Nord User Forum

The point of this thread is to show the forum why the set up you use works for you. What makes it a joy to play music with that rig? That is what we are all going for in the end... This is going to be very thorough but I think its most interesting to read these forums when people explain why they do the things that they do...

My $.02 donation to the topic of the "unicorn" live keyboard rig. I just finally got the courage to completely overhaul my live rig. I've been struggling the past 4-5 years trying to find the ultimate portable, flexible, beautiful, physically inspiring and sonically honest rig for live keyboards. I think that I may have finally found the crazy combo that works for me. Everyone obviously has their own view of what that ultimate rig is depending on their playing style, genre, aesthetics, etc. but this rig can do any style of music and just is so freagging simple to me that I thought I needed to tell someone about it. So here is a description of the live rig to get this thread rollin'.

For boards, a Nord Stage 2 73 compact over a Nord Electro 4 HP 73 on a soon to be modified z type stand. Stage sits on top of the electro 3 so they are really really close together. The HP is just on midi channel 1 sending note info and providing a lightweight hammer action piano that matches the styling of the top board and allows me to have a weighted keyboard that I can take to less involved gigs or rehearsal for ac and e pianos and b3. The stage is sending all of the audio and controlling all foot pedals etc. It is usually set up on dual kb mode on channel 1 and slot a is set up for organs, synths and clavs. Slot b is set up with pads, strings, and basses for the synth section, organs to blend with the piano section which is controlling xl grand and xl upright piano samples, one of the many rhodes samples, or the amped wurli model.

A few things that I need to do before this is really "done":

1. I'm getting some old school knobs for the stage and am going to put different knobs on all of the different sections so that it feels like you are controlling 3 instruments instead of one. This has been one of my gripes with all of the keyboards I have ever owned... the controls on a real synth don't feel the same as the knobs on my delay pedal? The knobs on my rhodes feel much different than those on my twin reverb. Why should the Nord have dedicated controls for all functions on a billion instruments but they all feel the same to turn?? I want my instruments to feel different from one another... So I ordered some moog type replacement knobs, some chunky vintage radio knobs, and a few other random knobs off ebay and will just replace the nord knobs with this mixed bunch...

2. I'm going to take the end blocks off the nord and paint the red portions of the metal chassis black with a textured paint. I want it to feel like its a rhodes mk1 top or something... I'm going to sand the end blocks down and lay a clear stain on the raw wood. It will probably end up looking most like a moog prodigy or something in that realm> Big oldschool knobs, black top, and wood sides. I saw a great thread on this forum that had handwriting for the labeling of the board. Definitely going to do that. It makes it much easier to do the color mod because you just paint over the whole thing and then operate off of a high res picture of the top of the stage 2 to get the text back on there. The electro is much easier as the control panel is already black. I may just mask off the control region and paint outside of that.

3. I need to get my pedalboard case in the mail so that all of the stuff below the boards is in one tidy, prewired package. It was 55 bucks on ebay so I guess I bit the bullet finally after carrying a case full of pedals and cords for the past 5 years. We'll see how it holds up. Now for what's down there...

-All of the things on the board are runing through a Art 8 channel TRS patchbay (need trs for the control and sustain pedals). All of the pedals run through to a 8 channel TRS snake which plugs into the stage 2 at these locations Outputs 1/2, Outputs 3/4, Headphone output, Swell, Control, Rotary Speed. I wanted something that was neat and tidy and after making my own snakes mixing pedal cables, audio cables, and midi cables, I just decided to get a 8 channel snake instead.
-Audiotechnica m2 wireless monitor system with Westone triple driver in ears and body pack. The l/r output goes xlr to the floor monitors channels 1 and 2. ( I have one band where I take stereo l/r for my mix and most of the other situations I will just be monitoring myself with the house wedges and my monitor is just for my keys so one cable swap gets either covered and also lets me use my in ears if I want.
-EV ZLX 12P 1000W monitor. I can add a second zlx 12p for a big stage where you want stereo. You can get two of these for the same price as a k10 and in my opinion, they sound killer for anything that I put through them. Anything...
-2 samson stereo DI's taped together with a 4 channel 25' xlr snake to take any number of combos to the FOH engineer (Top is for stereo L/R of the stage (or the headphone jack in Mono mix in small clubs. Bottom is for the organ section of the stage 2 if I want it for larger rooms where I want to separate my organ mix from the keys and use the Vent)
-Neo Instruments Ventilator (Original) from either Stage's 3 or 4 output to the L/R of the bottom DI. I've never had a problem with these and they cost 35 bucks if something should ever happen.
-Boss FS-5 (Stage 2 rotor controls in toggle mode). In case I don't want to use the ventilator I just activate the leslie sim on the stage and I'm in business.
-2 Yamaha FC7 expression pedals (Stage 2's Control and Swell pedal functions for all sorts of fun morphs)
-Korg Sustain pedal for... sustaining things.
-(Still coming) TC electronics HOF mini reverb pedal (from stage 2's organ output to the neo vent) The stage 2 doesn't allow reverb on seperated mix channels... booo!!!!

Okay, that's it! I hope that people will show, and write about the logic of their rigs here and why they chose certain things over others. I'll keep posting as I mod these boards and get the pedalboard set up. It really helps to share this stuff when you figure something out. Thanks to all of the people over the past few years helping me find the right combo of things... Chances are, others are trying to find the same thing. I'd rather spend time playing music, not trying to wrestle with finding the perfect set up so lets help each other out.

Cheers,
Mookie

I used to either have a Rhodes Suitcase with Clavinet D6 on top, or R/S with Minimoog on top and D6 to the right (on it's legs). Despite having a slave keyboard (no2 keyboard), I just use the Stage by itself.

I had a hammond, but rarely gigged it due to the hassle of dealing with it.

I bought the Nord, because I needed a board and didn't have time to go looking for classic gear and messing around fixing it.

I would go back to a Rhodes/Clavinet rig in an instant.

I would also consider getting a Wave if I didn't.

We shall see what the Stage 3 brings.

I don't have an ideal rig yet, but what I want is the perfect compromise between ease of set-up, versatility and accessibility.

This would be a "Nord Stage 3D", which would be a single unit with a 73 key semi weighted keyboard on top, a 76 weighted keyboard on the bottom, standard kettle plug container, two line outs, and a single special multi-purpose plug (maybe USB could work) going to a "Nord multi-pedal" with (left to right) Leslie speed, control pedal, organ swell pedal and sustain. That should do it. I'm fed up of plugging a myriad of leads in all over the place.

Most of that functionality described in the Stage3D can be done with the stage 2 and electro 4 hp and a behringer fcb1010 midi pedal. You get 10 assignable pedals (rotary, sustain, effects sections on/off, slot focus etc) and 2 assignable control pedals and you just plug one midi cable into the stage 2. Also, although the aesthetics of a dual manual single enclosure keyboard is better in my opinion, 2 lighter, smaller keyboards is preferable for most people lugging stuff around...

First, I always try to take a KISS approach. So keeping that always in mind ...
I have found that for what I play, which is mostly jazz standards, just one Nord Stage 2 SW is more than enough. I mostly use 1 slot with several sounds, one for organs, one for piano and EP, one for Clav and funky synth sounds, and one wildcard for any song that may require it. I only use 1 control pedal for swell and "morphing" and 1 sustain pedal, the classic piano type not the weird block switches.

On most gigs I have done (which I do 3-4 every 4 months), they provide PA, mixers, everything, I just have to go and plug myself in stereo. For the other times, what has worked for me all this time is just an extension, a power surge protector, a Mackie 802 VLZ3 and a pair of EV ELXP 112-P. Also, depending on the band lineup, a Shure SM58 may be used. No guitar or bass amp, everyone goes direct to the Mackie.

Besides those things, there are two things that make my life hell easier. One is the Spider Pro stand, which I would like to trade for a Baby Spider Pro. It is very stable, and easy to setup, not to mention good looking and with decent space for pedals. I have tried several X Stands, Column stands and Z stands, but the Spider Pro is definitely the best I have ever bought. The other thing that makes my life easy is my gig bag, I have a Gator soft case that has wheels, enough space for all cables and pedals and even space for the Mackie Mixer.

Simple and straight forward.

Get other wood, cut it to fit, and save the Nord end pieces. Try maple if you want the Moog look. Stain to taste. Use a Danish Oil finish, or 100% pure Tung Oil.

Me: Ultimate Apex stand, Nord Electro 4D with sustain, rotor and control pedals, Nord Lead 2X with Boss stereo volume pedal, Alesis Multimix 8 and two amps, 60, 75 or 200 watts each, depending on venue. I ordered a Spacestation stereo amp from Sweetwater to try as stage sound, but it won't be here until December sometime.

Www.RedFish SB.com

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I've spent several years slimming it down to this. Full setup in under 11 minutes

oh gosh...excuse me for minute...I think I just wet my pants! let me go get changed and collect my thoughts for something intelligent to say...

pablo