Nord User Forum

[That1Guy]

Greetings!
As a new NE6 owner and new to Nords all together, I am quite impressed with the vast selection of pianos available. Also, no other manufacturer has given the upright piano as much love as Nord. My last keyboard only had a sad excuse for a "honky-tonk".

Is there a particular time where an upright is better than a grand? How much do you really use uprights compared to grands?

I am just curious as I am trying out many different pianos as each has their own unique character. So far, Amber upright and the two studio grands have not left my board yet. I have yet to discover the rest of the uprights but was not impressed by the baby or bambino so far (maybe my ears have been too spoiled by artificial grands my whole life).

[analogika]

I'd never play a boogie piano on a grand, given the choices on a Nord.

But really: Gut impulse and, on covers, trying to match what's on the original.

[fieldflower]

Is there a particular time where an upright is better than a grand?

Yes, when it sounds better!

Not trying to be cheeky - I actually mean it.

[dhbp-nord]

"Yes, when it sounds better! "

This. There are no rules, only your own ears.

DH

[kirsty]

I'll echo the comments above in a different way lol

I personally dont have much love for most of the uprights. I find most of them much flatter and less exciting to play than most of the grand offerings and so rarely use them however if you are looking for a specific sound, then some of them really can hit the nail on the head. Amber is one of the newer editions and is a really good sample though that is a serious Grand contender

Also can make a difference where you intend to use it. Bright Grand (Yamaha S4) for example on its own wouldnt be one of my favourite sounds, its just too sharp and bright, but when you play with other musicians in a band it is one of the best samples for cutting through the mix.

Then there is our own personal tastes. I LOVE Studio Grand 1, but people here seem to prefer the Studio Grand 2 instead. I cant get into Velvet, but some here love it.

It really is simply down to your personal taste and what kind of sound you are seeking. Enjoy the vast selection and keep experimenting

K

[That1Guy]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I've tried baby upright again and it's kind of growing on me. Still don't like its lower register but overall neat sound. I still always go back to that 3D Grand and the two Studios however.

[baekgaard]

Some styles of music seem to favour using uprights, so in some cases I may pick an upright to fit the desired "mood" of the music. And people notice it; I've had some comment that they liked the use of an upright sound (most uprights I've played shared a certain character to the sound that is easy to discern).

But some of the upright samples -- in particular the Amber -- also works really well as a "normal" piano sound, especially if you play with a bass player or play a left-hand bass yourself on the keyboard. And it works really well also on less than stellar PA and monitors and is even quite reasonable even in mono.

So experiment, and try to use some (Amber, Baby, Grand) in cases you normally use a grand piano -- they may work surprisingly well

[criss]

My top two pianos: 1) Silver Grand (for band or alone); 2) Studio Grand 1 (alone)
And all the electric pianos.

[kirsty]

My top two pianos: 1) Silver Grand (for band or alone); 2) Studio Grand 1 (alone)
And all the electric pianos.

Yay someone else likes Studio 1 lol

[Rusty Mike]

I've mentioned this several times in this forum, but do not underestimate the uprights. They have a character and ability to blend that most of the grands cannot match.

In the past, I've used the following:
Grands: Studio 2, Grand Lady D (current go-to), Silver, Royal
Uprights: BlueSwede, Black, Queen, Amber (current go-to)

It's all in context - I play mostly jazz standards and big band, with some fusion. I strongly favor a warmer and "older" sound, and tend to avoid the pianos with cutting characteristics. The pianos listed above all can be EQ'd to blend very well with other traditional jazz instruments. In many cases, the Amber Upright is the perfect piano for me, but I will use the Grand Lady when I need a bolder effect. An XL version of the Grand Lady would be divine; between that and the Amber, I don't really need much more.

I use the Silver in the fusion group. It's very expressive and has more than enough cut for me. I like how it can mellow out with a soft touch.

The Black Upright is popular for blues players, with the BlueSwede and Queen running a close second.

Many of the uprights are high quality, and not some novelty "honky tonk" piano that a lot of competitors create. Many of them have strong midrange and treble ranges, but reduced bass, which helps them blend well in a band. And they just ooze with personality. None of them are perfect, and that is what's perfect about them.

Only Nord takes such an appreciative approach to giving us high quality upright samples.