New Hammond SK-Pro vs Hammond XK-5
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- / @nickfoleyuk Today its all about setting the Hammond SK-Pro on top of the XK-5 and putting them through the same Leslie 145 with the same microphones and have a listen, out of the box, to how they compare. More from me exclusively at / nickfoleyuk
The average pub or club gig audience will not know or care about the differences.
They won’t even care about a real Leslie.
Most musicians won’t even know or care.
Only the Hammond nutters will appreciate it.
But if you’re a Hammond nutter, that’s all that matters
If you've got a really good tone even the most uninterested will notice.
The XK sounds like the real thing. The SK sounds like a really good physical model.
Agreed
Hear, hear! I’ve been playing an XK5 for about 1.5 years and love it!
I just purchased an SK Pro and it is a huge upgrade from my Hammond XK1 Got a terrific price on a demo model too. While I am 90% an organist, I have always wanted a Fender Rhodes sound and really enjoy playing strings occasionally. Most of my gigs are clubs or outdoors, not studio work. Like Frank Zappa said, when you are used to playing in hockey rinks..." Thanks for the terrific comparison, Nick!
Thank you
XK sounds really amazing, but SK Pro 61 is only 15 lbs (7 kg) and sounds pretty darn good too. Both are great tools, each better in their own right for certain occasions IMO.
The XK5 just sounds richer IMO, more harmonics, more analog, etc. I've heard the underlying engine is the same on both units, so possibly this is due to the tube overdrive?
Has anyone mentioned that the SK pro has been made with the same modelled engine MTW1 as the XK5.
Any Hammond fan would prefer to have the XK5 in preference but for price and great versatility of sounds,
the SK pro really cuts the mustard for most Gigging situations and of course there is a big price differential too.
It's true that the XK5 sounds a little richer but in a live situation the portability and sound of the SK pro would be perfect
for me. In fact I'm reconsidering my options having heard it. I have had the SK2 in the past but found it a bit fiddly especially with only one set of draw bars. Great video and great for highlighting the little difference between these two great boards. Many thanks
Great video as usual doing a side by side comparison of the the two keyboards. The SK line has definitely improved and sounds really good. The SK if it was the only board in the shop and I played it I'd probably be lusting for one. So if one needs to cover a multitude of bases then the SK is definitely your board, IMO. To my ear though the XK is still the gold standard of clone wheel organs on the market today, bar none. There's a throatiness to it's sound that makes it sing in a guttural way that just says Rock n Roll to me,
They both sound amazing
Man thank you...I bought the XK5 pro setup then the SKPro comes out. Always wondered how they’d compare and you did it for us...thanx...and I’m happy I have the XK5 set up. But I do realize the Pro could be very useful/versatile with my cover bands
5:47 "A bit thinner there. A little bit thinner maybe, don't you think?" Sums it up for me at least...
I thought I wanted the the SK-Pro but this video changed my mind.
Its a great tool, it really is. It just depends on your use-case really I guess?
Clearly not the same sounding, XK5 better, but for what it’s worth, the SK Pro is still a very nice instrument, totally kills the Nords & Co.
Yes
Have to agree. It’s a great and more versatile tool
Why does the XK5 sound so much better???
There seems to be quite different EQ settings on the two keyboards. The SK pro seems somewhat muffled and the XK-5 brighter with much more treble and less mid-range. There also appears to be a slight difference in the reverb between the two. It is really hard to be objective unless a lot of time was spent trying to match the two as much as possible before doing the comparison. I also wish the SK-pro was offered in a two manual version, but maybe that would c ompete too much with the XK-5 system/Porta-B? I can see use-cases for both keyboards. I used to gig with various clone-wheels and a Leslie 860, and have tone-wheel Hammonds and a Leslie 122 at home. Thanks for the comparison!
They make a dual manual. SKX Pro
I think with an additional tube preamp at the SK pro it will be on the same level than the XK5. This would be a good additional test.
Great review series! I am considering the SK Pro vs the Nord Electro, but I think this sounds better. Thanks for your help 👍
Thank you for the review, it was super helpful to hear them back to back out of the same speaker playing the same licks on each. Thank you so much!
Love them both myself. Thanks for teaching me. I wanna learn more sir. I have a XK1 and XM1 i use as upper and lower manuals together along with my Hammond XB2 as a controller for the XM1 and get this my drawbars from my XB2 controls the drawbar settings on my XM1 i didnt even know that although i pocess the XMC2 controller with drawbars adapter wire all in tact from 1996 i paid$ 3700 usd back then and still have it.
I finally had a chance to try out the SK-Pro, and I really like it! I think that the keybed is just right for what it is. IMO, Hammond has really outdone themselves with the XK-5, and now the SK-pro!
What changed your mind?
@@paulallison8410 What do you mean?
@@nickyates9820 You are selling the SK-Pro right?
@@paulallison8410 Nah, although I am considering the upgrade to the SKX pro. I also want to see what NORD does as their answer to discontinuing the C2D, and being almost a decade behind on their organ engine, haha. I still absolutely love the SK-Pro, I think that it is probably one of my favorite boards ever, in fact.
@@nickyates9820 I think a lot of folks are waiting to the debut of the SKX Pro, think I am just going to stick with my Mag. Thanks!
love these reviews and also your playing. Playing organs for nearly 50 years and always keen to learn , especially with new tech. Have a Nord Stage 3 .. love it , but considering a dual manual Skx pro… Great work. ..
nice and interesting video, but there is no comparison. to my ear the xk5 is superior in everything, both in clean sound and in distortion. I have a Hammond sk2 and the sound of the SK Pro is identical to sk2. The keys to the touch between the SK and XK system are also different, I add that playing on a manual or on 2 is also different at least on my sk2 that is the sound changes a bit. anyway congratulations for the video and good music to all
It's simple. The SK has a darker tone to my ears, which I rather associate with a gospel / soul scenario. For (prog) rock I'd totally prefer the more open tone of the XK-5. Plus you can put a modular synth on top of it and go full Emerson. Great video.
Is it possible to change / edit the virtual tone wheel sets? Would be really nice to achieve the XK5 tone with the more stage-friendly SK.
for me, the sound of XK5 is way better than SK-Pro ... XK5 sounds more authentic as well as is by far the closest clone of the original B3 (together with XK3c) ... I bought a used XK3c+XLK3 set and after seeing this comparison, there's no way for me to go with SK-Pro ... thanks for the video, Nick, you made it much more clear to me and proved that my decision was correct ... thumbs up
Thank you mate!
It seems, that the SKX Pro is out of the box, what we hear. Hal Tschuchida made a great tonewheelset for the SKX Pro. It is worth to have it. Now to the comparison: The same drawbar settings are not the same. There are a lot of possibilities to tweak both organs. First it is useful to use a tube preamp for the SKX Pro. Both instruments are very narrow. There is not much difference. The XK5 has the Layout of a B3 and a wonderful keybed. On the other hands, the SKX Pro has the right weight and additional helpful sound and you pay nearly the half price.
The hybrid multi-contact keys on the XK5!
Which the SKs don't have, but is a major part of authenticity :))
The multi-contacts are one of the big reasons I bought an XK5; also the new sound engine, the tweak ability of almost every function... the Hammond XK5 is, to me, the absolute closest anyone’s gotten yet to the real thing. Heard through JBL powered speakers, with a few tweaks to the MT drive, the Leslie sim also comes very close. My next thing will be trying the XK5 through an original Vent that I’d used with a previous clone (a Nord C1. If a Vent can make an Organ from the 2000s sound as great as it did, I figure a Hammond from 2016 or whenever [anybody?] should really sing)...
I liked your video and the comparison. Personally, being they are both Hammonds, which really proves out to be of similar high-quality equipment, I prefer the XK5 sound as it seems brighter and has a nice bite, however, the SK-Pro is no substandard unit whatsoever. If I had an SK-Pro, I would be totally satisfied with the quality and sound, but the XK5 just seems to have the sound I would rather have during any performance. There are a ton of other things either instrument can do that as well wasn't shown or heard. Nevertheless, Hammond products are top shelf no matter what model.
XK5 all the way. You're trying to convince yourself!
The XK-5 is a bit thicker in tone! the SK pro is great considering it's more portable than the xk-5. both awesome!!!
the xk-5 seems to be very cool, i like the semi-virtual multi-contact keyboard, the overall layout and the leslie simulation also sounds not too bad (for practising in the middle of the night or so). but it would have been so nice if they had put the older style drawbars on it (with the rounded heads), like the SK has! ;)
Agreed
Excellent video.. I especially like the part where you mention regarding the Leslie sim “ dare we switch it to fast”. I feel that in many demos of Hammonds and clones they momentarily switch it to fast and then quickly back to slow as if trying to hide something.
That’s an interesting observation, I don’t think i had noticed that !
Thanks
❤it however the Hammond classic organ has More of the Classic Hammond BITE….. rounded in depth tone on the original as well. Thamks
It sounds like the sk has the eq roll off on the high end and the xk doesn't. Did you check the eq roll off in the overdrive menu to see if they match? Also with the tubes in the xk it will sound different, you could try bypassing the tubes.
Couldn't that be the emulation (Leslie stop) that was on at first as well?
What’s EQ roll off in the overdrive menu? I have never seen anything eq in the overdrive menu.
@@B3burner Hi for the SKpro. Hold down the Overdrive button to get to the menu. There's X.Over(HZ) which you can change the EQ for the overdrive and make it brighter or duller sounding.
You must be right! The difference is just to huge!
I own a xk 1 c
And now I own a two manual xk 5
Depend what you want to do with it
In a rock band the xk 1 c is very well
Same this sk pro
If you play organ and want to feel that goose bumps and shout out WOW
Go for the xk5
If you can afford with a Leslie
Devo dire che il suono sembra abbastanza uguale ma la tastiera su XK-5 fa la sua vera differenza. D'altronde la differenza di prezza parla chiaro. Comunque l'SK suona bene, apparte il piano ed altri suoni che non sono di organo.
All good points
The Hammond SKX Pro Dual Manual coming soon in 2022 will make the XK-5 verses the SKX Pro Dual an even more tough choice with the double manual and triple trigger new keybed added to the new SKX Pro Dual manual product. I would still choose the dedicated XK-5 organ only with its more features mirroring the original Hammond B3 lay out unless you needed an all around gigging set up with the additional piano, electric piano, strings, mono synth etc...
The XK5 just sounds more analog and authentic to my ears. That said, the XK5 came out in 2016, anybody know if a successor is in the making, given it's approaching 7 years old? Would be frustrating to drop $4k on a new XK-5 only to have a new version released 6 months later.
I’ll be interviewing Hammond UK over the coming weeks and I’ll be sure to ask them that
@@nickfoleyuk Excellent - thanks so much!!
@@nickfoleyuk any news? Thanks!!
I was trying to keep my ears on the 2 keyboards, Mr. Foley. I was distracted by your playing.
The SK Pro appears to be aimed at the same “sub market” as the Roland VR-630. Have you played one of those? Any comparison?
Nice! Still well out of my grasp $$$$$. I'm a bit of a Hammond geek, so it still amazes me that the Hammond organ, which started life as an imitation & cheap alternative, has probably spawned as many (or more) imitations as the instrument it was designed to replicate, the difference being that its replicas are NOT cheaper. LOL
Those replicas have a distinct purpose:
1. To be portable
2. To make money. Lots of it.
@@tomislavrac717 That goes without saying, so I didn't. 😁
Good video. So we hear the difference. The XK5 has a little bit more body. But maybe it is still a matter of programming the patches. The demonstration is for me too much Rock sound oriented. I play soul, jazz, gospel.
Which. Is best for wholly bully watch it now 😮
SK sounds deliberately muffled, probably easily rectified with the internal EQ, or via external EQ if necessary.
Yea, I think the EQ settings aren't matching here. Unless they were being played side by side here, I don't think I could tell the difference. And most people wont even care. I can get my SK Pro just as bright as his Xk when I adjust the eq. It just doesn't have tubes inside, that's the only difference.
The sk pro does have the same sound engine. So it must be the eq.
The EQ is definitely NOT the issue.
Personally, all my Hammonds are prior to 1962 - wax capped and dark. Because of that I was drawn to some aspects of the SK sound. As others have stated, there's a lot of tweak room for sure.
@@ChrisP3000xthen what is it?
XK-5. Hands down. So much richer. SK Pro sounds perfectly lovely. In side by side, it;s dead in comparison
How does the xk5 sound brighter and fuller when the sk pro supposedly has the same sound engine? Odd.
Interesting isn’t it. I am using the same named tonewheel set, the same drawbars settings and the same Leslie and mics.
I think I could tweak it but this was out the box, listening and learning together.
@@nickfoleyuk I'm guessing the outputs sound better on the XK5 (the digital to analog outputs). Cheaper d to a means a more muted sound. All Rolands sounds different. You can hear changes and it's typically the differences in dig to analog outputs. The XK5 sounds more transparent, clearer.
The xk was distorted more than the sk
I like the mid range of the SKPro, the XK5 is very brittle sounding and too bright, SKPRO more Hammond like sounding to my ears.
I know what you are talking about. It’s down to individual taste isn’t it, I like it sharp and “pokey” lol
@Nick - what was the signal chain out of the organs? Y-cable or through some sort of mixer? ... and into the 60s/70s stompswitch preamp for 147amps or the Trek UC1a?
The 145 that I was using there was modified for 1/4" jack so it was simple a case of submixing them both to the same levels and correct output gain
Great but how about wooly bully watch it now 😮
I love Hammond.. XK-5 -more intelligible, clearer sound
Even without the Leslie , the XK5 blows the SK out of the water in my opinion. XK5’s only rival would probably be the Viscount legend, in terms of realisticness to the real deal and sound.
Agreed.
XK5 all the way.
The difference is immediately apparent.
I will keep my tonewheel Hammond alive for as long as possible, but when it becomes irreparable, it will be replaced by an XK5 or whatever supersedes it
MAG P2 for the win.
Nick, I've been ponding a question for a while now and I know you're the man to ask. When you're playing organ how much, if any, of the tonal flavor or sound quality does the Leslie contribute to the overall sound? With my XK1c and Roland amp loaded with a 12 inch speaker it always seems sterile and or lifeless to my ears. I've heard a lot of good things about the Tall and Fat pedal by Lounsbury. Do you think that would open up and fatten the sound with a more dynamic quality? Just trying to explore options at this point in time. Thanks for any suggestions or thoughts
The tall and fat will definitely help, as will the Organ Grinder. The Leslie does a lot of heavy lifting mind. I think an average organ clone can be transformed by a real Leslie. closest thing to that I found was a NEO ventilator which I toured for 4 years in between a Leslie21 and my current 145.
@@nickfoleyuk Thank you as always for your sage advise. I have an organ grinder pedal so I think I'll break it out and play with it some more. Trying to achieve that sweet dynamic sound that an organ can get. Thanks again
OK after some serious time playing with my XK1c, Organ grinder pedal, and my internal onboard overdrive I think I've got it. It's starting to sound much better and I've found that having the pedal's volume at noon or higher also helps out a lot, yah! Looking forward to your next vids and hopefully some of you and your mates playing / gigging.
@@nickfoleyuk The Leslie speaker to me is at least as important as the organ sound itself. It's like half of the musical instrument. You learn to play the Leslie speaker like the organ. It really is an important element to the sound. Even the Leslie Studio 12, Leslie's smallest rotary speaker, works well for this need though smaller and maybe best for home use or a small room.
it sounds like you actually didn't turned off the cab emulation in sk pro can't you hear that? it's obvious sk pro will sound different and muffled because cab sims always cut some highs away. for this comparison to be fair you should've turn off Leslie sim in sk pro's menu...
Cheers. It was off.
LIKE LIKE LIKE!
Got Subbed and Wizzin along.
Q> which for a new age church fixed (very few gigs?) Big sound? Need the Leslie?
Authentic XK on my mind.
I loved Hammond
Ok, first they both sound great and I would love either. However, they didn't sound like an original old-school B3/Leslie. I have been playing a B3/Leslie every Sunday for more than 20 years and trust me, I know the sound of B3/Leslie with my eyes closed.
XK-5 sound like a real Hammond , the SK-pro sounds like its trying to sound like one. Then again I don't think the comparison was really fair as it looks like drawbar settings were not the same and some further tweaking could have be done for the settings For the price and the weight of the Sk-pro it would still be my choice for a gigging keyboard , not going to really here the difference in a live mix as much anyway.
Actually the basic sound of the organ aside, the accentuated highs on the set-up of the XK made the chorus sound synthetic at times. Tonewheel Hammonds top out at 6k, and there is a trick to reproducing the curve to get the chorus to shimmer without it sounding saccharine. Again, tweaking for the rig you're playing through is where it's at. Either of these sound really good.
the pro has the same engine as the xk5, can be EQd to be the same!
They sound different. Is it really the same registration. I think some parameters are different. Maybe you can spent some time again to bring the both one the same sound structure and level. Thomas
Yup same registration. This was an out of the box demo. We were learning together. I didn’t have the SK for too long before it had to go back to Hammond UK.
Nick, It seems from what I've heard from you and others that a Leslie cab is an integral component for a great organ tone, yes? I'm working to try and achieve the best sound on a budget that I can as in bang for the bucks. I've been reading reviews of the Leslie Studio 12 and was wondering what your take is on it. Again I play at home for my own enjoyment so volume isn't a consideration in the equation. As always any thoughts or suggestions are always appreciated.
I’d seriously look at the NEO Ventilator pedal for that environment
@@nickfoleyuk It's funny but I got a Vent which was a demo and it was in very questionable shape with a bad jack and some firmware issues. Popping / crackling sounds occasionally and I was able to send it back for a full refund no problem. The Vent seemed, on the whole, to not be too much different than my internal Leslie on the XK1c surprisingly. If I was going for a rotary pedal again I've heard some really nice tones out of the Lester K pedal on CZcams. I know you never really know how it's going to sound in your own environment till its there. Luckily we have Sweetwater so if I don't like it I can send it back and I'm only out the return mailing charge. Any and all feedback is always welcome
@@williamjasper6509 very strange. I owned a couple of Vents and they are definitely better than the internal simm. Maybe something was wrong with it?
Have you tried the Leslie21 mkii ?
@@nickfoleyuk Unfortunately I'm like a lot of people in that there's nothing in my area, even worse now with Covid. My only option is to read reviews and listen to nice people like yourself who will do demo's on CZcams. I'll try to do some research on the Leslie 21..., thanks
So the sky pro is a single manual?
Buenos días sr profesor, cuanto cuesta instrumentos musicales? Ayúdeme con la información
would like to compare the pre sets how many, key bed etc
There is no doubt that the XK-5 is the real hammond and it is better. But, I have a suggestion: could you compare the SK Pro with a Nord Stage 3 73? Thanks!
If I can get hold of those instrument I will. I was sent the SK by Hammond UK to try out. It’s gone back now.
@@nickfoleyuk Hi, thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly. I will be waiting. I hope it works out. And, congratulations on the channel!!
The XK5 has way more "body", the SK-PRO is thinner. The XK5 has more bite. I think the SK-PRO is a disappointment. It's great if you want a kind-of Hammond sound and lots of other things like piano and clav etc. I'd have the XK5 and if I need all the other things, I'd buy a workstation of some kind. That's what I have done. The XK5 wins in this comparison.
hammond xk5 sounds real, with soul. The other....well...sounds like a digital cheaper version...thinner, and with lack of that fat analog sound...can't understand why hammond keep on with this new models with more sounds and features, but thinner audio....
did hammond do an update on the hammond SKX PRO LESLIE SIM?
I’m not sure I’m afraid. I don’t have the organ anymore
XK5 is the superior keyboard.
Does the XK5 have any of the other organ models?
It does, but maybe not as you would hope. Hammond wise there are 3 types of organ emulated. They call them B3, C3, and A100 but they are variations on a theme really. there is "Mellow" which replicated the non-mechanical organs and then there's Vox, Farfisa, Church and pipe. All pretty good really. "warm" I don't use and mainly set firmly to C3
i have a question yes i know i'm late but i have been looking at getting a xk-5 but i want to know one thing about it before i look at it. i would like to know if the xk-5 has enough overdrive to play the song space trunkin or the song lazy off of made in japan. if anyone knows please let me know.
Yes it does. There are two overdrive stages; one valve one dsp. The manual doesn’t do us a great service here but in short the overdrive knob on the right panel will drive it hard enough.
Should you require more or more subtlety then try the Lounsberry Organ Grinder
@@nickfoleyuk thank you for your help now i just need to find $9000
Anche se è giusto paragonare due prodotti Hammond, mi sembra che i due organi siano assai diceversi. La pasta sonora dell'HK5 è tutt'altra cosa. Avvicinarli mi sembra impossibile.
Very true
XK5 has more "presence" -- it sounds more "hammondish" in some way.....
Why does the XK5 sound so much better?
Not sure. There are similar engines but I’ve tweaked my settings little bit. I really don’t know
@@nickfoleyukso strange. I’ve ordered an SK-Pro but that XK5 sounds so much better here that I may exchange it. It’s not even close, to my ears. I’m most interested in the most realistic Hammond sound and don’t need all the extra sounds of the SK-Pro…
@@Sloimer expensive though?
@@nickfoleyukyeah true - but at 3k for the SK-Pro vs 4k for the XK5 I might as well get the one that sounds best. It’s a pretty stark difference.
@@Sloimer true. Well I love the XK5. The pro is different. It’s about hammond and piano and all the other things. The 5 only does organ .
A cheap clonewheel and a Leslie of course would be great. Plus the accompanying backache obv
XK5 THE BEST AFTER DE ORIGINAL HAMMOND...... THE KING ELECTRIC - ELECTRONIC ORGAN.......!!!
XK-5 by a mile.
Hello, everyone says that the sound of the XK5 is better than that of the SKX pro, why since it is the same generator "Modelled Tone Wheel 1" (MTW1), thank you for your answers, have a good day
It’s a good point isn’t it? They do sound different though. I think the Leslie emulation is different and of course the XK5 has the valves it’s routing the sound through.
Price ?
I’m not a reseller, best google your local store
Turn the distortion off
Ship to brazil ?
I’m not a reseller, best google your local store
the high end on the pro is awful, otherwise very nice.........
Xk5 beats it by far to say the least
They both sound like organ.
First!!!
Too much overdrive.
Thats me all over
so, ok. all right, well. mmh .. so?