Nord User Forum

Really not happy with my Lester K lately (with my Electro 3). I'm thinking of selling. It doesn't give an even sound with the notes. It filters some frequencies and pops out others.
My question is, are users with newer boards, like the Electro 5 and 6 and Stage 3, still using a box like the Vent or are you satisfied with the onboard sim?

I think that no matter how good the sim is in the latest Nords, the sound can (arguably) still be improved with a Vent 2.
Might be of interest to see how many Stage 3 owners use it with the Vent, with something else, or on its own.
They are expensive and I for one am happy with the B3 sound from the Stage 3.

I think the rotary sim is quite good in the NS3, and -- presumably -- the new NE6. Heck, I've never complained about the sims even in the older Nords. They don't suck. Play them through appropriate stereo amplification, many happy campers in the band and the audience.

Note: very few of these people have heard a real B3/Leslie combo dialed up, so the bar is low.

Love the fact that there are no external boxes, everything is stored as a preset, etc. No complaints, really.

That being said, I'm in the hunt for the ultimate B3 chain. The basic B3 sim on the Nord is pretty darn good, it's all about the post-instrument signal chain, right? And no way in hell am I going to start dragging around a real Leslie amp. Just not happening. I tried them, as well as the Motion Sound stuff. Sorry, not my thing. I think I can do better in a FOH world.

So for me, it's all about three stages. First, a decent tube-based preamp. The warm sound is a thing.
Haven't figured that bit out yet, but I will before long. As far as the spinning speaker, the Vent II nails it, perhaps better than the original. And then post-Leslie reverb. Do I use the mixing board reverb, do I do something else? Some dudes do reverb pre-Leslie. Not my thing. All in process.

The sucky part is that none of this is midi-able, so no presets. Busy hands between songs. But part of me wants to dial it in, and suck it up.

I'll let y'all know when I figure it out. And I will.

I used a Dynacord with the Electro 2 and then a Vent with the Electro 3. Greatly improved the Leslie sound. When I got the Electro 5 I started using the internal sim. Close mic'd setting is the key when using it. Big improvement. Vent is for sale.

I’ve been trying to get on with the internal sim on the Electro 5 for a few months now. It’s fine on slow but on fast it really wasn’t cutting it for me. So I’ve now gone back to my Electro 2 with a Neo Mini Vent and I’m much happier. The sim is quite a bit better and it makes the organ sound much fatter. I think the Electro 5 will be up for sale soon.

brucie808 wrote:I’ve been trying to get on with the internal sim on the Electro 5 for a few months now. It’s fine on slow but on fast it really wasn’t cutting it for me. So I’ve now gone back to my Electro 2 with a Neo Mini Vent and I’m much happier. The sim is quite a bit better and it makes the organ sound much fatter. I think the Electro 5 will be up for sale soon.

Curious if you tried the close mic setting. I forget the name for the factory setting, but it is more of a distance. When I first got the Electro 5 I was disappointed in the Leslie Sim, but after research, several users recommended the close mic setting and bingo! I felt it was very close to the Vent.

cphollis wrote: I'll let y'all know when I figure it out. And I will.

Chuck, have you tried the Lounsberry line of pedals? I currently route my Nord Stage 2 organ (mono, Channel 3 out) to a Lounsberry Tall & Fat, then mono-in to a Vent 1, stereo-out to SS3/sub. The T&F applies a warm, tasty grit to the tone and gives you the option of boosting the gain when it's time to teach your lead guitarist a lesson in manners. Here's my favorite demo of the T&F... https://youtu.be/t6GxvSLWae4

FYI, I also have the Organ Grinder, but I found the Tall & Fat to be more appropriate for the type of tunes our band plays. (However, if you're trying to sound like Jon Lord, you might prefer the Organ Grinder.)

I own a GSI BURN pedal. I normally keep it connected to my old Hammond M3, but I've hooked it up to my Electro 4D a few times. Really takes the sound to another level! Gives the B3 model that organic "chaulky" sound. The tube adds a nice grit as well.

The BURN is great because it's programmable and has other effects in addition to the rotary emulator (of which there are a few models). You can call patch changes through MIDI (mapping to your Electro's programs), and control certain parameters via the Electro's panel. Lots of flexibility compared to competing devices.

GSI is discontinuing the BURN, and I don't know what kind of inventory is left.

Once I get some time (LOL), I want to explore the E4D/BURN combination more for gigging.

My daisy chain will be
NS3 organ to Vent 2 to TC Electronic HOF 2.

I really like the Leslie sim but not the Reverb into it

Regards

silver surfer wrote:

brucie808 wrote:I’ve been trying to get on with the internal sim on the Electro 5 for a few months now. It’s fine on slow but on fast it really wasn’t cutting it for me. So I’ve now gone back to my Electro 2 with a Neo Mini Vent and I’m much happier. The sim is quite a bit better and it makes the organ sound much fatter. I think the Electro 5 will be up for sale soon.

Curious if you tried the close mic setting. I forget the name for the factory setting, but it is more of a distance. When I first got the Electro 5 I was disappointed in the Leslie Sim, but after research, several users recommended the close mic setting and bingo! I felt it was very close to the Vent.

Yeah I tried the close mic setting, still didn’t quite cut it for me. It just sounds very thin to me on fast compared to the Vent.