Deciding between which Nord Stage 3 to get?

[joe24019]

So I have a nord stage 2 compact right now and I think the sounds and interface are great, but the keybed is kind of noisy, it's bearable for piano playing but not ideal and I can refund it and upgrade. I'm a pianist, playing jazz but also gonna use it the synth a lot, and I'm thinking the 76 HP might be the best option because of gigging and weight, but from what I've researched pretty much everyone hates that action. And I don't really have a chance to try it near me.

I heard the NS3X is stiffer than the NS2C so that's still an option (and cause it the cheapest).

I had a Korg Kronos 2 88 to lug around for a few months ago with the hard case, and but I know the NS3 88 will be a lot lighter, and there is a decent price when it's open box at guitar center. But I'm not sure if it's the best option for gigging.

So which one should I pick? Another option is keeping the NS2 compact, but it has definitely been used for a while, but it was $2600 including tax, with the gig bag (which is also pretty worn).

Thanks so much!

[Schorsch]

Hi,

I have tried out all three models of the NS3 since I also wanted one on which I can play piano properly and also play organ/synth. The 76HP failed for me, the keyboard was "neither fish nor fowl" as we say in Germany, it's a compromise but not good enough for me for piano playing. I ended up in buying the NS3-88 first because piano is the most important one for me to play. Later I added the NS3C for organ/synth but that's kind of luxury.

If you are a pianist and looking for a NS3 to play jazz you might not be satisfied with the HP76 at all as I could imagine, but it's also a subjective matter. I strongly recommend to find a shop where you can play it before you buy, or at least have an agreement to return it if it doesn' suit your needs if you really consider a HP76.

The better option, if financially possible, would be to buy a NS3-88 and keep the NS2 compact for organ/synth. You can use the NS2 compact either standalone for it's built-in organ/synth engines or as a second MIDI keyboard to play the organ/synth sections of the NS3 via Midi

[Spider]

In general, consider which is your primary instrument and how much of your playing is done with that sound, and choose consequentially. If you do 90% piano with detailed dynamics and intricate passages, of course get the 88.
If you mostly play organ/synth and only put down a few piano chords here and there, get the compact for the price and weight.

The HP is a compromise for weight and portability, but it's not the best neither for piano nor for organ/synth. It will be ok if you don't play fast complicated songs, but for more technical playing I wouldn't recommend it.

You say you're primarily a jazz pianist so I'd say the 88 is the best choice.
BUT... Do you really want the additional features of the NS3 compared to your NS2? Do you need the updated organ and the more advanced synth features? If not, another (much cheaper) possibility is simply to keep your NS2 as your sound source and for organ/synth playing, and add a good 88-key hammer-action controller for playing the NS2's pianos.
The only caveat is if you'd be willing to switch to a two-keyboard setup which will increase the effort of transport, setup and teardown.
But it will cost you a fraction of a NS3 HA88, give you the best of both worlds and more flexibility (you could still use the NS2 in a single-keyboard setup, when you can't be bothered to bring along the controller).

[cphollis]

It's not clear to me how much you would value the "everything else" that the Stage brings, over perhaps a standard digital piano. If you are mostly a jazz piano player, head directly for the Yamaha products as that's what they all seem to end up with.

It really gets down to how much you need the "everything else", and are willing to compromise to get it.

I am primarily a piano player. I use a weighted NP4 action beneath a NS3C, so best of both worlds. I will let others speak to the action on the NS388 but I did not get along well with previous versions, so I passed on it. Besides, when I gig, I do a lot organ, synth, etc. and prefer a lighter action for that sort of work.

If we're just talking keybed + piano sounds, the NS2 is great. Make sure you get along well with the spongy aftertouch layer under the keybed. The action was great on mine, save for the spongy part.

[anotherscott]

I had a Korg Kronos 2 88 to lug around for a few months ago with the hard case, and but I know the NS3 88 will be a lot lighter, and there is a decent price when it's open box at guitar center. But I'm not sure if it's the best option for gigging.

If you can deal with the weight of the 88, its keys are better for organ than the HP's keys (though not as good as the Compact's), and of course, its keys for piano playing are the best of the three. The only reason to even consider the HP is if you can't deal with the size/weight of the 88.

You didn't actually mention organ, or whether you need the Stage's synth functions, so I'll also toss out that the 73 key version of the Nord Piano 5 would give you the better kind of piano action in a "split the difference" weight, almost 8 lbs lighter than the NS3-88. (And as cphollis alluded to you may even find that action to be better than the one on the NS3 88.)