Nord User Forum

So... I got a chance to play the Electro at NAMM last month, and REALLY loved the feel of playing the organs on the lighter keybed (I have the Stage 2 EX).... Please don't tell my girlfriend, but I'm thinking I should add the Electro 5D 73 to my rig... It will be much easier to lug around for gigs, plus I feel like the action will be great for soloing more organ/synth stuff than the S2EX which I will be able to leave safe and sound in my studio.

Does anyone else have this set up? I'm thinking it will be extra nice in having some of the XL pianos in the EX and one or two of the others in the Electro... I could then have the EX activate the pianos on the Electro using the heavier piano feel of the EX... For the Electro... I'm assuming I'd be able to connect the two keyboards together but navigate using the larger display of the Electro? Does that make sense based on how easy it is to connect the two?

From what I could tell... The electro's organs seemed to sound different, though it was hard to tell with all the activity at NAMM and the fact that maybe it was the feel of the electro that made the organs feel (and sound) better...

Warm regards,

Rod

Yogi108 wrote:I'm assuming I'd be able to connect the two keyboards together but navigate using the larger display of the Electro? Does that make sense based on how easy it is to connect the two?

Not quite. You will be able to connect your keyboards together and do what you want, but you will need to set everything up correctly on BOTH keyboards to make it all work. If you just mean, can I use the Electro as the master to select my sounds, then, once everything is set up correctly, yes you should be able to do that. However, the Stage is much better suited to being the master keyboard as it has facilities built in to do this, whereas the Electro is a much simpler instrument.

I'm actually thinking of doing much the same. My current rig, which includes a Stage 88, is simply getting too heavy and cumbersome for me to carry backwards and forwards to small gigs these days. I have pretty much decided to leave my big stuff set up at home and buy a smaller lighter duplicate rig for smaller gigs. Sadly, I won't be getting an Electro as I don't want to spend that much money on a second rig, but the thought of not having to constantly put up and take down my bigger rig for every gig is extremely appealing. Just sling a couple of lighweight keyboards in soft cases over my shoulder, grab my stand, monitor and leads bag - good to go. Yes please

Apart from my guitar stuff and the band PA and the PA leads box and the mic stands and... *sigh*

Yogi108 wrote: Please don't tell my girlfriend, but...

perhaps you should post her phone number and email address here so that we can all be sure that we don't call/write her about this by mistake...?

But seriously, it would be fairly workable to run NE5 pianos from the NS2 and NS2 organs from NE% if that's what you want to do. But switching programs on either instrument would make your life crazy. It could be done, but would be devilishly complicated, and the whole point of the Nord front panel concept is to make things simple.

You could grab an NE4D and use it as a remote controller for your NS2EX's organs and call it a day. That would give you real drawbars and save you some money. You might even find an older NE2 (or any other controller with similar/same keybed) and save even more.

Then again, getting an NE5 would raise the possibility of occasionally going out "in lightweight mode" occasionally and leaving the NS2EX at home, perhaps for simple rehearsals or smaller gigs or worship services...but the NE5 display will not really help you navigate the NS2EX in a meaningful way...

Bless,

Pablo

Thanks for your replies gentlemen! Just a couple of more questions...
1: I understand that the electro does not have mod wheel or pitch bend... Correct? Assuming that's the case, when using the S2EX as Master, can that data be sent over to the electro? Can I use say a small midi controller to control the mod/pitch bend on the electro in a live setting?

2: Can you tell me what specific effects are not in the electro 5d as compared to the S2EX? I have a number of custom patches that I would like to have in both... I'm assuming if some effect is not present in the Electro, it will still transfer the patch from the S2EX, but won't have that effect with the patch?

3. Are there unique organ patches that come in the Electro 5D that are not in the S2EX? If so... Is there a list of those or a way to get them if I choose to not get the electro? I noticed at NAMM some unique piano patches on the new Nord Piano 3... They sounded very nice (most, from what I remember, were layered piano with other instruments that I hadn't seen before). Curious to know if these are exclusive to owners of individual instruments or if there's a place where we can get the patches...

Thanks again for your feedback! Oh... And my girlfriend says hello... But that is all you'll get...

Rod

Hi,
1. Ne5d sample section can receive pitch bend from midi, but there is nothing to control for the mod wheel.
2. Ns2 programs can't be converted to ne5, you have to program them on the ne5.
3. There are differences in the effects, the rotary sim for instance, but nothing a ne5d does that a ns2 couldn't.
Nord sample and piano libraries are common, shared across the compatible product line.
F.

I have both a NS2 and NE5, will be taking delivery of an NS2 EX in the near future as well.

My NS2 has been my gigging workhouse since 2011 and I really love it. I do run it's organ through a Ventilator.
The NE5 has a much improved organ model and simulator, eliminating the need for the Ventilator on the NE5.

I did an experiment where I programmed close replicas of my NS2 sounds into the NE5 and I played a number of gigs with the NE5. There were a few things missing, but it was passable. I still prefer the NS2 for a number of reasons - it is just a far more deep and flexible machine.

I use the NE5 80% of the time as a rehearsal and jam keyboard, given its portability factor and ease of use (e.g. no need for a Ventilator, just plug and play). I do also keep the NE5 on hand as a backup for my NS2. It has been very rare to experience reliability issues with Nord gear (I've been using Nords for very long), but still like to have a backup board on hand. I do not have much of a use case to have both the NS2 and the NE5 in use at the same time.

ericL wrote:I have both a NS2 and NE5, will be taking delivery of an NS2 EX in the near future as well.

My NS2 has been my gigging workhouse since 2011 and I really love it. I do run it's organ through a Ventilator.
The NE5 has a much improved organ model and simulator, eliminating the need for the Ventilator on the NE5.

I did an experiment where I programmed close replicas of my NS2 sounds into the NE5 and I played a number of gigs with the NE5. There were a few things missing, but it was passable. I still prefer the NS2 for a number of reasons - it is just a far more deep and flexible machine.

I use the NE5 80% of the time as a rehearsal and jam keyboard, given its portability factor and ease of use (e.g. no need for a Ventilator, just plug and play). I do also keep the NE5 on hand as a backup for my NS2. It has been very rare to experience reliability issues with Nord gear (I've been using Nords for very long), but still like to have a backup board on hand. I do not have much of a use case to have both the NS2 and the NE5 in use at the same time.

Great info! Thanks so much! I pulled the trigger and the Electro D5 73 is on its way!!