XK-5 Preset switch bug

[SteveDrawbars]

Hi all,
First post here. A couple of weeks ago I got a Hammond XK-5 plus its lower manual, and so far I am really loving it and not regretting a single penny, however expensive.

I have had a couple of times though a bug where, while quickly changing presets with the left most keys, I had the "overdrive/effects/reverb" level (randomly) popping up in the display, to disappear after less than a second.

The problem looks similar to what posted here, except much shorter in time, and in my case it is triggered by the preset keys.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155718291619299

I knew that there used to be a bug where quick preset changes would cause a note to hang. I am wondering if some issues are still there with respect to the preset keys.

On a side note, I have a 0.5 sec delay after I press the preset keys and the patch is actually recalled (default setting is 0 sec -- instantaneous). Not sure if that matters though.

Has anyone any experience with this? Could this point toward a hardware issue?

Thanks guys

 

[delaware dave]

There are only a handful of XK5 users in this forum; the couple that I know of are user names @Hansi, @Tom Liberatore and @Perilous. They may be able to help confirm whether this happens to them on their XK5 units. I would suggest you actually post this with the XK5 user group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1601822113456610/) where a community of XK5 users exist and might be able to help. Also, a call into Hammond support might help (although their response times are sketchy). The first thing anyone will ask you is if you have the latest firmware and software installed. The first thing that I would do is check to see if you do have the latest operating system loaded, if not you should update to the latest operating system.

Nice board, wish I had one. Just can't justify the cost to my wife just like she couldn't justify a $2K bowling ball to me ......

 

[delaware dave]

Hi all,
First post here. A couple of weeks ago I got a Hammond XK-5 plus its lower manual, and so far I am really loving it and not regretting a single penny, however expensive.

I have had a couple of times though a bug where, while quickly changing presets with the left most keys, I had the "overdrive/effects/reverb" level (randomly) popping up in the display, to disappear after less than a second.

The problem looks similar to what posted here, except much shorter in time, and in my case it is triggered by the preset keys.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155718291619299

I knew that there used to be a bug where quick preset changes would cause a note to hang. I am wondering if some issues are still there with respect to the preset keys.

On a side note, I have a 0.5 sec delay after I press the preset keys and the patch is actually recalled (default setting is 0 sec -- instantaneous). Not sure if that matters though.

Has anyone any experience with this? Could this point toward a hardware issue?

Thanks guys

There are only a handful of XK5 users in this forum; the couple that I know of are user names @Hansi, @Tom Liberatore and @Perilous. They may be able to help confirm whether this happens to them on their XK5 units. I would suggest you actually post this with the XK5 user group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1601822113456610/) where a community of XK5 users exist and might be able to help. Also, a call into Hammond support might help (although their response times are sketchy). The first thing anyone will ask you is if you have the latest firmware and software installed. The first thing that I would do is check to see if you do have the latest operating system loaded, if not you should update to the latest operating system.

Nice board, wish I had one but I just can't justify the cost to my wife just like she couldn't justify a $2K bowling ball to me ......

 

[SteveDrawbars]

Thanks for your reply!
Yes I sent the join request to that group a week ago and it's still pending. Not sure if they don't trust the fact that I created a FB account with the purpose to join (no photos, etc.) or simply they are not checking often for new subscribers.

Calling Hammond Suzuki did cross my mind but I figured that I would get more extensive feedback on forums. Sadly, as you notice, this is a very niche instrument and there are only a handful users around. If the users you mentioned want to jump in, I'd be thankful to know their feedback.

The problem is that this glitch isn't easy to reproduce. I have been playing for 2 hours now constantly editing menus and jumping between presets, and the problems hasn't shown up...

On a side note the XK-5, despite being probably overpriced, is indeed a very beautiful clonewheel. The degree of customisability is beyond belief... you can set which drawbar to sound on which contact, in which order, with how much click and bounce, both on attack and release... for every single key differently! I find this incredible and I am still amazed at how subtle the changes are, you can literally make your unique organ given enough time and patience.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the XK-5 runs the latest 3.3 firmware. The strange thing is, Hammond.eu lists 3.3 as the latest, while the American website says the 3.1 is the latest... I am wondering if it's a matter of "authorized" versions or something...

 

[Perilous]

Hello hello! I got your message in a bottle!

My XK-5 is on Release3.2, Main 1.482,
I have never switched presets like this using the rotary knob next to the display. I didn't even know that's possible. I just tried it now and in the middle of scrolling through presets, the Drive amount bar did show up briefly. I think I can safely report: yes this happens on mine, too. However, it does look like the Drive bar interrupts the scrolling a bit more persistently in your order compared to my quick test.

(I've also had a problem that forced me to factory reset. All the drawbar groups stopped working except Lower A# which took control over all Upper & Lower drawbars simultaneously. A bit freaky. Other than the fourth drawbar of Upper A# not working at all, I'd say my Hammond is working pretty good! The only other organ I'd consider is the Cruamr Mojo Classic because of the form factor ((I don't use presets or the preset keys)) but at the same time I enjoy the extra length of the XK-5 because there's enough space on top for a slim Digitone Keys + Roland SE-02--but not quite enough surface area for the essential Ext Box)

 

[SteveDrawbars]

Hi Perilous, and thanks for your reply! It's not common to hear from other first hand users of the XK-5, so it's nice to have some feedback.

I have never switched presets like this using the rotary knob next to the display. I didn't even know that's possible. I just tried it now and in the middle of scrolling through presets, the Drive amount bar did show up briefly. I think I can safely report: yes this happens on mine, too. However, it does look like the Drive bar interrupts the scrolling a bit more persistently in your order compared to my quick test.

Ha! I see... so indeed it seems there is a problem that makes that popup appear. By the way that video I posted isn't mine, I found it on a Facebook group about the XK-5. I haven't been able to catch this glitch on camera because in my case it happens so scarcely that I can't foresee it coming. Simply scrolling through presets like that has never made it pop up in my case (so far); rather, I was changing presets with the reverse-coloured keys -- but again, yesterday I menu-dived for three hours without it ever appearing.

In my case too, as you report, the popup appears very briefly and goes away without stopping the sound, or whatever it is that I'm doing. Actually, now I'm beginning to wonder that this bug isn't so much triggered by the scrolling itself, but rather by some parameters that are active in specific patches, that occasionally make the popup appear upon patch loading.

In that video above, the popup seems to appear over the patches "U:80 Soloist" and "F:01 Jimmy 2". I am wondering if there is some parameters active in those patches, in common between them, that occasionally make the popup appear upon loading. I'm curious to check that out.

So far I'm glad I had some feedback anyway! Thanks

 

[SteveDrawbars]

For a month or so my XK-5 never showed that pop issue even once. Since yesterday evening, it has done it like 10 times in two hours. I am really getting mad as to understand which is the cause exactly. All I know is that I had done a lot of heavy editing within the menu.

I am still totally clueless as to which pattern exactly triggers the issue.