Nord User Forum

Hey there,

I've finally made my move from a Korg Kronos 2 88 to a Nord Stage 2 88 EX for theatre/live work. I realised I was sacrificing MANY features for live performance, moving to the Nord, however, for me no pianos breathe and have as much realism in terms of body and character compared to the Nord (Piano 2 which I also use), and I just wasn't happy with the Kronos' sounds or inspired to make adjustments on the fly due to touch screens and complexity in a pressured last minute live choice... and I think that the lack of features compared to the Kronos, is simply made up with FANTASTIC sounds and quick editable parameters. For years I've been 'holding out' for a Stage 3 (or whatever it may be called) in hopes of the features coming over from something like the Kronos, but couldn't wait anymore, so thought I'd make do with the stage 2 ex in the meantime, so I'd just like to discuss how realistic my hopes are for future Nord Stages (Or even an UPDATE to the software for 2EX?)

For me in a live performance, the biggest thing currently missing:

SET LIST / SMOOTH SOUND TRANSISTIONS?
A way to quickly organise sounds and get to them, much like on the Kronos, but I'd imagine it would be done in the electro way, I feel pretty confident for that coming over if it's already been done by Nord? ... BUT what is the point in being able to organise all your sounds, and have such great sounds, if that sound is going to be abruptly CUT OFF as soon as you change sound, which surely more than 50% of people have to do in one song without a gap? .... What is the technology that's actually involved/needed to achieve smooth sound transitions? Why would they actively choose to NOT include something like this, in an instrument that's all about live playing? Will we ever see it come to a Nord do you think?

[b]MULTI-LAYER SAMPLE PLAYBACK?s[/b]
I'm not talking very in depth here like the power of the Kronos, or other workstations, but surely something a little more sophsitcated for user sample play-back would be appreciated by everyone? For expressive acoustic instrument passages etc. Just something like EXS24 sampler options. I know a lot of people complain about the memory of the Nord, which will surely just keep going up anyway, but when they manage to pack such good sounds (pianos etc) into small MB's, that doesn't really bother me... so if the reason we can't multi-layer is a space thing, then at least it could be down to the user to decide if they want to 'waste' that space with their multi-velocity samples for the sounds that might need it?

BETTER KEYBED/ACTION... or better velocity curve options?
It's such a shame that it's so difficult to play soft piano passages, when the samples have the ability to be soft and lovely, it's just not a natural way of playing piano on the 88 key version, I can live with it for now, but I'd really hope a better keybed/action comes out in the future. I haven't tried the Nord Piano 3, but again if they are doing it over there, surely they have the capability to bring it over to the Nord as an option? I'd think most people with an 88 key their main reason is for good piano feel, so they'd not be too offended that the Hammond doesn't play like a Hammond etc. But for now, why not just give Stage 2 EX users a software update with more velocity options, or even custom velocity curve!? I don't see why that should be a problem.

They are my main two things I wish to see added in, and to me anything else is a bonus. I see lots of very specific requests/hopes for a stage 3, things which are taking away from the Nord idea of simple on the fly etc. but these two things seem to be up there with very basic live performance features, in something that's all about live performance! .... Things like real drawbars don't bother me, because surely you'd be getting a waterfall key top board for doing 'proper' Hammond, and when you need to save sounds and change presets, having the lights is very handy, because drawbars aren't going to move by themselves to the correct position! So it makes sense to me.

I'd be very interested to see if people agree/disagree and how likely these things might be. But for me out of all the above Set List/Smooth Sound Transition is a MUST, I suppose I can live with everything else

Would love to hear other peoples hopes!!

All the best!

...fully agree...

Less sensitive velocity curves for playing piano on the 73 SW action would be top of the list for me.

Also:

• Allow the synth vibrato amount to be set much larger, and allow it to be set PER SOUND instead of globally. Or (or and), allow the LFO to modulate pitch.
• Spring reverb model. And maybe plate reverb, too. I'd be happy to give up some of the existing reverbs -- I've never seen why we need two each of room, stage, and hall...
• An analog and/or tape delay model as an option instead of the digital delay.

Improvements to borrow from the Electro line:

• Improved Leslie model.
• Suitcase Rhodes-style auto-pan.

Hardware improvements:

• My NS 2 EX has a fairly loud transformer hum, and it bugs the heck out of me. I would really like my next Nord to be quieter.
• Drawbars on the waterfall-key model would be great.
• A compact single sustain pedal that allowed half-pedaling and damper noise.

With all of that, I'd be pretty happy.

Agree with the pitch bend, suitcase auto pan. I like the synth EQ on the synth AS WELL AS the on board EQ. I had a minimoog D and by turning the bass up full, I can get a "fat saw" whilst having the on board EQ for something else, like a Rhodes.

The velocity curves are CRITICAL. I bought a really rubbish controller 61 note nasty thing and it had lots of different curves. One of them made the Rhodes play almost exactly like my old "real rhodes".

I think we'll see multilayer samples on the Stage 7. Nord have come way way way too far with the single layer stuff and as a result, the whole thing will be an enormous project. I think we're getting to the point of diminishing returns.

I'd like to see Nord release a 61 key "clavinet action" unweighted control keyboard to extend a Stage into something which can cope with 2 manual organ and clavinet/synth. Possibly with a set of brackets which work with the classic legs.