (especially for the string machines). Very happy with my 73D as it does well all the stuff that my Synths struggle to do or just straight up wouldn`t have a hope in hell of doing ! ha ha ................ footnote : My old Mum is a Church organist and I wonder which one she would have preferred ? possibly the 3rd one as she is used to light touch keys and a more `pleasant` sound than me heh heh

[@vernettajohnson9430]

This man is really playing that keyboard.

[@Trans909]

That little Yamaha reface has an awesome sound! Really deep and rich but super-punchy. I actually liked that best of all. I have a Yamaha DX-100 (yeah, 8 bit tech and you can sling it like a guitar) with those itty-bitty keys but for an antique ('87? '86 maybe?) it absolutely rips. Great vintage Moog and clavinet sounds and you can do all sorts of screwy things with the portamento control. The nice thing about those mini-keys is that you can stack them between bigger racks; use them for just one preset and have that hot when you need it without having to switch presets on a different board. Yeah, I'd play that little red devil. It sounds seriously HOT and a really good rocker (I'm only moderately good) could make it roar. I like it a lot.

[@howardbthyname713]

As a Hammond Organist for 27 years. Nothing sounds better than the Nord. However there is more to organ the church music. I would to hear him jump in to some blues, rock and funk. The Hammond organ is such a versatile instrument. There are so many styles of playing. Also by now the blind fold is redundant. You know what you're playing when you play it lol. Mike sounds great.

[@godisbollocks]

What if it's a clonewheel you're unfamiliar with? Or if you're playing an instrument you are familiar with but it's had an updated organ engine downloaded into it? Not sure how you can say the blindfold test is redundant.

[@howardbthyname713]

@@godisbollocks because by now you should know the feel of each board. The same boards have been used in a test more than once in a while.

[@dalecsaunders]

@@howardbthyname713 - With attempts to bypass bias and/or established favourites, Mike's criteria was playing the keys for tactile response and listening for timbre and authenticity - without manipulating switches and drawbars. I enjoyed the exercise. By the way, your moniker is great!

[@ianperesmusic]

Mike playing the Reface YC blindfolded: "Gee, I wonder what keyboard THIS is?"

[@freddyperezmusicentertainment]

Great video, the little guy was amazing, the perc sound on it cuts thru your heart, if you ever played a real B3, but amazing that most expensive won !!!!! You get what you pay for.

[@heltutrolig7645]

I have the Ferrofish, and use a New Vent with it. Excellent imo.

[@Oakwoodrecords]

I can listen to Mike play all day

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

All five of them worked for me. However, I think I’m loyal to the Roland model. I’ve got the earlier version of the VR-09, and the guy hosting the band practices I attend has the VR-09B featured here (which I must admit to having recommended to him). It was partly because of the organ section but also because of the other three sections.

[@martijn7898]

Really nice shootout. I’ve owned or played all of these myself, so it’s nice to hear someone else’s thoughts. The Reface I really wanted to like, but can’t stand the Leslie sound tbh. I thought the vr-09 could sound really really good, but didn’t really like the keys. I am using Crumar / GSI stuff now, and I like it more than anything else.

[@balisaani]

I knew the Nord was going to come out as #1 before the video even started. For some reason organ players love them (I'm not an organ player so I don't). Would it be possible to do a similar blindfold test with Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds maybe? Now that would be interesting.

[@pastense]

Yeah…my organist friends gig almost religiously with either Nords or the straight up Hammond synths. As a dedicated Yamaha user for over two decades, I’m striving to pick up that Nord! I’m not an organist, but I play keybass/split and really prefer this setup versus utilizing a second board. And BOTH the analog and digital synth patches on the Nords are simply unmatched! That is, in terms of the all-around boards (of course, nothing will beat the dedicated name brands). The price point of the Nords is just on the steep end for me at the moment. In due time!

[@damienlobb85]

@@pastense That's interesting, I find the synth sounds on the Nord to be quite cheap and cheesy. That was a Nord Stage tho. I much prefer Yamaha and Roland in that regard. As far as Hammond, I thought Yamaha did extremely well here, especially considering all the other great sounds that YC has.

[@seancotter2118]

they did, it was awesome

[@althejazzman]

The Reface punches well above it's weight for the cost.

[@DanielDeLoach]

I still have my Korg CX3 and still have yet to find anything that sounds as good. Awesome video. That Nord sounds pretty good.

[@Daring2Win]

IK Multimedia's Hammond B-3X rules them all. I use the iOS version with an NP5 & it's a dream.

[@MichaelGirardot]

Yes! Would love this again but with some hammond clones, and so e plugins, mainly B3-X and UAD waterfall.

[@frankschwartz7405]

100% agree. It even says "HAMMOND" on the various screens. It offers several different B3 and Leslie models to choose from.

[@vdp4e1]

Like your videos with Mike

[@andrewcjeffrey]

Great video!

[@dalecsaunders]

Thanks for the great demo, when I listened a second time, Wow!, the Reface YC has tones that sound great - how much sonic range does it cover also, would be interesting to hear it MIDI'ed to a 61key controller (organists can tend to be ADHD), presuming it does not have a split / lower manual capability) Was there some unintended overly saturated signal that seemed a bit garbled and unpleasant raunch, apparent at low volume (not referring to overdrive feature)? - especially with the Roland VR-09, Yamaha YC-61 and Ferrofish B4000? may not have been apparent in your studio but introduced in the transmission signal. The genuine Hammond key feature that I miss the most is the multiple drawbar contact points that gives a differing response with light versus aggressive touch. You do not tend to notice this feature with legato phrasing but rather with percussive and staccato handling. I have had and parted company with: Wurlitzer spinets and a combo unit, Hammond models A100, B2, B3 CV, D, X77, M2, M3; Korg (analog) CX3 , Yamaha YC20, Nord C1, (these instruments have come ang gone) and kept a Roland VK7 (gigs), and a Crumar Mojo for home use. Regret that a Hammond console with tube Leslie is too heavy and space consuming these days, (plus service upkeep.) Work stations that have samples (that mostly sound somewhat okay but do not play as well): Kurzweil K2600xs, Korg SGproX, Korg Kronos, Yamaha M08, Roland FA08, Roland RD300sx. - still perplexed

[@MreenalMams]

More hammond content please

[@inmitch]

This was fun, thanks.

[@ATLRCFlyer]

Run that Ferrofish through a TC Electronics Ventilator with the internal Rotor effect off and you'd be surprised. That's how I run it and I get a lot of praise especially for my dirty, distorted Jon Lord-esque sound. I love my B4000+

[@ChrisP3000x]

Great video. If they change the reface color to most anything other than red, I'll buy it.

[@Nitrav.]

You should connect midi with reface also while comparing.

[@jermainelong1843]

The Yamaha was extra special!!

[@yohaneswortham9056]

For everyone talking about the CK . I hope you realize you can cut through whatever mix you need too between that unison button, the Global EQ, & the effects & the ability to turn your external output all the way up to plus 24 DB.. or minus 24 db if u want. You have full sonic control. That being said I think the reason its not in the video is because its sample based and all those keyboards are engine based in the video..

[@followthebeat66]

It's kind of satisfying that nothing sounds like a Hammond, even to this day.

[@_brocklee]

I agree out of this lineup the nord has the best sound. But in my opinion, these should be tested through a real Leslie to truly know which one is best. I’d probably wouldn’t choose the nord because of the action.

[@gaga1812]

Yamaha reface got the coolest sound for me :)

[@neutron7]

Ferrofish is the old creamware b4000, cool to see its still around, even if it has probably been superseded.

[@sonickitchen]

Why wasn't the Reface midi'd up like the Ferrofish was?

[@yvescolin6169]

Maybe because the reface has a built-in keyboard while the ferrofish hasn't.. 😉 I see your point but on the other side, testing the keybed was also part of the review. ☺

[@sonickitchen]

@@yvescolin6169 in the e-piano challenge though, they did midi out the Reface CP and that held its own nicely too. Maybe it's because they can't have these Refaces doing so well at a third (or more) of the retail price of other manufacturers, Yamaha itself especially?

[@frankschwartz7405]

Yeah, I thought the Ferrofish sucked, then it quit. I sent it back.

[@FlorianBusi]

Great video as usuall. But where is the CK61?

[@mchockney3664]

Makes me appreciate my little CK61 even more. YC and CP under one roof.

[@timpullen4941]

I took a CK61 and used the organ in a rock band. On leslie setting B it really worked very well. I found that the other sounds sound fantastic in a solo situation, however put it in with real Drums / Rock guitar / Bass and vocalist, the CK just becomes sonically thin. The key action of the CK61 was the final nail in the coffin. It's a pity because the CK61 is just jammed packed with innovation and features. There must be some very pizzd off engineers at Yamaha that the marketing department went for a less good key action.

[@detrechter5416]

Loving my CK61 as well...still have to take it with me to my band though....fingers crossed it doesnt sound bad in the mix

[@EarthtoneEmar]

Beautiful organs

[@tonyr.4778]

Too bad you didn't include the mojo61. Hands down the best Hammond I've heard.

[@garysmith8455]

Thanks for this.....Vintage Hammond organist here since 1967. After many Hammonds including the continued digital models.... I have settled on a Hammond SK-2 and the Leslie Studio 12, if you can get around the minimal logistics, the sound is first rate. Whats up with using the sustain pedal? Ah, a piano is his first love. 😉

[@Notmehimorthem]

I have a Stage 4 and a Hammond SKX Pro. Although you get get a lot of detailed settings in teh SKX Pro, I could not get the Whiter Shade of Pale sound anywhere near cl;ose - despite trying all things related to the original settings (found online). The Nord got the sound immedaitely. I prefer the sound of the Nord Hammond to the SKX Pro.

[@LoehdeNielsen]

Great video 😊 But why no Viscount organ?

[@djencode]

Electro is the winner for me! Now I want one!

[@mrdyer1006]

Wierd to not have a Hammond sk or something by Hammond but great vid

[@geoffwebber8272]

Jack did explain that they only used gear that Andertons actually sells 15 seconds into the vid!

[@louiscornale5667]

Great job best for wooly bully watch it now 😮

[@agartthamishkan2054]

in my rankings 1) Hammond SK (by far), 2) Viscount, 3) Crumar Mojo, 4) Yamaha YC, 5) Nord Electro

[@VadimShinnik]

Yes! You read my mind 👌👍