Nord User Forum

[kbrkr]

I tried the Roland FA-07 to see if it could tied me over until the NS3C shipped, and after a week I returned it. I thought it sounded awful. It sounded typical Roland packaged sounds; thin, no balls, no bottom end, and even the highs sounded muddy. I'm not a big fan of the Roland Sound engine. I'm sure the Jupiter series are fine, but the FA and VR series sound very similar.

[anotherscott]

I tried the Roland FA-07 to see if it could tied me over until the NS3C shipped, and after a week I returned it. I thought it sounded awful.

Did you load any of the expansions? I found they made a big difference, esp. for strings and brass. For organ, you'd need to use the Aux Out and hook up a Venilator (or, at lower cost, maybe a Lester K, which I haven't heard but have heard good things about). But yeah, I returned my FA-07 too. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, overall, I found the Kurzweil Artis7 to be better.

[Lee Batchelor]

Thanks for the input guys!

[kbrkr]

I tried the Roland FA-07 to see if it could tied me over until the NS3C shipped, and after a week I returned it. I thought it sounded awful.

Did you load any of the expansions? I found they made a big difference, esp. for strings and brass. For organ, you'd need to use the Aux Out and hook up a Venilator (or, at lower cost, maybe a Lester K, which I haven't heard but have heard good things about). But yeah, I returned my FA-07 too. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, overall, I found the Kurzweil Artis7 to be better.

No I did not. I think I went through all 1,000 sounds in the bugger and it just didn't inspire me. I didn't feel adding more sounds would help. It didn't have the Yamaha/Korg sound quality, IMHO. I don't want to offend any Roland fans. As a matter of fact, I loved their VK8M Drawbar module. I used that COSM modeled B3 module for many years and wish I still had it sometimes. That module had an amazing C1, C2, C3 Chorus!!!

[gdh2015]

I'm looking fwd to demoing the VR730 as I am looking for a 73 sw lightweight kybd for jam sessions. Don't really care about acoustic piano sounds as it will be the organ, brass, string with ability to combine patches and split the kybd that I need. Presently I haul a Fantom X6 with an EH Lester K. As an old B3 player the synth action keyboard just doesn't do it for me.

[Ronni James]

Don’t know about the new VR-730, since it’s not out there yet. But the previous models compared to Electro 5D. No competition in my opinion.
Previous Roland’s wins on price and perhaps to some extend featurewise on paper, if the synth section counts. But this new VR-730 is gonna be aaaaaalmost as expensive as the gorgeous swedish handbuild Nords.
Soundwise (to my ears and personal opinion) Nord takes it all. To me Roland pianos sound thin and static compared to the pianos found in Nords massive Piano Library.
The synth section in the Electro 5D has been upgradet with a velocityfilter and amp envelope, which finally makes the synth section of the Electro usefull. Still no pitch and modwheel. And I don’t think we’ll ever see that on the Electro. That would kill the Stage model, as the Electro 5D in several cases kills the Stage 2 (depending on how important the synth section is to you). Personally I only need the synth section to layers strings and pads under my pianos, and of course for the extensive and brilliant free Mellotron and Chamberlain librarys. Those librarys are very important to me.
IMO the synth section in the Electro 5D is perfect now. Rather than having a cut down onboard A1 as seen in the Stage 3, I prefer to have my complete A1 sitting on top of my Electro 5D. It has a better layout and I can layer up to four programs instead of only two.
In my opinion the C2D engine featured in the Electro 5D sounds better than anything else out there. Wherever I use my Electro 5D, studios or concerts, the reactions are like “Geeeesus that thing sound amazing”!
As for the interface, I feel the same about it as with the Nord Leads. It’s is extremely well thought out. 100% a live players instrument. Everything important is hands on, intuitiv and very easy accesible. And though my 73 key Electro 5D is made from wood and metal, it’s the most portable keyboard I’ve owned.
As a final detail but none the less important to some. The Nords hold their price on the secondhand market very well unlike the Roland’s. There’s good reasons for that

[Quai34]

Yes, anotherscott is a genius....He should be Canadian, like us....At least he deserves it....

[Coker]

The NE5D is compared to the VR-09 at

http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthread ... oland_VR_0

Most of that comparison still holds if you substitute VR-730 for VR-09, though obviously the VR-730 has more keys. The biggest difference in the comparison would be that the VR-730 is supposed to have a much better action than the VR-09 (and if it turns out to be the same or very similar to what was o the VR-700, it will probably be a better action than what's on the NE5D as well). Also, they have improved the organ/leslie sound itself in the VR-730 compared to the VR09, it is unknown how it will compare to the Nord in that respect. Other than that, the pros and cons of the two are pretty well discussed in that thread.

EDIT: You could also look at the Roland FA-07. It doesn't have the newest VR730 organ sound, nor presumably as good of an action, and doesn't give you the same kind of real-time drawbar control (unless maybe you own the discontinued Ocean Beach drawbar module), but in all other respects, it's probably better. So the choice might depend on just how organ-centric your usage is.

You state that the VR730 action will probably be better than what’s on the NE5D. Can you explain why? I’m considering both.

[anotherscott]

You state that the VR730 action will probably be better than what’s on the NE5D. Can you explain why? I’m considering both.

Yes, I said, "if {the VR730 action} turns out to be the same or very similar to what was on the VR-700, it will probably be a better action than what's on the NE5D as well" -- based on the fact that the VR700 has a particularly good action, one of the best organ actions I've seen in any board, and surprisingly decently playable for piano as well (as non hammer actions go). That said, I've since seen one report (unconfirmed) that the VR730 uses the same Fatar action that Nord uses in the NE5D (though Nord uses a more highly sprung version of that action than other companies generally do). Regardless, it does not appear to use the same action as the VR-700. So I think we need to get reports of people who have actually played the VR730 and the NE5D. Of course, best if you can try then both for yourself, as these things are always somewhat subjective anyway!

[rvdh190]

Hello,
I play in a heavy bluesrock combo (genre Mountain, Walter Trout, ...). I used to play NE 3 73 (having had a A100 a long time ago). Great organ sound, piano's not exactly my taste for the music I play, but very good samples. Great samples for other instruments. Yet no layering, no splitting between two different instruments. And a keybed that I started to hate, especially for organ. I sold it after thre years of great services. I ended up with a Hammond XKC-1 which really is a sweet, growling or screaming organ that can be modelled to everyone's taste. For other sounds I tried different brands and keyboards (Roland FA-06, good sounds but something very wrong with the size of the keys; Kurzweil Forte 7, marvellous sound, best weighted keybed I have played so far, many on board controls - some menu dviving for advanced used, but the 17kg + bag with carters is too much schlepp). So now my setup is Hammond XK-1c + Roland VR-730 played through a KC990. The VR-730 has a fantastic keybed both for organ and everything else, superb sounds that cut through the mix and it also has a compressor knob. And it layers, splits and all controls that you need during a gig are under your fingers where they should be. The Nord Lead might be a nice addition, I will look into that in the coming months.