Nord User Forum

No doubt these are similiar products. Electro 5d has certain advatages: more memory, wider samples library, but is it worth extra 350 Euro?

IMHO If you hang around for 12 months the price will likely come down a little, but first all those E4s have to be sold... dropping the price on the E5 would mean dropping the E4, and I guess there's only so low they can go before the dealers aren't making any money. Anyway - ultimately the market (you) will decide, but i'm sure the E5 will sell well.

EDIT: sorry, for some reason, I first answered this question as 'E4 vs E5?' - i don't what I was on at the time! Anyway, I left the only bit that was vaguely relevant Clearly I need more coffee...

Yeah, now the Electros and SKs are direct competitors, while before I used to consider them in different leagues (monotimbrality was a big difference IMHO).
Both are lightweight, organ-piano-samples keyboards intended for general stage use without the complication, weight and cost of workstations.

For a complete analysis we'll have to wait for the actual release of the Electro 5, to discover all its detailed specs and quirks.
Generally speaking the Hammond is, quite understandably, more geared towards tonewheel emulation. While the organ and leslie sound quality may be subjective, it is no question that the SK offers more options and tweakability. It also offers a waterfall keyboard on all of its models (not even mentioning the double-manual version, which Nord is totally missing).

Nord is probably slightly better as a general-purpose keyboard for players using more piano than organ, as it also offers the HP piano-like action which is far better for APs and EPs. Its organ is nonetheless very strong (and it has now the ability to mount the half-moon switch, which the SK1 lacks), but it's far less customizable than the Hammond. Conversely, Nord's offer of samples and especially pianos is hard to beat.

As for other non-sound features, Nord's build quality is regarded as superior (but to be true I have no direct experience of the SK line, and anyway there are thousands of satisfied H-S users out there, so reliability is not a major issue), but I find the main advantage of Nord is it's user friendliness and ease of use.
However, the Electro 5 is a big change in this respect: for the first time in Electro history we have a real screen with menus etc, so we may have lost some of the familiar immediacy of control.
We'll have to check this out when the 5 is available (anyway I wouldn't worry too much as the Nord Piano, Stage etc all have screens and menus but still are quick and intuitive to use)

Finally, is all this worth 350€ more?
Unfortunately, no answer here, only you can decide that...

Oh, and just one more thought.
Let's not forget that the SK line is now a few years old and the competition is getting tougher and tougher.
I wouldn't be surprised if they come out with an updated product in the near future (even if Hammond-Suzuki is a relatively small company, and doesn't crank out new products at the frantic rates of the big players)

The Electro 5 definitely has the edge with ap's and other sounds. However, the SK organ sounds better than the Electro 4, and I don't think the 5's organ has been upgraded. Also, the SK has a good rhodes and wurli, and amazing clav and flute sounds.

I guess it all depends on how much you use ap's and synthy sounds. I know if I used 90% organ and ep's, I would buy the Hammond.


SSM

Electro series is useless for synth sounds. It can load some samples but if you need a synth neither electro or sk would work for that.

Nord Stage 2 series is good enough for synth sounds.

whitenoise wrote:Nord Stage 2 series is good enough for synth sounds.

That's a little subjective to be honest. It really depends on your needs and what sounds you want to make... the NS2 is a jack-of-all-trades, but not a one-stop-shop. If you are the kind of person who ever says "i need a synth" you probably already have one. or two... or three...

I used to run a Minimoog D, a D6 Clav and Rhodes Suitcase. ~

The Stage Synth is a better tool than the Moog, easy. I wouldn't go back.

jazzystu wrote:The Stage Synth is a better tool than the Moog, easy. I wouldn't go back.

should that be 'more versatile'? In which case I can't argue
Anyway, oranges and apples...