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Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2

Postby cphollis » 08 Feb 2018, 06:34

Well, I'm reasonably active on this forum. And more than a few people have reached out to me in regards to "how do I start getting into the Nord AP (and DP) world without spending stupid money?"

My go-to recommendation? Go find a used NP2. So much joy. No, you won't get triple-strike keyboard sensors. And you'll have to learn how to manage piano sample memory. But bang-for-buck, doesn't suck. I own two of them, and no regrets.

I've guided a few people in this direction, and all are happy. Give up on L and XL samples unless there's a good reason. Nobody can tell the difference in the fog of war, especially if you're playing in an electric band. Spend money on signal chain -- amplification, IEMs, etc. -- it matters. Get this part right, you'll be in AP/DP nirvana.

I'm active in all the forums. Some folks diss the NP2 action, not me. I can spank dem' boards in a live situation, no problem. Game. And I play some pretty impressive acoustic grands, as well as hybrids.

The killer stage amplification made a huge difference. Long discussion. And my recent move to IEMs puts it all over the top.

The basic deal with Nord APs is raw quality. It's up to you to translate that to the audience. If you can't do that, better you go another direction.

But the purity is amazing ...
I think I have gear issues ....
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Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2


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Re: Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2

Postby dhbp-nord » 08 Feb 2018, 15:46

Loves me my NP2 :-)

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Re: Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2

Postby Quai34 » 09 Feb 2018, 10:09

When you say killer amplification, would you say a pair of Genelec 8040A in a studio set up, size of the room 3,50 m X 2,40 m, room fully equipped my sound panels from Primacoustic will make it sound good? When I have all my stuff in my practice room in the basement, I have nothing on the first floor and it's pain in the ass for me to carry my stage 2 upstairs due to my back bone accident last year....So, I'm planning to get a use something good enough for practice and as a recording keyboard master but I must have a good piano hammer action....
Let me know
Sincerely
Stage 2/C2/NL2X+TC Pedals, 2XMatrix, EMU P2K, TX802, DSI P8/Tetra+H9, P12+TC HoF, D50+PG1000, XV5080,AX keytar, Streichfett, Drumbrute.Ibanez SR1200 & 2605 basses, Artstar AS153,G&L L2000,Legacy HSS,Asat Blueboys,Asat Deluxe Savanna.genelec 8040A.
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Re: Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2

Postby Quai34 » 09 Feb 2018, 10:12

Ouos, sorry, posted twice :keyboard2:
Last edited by Quai34 on 09 Feb 2018, 10:13, edited 1 time in total.
Stage 2/C2/NL2X+TC Pedals, 2XMatrix, EMU P2K, TX802, DSI P8/Tetra+H9, P12+TC HoF, D50+PG1000, XV5080,AX keytar, Streichfett, Drumbrute.Ibanez SR1200 & 2605 basses, Artstar AS153,G&L L2000,Legacy HSS,Asat Blueboys,Asat Deluxe Savanna.genelec 8040A.
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Re: Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2

Postby cphollis » 16 Feb 2018, 01:11

Quai34 wrote:When you say killer amplification, would you say a pair of Genelec 8040A in a studio set up, size of the room 3,50 m X 2,40 m, room fully equipped my sound panels from Primacoustic will make it sound good? When I have all my stuff in my practice room in the basement, I have nothing on the first floor and it's pain in the ass for me to carry my stage 2 upstairs due to my back bone accident last year....So, I'm planning to get a use something good enough for practice and as a recording keyboard master but I must have a good piano hammer action....
Let me know
Sincerely


Really nice studio setup!

Few subjects will draw out diverse opinions more than AP keyboard actions -- both digital boards as well as grands, etc. It's all very personal and subjective. I'll give you my views, others feel different.

It starts with your reference acoustic piano desired feel. I have two grand pianos and a digital grand hybrid. Two Yamaha actions, one Bosie. All are moderate actions -- not too heavy/stiff, not too light/sloppy. So those are sort of my starting points.

I do not insist that my AP actions be *identical* to a physical piano, but they need to be in the ballpark. I need to be able to go back and forth without too much adjustment.

For example, I had a Yamaha CP5 that had a wonderful action, but had shortcomings in other areas. It was pretty close to the real-deal action, but other factors became more important. Regarding digitals, I prefer a bit lighter action as I'm playing 3-4 hours at a gig, and -- well -- my hands get tired by the end of the night.

Regarding the NP2 as a piano-centric board? I love both of mine. Yes, it's limited by memory for monster piano samples, which isn't a big issue for studio work. Live, it's a beast. Big Red Piano, baby. Even with Small or Medium samples, I can totally rock it through decent amplification.

In the studio? Not tons of experience, to be honest. I show up, I plug my NP2 into the interface, and play my heart out. It all ends up sounding really good. Studio rats go with software pianos, etc. Good on them. Not gonna invest in a soft piano stack anytime soon.

Recording dude is worrying about other things vs. me. Freakin' pristine and nuanced. Doesn't suck. Let me dial up a $150k piano for the next song, OK? Oh, you don't like that? Here's a $200k piano.

For a full 88 weighted board, not a bad schlep. 40 pounds, which is manageable as long as you're not 70+ years old. So, in the bang-for-buck category, a definite contender. The Nord piano sample library is simply amazing in my world.

I'm sure the Nord Piano 3 bring a bit more game. Almost triple-action feel, more sample memory, maybe some upgraded components in the signal chain. All good, but not my priority these days. Using midi to the NS 3 Compact gets me access to huge piano sample memory, so not an issue for a while.

Hope this helps?
Last edited by cphollis on 16 Feb 2018, 01:26, edited 3 times in total.
I think I have gear issues ....

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Re: Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2

Postby nic cue » 01 Mar 2018, 17:51

Hello Cphollis,

Thanks for your advice.

I agree with a lot parts of it. Not enough budget for a brand new Nord keyboard, I have always bought it on second-hand, always the previous generation. Advantage is when you sell it to buy a more recent keyboard, you do not lose a lot of money between the purchase price and the resale price. It's an advantage of Nord keyboards, that seems to me not the case of many others brands: once a new generation is on the market, the previous keep its price on second-hand market for a long time. I have the project, in 2 or 3 years, to sell my NE4 to buy a NP, because I less use now the organ section than before, and I want a better keybed than the HP.

I'm now hoping than Clavia launch a new NP4....to buy the NP3!
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Re: Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2

Postby Quai34 » 02 Mar 2018, 11:33

Ok, thanks a lot Ciphollis, yes, it helps....
Stage 2/C2/NL2X+TC Pedals, 2XMatrix, EMU P2K, TX802, DSI P8/Tetra+H9, P12+TC HoF, D50+PG1000, XV5080,AX keytar, Streichfett, Drumbrute.Ibanez SR1200 & 2605 basses, Artstar AS153,G&L L2000,Legacy HSS,Asat Blueboys,Asat Deluxe Savanna.genelec 8040A.
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Re: Props to the (ancient) Nord Piano 2

Postby nic cue » 02 Apr 2018, 20:45

Hello

I get bored a bit by playing acoustic piano on my nord electro HP (it's not that is bad, but perhaps I feel of a lack of expressiveness). I know for a while that I'll change it a day to a nord piano. I thought I would wait a few more years to buy the v3 but today I found a nord piano v1 near me.
I wonder what are the real differences between the nord piano 1 and 2. I know that I would have no sample section and delay, but apart from that, what really interests me is the quality of the sound and the keybed. Do you think that it remains a good choice?
Thank you!
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