Since I started my first band in 1979, I've wanted a B3. I've owned lots of keyboards (synths) that had OK organ sounds but just weren't perfect. This keyboard is perfect for me. I don't play organ on every song, and at first it seemed like an extravagance, but when I play it, it sounds exactly what you'd want it to sound like. I mean exactly. I can't say it any better than than. When I first plugged it in, in minutes I was comfortable with the controls and jamming with a big smile on my face. Those high vibrato punches just rock. The quality of this keyboard is top-notch, nothing cheap about it. If you're on the fence, don't be.

Ya know I have agonized over this purchase since “clonewheels” came out. I have played almost every keyboard that has been manufactured in the last 40 years. All of them without exception have had a couple of good organ patches that were close but none of them gave you the flexibility or the sound of a “real” Hammond.

Well I bit the bullet and bought the XK1 and I must say that I am truly home after an almost 30 year search for a synth. It happened as soon as I turned it on and pushed the first key! This is the “Real-Deal” the original synthesizer. Everything is right where you would expect it to be if you have ever played a console before. The sounds are the “DNA” sound that afflict anyone who has ever heard and experienced the power and emotion of a real Hammond. I can not explain all the other reviews…believe me I read them to. But let me tell you as a player you owe it to yourself to pick-up one of these beauty’s. There’s a lot of talk about the Leslie simulation and programmability but I’m hear to tell you it is fantastic. If the Leslie simulation is still not what you are looking for you can plug the XK1 into a Leslie and it will knock your socks off. As far as programmability is concerned the registration (draw bars) are the same as the B or C the other types of parameter are laid out well and do have some common sense to them.

All-In-All I have not been this excited to play since I stopped lugging the C3 around in 1978. Thanks to the Hammond company for giving me back my youth, creativity and inspiration!!

I just got this organ last week and I am truly stoked about the sound that I'm getting. I had an XK-2 that I was running through a Motion Sound Pro 3T to get a decent sound, but with this organ I can put that into storage. The leslie reproduction is as close as I've heard from any of these clone-wheels....and 33lbs? Ahhhhhh!

This keyboard exists for one reason only - to replicate the sound and (just as important) the feel of a tonewheel Hammond in an easily portable package.

But being the digital age, they've made it into a fully MIDI-capable machine, which can be used as a controller, and can be expanded through MIDI to take a set of footpedals and another keyboard to act as a lower manual, for the full console experience. Don't want to go that route? No problem - just split the single keyboard into upper and lower manuals, and even double the pedal sounds on the lower manual.

They've also loaded it with scads of incredibly useful presets that will appeal to everyone from the lounge jazzer to the all-out rocker to the church musician. Don't like 'em? No matter - everything is editable on the fly, with a minimum of button-pressing. There's a fistful of drawbars (assignable to upper, lower or pedal voices), reverb (lovely), overdrive (a bit harsh at higher settings), Leslie simulator and percussion. All editable in incredible depth, down to the rise time of the Leslie, and a choice of up to ten different sets of virtual tonewheels. But don't let this frighten you - any keyboard player will be able to work it all out straight from the box, and to anyone who has ever played a Hammond or another clonewheel it all makes immediate sense. Which is just as well, as the manual is no great work of literature - but you'll only need it for reference.

There are even a few 'extra' voices (some okay-ish, electric pianos, vibes, rather poor clavs, and silly synth noises). I wonder why they added these, but they might come in useful now and then, even though they are nothing to write home about.

Just a note about the keyboard itself - it's a joy to play. The keyboard has 'waterfall' keys which means you can do all those slurs and glissandi without slicing up your fingers. And, unlike a drawbar organ, it's velocity sensitive, which is great for controlling harmonic percussion.

The only difference between this and a real Hammond is that you can't physically chuck it around to make the reverb spring crash, and you probably shouldn't throw knives at it. If you did, it would probably bite back - it's a very well-made instrument that just oozes class.

I really like the sound this unit produces. This above all else is the selling factor. Because I've used a VK-7 for the last 6 years, I have a decent idea of what to expect (and not expect) from clone-wheel organs and Hammond did not disappoint.

The reason for my Average on Quality is that I was shipped a new organ module with a broken volumn knob. I'm assuming that this was just a manufacturing defect and I was just the lucky recipient. Others have not complained about this issue so I'm not worried that it might be a design defect in the board itself.

If you are looking at buying an organ, they're all pretty close these days in sound and feel. It really comes down to control layout...If you like drawbars on the left versus above, knobs versus buttons, etc...