Tell us what you think of
your instruments and let's hope that manufacturers listen
- the only way to influence change is to say something
here. Click on each name to read more.
Andrew Mullin
Ok here is my piece about why a bought my different
instruments ,what I like and what I don’t like.
1. Wersi Ex-1
Bought this because ever since I was a kid i always wanted a wersi and my wife wouldn’t allow me to buy anything bigger .
Things I don’t like about it.
It is not very portable.
Not practical to use live ,I freelance quite allot and I think it is to delicate to take on the road even with good flight cases.
You have to buy a separate boom arm to mount the touch screen on to your organ.
There is no clamp mechanism on the boom arm .When I asked wersi about it they told me to drill a hole in my organ ( a brand-new Hammond XK3 pro system). I ended up making my own clamp.
When I received the instrument it was prone to freezups at regular intervals. I have since changed the guts in it and it now works fine.
I never received a user manual in English despite wersi promising me one.
No real drawbars.
In my opinion overpriced.
Things I like about it.
It sounds great.
It’s a wersi.
Easy user interface.
I can use all my vst,s in it.
Drums are good.
I can load Yamaha styles.
I can play it through my XK3 bass and everything.
Loads of options.(if you are prepared to pay)
The lovely wersi organ sounds.
It makes me feel happy when I look at it (yes I know that is sad.)
I can split and layer the upper and lower manuals .
I can connect it to my computer and play vsts from the organ and from my computer and mix them with other sounds from my Hammond.
User upgradeable (unlike other instruments)
2.Hammond XK3 pro system and leslie 3300
Bought this originally to gig fel in love with it and discovered it was a pain to lug to gigs.
Things I don’t like
Leslie simulator is not so good .(but then again ive never heard one that is ) and I don’t like lugging the leslie to gigs.
It is a bit on the heavy side.
Chorus /vibrato not configurable separately for both manuals (fixed in Xk3c)
It has a valve pre amp with 2 electronic valves that you can change in it I currently have to RCA,s from 1965 the ones that came with the instrument sound crap the RCAs sound brilliant .
Things I like
It sounds awesome
The leslie is excellent (you cant beat the real thing) and also has a valve pre amp.
The valve preamp really warms up the sound and you can change the valves.
Drawbars.
Percussion
Sounds like a B3 but is allot lighter .
It feels like an organ.
Waterfall keys and a good action.
Makes me happy when I look at it. (sad again)
3.Hammond XM2 (EXPANDER WITH DRAWBARS)
Bought this to gig and because XK3 is to heavy and I needed a good organ sound.
Things I don’t like about it.
A bit flimsy.
Expensive.
No valves
Things like about it
Very portable.
Sounds very authentic has the same engine as the XK3 (VASE 3)
Leslie sim is ok.
Drawbars.
Very easy to use.
Built in merger just connect it to a couple of keyboards an pedals and away you go,
4.Yamaha motif E.S
Bought this because of the sounds and sampling capabilities and digital interface. Allso to gig.
Things I don’t like about it.
Rather heavy.
Not easy to program.
Complicated user interface.
Don’t like the string sounds.
Don’t like the organ sounds
Things like about it
Sliders and knobs for real-time control .
Good bread and butter sounds especially pianos and guitars flutes and saxes and synth sounds.
Nice action.
4 outputs
Cuts through the mix very well when playing live .
Good fx configurable in real-time
Can be split and layered into 4 zones .
Velocity triggered layers.
Digital outputs optical /coax (good for recording)
Usb midi
Sequencer and sampling .
5.Korg TR 76
Bought this because of the sounds and weight . and to gig.
Things I don’t like about it.
The user interface is dim .
And in my opinion to small.
To many gimmicks (stupid pre-programmed sequences)
Things like about it
Nice action
Nearly all the sounds are good pianos are brilliant.
Plenty of knobs and sliders for real-time control.
Metal chassis good quality build.
Good sized keyboard.
Cuts through the mix very well when playing live.
Usb midi
Light weight.
Sequencer and sampling option.
5.Korg X50 (Budget version of TR)
Bought this because I need a reserve .
Things I don’t like about it.
Bad action (cheapo keys).
Plastic.
To many gimmicks (stupid pre-programmed sequences)
Things like about it
Same sounds as TR 76
Usb midi
Very very light.
Carrying handles.
Lots of knobs n sliders.
Regards Andy
1. Wersi Ex-1
Bought this because ever since I was a kid i always wanted a wersi and my wife wouldn’t allow me to buy anything bigger .
Things I don’t like about it.
It is not very portable.
Not practical to use live ,I freelance quite allot and I think it is to delicate to take on the road even with good flight cases.
You have to buy a separate boom arm to mount the touch screen on to your organ.
There is no clamp mechanism on the boom arm .When I asked wersi about it they told me to drill a hole in my organ ( a brand-new Hammond XK3 pro system). I ended up making my own clamp.
When I received the instrument it was prone to freezups at regular intervals. I have since changed the guts in it and it now works fine.
I never received a user manual in English despite wersi promising me one.
No real drawbars.
In my opinion overpriced.
Things I like about it.
It sounds great.
It’s a wersi.
Easy user interface.
I can use all my vst,s in it.
Drums are good.
I can load Yamaha styles.
I can play it through my XK3 bass and everything.
Loads of options.(if you are prepared to pay)
The lovely wersi organ sounds.
It makes me feel happy when I look at it (yes I know that is sad.)
I can split and layer the upper and lower manuals .
I can connect it to my computer and play vsts from the organ and from my computer and mix them with other sounds from my Hammond.
User upgradeable (unlike other instruments)
2.Hammond XK3 pro system and leslie 3300
Bought this originally to gig fel in love with it and discovered it was a pain to lug to gigs.
Things I don’t like
Leslie simulator is not so good .(but then again ive never heard one that is ) and I don’t like lugging the leslie to gigs.
It is a bit on the heavy side.
Chorus /vibrato not configurable separately for both manuals (fixed in Xk3c)
It has a valve pre amp with 2 electronic valves that you can change in it I currently have to RCA,s from 1965 the ones that came with the instrument sound crap the RCAs sound brilliant .
Things I like
It sounds awesome
The leslie is excellent (you cant beat the real thing) and also has a valve pre amp.
The valve preamp really warms up the sound and you can change the valves.
Drawbars.
Percussion
Sounds like a B3 but is allot lighter .
It feels like an organ.
Waterfall keys and a good action.
Makes me happy when I look at it. (sad again)
3.Hammond XM2 (EXPANDER WITH DRAWBARS)
Bought this to gig and because XK3 is to heavy and I needed a good organ sound.
Things I don’t like about it.
A bit flimsy.
Expensive.
No valves
Things like about it
Very portable.
Sounds very authentic has the same engine as the XK3 (VASE 3)
Leslie sim is ok.
Drawbars.
Very easy to use.
Built in merger just connect it to a couple of keyboards an pedals and away you go,
4.Yamaha motif E.S
Bought this because of the sounds and sampling capabilities and digital interface. Allso to gig.
Things I don’t like about it.
Rather heavy.
Not easy to program.
Complicated user interface.
Don’t like the string sounds.
Don’t like the organ sounds
Things like about it
Sliders and knobs for real-time control .
Good bread and butter sounds especially pianos and guitars flutes and saxes and synth sounds.
Nice action.
4 outputs
Cuts through the mix very well when playing live .
Good fx configurable in real-time
Can be split and layered into 4 zones .
Velocity triggered layers.
Digital outputs optical /coax (good for recording)
Usb midi
Sequencer and sampling .
5.Korg TR 76
Bought this because of the sounds and weight . and to gig.
Things I don’t like about it.
The user interface is dim .
And in my opinion to small.
To many gimmicks (stupid pre-programmed sequences)
Things like about it
Nice action
Nearly all the sounds are good pianos are brilliant.
Plenty of knobs and sliders for real-time control.
Metal chassis good quality build.
Good sized keyboard.
Cuts through the mix very well when playing live.
Usb midi
Light weight.
Sequencer and sampling option.
5.Korg X50 (Budget version of TR)
Bought this because I need a reserve .
Things I don’t like about it.
Bad action (cheapo keys).
Plastic.
To many gimmicks (stupid pre-programmed sequences)
Things like about it
Same sounds as TR 76
Usb midi
Very very light.
Carrying handles.
Lots of knobs n sliders.
Regards Andy
Geoff Melville
I own a Wersi Scala which I purchased from an organ
dealer who shall go un-named.
The organ when I bought it was full of problems and thanks to some help and advice from a friend who i a computer engineer and yahoo wersi help group I was able to get the organ working to its best.
The organ is incredible and I would say to anyone wanting to buy a Wersi - DO IT - but do not expect any help or support from UK dealers. If you know about computers then you will be fine.
You are on your own if you buy a second hand one, and as the current dealer made it clear that he did not want to help, then I say thank you to CTZ computer services and the guys who run the Yahoo Groups who were a big help.
Pros of scala
Great organ sounds
Lovely looking instrument
Great speaker system
Cons of scala
Poor backup & not many other UK owners
You are in the hands of the previous owner as to what spec is in there
No lights in cabinet
No real UK support
The organ when I bought it was full of problems and thanks to some help and advice from a friend who i a computer engineer and yahoo wersi help group I was able to get the organ working to its best.
The organ is incredible and I would say to anyone wanting to buy a Wersi - DO IT - but do not expect any help or support from UK dealers. If you know about computers then you will be fine.
You are on your own if you buy a second hand one, and as the current dealer made it clear that he did not want to help, then I say thank you to CTZ computer services and the guys who run the Yahoo Groups who were a big help.
Pros of scala
Great organ sounds
Lovely looking instrument
Great speaker system
Cons of scala
Poor backup & not many other UK owners
You are in the hands of the previous owner as to what spec is in there
No lights in cabinet
No real UK support