difference between Electro 6D and HP

[rhacker]

I'm considering a Nord 6 electro. Currently have a Hammond SK1. Would appreciate any comments re: difference between 6D and 6 Hp. Specs appear similar other than digital DBs on the HP. However, I note the Hp weighs about 5 lbs more. Benefits of one over the other? Cost of the HP is about$500 more. Thanks!!

[fieldflower]

D stands for physical drawbars for the organ, where the HP has the LED button thingy instead.
HP has a more piano-like key feel, whereas the D has a more organ-like springy key feel.

So D is aimed at users where organ is the most important, and HP is aimed at users that find piano feel more important.

Otherwise they're the same thing...

[DimitrisPl]

I have D model and i find the keybed to be perfect for organ playing and really good for piano/e.piano.On the other hand i have tested HP model on store and i found out that keybed is really really heavy for organ playing.Specs are the same on both.The best solution is to find a store to try them both to see what fits better for your hands!Also , if you choose to buy 6D model , be careful on what version you choose (61 keys or 73).

61 keys
The good:
really lightweight and it fits perfectly on small stages.
The bad :
Many times 61 keys are not enough if you are playing a lot of piano

73 keys:
The good:
In most cases, keys are enough for piano and e.piano playing.
The bad:
It may feel ''too big'' on small stages/bars.

[fieldflower]

Agree on the 73.
I was hesitant when buying my 5D, but I'm so happy I chose the 73.
The 61 would have been really limiting to the way I play.

[Rusty Mike]

I upgraded my Electro 4D 61 to 6D 73. Very happy with the move. Gives me plenty of room to either playAP/EP properly or do splits and not be crowded.

[NolaNord504]

There is one very significant difference with the HP. Both the HA and D models have an option in the sound menu to set the B3 organ key trigger point to HIGH. This allows the organ sound to be triggered before the key is fully depressed. This is NOT available on the HP and if you play a lot of organ, it is important. Setting the trigger point to HIGH on my Stage 2 HA76 makes organ playing quite nice even though it's fully weighted. My understanding is that the lighter design of the HP key bed won't allow for this. The high trigger point mimics what you would have on a real B3 and makes for a much more realistic organ playing experience.

When I bought the 5HP, I was unaware of the absence of the high trigger point. I bought it for gigs as a lighter alternative to my Stage 2. As it turned out, the difference in weight was not significant enough. I decided to replace the 5HP with a 6D and I’m much happier. I could just never get excited about the feel of the HP (especially for organ). Even though it was lighter, it was still relatively cumbersome to move around when packed in a case.

Although both are fully weighted, the HA and HP feel very different. Regarding the 6D, I absolutely LOVE the semi-weighted waterfall keyboard. It feels great and I have no problems whatsoever playing piano on it. The idea for the HP was to create a lighter ("Hammer Portable"), yet still fully weighted keyboard and it does succeed at doing this. However, there is tradeoff for this portability. To be clear, I don’t think the HP is bad, it’s just that the key beds on both the HA and D models are truly outstanding.

It is also worth mentioning that Nord does not make a case to fit the Electro HP, so if you plan to move it around, you will need to do some case shopping. As others on this forum have mentioned, the HP key bed is also a bit noisy and might be an issue when playing at low volumes at home. In spite of all these things, it’s still possible that the HP could be the right choice for some players. I mean, it is a Nord after all and it sounds fantastic. Still, I would definitely recommend that anyone considering an HP should try it out first.

[barretpj]

There is one very significant difference with the HP. Both the HA and D models have an option in the sound menu to set the B3 organ key trigger point to HIGH. This allows the organ sound to be triggered before the key is fully depressed. This is NOT available on the HP

Maybe true on the 5HP but my 6HP definitely has this option.

It is also worth mentioning that Nord does not make a case to fit the Electro HP

Sorry, they do -The "NORD SOFT CASE STAGE 76/HP" is listed on the Nord site as the case for the 6HP and it's a perfect fit. They've even removed the "Stage" logo from the case

[Rusty Mike]

That case, at 16 pounds heavy, defeats the purpose of this lightweight HP instrument. If you’re going to get an HP, consider a Gator GoPro (ProGo?) or Fusion soft case. They are lighter, just as protective and competitively priced.

[barretpj]

That case, at 16 pounds heavy, defeats the purpose of this lightweight HP instrument

That's true!

[NolaNord504]

Maybe true on the 5HP but my 6HP definitely has this option.

If the 6HP has the high trigger point option, then that's a big improvement. According to my local dealer the design of the HP key bed was the reason it was gone. Maybe this was addressed on the 6HP. I thought both the 5HP and 6HP were using the same Fatar key bed.

It is also worth mentioning that Nord does not make a case to fit the Electro HP

Sorry, they do -The "NORD SOFT CASE STAGE 76/HP" is listed on the Nord site as the case for the 6HP and it's a perfect fit. They've even removed the "Stage" logo from the case

To be clear, yes, you can use the Stage 76 Soft case with the HP, I own one. It fits my Stage 76 perfectly, but the Electro HP is a few inches shorter. If you use it with the 76 soft case, you will need to add some additional padding to prevent the HP from sliding around during transport. This is easy enough to do, but I bought the HP because I needed a smaller and lighter alternative to my Stage 2 76. Using it with the 76 soft case meant that it wasn't going to be any smaller. Once it was in the case with legs, cables and pedals loaded into the front pocket, it was not any easier to move around in spite of the HP itself being lighter.