Nord User Forum

Hello, Nord enthusiasts!

I am planning to purchase the Nord keyboard to use for music recording and performing.
Before I make the big investment I wanted to get some advice from those more knowledgable here..

Could anyone compare the major differences between the Nord Stage Compact 1, (and Stage Revision B would be appreciated), and the Nord Electro 5D.
I think I can manage with the less keys (61), the internal system and sounds are more important to me.

My main goal is to have great piano sounds for recording, singing-songwriting, and worship gigging.

Thank you so much!!

Main NE5D advantages:
...Organ: NE5D has better tonewheel organ and rotary sound, and real drawbars, plus a pipe organ option
...Piano: NE5D can load more and larger piano sample sets, and adds string resonances and long release options
...Samples (non organ-piano instruments, like sampled strings and brass, other vintage keyboards like mellotrons, and the ability to load your own samples): NE5D has them, NS1 does not.
...Misc: more informative display, sweepable mid on the EQ, ability to store sets of 4-related sounds to quickly redefine the patch select buttons

Main NS1 advantages:
...has a full built-in "virtual analog" synthesizer, NE5D has almost no synthesizer functions (basically just a minimal 2-knob ADSR control you can apply to samples)
...ability to split/layer 3 sounds, with up to two each of the piano, organ, and synth sounds (the NE5D only allows you to split/layer two sounds, up to one each of the piano, organ, and sampled sounds)
...more real-time expressive controls via pitch stick, mod wheel, aftertouch, and more control options for pedal ("morphing")
...ability to include/control external MIDI sound sources in your patches
...Misc: more effects controls (i.e. variable amount knobs), clavinet EQ buttons, 8 instant patch select buttons (vs. 4)

In short, NS1 is better as a synthesizer and MIDI controller, with some decent piano and organ sounds as a bonus. NE5D has very minimal synthesizer and MIDI controller functionality, but is much better for piano and organ, and adds all the sampled instrument functionality as well.

ETA: Since your "main goal is to have great piano sounds for recording, singing-songwriting, and worship gigging", all else being equal, the NE5D would be the way to go, as it has better piano sounds, plus the pipe organ might come in useful for worship (and the B3-style organ sounds better as well). The primary NS1 advantages of synthesizer and MIDI functionality wouldn't seem to be of nearly as much use to you. For your purposes, if you end up needing any kind of non-piano/organ sounds, you'll probably find more of use out of samples than you would out of a synthesizer. 61 keys is kind of restrictive for piano playing, though, so make sure you're okay with that before deciding on that rather than the 73 key version of the NE5D.

Thank you, anotherscott! Super helpful.

To the point as usual, @anotherscott.

Just wanted to add that the difference between the models is not just in the number of keys but also whether they are weighed or not. If you mainly play piano, maybe the 5HP would be a better fit, since it has weighed (hammer action) keys. I for one strongly prefer playing piano parts on weighted keys -- although I've been using my NE3 (with waterfall keys) in a pinch when I really want to go light by bike sunday morning with the piano on my back

baekgaard makes a good point. I was comparing the NS1-73 to the NE5D61, which have similar actions, but while you said you thought you could get by with the fewer keys of the NE5D, you didn't specifically say how many keys were in the NS1 under consideration. If you were comparing the NE5D-61 to a 76 or 88 key version of the NS1, the NS1 would have the advantage of, not just more keys, but a much better feeling action to play piano from. If your primary use is piano, that could tilt the equation more in the NS1's direction, if you find its pianos to be good sounding enough for your purposes (and it's not bad by any means). While the NE5D supports the bigger piano sample sets, long release, and string resonances, if it came down to it, I might well prefer playing a 76 or 88 key NS1 with my single favorite "best-piano-that-will-fit" rather than have the greater variety and bigger sample sets of the NE5D pianos if it meant playing them from the 61's action.

There is also the option of attaching a weighted action board to the NE5D-61, and using the weighted action to play its piano while using the NE5D's own action to play organ and other sounds, which is a great way to go if you have the budget for another board and the space to set up the two boards. There are some pretty well-priced hammer action boards you can use for his, like the Kawai ES-110 or Casio PX-360. And lots more if you look at used stuff. Just be sure that whatever you get has a 5-pin MIDI Out connector.