Nord User Forum

Here are my thoughts and experiences (for background, I usually use a Nord sitting on top of a Hammond organ and use a Leslie for the organ):

1. I used a pair of K10's for years very successfully. K8.2's or K10.2's would be both work fine for a powerful stage monitor set up that could also be augmented by the FOH system for larger than "intimate" venues.

2. I currently use a CPS SpaceStation XL, that for me, works better than my QSC's did. Its advantages are: its extremely wide dispersion angle (about 250 degrees) which matches very well with my Leslie - to provide an even mix throughout the room for both my Nord and my Hammond/Leslie rig - and the SpaceStation does a terrific job of sounding very much like my Leslie when used with a decent Leslie simulator; its built-in active DI outputs that include both stereo and mono TRS and XLR jacks; and its dual stereo channels do the job for two stereo keyboards (or a Nord with two sets of stereo outputs).

3. When I was using the QSC K10's, I used a high quality small mixer to flexibly handle the signal distribution from the keyboards to the stage monitors and the FOH. It allowed me to send the FOH either stereo or mono while keeping the stage monitor in stereo. I also used it to serve as a IEM headphone amp for whole band monitoring when needed. I happened to have a Mackie 1202 that did this for me, but any good quality small mixer with the right inputs and outputs would do the job. Nowadays my SpaceStation does all this (except for the IEM thing which I handle with a Behringer P2 IEM amp).

4. Even when the FOH sound engineer refuses to provide stereo FOH, a stereo stage monitor will provide a stereo sound image to the audience in a small to medium sized club, so I always run my stage monitor in stereo. I find that when I do have FOH in stereo, it's better not to hard-pan the channels, especially for the piano sounds, otherwise one side of the room will hear too much of the bass notes and the other too much of the treble ones.

YMMV, as usual!

wtibbit wrote:2. I currently use a CPS SpaceStation XL, that for me, works better than my QSC's did. Its advantages are: its extremely wide dispersion angle (about 250 degrees) which matches very well with my Leslie - to provide an even mix throughout the room for both my Nord and my Hammond/Leslie rig - and the SpaceStation does a terrific job of sounding very much like my Leslie when used with a decent Leslie simulator; its built-in active DI outputs that include both stereo and mono TRS and XLR jacks; and its dual stereo channels do the job for two stereo keyboards (or a Nord with two sets of stereo outputs).

Hmm unfortunately I'm not sure if the spacestationXL is practical for my situation.. as a frequent gigging musician that plays in various venues, I can't imagine having to lug that big of an equipment with the NS3 back and forth. Even if I were to add wheels on the bottom of the speaker, I still shudder at the thought like, the NS3 is already a beast. Adding the XL with my frequent back and forth between venus might just be overkill for my back

Winds wrote:

wtibbit wrote:2. I currently use a CPS SpaceStation XL, that for me, works better than my QSC's did. Its advantages are: its extremely wide dispersion angle (about 250 degrees) which matches very well with my Leslie - to provide an even mix throughout the room for both my Nord and my Hammond/Leslie rig - and the SpaceStation does a terrific job of sounding very much like my Leslie when used with a decent Leslie simulator; its built-in active DI outputs that include both stereo and mono TRS and XLR jacks; and its dual stereo channels do the job for two stereo keyboards (or a Nord with two sets of stereo outputs).

Hmm unfortunately I'm not sure if the spacestationXL is practical for my situation.. as a frequent gigging musician that plays in various venues, I can't imagine having to lug that big of an equipment with the NS3 back and forth. Even if I were to add wheels on the bottom of the speaker, I still shudder at the thought like, the NS3 is already a beast. Adding the XL with my frequent back and forth between venus might just be overkill for my back

I'm 73 years old, and 5' 8" tall. I move a Leslie 3300 that's about twice the weight of the SpaceStation XL, the SpaceStation (I did add wheels...), a dual manual Hammond XK-5 with a custom wood stand and a Nord Piano 5-73 to nearly every show I play. I've minimized the weight of all this with soft or lightweight cases and covers, and use wheeled equipment and a folding dolly to avoid hand-carrying. Before the COVID pause, I gigged pretty frequently - I played 150 to 200 shows per year at different venues. Of course. "Your Mileage (Does) Vary" and that's okay! Each of us does what we think we need to do to sound the way we want to sound. posting.php?mode=quote&f=8&p=154680#

wtibbit wrote:I'm 73 years old, and 5' 8" tall. I move a Leslie 3300 that's about twice the weight of the SpaceStation XL, the SpaceStation (I did add wheels...), a dual manual Hammond XK-5 with a custom wood stand and a Nord Piano 5-73 to nearly every show I play. I've minimized the weight of all this with soft or lightweight cases and covers, and use wheeled equipment and a folding dolly to avoid hand-carrying. Before the COVID pause, I gigged pretty frequently - I played 150 to 200 shows per year at different venues. Of course. "Your Mileage (Does) Vary" and that's okay! Each of us does what we think we need to do to sound the way we want to sound.

Ok maybe if I add wheeling equipment and a folding dolly I might consider. I was under the impression of carrying everything manually like that would be overkill

Winds wrote:

wtibbit wrote:I'm 73 years old, and 5' 8" tall. I move a Leslie 3300 that's about twice the weight of the SpaceStation XL, the SpaceStation (I did add wheels...), a dual manual Hammond XK-5 with a custom wood stand and a Nord Piano 5-73 to nearly every show I play. I've minimized the weight of all this with soft or lightweight cases and covers, and use wheeled equipment and a folding dolly to avoid hand-carrying. Before the COVID pause, I gigged pretty frequently - I played 150 to 200 shows per year at different venues. Of course. "Your Mileage (Does) Vary" and that's okay! Each of us does what we think we need to do to sound the way we want to sound.

Ok maybe if I add wheeling equipment and a folding dolly I might consider. I was under the impression of carrying everything manually like that would be overkill

Think of it as part of your exercise routine! Seriously, it helps me stay in shape.

At one point I had hard ATA cases for the Nord and the XK-5 and the cases weighed more than the instruments. Moving them around, especially the dual manual Hammond that weighed over 120 pounds in its case, was difficult because of their weight and size. This was OK when I had a crew to handle everything, I couldn't get them to be careful setting up the gear, so I started transporting it myself to all the shows. To cut down on the weight, I found a light but extremely tough Pelican Storm case for the Nord and had a padded and hard foam reinforced soft case built by Studio Slips for the organ. I use soft padded covers for the Leslie, SpaceStation and organ stand. I set the Nord on top of the organ, eliminating a stand. The Leslie, Nord case and SpaceStation has wheels. A lightweight folding dolly handles everything without wheels. I carry a mic rig for the Leslie, in case it needs to be in the FOH, in a light toolbox and all the other cables, pedals and minor gear in a bag. Amazingly, if I leave the Leslie at home and use the SpaceStation for the organ I can pack this whole rig in the trunk and back seat of a mid-sized sedan. With the Leslie I have to use an SUV.

Here is a pic of the whole rig, with the NS3 I had prior to replacing it with the Piano 5-73.

wtibbit wrote:Here is a pic of the whole rig, with the NS3 I had prior to replacing it with the Piano 5-73

Sheesh what a rig