Nord User Forum

[organut]

Yesterday night I hooked up a Studiologic Numa Nano masterkeyboard to my NS2 73. I couldn't believe what a difference this made to the pianosounds in the NS2! The pianosounds do not only FEEL better with the Numa Nano, they SOUND much much better. All of the sudden there is much more color and nuance even if played through the very same amplification system. I would describe the sound as warmer, less constrained, much more open, much less tiny or boxy. You can HEAR it. How ist this possible?

Before the Numa Nano I used a Fatar Studio 1176 and a Doepfer LMK2+ together with my NS2 73. Both are also nice weighted keyboards for pianosounds. But these two did NOT make the described difference in SOUND. BTW the Numa Nano has the very same Fatar keyboard inside like the Numa Piano. Maybe the Nord Piano samples are exactly optimized for the Fatar TP100 keyboard action?

[maxpiano]

Simply, any good (but really good) weighted master keyboard can enhance your experince in playing NS piano . I had the same sensations as yours when I used to pilot my NS Compact with the (excellent!) keyboard of my Roland FP7.

I could no longer play Pianos in a satisfactory way on the SW 73...

Then.... I decided to sell both and buy me a NS2, but that's another story

[Gustavo]

I agree, totally.

I have a NS2 SW and recently i tried out the NS2 88 and may I say that it was a wholy different world in pianos. They sounded so much better.

Plus that Numa´s keybed is equal or better to that on the NS2 88. Which means that it could prove to be one of the best keybeds to choose for any piano sound.

[guiliguilix]

Can anyone help me for finding different 76 keys hammer keyboard ?
The doepfer is too expensive, and I don't want the studiologic vmk 176 because I don't need so much faders.
Thanx

[mjbrands]

I think most of them will have faders and such, since they're meant as MIDI controllers. A Studiologic Numa (there are several versions) might be an option, but they're 88 keys and maybe too expensive for you.

M-audio (don't like their stuff), Akai and Kurzweil have some decent fully weighter 88 key stuff, but not 76 (or even 73). The Korg SV1 (stage piano, probably to expensive) or a used Korg M3-73 (just the keybed without the module) might be an option.

If 88 keys is an option, there are suddenly much more possibilities, such as the M-Audio ProKeys Sono (around 250 euro), Studiologic Numa Compact (around 375 euro) or the Yamaha P-95 B (or even a 2nd hand P80). Still, that Studiologic VMK 176 is probably not a bad option, even though you don't need/want the faders.

[Tarkus697]

Kurzweil made a unit called the PC1-SE that had a 76-note weighted keyboard. You should be able to find them semi-inexpensively on eBay, if at all. I vaguely remember that it wasn't around for long.

[anotherscott]

or a used Korg M3-73 (just the keybed without the module) might be an option.

If I remember correctly, the keybed doesn't work without the module. It has a proprietary connector the module, which in turn has the MIDI connectors.

[whitenoise]

Does anybody use NS2 73 with Studiologic VMK 176 here? How does it act in terms of velocity?

[mjbrands]

Does anybody use NS2 73 with Studiologic VMK 176 here? How does it act in terms of velocity?

Can't answer this for you, but be aware that you can't configure a custom velocity curve on this controller. If I'm not mistaken you can select between three different ones in the piano section of the NS2, but a) I don't know if this applies to both the built-in as well as an external keybed and b) it only applies to the pianos. While the keys on the VMK are excellent, the knobs feel pretty cheap.

Something like the Studiologic Numa does have custom velocity curves (which you can set up by playing a short melody in their YouPlay mode) and does do splits. However, it is quite a bit more expensive and is only available in 88 keys. I think the Numa Nano has pretty much the same keybed as the Electro 3 HP (lighter touch than the NS2), while the other Numa's have a keybed like the NS2, but with a bit more weight to them.

This thread has some more info about MIDI keyboards for the NS2: nord-stage-forum-f3/midi-board-to-use-with-ns2-t956-10.html

[whitenoise]

Thanks mjbrands. I'm currently using Kurzweil SP2X as a weighted controller for my NS2 SW73. I like the action. It's the same keybed Fatar TP/40 as NS2 HA76/88. Studiologic VMK 176 should have the same keybed. 88 keys controller is hard to fit into my car. So I'd rather get 76 keys one. Lack of velocity curve choice on Studiologic VMK 176 could be an issue. And you right that's possible only in NS piano section. I just wanted to get advise from someone that already have tried both NS2 HA76/88 and Studiologic VMK 176/188.