Crumar Vs Hammond XK5

[@jakolbfleisch]

I’m shocked how much more digital the Hammond sounds. Both the tone and the overdrive sounds way more organic on the Crumar to my ear.

[@clubbell]

Great review! The Crumar sounds amazing! Very natural and full sound. Would be nice to hear a comparison with a Nord.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Cheers

[@JetBucksley]

After years with Korg Kronos workstation-ish organ and also having a Hammond SK1 for a while I got myself the Crumar Mojo 61. Never been happier with my organ sound.

[@tonyr.4778]

Same here.

[@danielmerriman3856]

To my ear, all of the Hammond SKs and XKs have a certain ‘artificial’ (LOL) quality that irritates me. The Mojo seems to nail the tone better and the overall effect is more authentic - IMO

[@nickfoleyuk]

Great!

[@davidjacques768]

Agreed

[@GrumIsMe]

I could see tweaking either one into a very enjoyable sound - thanks for the comparison!

[@nickfoleyuk]

Agreed. Thanks for watching

[@nicklisac4667]

I loved this video. I own a Mojo 61so your review was really appreciated. I wonder how it would have compared to your C3. The XK-5 is a Hammond keyboard, no doubt the best that money can buy, but it's still a digital clone of the electromechanical tonewheel generator of yesteryear which is what all clones are trying to emulate so in a way it was comparing one clone to another. This is just an observation and in NOT NOT NOT a criticism. You do a hell of a lot for us viewers. We just sit back and take it all in. It's so easy for us to be critical when most of us, myself included, don't experience the time, effort and frustration you more than likely go through creating these videos.💯 I guess it would have been much more difficult to set up a fair comparison with the vintage beast. Thankyou so much for all the trouble and effort it takes to put this content together. 👍👍👍👍

[@nickfoleyuk]

Thanks mate

[@Blues.Fusion]

I think the xk5 is intended to be ran through a real 122 which smooths out the sound. The mojo assumes you'll be using the leslie sim so the sound is idealized a little more and some of the warts like frequency spikes are trimmed back.

[@marcoballa]

Also... the Mojo has 20 different tonewheel generators. Some of them are more "clear", some are "dark" 😂 Leslie sim can sound more "open", depending on different settings...

[@nickfoleyuk]

@@marcoballa Interesting stuff!

[@marcoballa]

Just as example 🤗 (Same generator of the Mojo61) kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnfSlWiGfqaVn7c

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

If you want a real bargain, or ultra portability, be aware that the VB3 software powers the Crumar Mojo organ. It's available for Windows at Mac, and also available for iOS for just $15. Even runs on an iPhone!

[@SLHkeyboards]

the $15 version (VB3m) does not give you the Mojo organ sound, but "VB3-II 2023 Edition" does (available for iPad but not iPhone)

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

@@SLHkeyboards I think it's similar to 1.4 Other rockers like me say the 1.something editions sound better for rock organ, but I hear the new version from late 2023 brings back the 1.something organ sound for those of us that prefer it.

[@MegaCraptacular]

Guido Scognamilio is the designer of the Mojo and was very particular in designing the modeling for the Mojo. As you can tell, he did a remarkable job.

[@markr8326]

Hi Nick, can you tell me please do the 2 sets of drawbars (like on the XK5) on the upper & lower manuals enable you to 'split' the manuals /have 2 settings per manual ? I got the Crumar Mojo 2 x manual but I can see that you can split either manual. Was wondering how you comp & play walking bass with lower manual, leaving you to have the Percussion set on the top manual (?)

[@nickfoleyuk]

On the XK-5 there are 2 sets of drawbars per manual and you can switch between then using the inverse keys to jump-to a new drawbar setting quickly. You can definitely split the XK5 when its in single manual form but you know, I've never tried to do it in dual manual form as its physically split. I'll have a look but my money is on yes you can do it, but I've never tried!

[@cemorse01]

Which model/variation is your XK-5 emulating? On the Crumar (assume the 61 is running the same engine as the Mojo suitcase) you can select from a pretty wide range of models & ages. Some of the sonic differences between the two in the video could easily be due to emulating different models.

[@nickfoleyuk]

I'll take a look, I think its firmly set to C3/122

[@cemorse01]

@@nickfoleyuk - switching the various emulations (on Mojo at least) has to be done via the web interface. Not adjustable from the front panel.

[@vanessajazp6341]

I just tried out a Hammond XK4, which has the same engine and key touch as the XK5. I loved the sound, but the Leslie emulation was terrible. It's a mono effect that sounds almost more like a tremolo than a Leslie. My YC61 has a better rotary speaker emulation. Would love to get my hands on a Crumar, though!

[@nickfoleyuk]

Yup, its a bit of a beast

[@akallons]

When disengaging the Leslie on the crumar (not stop function but fully off), the brightness comes back and can certainly suit a real Leslie. Perhaps the different voicing between the Mojo and xk5 is mainly caused by the Leslie Sim with cabinet emulation

[@akallons]

The Mojo has definitely more mids which can be felt as well on the overdrive character. Tuning the EQ or internal settings in the editor could be worth spending a little time to adjust things

[@akallons]

Slow Leslie seems nicer on the Mojo but fast rather on the xk5... The trick would be to tame down the Doppler effect on the Mojo (editor) to improve a bit the fast Leslie which can be a bit wobbly

[@akallons]

In overall, it is impressive to see that despite a big price difference, both of them are good and different in terms of characters ! Italians can be proud :)

[@nickfoleyuk]

@@akallons Cheers

[@nicklisac4667]

​@@akallonsI love the mojo chorale (slow) Leslie and I've slowed down the tremolo a bit. Horn slow 0.80 Horn fast 6.66 Mic angle 76 Mic distance 76 Dry leak 10 It's a work always in progress 🤭

[@fabiomontagnolahammond78]

very interesting video. saturation is conceived differently, on xk5 it is tube, on crumar it is a simulation. otherwise crumar mojo seems superior to me, with a warmer sound.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Thanks mate

[@pianomikeoct]

I have a small 61 key xk-1c Hammond and the Crumar Mojo, they both sound different, the hammond is a more refined sound and the Mojo is a strong more full bodied sound with not as much detail as the hammond, but I think they both sound great.

[@nickfoleyuk]

I enjoyed the Crumar I have to say

[@MrArchie800]

Never played the XK5 but I do know the Mojo has different tonewheel models that you can select that will get rid of the amped up mid-range sound and will give you very different characteristics (which also affect how it responds to overdrive, saturation and Leslie etc.). Also (and this is VERY important) you absolutely need to get under the hood of the Mojo to introduce Tube feedback feature which really gives a brilliant authentic tube OD sound - that was a game changer on this model. Also you can dial back the mic-distances on the Mojo to make the Leslie sound more subtle.

[@FullnMellow]

To me both sound very much different from each other. Seems the XK5 has more overdrive running, which I dislike and I wonder why this seems to be hyped so much today. I miss that both instruments are tuned to sound the same as closely as possible to make a better statement which one seems better.

[@JONBRION22]

To my ears the Crumar has "THE SOUND" and the xk5 5 sounds too clean . Almost Farfisa like . The Crumar could use more Bass on the overdrive . Crumar Leslie definitely wins .

[@nickfoleyuk]

Interesting. I think the Crumar stars of sounding better and thicker and then the fast leslie sounds a little strange to my ears anyway

[@organeu]

Mojo is good, very good, but lovers of HAMMOND play on Hammond. The XK5 is fabulous, a little better than Mojo.

[@1970piano]

Maybe that the xk5 sounds a little bit better than the Mojo, but this has nothing to do with the name „Hammond“. The current Hammond-Suzuki has nothing to do with the old Hammond company. And technically, a Hammond xk5 is a digital clone like any other clone and has technically nothing in common with the old tonewheel Hammond A100‘s/B3‘s or C3‘s. .

[@davidjacques768]

@@organeutoo bad is not a Hammond. Its a Suzuki and they have done little to honor Hammond’s reputation. I am a Hammond player with several vintage consoles and have owned and performed with Suzuki organs for years. I was so tired putting up with Suzuki’s lazy sound development and basically selling their crappy organs for premium prices just because they slap the “Hammond” name on it, that I switched to a Mojo 6 years ago and never turned back.

[@marcusstrymon693]

My yamaha ck 88 has a farfisa sound which is per default very distorted and you cant get rid of WHAT A FUCKING LETDOWN

[@B3-R]

Nick, thanks for your presentation, wanted to tell to you that there is also an interesting review done by Tony Monaco with his own A-100 compared to the Mojo organ that he own too.

[@nickfoleyuk]

I will check it out

[@standominguez8172]

I've seen that comparison. Very good comparison.

[@santellavision]

Coming from a Hammond XK1c to the Mojo 61, I feel there's a big difference. The Mojo just sound more like a real Hammond. There's more depth to the overall tone. And in the lower register, the Mojo wins hands-down. The growl of the lower end with overdrive just kills. I prefer the Mojo's Leslie Sim too. Don't get me wrong, the 1c is a nice, lightweight portable keyboard and that's is a plus, the Mojo is much heavier if you gig. In the end, I sold the 1c and kept the Mojo. Just my 2.5¢.

[@marcusstrymon693]

Does the crumar also have farfisa and vox? And does it have more rotary sounds than 1?

[@WayneMusicianUK]

Sold my Hammond XK1c, I just hated it! now bought a Crumar Mojo Suitcase, it’s like night and day.. would like to try a Neo Vent II on my Mojo, although I don’t really think I need it

[@marcusstrymon693]

@@WayneMusicianUK What did you hate about it?

[@WayneMusicianUK]

@@marcusstrymon693 the sound, the Keybed everything

[@marcusstrymon693]

@@WayneMusicianUK Would be curious on how the mojo compares to the yamaha yc 61,73,88 Since I thinkr the fm synthesis sounds may be super fun

[@stevec.1802]

Both are excellent. 🎧The XK5 has a bit more girth and eq in certain frequencies, but the mojo 61 deserves a consideration when portability and cost are a determining factor. Nice presentation, Nick.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Thank you very much!

[@Reto7219]

Can i see there is some Gain on the Overdrive of the XK-5? For me it sounds the XK-5 make some Distorted Overtones. And im sure both Organs have different Preamp Presets. But Anyway...i like the Mojo 61. Many thanks for this Video!

[@davidjacques768]

I am surprised that you did not A/B the chorus vibrato. The Mojo would have buried the XK5 on that comparison.

[@elmoslack9582]

Nick, where's the C/V comparison? C/V and Leslie sim are usually the dealbreakers for me! . I have SK Pro and am extremely happy with the sound but not the UI so thinking of moving up to XK5.

[@mattdudamusic]

I have the mojo 61 and the chorus/vibrato in my opinion is currently not usable, as it is unrealistically large on C3 (chorus 3). I have tried using C1 or C1 but that’s not the right sound. (My reference is a non-redcap Hammond A100.) I have have not yet found a suitable adjustment in the internal software settings but am open to suggestions if anyone has found a way to make the chorus sound more realistic

[@crazypainter56]

I have the dual manual Mojo =bought a EH Lizard queen and hooked it to the Mojo ---it rocks also use the Lounsberry pedals-------- loud and fat

[@organeu]

Lovers of Hammond play on Hammond. Reason of respect. So, Mojo is very good, the best copy of New HAMMOND made in Italia.

[@davidjacques768]

OY. Its not a “Hammond”, its a Suzuki. Crumar is recreating real tonewheel organ sounds. Suzuki sounds like its trying to recreate a Farfisa.

[@tonyr.4778]

Just got a mojo 61. Sound is fantastic. A few things I would like though. A wah for the clav, and less bright LEDs. They are so bright that in a dark environment (on stage) you can't see what's selected. Electric pianos are great. Best thing is the waterfall keyboard. Phenomenal dynamics makes the playing so fun and alive. The organ sound is better than Hammond as it also has all the noise included which gives it real character. The comparison to me makes the hammond sound muffled. The mojo leslie is far better. The hammond has a weird emphasis on the pulsing that distracts from the sound, where the mojo Leslie is sweet and doesnt sound sythetic like the hammond.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Thanks

[@nicklisac4667]

You're not wrong about those LEDs. You can play the thing without switching the overhead light on 🤣

[@tonyr.4778]

@@nickfoleyuk and thank you for the reviews and comparison videos.

[@davidjacques768]

I am surprised that you did not A/B the chorus vibrato. The Mojo would have buried the XK5 on that comparison.

[@benmillen9263]

The wah for the clav is a real disappointment. I know the clav is not their focus, but it seems like a real oversight.

[@maurodonnini928]

Non so se atraverso il Sw è possibile cambiare il tono del distorsore. Sentito così mi sembra imparagonabile. Forse occorre alzare un po le alte frequenze sul MOJO.

[@socialite1283]

Perhaps "strident" is the word that best characterizes the differences between the Hammond and the Mojo. If you want the Hammond sound in digital form then the XK-5 is the way to go.

[@robertnuckels8792]

The Mojo SMOKES the Hammond !

[@jazzplayer59]

Big price difference... I'm sure someone in the audience wouldn't be able to tell the difference... possibly even the same band members.

[@nickfoleyuk]

That's very true mate.

[@thaddeuscellak5616]

What amp would you use for gigs with either the Crumar or Hammond organs?

[@devinneiss4198]

Picked up a Crumar Classic Suitcase (the one w/reverse keys) Had no experience with Crumar - only ever owned Hammonds - bought it for looks because it looked like a custom chopped C3. Very impressive instrument - not built to the same spec as a genuine Hammond but man this thing smokes! John Lord fans look no further.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Cool

[@kylehorner8782]

Can you remember remember my name As I flow through your life A thousand oceans I have flown And cold, cold spirits of ice All my life I am the echo of your past! 🙂

[@SaschaThys]

Is it possible to hook the Crumar up to a pair of yamaha HS8 studio monitors for playing at home? Also is Crumar reliable ?

[@nickfoleyuk]

I'm sure it is, via a small mixer perhaps. I've not had a Crumar for long enough to comment on its reliability I'm afraid

[@garyking4032]

The Crumar sounds rich!

[@IMCcanTWEESTED]

Yeah...but is there a setting on the Crumar that produces that overdriven growl associated with classic B3 tube amp volume pot adjustment. It sounds to me that the XK-5 either has a tube preamp or at least a digital overdrive simulaor. Either way. the difference or "brighter" sound of the Hammond I think is due to the slight rasp of the overdrive simulation. You can't have a true B3 simulator without the ability to add that dirty pot growl. Otherwise it's sort of useless as a rock organ. Better suited for a cleaner "gospel" sound.

[@JamesAveeno-eb1ft]

Can you pls do a tutorial on the house of the rising sun pls I love the organ solo thanks.

[@nickfoleyuk]

I'll stick it on my list :-)

[@JamesAveeno-eb1ft]

Thx so much I love your tutorials on deep purple songs

[@drumstudiomonchengladbach8131]

In my opinion at 4:26 the HAMMOND is a bit more brilliant with more attack... but I guess there's more to come later on in this video! After just listening to the whole video it's - at least for me - pretty difficult to decide WHAT keyboard you used WHEN! Regarding the price I'd always chose the CRUMAR bc it almost gives the "better bang" for half of the price of a HAMMOND and I doubt that anybody in the audience can tell the difference! I'd love to hear the "Ferrofish 4000+ " compared to a Hammond B3! Have a nice day fro Germany"

[@nickfoleyuk]

Thank You

[@Deatg-ek8rf]

Love that Crumar ❤️

[@tied515]

This is pretty shocking, the Crumar is much cleaner. Is it sample based or tonewheel modeling ?

[@danieldion8825]

I would pick the Mojo, thanks for the video!

[@nickfoleyuk]

Thanks for watching

[@mr.hamhandleler]

Great video, but which one should I buy

[@nickfoleyuk]

Depends on your budget frankly. The mojo is great and cheap. The XK is better and more expensive

[@mr.hamhandleler]

Oh ok, is the crumar a good first expensive organ purchase?

[@nickfoleyuk]

@@mr.hamhandleler it’s a pretty Good purchase in my view. Not too expensive in real terms. There is a secondhand one in @fairdealmusic right now around £650. Id say that was a bargain. Yes the XK-5 is amazing, totally, but full on price. I’d play a mojo - through a Leslie - all day.

[@mr.hamhandleler]

@nickfoleyuk thanks, and one more thing do you know if the suitcase mojo has the Rp sounds?

[@nickfoleyuk]

@@mr.hamhandleler I don’t know sorry

[@louiscornale5667]

Great job but how about wooly bully watch it now 😮

[@thomaskorthals5894]

Nick makes some good videos. The sound of the XK5 is on other videos from him much better. The Leslie sim of the XK5 is not the burner. Comparison should be made with a real Leslie.

[@zoomzoom3950]

In person, the Crumar sounds weak; the Nord C2D was a great organ, and the Viscount Legend Soul is the closest to a Hammond that's not Hammond brand. That said, I have a Hammond A-3 (the XK-5, lower manual, 25-note pedals, B3 style stand and bench) and nothing comes close. IME. My A-3 is good, that I finally sold my '62 Hammond A-102 and Leslie 142. I also have a Hammond SKx (not the pro; the prior two manual version; also with 25-note pedals), and it also sounds very good but not as good as my A-3. I still prefer the SKx to the Crumar. Buy what sounds best to you; for me that's still Hammond, followed by Viscount; followed by Nord C2D.

[@ccmacdon]

In every regard this Mojo sounds far superior to your XK5, and it wasn't until I heard THIS particular video that I really understood how much better sounding the Mojo is! The Mojo is more organic, and less digital sounding. It has more "presence", warmer sounding overdrive, and a far better leslie sim. Even though you really didn't compare the percussion particularly well, both the percussion and the keyclick sound far superior on the Mojo. Your XK5 sounds very harsh compared to the Mojo, I'm surprised you like it that way...

[@nickfoleyuk]

@@ccmacdon I have it set up for my leslie 3300 where in my opinion it sounds the best clone

[@joeserrenti9857]

Try the XK-1, It sounds better than the Xk-5...😊

[@gillianhanan7451]

The XK5 sounds wishy washy compared to the Crumar ,the percussion in particular. Crumar is the winner for me having played real Hammond’s for years .

[@theloniousmonk81]

crummar!!!!!!

[@chrisa.8175]

Hammond yes!!

[@georgecarlin5047]

Hammond seems a bit more bassy to me...

[@philgreco7037]

The Hammond's warmer. Like a step away from a real one.

[@mrdali67]

Being biazed as a Mojo61 owner it definetly sound much more in your face than the XK5 here. In my taste the sound of the XK is a bit too sloppy sounding here, It does have a more warm sound in the bottom and the high drawbars seem a bit boosted compared to the Mojo, which can of cause be adjusted in both instruments. The mojo does have a boosted mid ootb here. Generally I'm not a big fan of the new Hammond Zuzuki's. The XK5 is definetly the best of their lineup. Don't like the SK Pro's at all. My honest opinion is I'd kill for the virtual multi contact of the XK-5. But as a single keyboard model the XK-5 is definetly not worth the more than twice the price of the Mojo. The sound is generally getting so good today. The Nords has long fallen of the track. The XK-5 is propably the best sound here if they were adjusted to about as close as possible the same sound. But the Mojo is not far off tho. The build quality is .. well like a true Italian keyboard not too great. It does what its good at in the sound. But the white text and black painting gets easy eaten by your fingers if you use the onboard buttons for the leslie sim. The keybed is far better than the Nord Electro despite using the same fatar bed, but god I would love to see a 1keybed Viscount soul model. Blows both of these away imho.

[@nickfoleyuk]

thanks for the info :-)

[@Tonewheeldude]

Hammond XK5 is the King 👑

[@rpa83]

Hammond sounds so much better, more attack, more clarity, more punch.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Inclined to agree

[@christopherpederson1021]

crumar for the win

[@acebrawler]

Xk5 all day!!

[@dyinbreedband]

Leslie on the xk5 makes the entire board sound thin, especially the fast leslie.

[@watcher9987]

I've owned several Hammonds. They're not perfect Xk5 sounds like a real hammond, Cromartie too bright thin digital

[@7Freitage]

Hammond or nothing

[@philgreco7037]

Still not the sound of a Hammond B3. No way close.

[@attalope3366]

There is no story! Hammond beat Crumar 3- 0 as Hammond played and as an appearance! Crumar beats Hammond 3-0 in price!