Nord User Forum

[brianr19]

Hello I would like to know if the Nord Electro 3 HP has any advantages in specs or features over the new Nord Piano 2 other than the organ which I don't need and weight which doesn't matter to me.

[whitenoise]

You are absolutely right. The only advantages you may consider for NE3 over NP2 is lower weight and organ section. The rest is better on NP2: it has:
1. Split/Layer capability
2. LCD
3. Better keybed
4. The piano and sampler memory on NP2 is twice the memory of NE
5. Better set of effects
6. Nord triple pedal included

[whitenoise]

But it lacks many features comparing to NS2.
Here are some prices:
NS2 HA88 $4,199.00
NP2 $2,995.00
http://www.sweetwater.com/c506--Nord--Stage_Pianos

[daniel70]

No, the NE3 HP has indeed string resonance and long release features.

[whitenoise]

No, the NE3 HP has indeed string resonance and long release features.

I've corrected the list

[JacksonP]

Hi guys,

I have had Electro 3 HP at my class room for few days now. Its keyboard touch was surprise to me: much better than I thought. In fact I begin to feel that it's maybe even better than my NS2 (76) which I have at home. Yes, I know that NS2 is supposed to be better, but to my fingers HP feels more solid and more grandlike. Maybe my NS2 is loosened cause I have used it very much and it has traveled a lot, I don't know. Of course to be sure those two should be A/B-tested one after the other.

Now the downside of Electro 3 HP:

It's very unpractical to not have multitimbrality. You cannot play organ with external keyboard and same time piano with HP. Or you cannot put pad or strings under your piano. Or have some splits. To be honest, I don't fully understand what is the use for sample library cause you can just have one sound at the time. If you take flute for example then you can only play flute. HP kind of promises to be more like all-around keyboard but fails to to fulfill this promise.

Other thing to remember (compared to NP or NS2) is its much smaller memory. Just 185 MB's to pianos. You can have access to this great expanding Piano Library but soon you will find out that you cannot have them or you can just have one or very few of them in your HP.

Personally I have NP (1) and NS2. I like them both. NP is just piano and but good in this. NS2 has all the great components of Nord line. But I would not put my money to NP2 or E3 HP. Why? To me those models are too much compromised and too limited. Those extras they offer you aren't well thought.

At the moment I would
a) buy NP (1) with lower price and then maybe buy some module with the money you did spare with lower price (compared to NP2).
b) spare some more money to have NS2

...But of course this just my way of thinkin it...

[maurus]

The NE3 HP's decisive feature is its weight. I still find it surprising what I have in my 11kg package, great pianos (with a surprisingly nice action), a great organ, and samples if necessary. The downsides you mentioned are certainly there (wish I could load the XL samples!) but the monotimbrality doesn't bother me. I think it's a great instrument for what it is (portability!).

[anotherscott]

Yeah, not everyone needs multitimbrality, and there are lots of sound in the sample library that are really very useful all by themselves. Though if you don't need organ (and if you're buying a weighted board, you might not care so much about organ), the Nord Piano 2 would be nicer than the 3HP (or NP1) because you *can* split and layer the sounds, plus it has the extra memory. So then it would come down to dealing with the heavier weight (and higher price).

If you just need some multitimbral capability on a NE3FP, though, you could just get a small unweighted board, even a little Korg Microstation might do, and then you can have split/layer ability with the two via MIDI. And if you want some great Nord Sample LIbrary sound but still need to have some piano or organ going, you can "fall back" on the piano or organ patch in your secondary board for those occasions.

[rb4u1]

I find the lack of a Piano/strings patch from Nord bordering on the ridiculous. I find the samples to be excellent sounding but the lack of ability to manipulate them while playing is disturbing. A lot of the samples might benefit from a delayed vibrato which could be done with a joystick or automatically by a delay and vibrato working together. I think this would give the strings and Brass sounds more credibility along with some of the other sounds. If someone has suggestions on how to do this with an E3 I would be open to anything that might be feasible.

My ancient Yamaha P120 has piano/strings capability.

[anotherscott]

I find the lack of a Piano/strings patch from Nord bordering on the ridiculous. ... My ancient Yamaha P120 has piano/strings capability.

Lots of people do need that kind of layering. The Nord Piano is not designed for them, but I think it's smart that Nord is increasing the appeal by adding that to the NP2. But really there are also plenty of people who don't need that feature. Some people simply play nothing but piano. People who show up at a gig and play the upright or grand piano that's there don't care that it doesn't have layered strings, and they may only need a board to bring if the venue doesn't have a piano there, for example. Also, lots of people have 2 (or more) boards, and just may not need anything more than piano out of one of their boards. I guess my perspective is also influenced by my age. I was gigging in the days when if you wanted the sound of a Rhodes, you gigged with a Rhodes. A single sound out of a board was the norm! But yeah, the E3 and NP1 are not for everyone.