TX-5 LM works with Korg CX3

Yesterday I got a call from an owner of a Korg CX3 looking for a lower manual to use with it, and was curious about the Ventura TX-5 Lower Manual. Since the Korg BX3 (which I’ve heard is discontinued) is a fixed double-manual combo organ, a lower manual attachment would need to be used.

I was fairly sure the TX-5 LM would work, but wanted to make sure all the functionality would be there, so I asked him if I could have some time to investigate it. I have access to a CX3, so I connected both of them together, and the short answer is: it works fine!

Connection is easy – MIDI out from the TX-5 LM to the MIDI in on the CX3.

No setup is needed on the TX-5 LM, however it needs to be taken out of TX Mode by holding the TX Mode button down until the blue light fades away. If you want to transpose, you can, but it’s better to do that with the CX3. (More on that later.)

The CX3 would need to be set up, but it’s not difficult.

The first thing to do is to set the CX3 so it will receive MIDI from another source for the lower manual part; this effectively takes it out of split mode (where the lower range of the keyboard plays the lower manual part):

Global > MIDI IN to Lower: ON

Next, you’ll need to establish which MIDI channel you want the CX3′s lower manual sound to respond to (the default is channel 2):

Global > Lower Rx ch: (1-16)

At this point, you’ll need to go back to the TX-5 LM and make sure it’s transmitting on the same channel. Hold the Transpose button down until the light flashes, then choose the channel with the appropriate white key starting with low C (it’s labeled on the panel).

And that’s it – you’ve successfully paired the TX-5 LM to the Korg CX3! Now, regarding other functions …

Transposing
The TX-5 LM will transpose on its own, but it doesn’t transpose the whole CX3; lower manual notes will be transposed, but not the upper manual notes. If you bump it up two semitones to D, you’ll hear D from the CX3 when pressing C on the TX-5 LM, but playing a C on the CX3 will play just a C. Outside of some interesting prog rock experimentation, having two manuals transposed separately doesn’t seem very useful.

So if you want to transpose, use the CX3′s internal transposition settings, which work on both the upper and lower manuals.

How Does it Look?

The CX3 and TX-5 LM are almost exactly the same width, so the organ doesn’t hang over the edge or look too small for the TX-5 LM. The wood finish on the TX-5 LM is a little darker than the CX3, but it doesn’t look too mismatched.

The TX-5 LM does have some holes bored out that match the TX-5 Organ’s feet, so the TX-5 doesn’t slide around. Those holes don’t match the CX3′s feet, but for anyone who decides to get a TX-5 LM for their CX3 could conceivably drill their own holes, so long as they don’t go too deep below the top panel.

- Jason Stanfield
Ventura Keyboards

Speakeasy Introduces Micro Gig Rig

They’ve done it again!

Speakeasy Vintage Music has introduced the Micro Gig Rig, the latest iteration of the Gig Rig series keyboard amplification system. This system has it all – power and portability!

The new Speakeasy Micro Gig Rig includes:

• Speakeasy Vintage Tube Preamp
• Speakeasy Rock Box Mk2 10s
• Peavey power amp* (modified)
• Nady power strip**
• SKB rack case with wheels

Total system price = $2,850.00
(*Crest available upon request; package pricing may vary.)
(**Power strip brand may vary, but will not affect package pricing.)

Need to hear it; check out this video, which features the Micro Gig Rig with a 15″ Bass Bin:

This system is it: everything you need to command headphone-quality sound at live volumes. The Vintage Tube Preamp livens up your sound, giving tube warmth and body to any keyboard’s signal, and the Rock Box Mk2 10s — featuring floating crossovers and custom-installed piezos — push 300 watts of power each.

Many who have been watching Speakeasy for a while have asked for more portable systems, and the Micro Gig Rig fulfills that request. The speakers themselves are only 20 lb each, and the rack that includes the Vintage Tube Preamp, power conditioner, power amp, and cables weighs just 43 lb! Plus, the rack case comes with a handle and wheels, so it’s very easy to transport.

Setup is a breeze, too. Since everything in the rack is already connected, simply take the front and back panels off, plug your ‘board(s) into the power conditioner, plug in the audio from your axes to the Preamp, connect the speakers, plug the power conditioner into an outlet, hit the switch, and be rocking 600 true watts of power in no time at all.

Oh yeah, 600 watts coming from a pair of 10″ passive speakers — 300 watts per side. And you won’t believe the body these 10s have; with their custom crossovers, piezos, and special insulation, they sound like speakers twice their size! Don’t worry; we use Speakon connectors, so the cables won’t fly out of the back!

The customizations doesn’t end there, though. The power amplifier is modified with a 100% upgrade in its cooling capacity, giving you far more time to rock, and removing the all concerns regarding overheating. The entire system, inside & out, is created to exacting standards, with no weak links in the chain, and nothing less than the highest-quality materials and components.

Forget about keyboard amps, which dull your tone, come riddled with frequency holes, and give you little more to work with but volume. They’ll end up costing you more over the course of a few years, anyway — by the time you’ve bought 3 keyboard amps, you’ve paid for a Speakeasy Micro Gig Rig, and that whole time you’ve been working with inferior sound that destroys the tone of your keyboards.

Get into the Speakeasy Micro Gig Rig right now. You can have studio-monitor quality live! You can have a lifetime of excellent sound in a tiny package that’s as easy to transport as your keyboard!

Purchase Options
All components of the Speakeasy Micro Gig Rig can be purchased a la carte. There is no additional charge for doing so; all units priced individually equal the package price of $2,850.00. Here are some different options to consider:

Speakeasy Micro Gig Rig …………………. $2,850.00 + freight

Includes Vintage Tube Preamp, Rock Box Mk2 10s, Peavey power amp, power conditioner, molded rack case, all necessary cables, and pre-shipping connection; all you need to do is connect the keyboard & speakers.

Speakeasy Gig Rig Essentials …………………. $1,850.00 + freight

Includes Vintage Tube Preamp, Rock Box Mk2 10s, cables. Perfect if you already have a 600w power amp, and just need the essential Speakeasy components.

Speakeasy Gig Rig Amp System …………………. $1,850.00 + freight

For those who already have the Speakeasy Vintage Tube Preamp, and need to take that sound live or replace a combo amp. Includes Rock Box Mk2 10s, Peavey power amp, power conditioner, molded rack case, all necessary cables, and pre-shipping connection; all you need to do is connect the keyboard, Vintage Tube Preamp, & speakers.

Speakeasy Vintage Tube Preamp …………………. $1,000.00 + freight

The place to start if the complete Micro Gig Rig or Essentials package are out of reach. The Vintage Tube Preamp provides tonal warmth for digital keyboards, giving you the most important step in the process of getting great sound live.

Speakeasy RB10mk2 Passive Speakers …………………. $850.00 (pair) + freight

For those who already have the Speakeasy Vintage Tube Preamp and a power amp.

Custom Options

• Upgrade from 10″ speakers to 12″ speakers … add $100.00
• Upgrade from 10″ speakers to 15″ speakers … add $200.00
• Add a Speakeasy 10″ Bass Bin … add $350.00
• Add a Speakeasy 12″ Bass Bin … add $375.00
• Add a Speakeasy 15″ Bass Bin … add $425.00

To purchase, go to eBay.com; for more information, contact Steve Hayes at 717-292-0814, or Jason Stanfield at 813-362-9440 for more information.

Changes in Ventura Distribution, Pricing

Launching a new brand is never an easy task, especially if you’re a boutique brand in a market still going through a major recession.

Even in the best of times it can take a while for to achieve a strong level of brand awareness; often that means trying ways of getting the products out there that ultimately don’t work out. Whether the reasons are economic or situational, manufacturers in many industries have to adjust.

I wanted to introduce Ventura to the market by choosing dealers that I believed would help push the line, and made sure I didn’t have but one dealer per major metropolitan area, but for whatever reasons, that didn’t work. So we’re doing what has worked very well for others — including our partner in crime Speakeasy — in our corner of the keyboard market: we’re selling Ventura direct to the consumer.

This comes with two major advantages. First, it means that you’ll be purchasing direct from the professionals who design, build, perform with, and support these product lines. We could train dealers to the nth degree, but consumers will find no one else with greater experience and expertise than those who design and build these instruments. Until it gets to the point where we need dealers, we’re going to work directly with players. As a consequence, we get your feedback directly, and that helps us make better products for you.

Second, it means lower prices for consumers. Without further delay, here are the new prices on Ventura and related Speakeasy gear:

• Ventura TX-5 Classic Organ – was 2,079.00, now $1,749.00
• Ventura TX-5 Lower Manual – was 999.00, now $949.00
• Ventura TX-5 Stand – was 359.00, now $349.00
• Ventura PD2 Pedal Board – was 639.00, now $599.00
• Speakeasy Vintage Tube Preamp – was 1,199.00, now $999.00
• Speakeasy Rock Box 12 Speaker – was 899.00, now $699.00

As you can tell, those are some major drops for principal units — the TX-5 organ, and the Speakeasy Preamp & Rock Box speakers (which is made for all keyboards, not just clonewheels).

What this means is that the TX-5 is now the lowest-priced single-manual clonewheel on the market, second only to Brand H’s single-drawbar organ. With the lower manual, it’s now the lowest-priced double-manual clonewheel system in the world; the same goes for the entire four-piece system. Do the price comparisons — for a dual manual TX-5 system, it’s under $2,700, and a full set is under $3,700.  The Speakeasy Gig Rig, the finest keyboard sound system in the world, is now under $2,400.

To purchase any of these items, you can head over to <a href="http://www.shopspeakeasy.com/products and buy from them at these new lower prices, which are already posted. Currently, everything is in stock. It’s too early to say what we’re transitioning to, but both Ventura and Speakeasy will fully support these products. If you know Steve, you know he doesn’t like broken gear with his name on it — I feel the exact same way about Ventura.

We’re not going away — not by a long shot — we’re just making some changes that we believe will service players better, and satisfy us more as makers of instruments and speaker systems tailored for professional players.

More news will be coming soon, so check back often. We’re still working on the Epoch, and we’ll have a totally new Speakeasy product to announce in a manner of weeks that we’re really excited about. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me (jason-at-armadilloent.com) or Steve Hayes (steve-at-speakeasyvintagemusic.com).

Jason Stanfield
Ventura | Speakeasy

Winter NAMM 2010

Click here for our Winter NAMM 2010 coverage!

Welcome

Welcome to Multitimbral, the Ventura Keyboards blog.

Here, we plan to make announcements, discuss issues and news in the keyboard and organ world, post videos, music, and generally spout about anything that we have interest in. If you’re a WordPress subscriber, leave a comment for us; if you’re not a member, sign up today! You can bookmark the page, or add us to your RSS feed for automatic updates.

That’s all for now, but stay tuned … we’ll have more soon!

Jason Stanfield
Product Manager, Ventura Keyboards