Nord User Forum

[Michael Wright]

On Dec 16 I purchased a Nord C2. And, of course, 33 days later, Nord announces a new organ. When I saw the website teasers around Jan 10, my jaw hit the floor. You see, I saved up for over 18 months to afford the organ. I anguished over two things, no drawbars and no 122. Wouldn't you know it, the two major features in the C2D are drawbars and a 122. Ahhhhhhhhggggg!!!!!

I am convinced that I am the keyboard jinx. Just when I have saved up enough money to buy the latest piece of gear, a newer version when the features that thought were missing are then included in the new version. To get the C2 just right for me, I had to save up extra to get a Ventilator ($450) and some Ocean Beach Digital drawbars ($300).

I missed being able to return the organ to my dealer by 4 days. So, you'd think I'd be really pissed off...but I'm not. I look at it this way, First, I am extremely pleased with my C2 rig. It sounds like a dream to me. I have drawbars and a 122 so I'm good to go. Second, it makes me happy that Nord is continuing to invest in the organ to make it the best it can be. Keep on tweaking. Third, I believe this product was to dig into the SK* series from Suzuki. That means Nord is competitive, which means it will be around for a long time.

If you feel slighted because you recently purchased a C2, don't. Not only did you buy the best B organ out there, you made an smart investment in a company that will continue to make the products the best they can be. I have faith in Nord.

Take care all !!!!
Chris

PS - I live in the former Hammond factory in Chicagoland. How cool is that? I like to think that the Hammond spirits are sitting with me while I play.

[shark]

You got a great attitude, and that's way more useful in life than a set of physical drawbars and a 122.
Let the Hammond spirits guide you well.

[Michael Wright]

On Dec 16 I purchased a Nord C2. And, of course, 33 days later, Nord announces a new organ. When I saw the website teasers around Jan 10, my jaw hit the floor. You see, I saved up for over 18 months to afford the organ. I anguished over two things, no drawbars and no 122. Wouldn't you know it, the two major features in the C2D are drawbars and a 122. Ahhhhhhhhggggg!!!!!

I am convinced that I am the keyboard jinx. Just when I have saved up enough money to buy the latest piece of gear, a newer version when the features that thought were missing are then included in the new version. To get the C2 just right for me, I had to save up extra to get a Ventilator ($450) and some Ocean Beach Digital drawbars ($300).

I missed being able to return the organ to my dealer by 4 days. So, you'd think I'd be really pissed off...but I'm not. I look at it this way, First, I am extremely pleased with my C2 rig. It sounds like a dream to me. I have drawbars and a 122 so I'm good to go. Second, it makes me happy that Nord is continuing to invest in the organ to make it the best it can be. Keep on tweaking. Third, I believe this product was to dig into the SK* series from Suzuki. That means Nord is competitive, which means it will be around for a long time.

If you feel slighted because you recently purchased a C2, don't. Not only did you buy the best B organ out there, you made an smart investment in a company that will continue to make the products the best they can be. I have faith in Nord.

Take care all !!!!
Chris

PS - I live in the former Hammond factory in Chicagoland. How cool is that? I like to think that the Hammond spirits are sitting with me while I play.

Hi Chris
Companies will always bring out new and improved technology and if we are going to invest in it, change is inevitable. Some of us did indeed buy at an
unfortunate time, however all the future C2D owners will eventually face the same situation. Continually jumping on the new gear bandwagon is great fun, if you can afford it! I cannot. The C2 is a great instrument and if one views the investment as a tool, all tools have a expected lifespan, and then its on to the next one. I am not to worried about the Leslie sim as now I am saving up for a 3300 Cheers Mike

[Mooser]

bartley99, the exact same thing happened to me! I was king of the clones in my area for about a month and a half, and now the people who used to say "why didn't you buy an SK, XK, 2 x 3" (or whatever) just look at my rig sadly and say "Why didn't you wait and get the C2D? Now you're stuck with this draw-button dinosaur!"
So how does Nord do it? Well, I think I know! Haven't you noticed the unusual number of Volvos in your area lately? Yup, Nord and Volvo made a deal, and organ sensing devices are installed (ostensibly as safety equipment) in Volvos. (They adjust the braking if you carry a load over 375 pounds)
These sensor report back to Nord with the message:"Yup Mooser and ouananiche just purchased (by dint of raiding the children's piggy bank, purse-snatching, and a whole lot of missed meals) their C-2s! Release the new C2Dmodel !"
I tell you, ouananiche, we haven't got a chance with the forces of Swedish international corporatism arrayed against us! Neutrality, my left (pedal) foot. I deem it nothing less than international passive-agressiveness! Where I come from they have an ugly word for that, but I forget what it is at the moment. Damn it, now I've forgotten where I come from. But does Nord-Clavia care? Nooooo! Cold, I call it, and I shouldn't wonder. Winters are tough in Sweden. Just keep telling yourself "no one has ever gotten a finger sliced off by a digital tonewheel, or crushed between LED drawbuttons!" Hey, it does happen, and I have the scars to prove it. (I detailed some of the other health problems associated with drawbars in another thread, but generally speaking, if you can't go more than four measure without adjusting drawbars, call your physician immediately. BTW, the flat sections on either side of the brilliant and compact LED drawbuttons on a C2 is a good place to put your phone and answering machine. Try that with your C2D, chump!

[Mooser]

"I am not to worried about the Leslie sim as now I am saving up for a 3300 Cheers Mike"

Mike, help me out here, okay? Does a Leslie 3300 cost 2400, or does a Leslie 2400 cost 3300? With all those red Volvo's circling the block, I get mixed up.

[bdodds]

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum, I always buy nord products the day they're released, invariably spending hundreds of dollars more than they'll eventually cost in the sweet spot between release and replacement.. there's a place in there where it costs less and is cutting-edge a little longer, but darned if I'll find that place..

[robnuckels]

I bought my C2 the 1st of october. I was momentarily tempted to go for the c2o, but then reminded myself what i had told myself couple of months ago : ' at some point, one(me) has to elect to pick one out, & stick with it, if one(again, me) wishes to get on with the music . If i only played at home, i would probably be satisfied with a Roland V88 (which i played in a store one time, before i got the nord) or a Korg BX3 (only if i could figure out how to add a midi pedalboard) or even a Viscount OB5 ( or Oberheim db5) . The fact, for me, is this : having owned 5 different clonewheels in the past year that HAD drawbars, the C2 is light years beyond any of them (Voce v3, v5, micro b, Ob3 squared, viscount op3,) plus i played all the rolands, korgs, . if i ain't broke, don't fix it. I've had tones of different keybaords, including a 6" grand piano, Korg m1, Ensnique sq1, Roland RD500, etc & NONE of them came even remotely close to the feeling i have with the c2.. I'm cool with the drawbuttons, controls, programs, etc. this is the first clone i've played where i don't even want to hook up my Motion Sound to. 1 year and a half ago, I tried the 1st clone that i heard of : Nord electro 3. I tried as hard as i could NOT to like it because of the price....but that sound lingered with me for close to a year and a half, as i tried clone after clone. the funny thing is....I've never had the urge to even consider any of the Hammond-Suziki clones . they sound great & all that, but.....in my teens during the 60's, i was constantly trying to save up for a B3 (or C3, or a-100) & things never seemed to work out. I only returned to Jazz organ back in fall of 2010, after decades of Jazz Piano, when the URGE hit me ....the c2 delivered in spades what i remembered from playing all the various hammonds in the 60s, 70's . In the 80's , i used to play a B300 hammond in a studio.... that did NOT measure up in any way, except the LOOK.. i'm more than satisfied with the c2....to me it's a MIRACLE in ever way. the first organ to prompt me to star buying Recording Equipment .......

[DanielD71]

When I heard about the C2D with drawbars, I was decided to buy this organ this year. The more I went into the Nord Web site and this forum, I finnaly decide that I would buy a nord keyboard, but maybe not the c2d. The more I look at the buttons instead of the drawbars, the buttons that I thought wasn't good for organ...I think I was wrong about them but I still love my XK3C with my Ventilator.

I think that the NS2 would be better for my need, great pianos, the amazing C2 organ and the synth section. I could use my Roland A-70 to play the Nord's organ Upper manual, use my ES6 for sampling and sequencing and use my S90es and XK3C at home.

The Nord sample libray is fantastic and I'm starting to like the buttons, specially for drawbars...

[dlargent]

having owned 5 different clonewheels in the past year that HAD drawbars, the C2 is light years beyond any of them (Voce v3, v5, micro b, Ob3 squared, viscount op3,)

Same with me. I had a (digital) Korg BX3 which I bought because it's the only thing I could find on Craigslist. After dragging it to a few jam sessions, I quickly realized that it is super heavy and had serious tone problems that i coudln't work around.

I stuck with that keyboard for about 2.5 years. When I finally found a great deal on a Nord C2 on ebay, I bought it without ever having played one. I was scared because I had read reviews where people didn't like it. But when it finally arrived and I played it, it was like God had looked into my brain and invented the perfect instrument for me.

Another angle is this. Many organists my age probably got their first experience playing organ on a Casio keyboard or maybe Yamaha DX7 rather than a B3, so we are used to learning new controls, and not necessarily biased towards using drawbars rather than drawbuttons.

[flmc59]

The Hanmmond organ was probably one of the first additive synth's in history.
Actually hammond invented a subrtractive synth with tubes just a few years after the mode A organ.
The NovaChord. This instrument was so ahead of its time it took until the 70´s for these sounds to reemerge.
http://www.novachord.co.uk
Have look at the pages and listen to the sounds. From a 1939 instrument.

Back to drawbars.
The Nord button system and leds replicate the function very well. The area where it is not as good, i.m.o , as the original system is the speed of finding the right sound.
With physical drawbars you pul or push until your ears says fine. With time this becomes automatic so you compensate for the room with the drawbars.
You can of course do it with the buttons as well but there is something about the speed and exactness of having nine real ones. You can also adjus multiple drawbars in opposing directions.

I played my C1 for over a year before i took some old spinnet drawbars and bulit a midi version for the C1. And it got me a new instrument. I quickly found the sounds i was looking for.

My recomendation for a C1/C2 owner is to upgrade with a ocean beach unit. Then you have a SK2 with the addition of the button drawbars for the other manual.
There is a dual unit by Jazzfer.

I would also like to point out that C1 and even more so the C2 are very nice instruments to play - they have soul.
So I fully understand those of you who feel right at home with the C1/C2. In a leslie they are fabulous.


The C2d add the refined keyclick model that makes the instrument even more alive.
Frederick