Nord User Forum

[Soultrane28]

Hi Friends I'll bet some might be agonizing over which to get and why, and as someone who owns both, I'll tell you why I kept the Grand and let go of the Stage 3.

STAGE 3

1) First, if you're gigging, especially if you're in bands that are covering a lot of different material, you HAVE to have a Stage 3. You might not need the 88, but there's no board out there, imo, that can give you that much power that quickly and easily. Especially when you realize that with your computer and the Nord Sample Editor, it's basically a sampler, AND you can run your samples through the A1 filters, and the A1 is one of the best VA's ever made.

It's also got nice onboard fx, 2 stereo outputs plus a headphone out, takes 3 different types of pedals at once, has an audio in an, PLUS it has a nice case, nice legs etc you can buy for it etc... bottom line is, if you've done your homework, you're going to have a lot of confidence rolling up to the gig w a Stage 3.....

(NB, you can get 75% of the way there on a Stage 2 imo. The only improvement is the A1 and the memory, as far as the rest of it, the action, the organ, etc, they're really a tradeoff between the 2 and the 3).

2. The BAD thing about the NS3 88, and I'm not the only one who's experienced this, is if you're playing some real heavy piano, not Bruno Mars piano but Chopin etudes and the like, the keyboard will let you down as it will randomly fire notes at what sounds like even louder than full volume. It doesn't do this all the time, (once every 3 weeks during daily use maybe) and it's not predictable or reproducible even, but that's kind of what makes it worse in a way, It's very jarring and makes playing it not so fun. Enter the Nord Grand.

NORD GRAND

1. I'm a pianist / keyboardist in NYC, and as gigs have halted to nothing, and since I wanted a better piano experience than the Stage 3 was giving me, I went for the Grand. This thing LOOKS badass. It's probably the best looking thing they've ever made, imo. In fact, it kind of looks like a Cherry Red Synclavier 2 to me.

2. The Keybed. Amazingly, living in the music center of the world, Manhattan, I couldn't find a single one to demo. But we're also probably the most Covid effected so I had to read everything I could and bit the bullet and ordered one. Before it came, I was seriously weighing keeping the Stage 3 and buying an acoustic piano, so I was playing a lot of grands, including a 1938 Steinway S w ivory tops, a new Yamaha GC1 (great piano) a couple of other mint rebuilt Steinways etc, so I my fingers were pretty attuned to what's happening in the acoustic action world.

When the Grand came, I was immediately disappointed. Compared to a Steinway grand, the throw is short, the touch is light, and it's got kind of a harsh bump to it when you hit the bottom. (All of these opinions I found online before purchasing, and my first playing confirmed it). Undaunted, I moved out the Stage 3, put the Grand up on the stand, and plugged it in. Another sigh. There's only one stereo output and it's a line out. This DEFINITELY should have had 2 stereo outputs like the Stage. The output level is also noticeably lower than on the Stage 3.

3. OK, having said all that.... after playing this thing for a couple of hours, I fell in love with it. Not just the acoustic piano samples sound better, the Rhodes samples sound better. Nefertiti for instance has an added "Bark" to it that is too easy to get on the Stage 3 but you have to muscle it a little on the Grand. It's like it opens up a whole extra layer of dynamics. I wish they'd do a few new Rhodes sounds but I was shocked how much better they sound / feel on the Grand.

I found myself awake last night at 3 in the morning sight reading classical sonatinas on the White Grand sound, and that hasn't happened in years. It is a great piano to play.

It's kind of a cross between a pro stage piano and an at home digital piano. Will I gig with it? Not sure yet, no pitch or mod wheel makes it a little tricky.

But for at home use, especially apartment use, paired with a nice pair of headphones it's pretty much the perfect NYC solution. No it's not a Steinway but then again the neighbors have no idea what I'm up to and that's worth something for sure.

If I lived in a house I'd probably invest in a nice audiophile amp and some full range speakers like Magnepans and maybe a subwoofer, I'm pretty sure a setup like that would be tough to beat from a sound and feel standpoint under $35k in the piano world.

If you're gigging and you need a lot of piano but not that super heavy classical or jazz level, the Stage 3 88 has it all. Especially if you dig into the sample side of it, you'll never need to bring a laptop to a gig again.

If you are a serious pianist, the Grand is what you want.

[cphollis]

I'm not exactly a serious pianist, and the Grand is what I want.

Thanks for a great review!

[anotherscott]

(NB, you can get 75% of the way there on a Stage 2 imo. The only improvement is the A1 and the memory, as far as the rest of it, the action, the organ, etc, they're really a tradeoff between the 2 and the 3).

I know it's only a tangent... but there are SO many more improvements, and whether the A1 and the memory are any more or less important than the others is strictly a matter of your own priorities. There are also things the 2 series does better, and yes, there are also differences (like, as you say, the sound of the organ and the velocity response of the action) which may be subjective.

From a post elsewhere:

Advantages of the NS3 over the NS2/EX include the improved more informative display, seamless sound transitions, a more capable synth section, more polyphony, more sample memory, more morphable destinations, 4 definable zones instead of 3, improved Leslie effect, song mode, crossfades, pipe organ, compatibility with newest sample enhancements (piano EQ filters, nsmp3), and on the 73, the advantages of a low E and real drawbars. OTOH, the NS2/2EX has pending load, bank buttons, endless encoders with LED rings for some synth and fx parameters (for visual indication of current settings and morph status, and no jumping when you move the controls), latch/KB gate, more flexible MIDI control, and more complete clav EQ emulation. Also, the Monitor input only goes to the headphones on the 2 while it also goes to the main outs on the 3, and the placement of reverb before or after the Leslie effect is reversed, but these aren't better/worse... which is better in these cases depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Also, if you want a 76-key hammer action, the NS2 has the better feel, while the NS2EX and NS3 are lighter to carry around.

[Gambold]

And what about the pricing on the Grand? With tax this is a $4000 digital piano, with no Hammond and no synth. You spend $4000 to play Clavia's acoustic piano library (most likely just a few of the top grands) and some ok Rhodes samples when weary of practicing your Chopin etudes. And seriously, if you are shelling out this kind of coin you aren't doing it to get a Rhodes emulator.

I'm also going to presume no-one would spend 4K to delve into the sample library, when a used Electro would serve perfectly. I'm surprised they even bother including it - I can't see playing the P5 Saga synth for your a-ha covers in a sports bar on this thing.

Price is an important part of any review - what if it cost $2500 or $8000? Is it worth four grand in today's digital piano market?

[anotherscott]

I guess the first question is, what other pianos up to $4k ands under 50 lbs sound and feels as good to play as the Grand? Kawai MP7SE or ES920 are probably contenders, but won't be the preference for everyone. I think also the Nord has some other advantages, in operational ergonomics and also in aesthetics, which is something else people may find worth paying more for.

[CountFosco]

a-ha covers

This could be the world's first, non-norwegian, pluralisation of this phrase.

[catosim]

a-ha covers

This could be the world's first, non-norwegian, pluralisation of this phrase.

Hilarious, both of you

[Gambold]

a-ha covers

This could be the world's first, non-norwegian, pluralisation of this phrase.

Well of course there are TWO in the canon: Take on Me and The Living Daylights. But could there be a third?

[Bjosko]

I recently read somwhere else, Aha use a YAMAHA with black gaffer-tape covering YAM

[soultrane]

And what about the pricing on the Grand? With tax this is a $4000 digital piano, with no Hammond and no synth. You spend $4000 to play Clavia's acoustic piano library (most likely just a few of the top grands) and some ok Rhodes samples when weary of practicing your Chopin etudes. And seriously, if you are shelling out this kind of coin you aren't doing it to get a Rhodes emulator.

I'm also going to presume no-one would spend 4K to delve into the sample library, when a used Electro would serve perfectly. I'm surprised they even bother including it - I can't see playing the P5 Saga synth for your a-ha covers in a sports bar on this thing.

Price is an important part of any review - what if it cost $2500 or $8000? Is it worth four grand in today's digital piano market?

I didn’t pay $4k; used they’re about $2800 and I got a new one for $3200. Amazingly, that’s about the same price I paid for my Stage in 2019 and I sold it for $800 more in 2021!

So, when all the fees, shipping, etc are factored in, I pocketed about $400 making the swap.

You might say that I lost a lot for $400, but I had recently picked up Arturias V Collection which has good B3 and synth emulations for days, so I’m happy with it.