Nord User Forum

I'm very interested in details on this 2 tier double-column stand myself - especially how light it is when packed for gigging, and what form it takes when carried (does it pack nicely into a carry bag/case? can it be easily and quickly set up at the gig site, etc).

@23skidoo - here’s a video on how to set it up. Specs say it’s 6.9kg or 15.2lb.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dQi3faOkBhE

ajstan wrote:@solmaster, thanks for starting this thread. Timely for me. Chuck, thanks for the comparison with the single column. Good comments as always. I ordered the 2-tier double-column in red today. Supposed to arrive Friday. I’ll post an update after I’ve had a chance to try it out.

Looking forward to hearing all about it!
I know the 2 tier stand is only marginally more expensive, but I'm with Chuck on this-I mainly play seated, either accompanying a solo singer or as MD/keyboard in a musical theatre setting. In the 2 tier version the column is too high and would look odd in my situation and in the Stage 3 88 I have all the keyboard I need. A one-stop shop for me.
I know it's also pretty expensive, but I've been looking for a cool snazzy piano type stand for a while. Done the X-stands and table top stands to death over the years, plus having spent rather a lot of money on the Nord, would like it to look as good as it sounds!

I agree, the single tier stand looks great. If I was going to continue to play just the NS3-88 seated, I would stick with the Nord legs since I already have them. They are rock solid. I love the minimalist look and everything fits in the Nord roller bag - even the music stand, which I don’t use at gigs anymore. Of course the whole bag weighs 70lbs - easy to roll, but a pain to carry up and down stairs. It’s great to have options.

Here are my initial impressions of the Stay Music Piano 1200/02. I'll post more after I try it out on a gig:
http://www.staymusicstands.com/products ... /120002-2/

Positives
- Looks great. Color and finish match the Nord well although the Stay has a shiny finish and the Nord is matte finish. Plastic parts feel substantial.
- Seems like it can handle some serious weight.
- Assembled quickly and easily. Snap in the legs and set the arms in-place. If you have the tier heights already set, it's less than a 30-second setup.
- I can leave the brackets for the Nord legs on my NS3-88. The arms on the Stay don't interfere.
- Cable management is awesome. The clamp that hold the arms has a half-ellipse hole near the column and the columns are concave so cables are completely hidden from audience.
- Plenty of room for pedals. Not as much as a table stand or Nord legs, but more than an X stand, the K&M 18880, or my old Standtastic stand.

Neutral
- Bag is not padded. Has separate compartments for the feet and the arms. Column fits in the middle. Seems like the column would get damaged if I drop the bag or drop something on it.
- From online pictures, I thought the column would be perpendicular to the floor. It's actually angled back slightly, but not nearly as much as an Apex column.
- The upper tier has a non-adjustable 10-degree slope. As a plus, it has two placement options for the arms - narrow or wide depending upon the board you are going to use.
- Due to the design, you can set two keyboards close vertically, but there is not enough of a setback horizontally to allow you to see the controls of the bottom tier board.
- IMO, it would be fine aesthetically for seated playing in a band setting facing sideways or at an angle, but not with a single board in a cocktail music setting.

Wish List / Issues
- No ability to level the stand to account of uneven/sloped floors.
- It takes some work to get both tiers level. A bit of a challenge for the OCD affected.
- Because it's two columns, there is some twist when playing. I have it set up on carpet, which might be a contributing factor, but will try it on a hard flooring later.
- I'd like the option for shorter arms for the upper tier as well as an option for flat/no angle on the second tier.
- I don't have quite enough room to set my NS3 high enough to play standing and fit the Juno-DS on top without limiting access to the Nord controls and display. I'm just using a single tier for now so it's not an issue yet.

EDIT: Here are some photos of the stand with my NS3 and DS61. The NS3 is a little more than 35" above the floor, and the tier for the DS61 is set as high as it can go.:

Thanks. I'll be doing the single-tier version of this before long. I've had my single-column, two-tier version for quite a while -- no dings despite the unpadded bag. I got arms of different lengths so I can have different setups. It's now my favorite stand.

Thanks for this ajstan. Your setup with the 2-Tier Stay stand looks great! Like Chuck I'll be splashing out on the single tier one very soon.

I once tried it in store and imho it is on par with K&M Spider. Absolutely an alternative! Of course it’s not as stable as a keyboard table like the K&M 18550 for example.

Had first gig with the 2-tier stand last night. I only used the lower tier with my NS3-88. The tier was about 35 1/8” off the ground and the top of my keys were at about 38 1/2” high. I left the bracket for the second tier on in case it was helpful for stability.

The good news was that it looked really nice on stage (bandmates loved it), the cable management was great, and I was able to find a good layout for my four pedals.

I was really disappointed at how bouncy the Stay stand was. I was on a solid stage, and while the stand feels strong and can hold a lot of weight, there is a high level of flex and twist. Also, I need to walk back a bit on my comments about the side-to-side sway of the K&M 18880. I think I had a skewed perspective of stability from using the Nord legs and my old StandTastic stand, which had virtually no movement at all. The 18880 is really solid in comparison.

Another issue is the setup. I thought that I wouldn’t mind snapping in two legs and two arms (which I don’t), but working with the bag and the zippers is irritating. In fact, when I came home, I just opened up the 18880 and set the NS3 on it instead of setting up the Stay.

I think I’m going to try a second tier with the 18880 to see how it works, but for now, the 18880 is my choice for everything but looks and cable management. I’m going to try the 18880 out as a single tier on my Friday gig this weekend, and the Stay again on Saturday, and will plan to post back with the results.

UPDATE: Well, I used the 18880 Friday night and liked it so much I wound up using it on Saturday too. I’m probably going to send the two-tier Stay back, but as noted in my follow-up post, my two-tier stand review shouldn’t be used to judge the single-tier version. Lots to like about the entire Stay series. Here’s a link to my review of the 18880 in case anyone is interested:

accessories-and-amplification-f8/k-m-keyboard-stand-t14350.html#p113464

Got my single tier, double column stand today. It's a beauty for single 88 gigs. Low, sleek, handsome and stable.

And red.

The package came with a custom gig bag. Everything is super-perfect. What a great product!