PRO-3 stuff

["Mark Longo" <longo@zk3.dec.com>]

        Hi folks,

        Al Goff, myself, and fellow list member Will Walker spend yesterday 
A/B testing the PRO-3 against A GOFF rebuilt/hot-rodded Leslie 122.  The 
results were very impressive.  I'll be writing up my impressions from the 
testing as well as a detailed review of the PRO-3 unit after I get to use it 
at next weekend's gigs.  Unfortunately work-related demands make it impossible 
for me to write much sooner than that.  This need to make a living is damned 
annoying at times.

        But here's a summary.

        We played a GOFF juiced-up C-3 through both a GOFF 122 and the PRO-3.  
The PRO-3's treble driver/rotor delivered performance so similar to the 122's 
treble driver/horn that only the most careful listening revealed any tonal 
difference at all.  I was surprised and impressed.

        We amplified the PRO-3's bass simulation using my keyboard rig, which 
is a CROWN PB-1 power amp (solid state) and a high grade JBL PA enclosure with 
an very high quality 12" speaker.  When A/B compared with the GOFF 122, the 
PRO-3 bass tonality was VERY close to the 122, though the 122's bass sounded a 
bit warmer than the PRO-3's.  We attributed this to the fact that the PRO-3 
was going into a 12" speaker vs the 122's 15", and also noted that the 122 
uses tubes while the CROWN is solid state.  In fast mode the PRO-3's bass 
rotor simulation throbs a little more than the 122, but the difference is not 
pronounced.  The 122 and PRO-3 bass rotor accel/decel times were virtually 
identical.

        When you kick the 122 into fast mode the treble acceleration doesn't 
begin for about 1/2 second or a bit more.  The delay is caused by the 
rise/engage time of the fast spindle.  In the PRO-3, the acceleration begins 
the instant you kick the fast switch.  If you don't measure the 122's 1/2 
second delay, the 122 and PRO-3's audible treble acceleration times match.  
When going from fast to slow the deceleration times were virtually the same.

        More on all this as time permits.

        Mark

=======================================================================
  Mark Longo                                    Digital Equipment Corp. 
  longo@zk3.dec.com                             Nashua, NH
  87 8300 020