Nord User Forum

[Happy]

I don't have much space in my room and I am looking for piano and organ sounds. The electro 3 and 4 series support the piano and sample libraries. The electro 2 was discontinued in 2009. Isn't it perhaps time for an Electro 4R (rack) ? I expected this for NAMM 2014 but it did not happen. Perhaps there are other folks wishing for such a product. This should not be hard to do and could possible be a 2U height version without the drawbars (e.g. use an extrnal midi controller) to save rack space. Any featurre suggestions, like Multi-timbral, more memory etc..?

[Happy]

Still no one interested in a new NE rack version ? Even without drawbars, so that you can more easily carry it around or use it in a studio and hook it up to any of your (other) favorite external keyboards?
What about more multi-timbrality. It looks like the the memory is still not up to Freescale's CPU maximum of 4GB.

[c0wfunk]

I had been looking for the ne rack 2 as a quick/cheap fix for my b3/ep/clav needs. Now that I have the NE4 I doubt I'd ever consider a rack version. The board has such an intuitive interface and everything is right there when you need it; I'd hate to be reaching for a rack now!

Case in point: last night I had the board out at an open improv jam and a couple people sat at it who had never met a Nord before.. they were able to find everything they needed without any trouble at all (once figuring out the organ/piano dichotomy).. I doubt the same would be true with a rack version + midi controller!

[RedLeo]

Not going to happen. In recent years the market has shifted drastically away from racks and they simply don't sell. Modern portable keyboards are so light that bringing a rack and controller to a gig no longer saves time, weight or space. The Electro is primarily intended for live performance. For studio use, I would imagine that the availability and convenience of software sample libraries pretty much means that there is no real place for a rack version here either.

But then again Nord is Nord... and I have learned the hard way never to predict what they will or won't do as they clearly live in their own space-time continuum...which has proven good for all of us.

[anotherscott]

I agree with c0wfunk, that the beauty of the Electro is the live "playability" of the front panel, which you'd lose on a rack; and RedLeo also makes a good point about the advances in computer-based sounds since the days of the E2 rack. Meaning that, really, if you don't care about the live performance interface of the Electro and just want quality sounds in a portable box, I think it would be hard to justify an Electro Rack over a Receptor or other software solution. (Because I think it's a safe bet that an E4 rack would not be a whole lot cheaper, either.) There would probably be some niche market for it, but unless they could basically pop out the Electro electronics and place them into a rack without having to change anything, I doubt it's worth their while... and since it looks like the Electro control panel is already wider than 19 inches, I don't think that's feasible,

[Happy]

Well, thanks a lot for the comments ! Understand these point of view from existing Electro owners and for live use. Just going to sit this out for half a year or so to see if Clavia is going to release something (or if they just could just straighout state that there is not going to be a rack version would makde decision making easier). Being not much a supporter to reserve money and CPU power for a software solution, there are at least 3 choices left: a. an Integra 7 b. an Integra7 and c. and Integra 7. A tough choice...

[neolithic]

...there are at least 3 choices left: a. an Integra 7 b. an Integra7 and c. and Integra 7. A tough choice...

I'd go with the integra if I were you! I cam close to buying one, but it was just too pricey at the time. It's a heck of a lot smaller than a jupiter and you get all those great supernatural sounds... I'd get a Nord as well

[anotherscott]

To add a wide range of sounds in a rack module, the choices would seem to be Roland Integra 7, Muse Receptor, or Yamaha Motif Rack XS. But if you want Yamaha sounds, the MOXF6 is mostly (though not entirely) better, and cheaper.

[Happy]

Haven't posted here for a while but got the I7 when it went down to 1499 (the local retailer stopped carrying it but it still is around). It has been here now for two years and It's a great box and don't regret it.