Stage 3 eta ?

[Drewa]

This has probably been asked a zillion times... but I'll ask again

Does anyone know when the Nord Stage 3 compact is due out ?

thankyou kindly

[Gustavo]

No one knows, but I'd keep my eyes open during the big trade shows NAMM and Messe. Most likely than not they will be introduced there.

Saludos,
Gustavo

[wjones]

Hi,

I found this information on a german coverband website, with some details of NS3 release at Namm 2015:

http://www.lecker-nudelsalat.de/nord-stage-3-2015/

I´m not shure if this is correct, or if they do this to generate more klicks
This is the original text, translated via google:

"After the Nord Stage EX the Nord Stage 2 came and now it will be so far back in December, then Clavia will announce that at the Namm Show 2015,
the Nord Stage 3 for the first time presented to the public. I can not and should not tell the source from which I got this information, I would jeopardize the work of a friend here.
I assure you, however, they are more than hot!

Most essential distinguishing feature, the Nord Stage 3 now has 3 slots.
However, this significant difference suggests to book with almost 700 Euro price list and thus beyond the Clavia 4Tausender brand.
Well, that makes Yamaha keyboards with plastic too, but for Clavia a mighty step up. The other new features are also more than useful, but this is the biggest differentiator.
Furthermore, samples can now be accessed via the piano section.Thus, it is the Nord Stage 3 possible to play on the piano section, a sample and the Synthsektion this to inferior example with a pad without using another slot for it.
Continue to be controlled by another button, the share for each instrument. But the fact remains, a Hall for everything.
Also, the compressor remains unchanged. Not quite sure is the information that sounds can be assigned to a certain velocity range now.
Some small additional changes there will be, but are not quite as much. The drawbars for the organ section, there is then, for example, in the Nord Stage.

As the new street price will look like is not yet known. The list price of the Nord Stage 3 with 88s keyboard should then from March 2015 - earliest delivery date - are Euro - in 4150.
He probably ends up in the store then for 3950, - Euro. Sounds like a lot, but is everything a keyboardist needs. As for the '73, it could be that this is no longer offered but version 3. Final decision but this is not."

Let´s see.......

[ak-birdy]

I wouldn't pay any attention to this, it sounds like a complete fantasy. Particularly, the idea of three slots seems unlikely as this implies that Nord would add a third Piano, Organ, Synth and Sample section to the Stage. I shudder to think how much that would cost even if it were feasible. As for claiming to have access to information about list prices and delivery dates: even if Nord were planning an addition to the Stage range, I doubt whether they would even know this themselves at this point.

There has been a huge expectation and assumption that there will be a "Stage 3". There is absolutely nothing anywhere to suggest that Nord will or will not produce such a keyboard.

Particularly, the hope is that such a keyboard would have a substantial increase in the amount of onboard flash Ram. I would like to point out that this memory is extremely expensive and to (say) double the amount of piano sample flash Ram would be astronomically expensive, probably to the point where even professionals would be unwilling to buy such a keyboard. Given that Nord continually increase the size and range of their downloadable piano sounds, I think people just need to accept that there will never be a Stage that can hold all the piano samples they would like.

Of course it's also true that Nord are a very unpredictable company - I was taken by surprise by the Lead 4 and the A1 - but there are some economic realities. Particularly, Nord can't risk pricing themselves out of the market, and a hypothetical Stage 3 with all the bells and whistles that people are hoping for could simply become too expensive to produce and sell in sufficient numbers.

My speculation is that no substantial increase in flash Ram is really possible economically, and they would have to look to other technologies (eg SSD) to do this, which would completely change the basic concept of their instruments - the idea of reliable onboard instant-access piano samples. Frankly, I don't see them doing this, it would completely invalidate their essential selling points of speed, reliablity, ease of use, and everything else that makes Nord individual.

Again, just my opinion, but they can't start veering their instruments toward the workstation market as they would simply be overwhelmed by the big Japanese companies. Nord need to keep the uniqueness and brand reputation of their instruments in order to survive and continue to grow.

But my speculation is no better or worse than anybody else's, and I would love them to prove me wrong. So, Nord, how about that Stage 3 with 3 slots, 3 sound engines, 2 Gigs of flash Ram, all for the princely sum of just over 4000 Euros? Pretty please, with cherries on top?

[analogika]

A stage with drawbars and three slots? Plus the option to play dry samples via the piano section a la Electro?

Sounds exactly like what Clavia would do - increasing options and functionality without changing the basic concept in the least.

If they drop the SW73, there is no point in drawbars. You can't play organ on a weighted keyboard, and a multi-timbral stage machine with 61 keys makes no sense at all.

[ericL]

I have been wondering if/when there will be a Stage 3. I suspect there will be one. I do love my NS2 and there's not much more for me to wish for other than real drawfaders (which would be a hardware cost addition).

Seeing how great the NS2 already is (other than memory limitation) I wonder if we may be hitting a point where it could be beneficial for Nord to produce a NS Lite or something along those lines. They could rationalize the knob matrix for the synth, perhaps more encoders with the LED surround vs. dedicated knobs to make for a crisper UI and perhaps keep the cost more competitive. Picture the same thing as a NS2, but slim down the number of real time knobs (primarily would apply to the synth section). Possibly trim out something else to save on cost (like maybe one of the piano engines) and then offer a higher-cost version that has the drawfaders.

[Gospelkeys]

I agree the NS2 is a great board - but there are some simple and obvious things Nord could for stage 3 that would make it even more killer. All of these improvements would be easy.

1) Update the organ and leslie sim to the one in the C4D and electro 4. This is a big improvement over the current NS2 organ engine.
2) Increase the sample memory and allow samples with multiple velocity layers. The fact they allow user sampling is great but velocity layers would make it much more userful. It would be easy to do this while keeping compatibilty with existing sample libraries.
3) Upgrade the synth engine to the one in the Lead A1. The synth engine in the NS2 is good but could use a makeover. The A1 sounds fantastic.

If they do those things I would buy it . Come on Nord your flagship needs an update.......

[ericL]

Yeah, updating the organ would be killer and seems like a no brainer. I also agree that the synth engine could use a makeover. Not sure Nord would bite on the sample section, as it dips closer to being a rompler - but I would not complain about it. All of this plus drawfaders would make a viable NS3.

[hughes]

All mentioned improvements are good, but only worth a Stage 2 EX.
Really innovative for a Stage 3 would be:
- Motor driven sliders for the drawbars, like in mixing consoles. After calling a sound from the memory you see immediately the position of the drawbars and can change it henceforward in a live situation.
- in the established piano section an additional slot with a physical modeled piano. Change of the parameters via external App like in the Waldorf Zarenbourg.

[Gospelkeys]

Well it's fun to speculate - but based on Nord's history their style is to make incremental upgrades to what they already have. Significant hardware changes aren't likley. Drawbars are the biggest thing they have done recently from a hardware perspective. Unless they surprise us and change their strategy I am expecting a series of incremental upgrade for the stage 3. Plus - the stage has always been a combination of tech they have in other boards. I don't think they have ever come out with anything new first in the stage. So it seems likely that they will update it to the latest regardless of what the call it. I wish they would let us know if they are planning something. I have been drooling over the Kurzweil Forte. The demos of that have sounded amazing.....