Hammond SKX Review

This pro-grade instrument by Hammond is a stunning pro dual organ and keyboard…and it is more than we ever could have asked for! From the intuitive yet maximalist setup (with loads of sliders), realistic organ tones, and addition of mono synths and piano sounds, the capabilities and versatility of the Hammond SKX are astounding. 

While we wish that the instrument came in an 88-key version, you just can’t beat the portability and convenience of this 61-key. 

And, as Hammond says (about their own creators)…

 “There are many imitators, but none surpass the fruit of their genius minds.” –Hammond 

As a whole, the instrument caters extremely well to its intended audience- professional organ players who may also need access to high-quality synthesizers and piano tones.

Hammond SKX: Overview

The Hammond SKX Pro is a dual-manual instrument. This particular model took much inspiration from earlier instruments in the ‘SK’ line. The SKX has not just organ and piano tones, but synth capabilities as well. 

Here’s an overview of the instrument according to the manufacturer and Amazon…

“The Portable Dual-manual Hammond for the Organ-focused Keyboardist. The name Hammond commands respect. It’s synonymous with the classic tonewheel organs such as the B3 that played an outsized role in the music revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. In the digital era, Hammond assumed a leadership role in developing cutting-edge “conewheel” organs that deliver those legendary organ sounds, along with all the other essential keyboard instruments you need for any gig or recording session.

 The SKX Pro is a portable dual-manual instrument that represents the latest generation of organ-focused, do-it-all keyboards from Hammond. Loaded with higher-resolution samples than previous SKX series instruments and equipped with four robust sound engines that can be deployed individually or in any combination, the Hammond SKX Pro ups the ante for breathtaking sonic realism, definitive drawbar organs…

 As a genuine Hammond, the SKX Pro is, of course, going to have state-of-the-art features and be…authentic!

 -Amazon/Hammond/ Gear Nuts (edited) 

A Bit About Hammond Organs

The Hammond organ was first invented in the 1930s. Afterwards, the Leslie was invented by Donald Leslie (HammondorganCo). This combination resulted in the most well-known organ company- hands down. Hammond is synonymous with the word quality. 

Hammond currently sells pedalboards, organ accessories, consoles, Leslies (and Leslie pedals), and of course, portable electronic keyboards/organs like this one. The SK-pro set of keyboards was first released in 2021- and the SK’s have been extremely popular amongst organists ever since! 

Features

3 Engines, 1 Instrument

This Hammond doesn’t just have organ, piano, and synth tones- it actually has 3 total sound engines. Each category can be found in the middle of the keyboard, making it easy to find the sound you need quickly. 

A Beautiful and Intuitive Onboard Setup

With the above-being said-Let’s take a moment to appreciate this beautiful layout. This Hammond might not be minimalist, but it is laid out thoughtfully. 

On the left side of the instrument, there are sliders for the upper, lower, and pedal drawbars. On the very far left there’s a pitch bend wheel. Above the player’s left side, the other controls on you can see include the three sections: Piano, ensemble, and organ. Smack dab in the center of the keyboard is the LED (of course) and underneath it, a section for favorites so that you can save the sounds you use most often. 

The right side of the instrument is devoted to the synthy side of things. At the top you can see Mono synth, and underneath it, things like portamento and knobs. Beneath that, there are 10 sliders, which help players to adjust things like pitch, amplitude, and attack. 

Digital Leslie  

A Leslie is an amplifier and loudspeaker- combined into one, with a rotating baffle chamber inside. One of the most well-known musicians who used a Leslie is John Lennon of the Beatles- he ran his vocals through this interesting musical contraption. 

Virtual Tone Wheel 

Virtual tone wheels are a key part of organs of modern times. They allow players to recreate the effect of the original tone wheel- maintaining these classic, vintage sounds inside of a portable chassis that you can plug in. 

Onboard Mono Synth 

Many players who own the Hammd SKX adore the fact that the instrument has a mono synth. A mono or monophonic synthesizer is a synth that plays one note at a time. While others say…”But who would want that?!” you might be surprised. Monophonic synths are designed totally different than polyphonic ones. They’re usually thought of as easy to place in songs/mixes, and tend to sound more lush and big. 

Wave Composition System

The inclusion of the Wave Composition System means that there are transistor combo organ voices inside. 

More On the Piano and Ensemble Sections

Let’s circle back to the sound engines, and talk some more about specific voices. In the piano section, the European concert grand is particularly impressive. In the ensemble section of the SKX, you’ll find sounds like strings, choirs, percussion, reeds, and brass.

Other Hammond SKX Features

• Mod wheel
• Seamless transition (between tones)
• A bevy of digital effect
• Dual manual keyboard
• Layer, Octave, and transpose 

Apart from the pitch wheel on the left, there is also a mod wheel- and the capability to transition between tones without any sonic ‘hiccup’. There are (needless to say) a very of effects onboard, which include: OverDrive, Tremolo, Auto Pan, Wah-Wah, Ring Modulator, Phaser, Flanger, Chorus, Delay, and Reverb. 

Dual Manual- What Is It?! 

In this section, I also thought I’d mention exactly what a dual manual keyboard is. In organ-speak, a ‘manual’ keyboard is the keyboard you play with your hands (as opposed to the keyboard you play with your fingers). This Hammond has two keyboards stacked on top of one another, hence the title ‘dual manual’.

Specifications

• Weight: Aprox. 37 pounds
• Dimensions: 
• 47.2 x 23.6 x 10.8 inches 

Who is it suitable for?

The Hammond SKX is best suited for those who are looking for an organ/keyboard that has excellent synth and piano sounds as well. This instrument does not offer as much versatility as say, a stage piano, but it still is versatile. It’s not the best fit for those who are going to be mainly playing piano, but it is a great choice for organ players who are often on the go, and who also may need the occasional ensemble/orchestral or piano tones every now and then.

The Hammond in Action

This demo of the SKX by Bonners will show you a bit more about the instrument.

Buyer Reviews

This Hammond does not have any ratings on Amazon.com, so we looked to forums and Sweetwater reviews to get you a second opinion- or ten! 

In general, buyers were impressed by the performance and capabilities of the instrument- with some stating that it was ‘The best portable Hammond yet” (Sweetwater.com.) While some buyers found they needed to do some tweaking to get the sound where they wanted it (and that the chassis was quite complex!) overall it was received well.

Positive buyer remarks: 

• Exceptional performance (Sweetwater)
• Covers my needs and wants (SW)
• The best portable Hammond yet (SW)
• Sounds amazing live! (music forum) 

Critical buyer comments:

• Requires some tweaking (SW)
• The interface is complicated (Forum) 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• It boasts a malleable range of sounds and features (it’s very versatile!)
• Loads of controls (could be a pro or con depending on your preferences, but I love maximalist keyboard instruments personally)
• A plethora of drawbars 
• Includes orchestral instruments
• It’s surprisingly light and portable
• It’s an organ that doubles as a piano 
• Available in 3 colors- black, grey and white
• The display is bright and large- making it easy for farsighted musicians like me to navigate! 
• 200 total combinations on the instrument
• Excels at being a portable, high-quality organ 
• You can attach a real Leslie to it as well (doing this disables the digital/virtual Leslie onboard) 

Cons

• It is small (and the price is quite high given that it only has 61 keys)
• No single button for FX (some players prefer buttons for FX rather than looking through the menus on the screen) 
• Not as good of a synth instrument as the Roland Phantom
• By extension, it isn’t as versatile as most stage pianos 
• The onboard buttons/ navigate may feel a bit complex/daunting- especially for hobbyists

Again I wanted to bring up the fact that it doesn’t have the full 88 key keybed, 

And when you compare this Hammond to a stage piano, you’ll soon realize that it lacks versatility…But perhaps that wasn’t the maker’s point! Anyways, if you aren’t going to be playing organ tones most of the time, it’s best to get a stage instead. 

Comparable Instruments

• Nords (Stage 3 compact, for example) 
• Other Hammonds – like the SKX Pro
• Roland, Crumar, Yamaha 
• Hohner Pianet N

Some musicians much prefer a Nord (an electric piano/workstation with organ tones inside of it) rather than the opposite (an organ with piano tones inside of it). This is likely why Nord pianos are often compared to this model of Hammond.

The Hammond XK-4 and 5 are comparable organ/keyboard instruments that are a bit more economical. At about $2,500 and 10 less pounds than the SKX, it’s a good option as well. 

The M-solo is another, slightly smaller organ by Hammond worth considering if you’re on a smaller budget. It also has a Leslie inside. 

The Roland Phantom-0 is renowned for its virtual tone wheel onboard, making it a stiff competitor for this portable Hammond- and one at a considerably lower price. 

One verified Sweetwater buyer (who was extremely disappointed with this Hammond) suggested using Keyscape instead, which is a set of high-quality virtual instruments. Whether Keyscape of the Hammond SKX is better for you would depend on whether you want to play the instrument or not. For studio owners/ folks who are only producers, I could see using this pack. However it (obviously) won’t give you the satisfaction of playing, such as physically playing a Bach fugue on an organ. Another instrument that is sometimes compared to this one is the Hohner Pianet, which you can check out used online (This is the metal-sounding organ the Bealtes sometimes used).

Quick View 

SKX: Conclusion

Thanks for reading until the end of our Hammond SKX pro dual review. In conclusion, the SKX is a stunning tool for the modern organist to have by their side. The price is steep, but Hammond knows its niche audience well- and with the SKX pro? They certainly delivered.

Music quote of the week: 

“My past (and sometimes my present) struggles offer plenty of feelings to mine for my songs. At the same time, I don’t want to dwell in sadness or anxiety for the sake of my music. What I’ve come to accept is that great art doesn’t come from wallowing in the negativity nor from attaining some mythical tranquility. The best art, for me anyway, arises from the PURSUIT of happiness. It’s a difficult balance between the sadness and anger of my past and the struggle to live a happier life.”

― Ronnie Radke, I Can Explain

References

Hammond Organ Co 

9.5Expert Score

This pro-grade instrument by Hammond is a stunning pro dual organ and keyboard…and it is more than we ever could have asked for! From the intuitive yet maximalist setup (with loads of sliders), realistic organ tones, and addition of mono synths and piano sounds, the capabilities and versatility of the Hammond SKX are astounding. While we wish that the instrument came in an 88-key version, you just can’t beat the portability and convenience of this 61-key. And, as Hammond says (about their own creators)...  “There are many imitators, but none surpass the fruit of their genius minds.” -Hammond  As a whole, the instrument caters extremely well to its intended audience- professional organ players who may also need access to high-quality synthesizers and piano tones.

PROS

• It boasts a malleable range of sounds and features (it’s very versatile!)
• Loads of controls (could be a pro or con depending on your preferences, but I love maximalist keyboard instruments personally)
• A plethora of drawbars
• Includes orchestral instruments
• It’s surprisingly light and portable
• It’s an organ that doubles as a piano
• Available in 3 colors- black, grey and white
• The display is bright and large- making it easy for farsighted musicians like me to navigate!
• 200 total combinations on the instrument
• Excels at being a portable, high-quality organ
• You can attach a real Leslie to it as well (doing this disables the digital/virtual Leslie onboard)

CONS

• It is small (and the price is quite high given that it only has 61 keys)
• No single button for FX (some players prefer buttons for FX rather than looking through the menus on the screen)
• Not as good of a synth instrument as the Roland Phantom
• By extension, it isn’t as versatile as most stage pianos
• The onboard buttons/ navigate may feel a bit complex/daunting- especially for hobbyists