Nord User Forum

[harmonizer]

The Stage 3 has pitch bend.

[anotherscott]

Given that you can get the Nord Stage 3 Compact for ~$3K if you call around, it's short money from the Electro 6 to the more fully featured unit. Something to consider ...

I believe we don't actually know what the E6 will cost. Related, the NS3C is available, the E6 is not. But depending on the time frame, it is a good point that, for a while, even after it ships, it may be harder to get some extra discount on the E6 than on the NS3C which will have been out for some time, reducing the effective price difference. Eventually, you'll probably be able to find/negotiate comparable price breaks for either (percentage-wise), if you're patient and/or good at that sort of thing.

[fieldflower]

Those that have started advertising it's arrival have the same suggested price on 6D's as on the 5D's.
They're lowering the actual 5D prices right now, but suggested price is the same.
So the stage really has to be good price if the NE6 is gonna come close (which can of course happen - and if so the Stage should be the better choice.)

[derrellpiper]

it's price vs. features, your choice. they're both great keyboards.

[anotherscott]

The Stage 3 is basically two Electro 6‘s, with an Extern section for each for controlling external devices via MIDI and a real, gorgeous Synthesizer in place of the Electro‘s sample player.

plus more than a single split point, and aftertouch, more effects controls, morphs, more flexible output routing, pitch stick, probably some other stuff...

Some other stuff, gleaned from more recent conversations (I still have not gotten my hands on an E6 myself)...

* Even if you don't need to split/layer more than one instance of each kind of sound (i.e. a piano, an organ, a synth/sample), the NS3 let's you split/two sounds with more functionality. Let's take a simple EP/organ split. You can do that on both boards. But on an E6, if you put EQ on the EP, you can't put a different EQ on the organ (you can do it on the NS3 by putting them in different slots). On the E6, if you put rotary overdrive on the organ, you can't put another amp/overdrive on the EP (on the NS3 again you can do this by putting them in different slots, but also you can even do it in the same slot, because the organ rotary overdrive on the NS3 is separate from the amp sim section).

* Stage 3's Song Mode is more capable than E6's Organize mode
...each song can have 5 selectable programs instead of 4 (and actually, in general, having 5 program select buttons is nicer than 4)
...each set of these programs has a name, not just a number (so there's no need to rename a program in order to know the name of the song you're calling up)
...you can globally change all instances of a sound, no matter what song they're in, instead of having to change them one by one
...with 400 song mode locations, you could have 400 5-patch Songs, and still have your 400 Program locations free for stored sounds including those that have not been made part of songs. On the E6, each 4-patch "song" (set of four sounds you want to keep together and be able to move as a unit) takes up 4 of your 416 Program locations. So instead of a maximum of 400 songs and 400 program locations, you have a maximum of 104 songs, and if you used all 104, you'd have no space left for any more program locations.

* In numeric pad mode, NS3 gives you 2-button access to 25 sounds at a time, NE6 is only 16 at a time

[everygrain]

Hi, thanks for all the information.

Please, is the Stage 3 Compact compatible with the music stand? I fear not, but could anybody please confirm? Thanks a lot!

[CountFosco]

Nope
https://www.nordkeyboards.com/products/ ... ccessories

[My Keys To Music]

What are the differences between the Stage 3 Compact and the Electro 6?

For those who like the video version of all this, I've put together a video if you haven't already seen it.

Watch on youtube.com

[harmonizer]

The Electro 6 lacks a pitch bend control.
The Stage 3 has a lot more flexibility with splits. Two examples of when this might matter: You can only use one piano engine at a time, and the AP and EP sounds both use the keyboard engine. So you can't split the Electo 6 and use a Nord-provided AP sound on one side and a Nord-provided EP sound on the other side at the same time. The same issue exists with trying to use two different samples on the two sides of the split, on an Electro 6.
The Stage 3 has 2GB for piano library memory, while the Electro 6 has only 1GB for piano library memory. This last point is probably not a big deal today, might might matter more in the future.

[themixtape]

Stage 3 is technically bi-timbral (the Stage 2 however, can have 6 parts on 6 different midi channels). Electro 6D is 3-part multitimbral. Synth section of the Stage 3 is the Nord Lead A1 synth engine (powerful). Synth/sample section of the Electro 6D is basic and limited. Stage 3 has 2GB for the Piano Library. Electro 6D only 1gb.

I just sold my Stage 3 HP 76. Not happy about the bi-timbral (Panel A / Panel B) thing. As much as I love the Nord Piano Library and especially the Uprights, my Sampletekk libraries (www.sampletekk.com) and other pianos I have for Kontakt are pretty great-sounding, and make me miss the Stage 3 a lot less.

Might pick up a 6D 61-key in the future.

My Behringer Deepmind 12 absolutely wipes the floor with the Stage 3's synth section. Again, makes me miss the Stage 3 a lot less.