All Nord Gig Rig

[Rusty Mike]

Hey guys, I figured that I would chime in here as well. I too have joined the 2-Nord Club.

I had been trying to figure out a solution for a backup for my NS3-HA88, which I used as a single-board rig. I was getting way too nervous when I powered up for the first time at gig, knowing if there was an issue, I (and the band) would be out-of-luck.

Only 10-15 of the 75 or so songs in my band's repertoire (mostly keyboard-driven or featured) have a single AP/EP program and/or a simple split with an organ. The rest involve some combination of 2-way/3-way splits, customized synths with effects, morphs and multiple programs for different parts of a song. After trying a Juno-DS61 and a MODX7 (both great values for their price range, by the way), I came to the conclusion that it wasn't practical to re-create what I needed to survive a gig with either board, which resulted in my getting an NS3 Compact. It's 2/3 the size of the HA88 and just a little more than 1/2 the weight. Other than converting about 20 programs with splits to have both 88-key and 73-key friendly versions, all I need to do now is a two-minute backup and restore process from one keyboard to the other to keep them in-sync.

The first gig, I kept the NS3C in a case on standby, then realized that was a waste and now run a 2-tier setup with a K&M 18880 and modified 18881 stacker. I drilled an additional set of holes to bring the top tier closer to the bottom tier and cut 3" off the support arms so they didnt stick out over the keybed of the bottom board. The pins aren't needed as I use marine weathersripping to securely keep the NS3C from sliding on the top tier. I really like the virtual invisibility of the 18880, the stability, and the ease of transport and setup.

I'm moving some of the parts I play to the NS3C to reduce the number of program changes in a song and to add parts that I wasn't able to cover in a single board. I also have the benefit of bringing my entire set of sounds in a more compact format for rehearsals and casual situations where dragging a large 88-keyboard around isn't practical.

Finally, yes, Song Mode is great. I set all my programs up in alphabetical order, then use Song Mode to set up my setlist for the evening, which is really helpful for the songs that use multiple programs. The rest of the songs are placed at the end in alphabetical order so they are easy to find if needed.

[Rusty Mike]

Pretty rig! I’d love to have a Stage 3 Compact, but I doubt I could sneak it in the door right now

You keep your stand pretty narrow. I guess wobble is not an issue for you.

Can you post pics of your modified stand without the keys on it? I’d like to better understand what you did.

[Rusty Mike]

Thanks, Mike! Yes, it's a bit of a splurge, but a 36-month 0% interest promo helps keep things cash-flow positive, although I'll try to stay out of the new equipment game for a while (famous last words)!

I do like the narrower pedestal look for standing while playing. Keeping the width to 18" also gives me clear access to all the jacks on the back of the NS3 and mostly eliminates any side-to-side sway and twist for me. Still working on optimizing the pedal arrangement since I use sustain, control, organ swell and rotor switch for each, but I have plenty of room and the feet don't really get in the way of where I like to place the pedals.

From what I read on KC, it seems like K&M is discontinuing the 18880 but is possibly coming out with a new model. It would be interesting to see how they would improve it. Maybe they'll make it height adjustable without tools. If mine was damaged, I'd definitely buy another just like it.

I have a gig tomorrow night so I'll take some pictures when I tear down. It's nothing close to being as creative as your making the wood inserts, but it turned out to be just what I needed.

[Rusty Mike]

Rusty Mike is a closet guitar player. He's got his own pedalboard What's next, a keytar?

No way Jay! I don't have the ego!

The pedalboard was just a way to simplify the setup time. Much easier to just pull it out of the bag and plug it in.

Same here

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[DJKeys]

My needs were for more synth, as I play a lot of modern music with lots of different keyboard sounds, so I added the A1. Two Moog EP3s and a Yamaha FC4, my jury-rigged baby spider pro, and playback system. I have the Stage 3 now, but everything else is essentially the same.

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[Rusty Mike]

Can you post pics of your modified stand without the keys on it? I’d like to better understand what you did.

Hi Mike - as promised, here’s a picture of the 18880 stand without the keys and a picture of the modified 18881 stacker. I cut off 3” of the arm that the keyboard sits on and drilled an extra height-adjustment hole with the same spacing as the other holes so the upper tier can be lowered. The height-adjustment knob is in the new hole. You can also see the marine weatherstripping I used to replace the thin rubber pads on the stacker:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Buildin ... /202066509

Usually I set the top board at the edge of the weatherstripping, but can pull it forward an extra two inches when programming. I may eventually cut off the extra two inches for even more clearance to the bottom board.

Let me know if a different angle would be helpful.

[Rusty Mike]

ajstan, that’s a nice clean mod! Very effective. Gives me some pause for thought.

I never thought about the marine weather stripping. My bottom tier is some flimsy adhesive stuff that needs to be replaced. For the upper tier, I bought a few of those sticky pads people attach to their car dashboards to put their cell phones on. Super tacky!

I heard that K&M could be discontinuing the 18880. I’m strongly considering buying another to have as backup. Maybe a pair of 2nd tiers as well. So far, nothing else beats it for weight, simplicity, strength and flexibility.

Thanks again for taking the time to post these photos.

[ajstan]

Thanks, Mike. I agree with your assessment of the 18880 and would add that the minimalist look and virtual invisibility on a stage are huge benefits too. I think the marketing photos do a disservice to the stand and make it look stodgy, which isn’t the case, but likely contributed to lower sales numbers. The Spider Pro and the Stay stands look super cool if a conspicuous stand is important. Part of me says to buy an extra now, but another part says to wait and see what K&M does for a replacement and get an 18800 at a clearance price later.

[Ritchie333]

I recently decided to dig out the Electro and use it for a gig with the stage. It was lighter than my usual step (see other thread) but still not entirely comfortable - the MIDI implementations of the Electro and Stage are incompatible (one of my longest bugbears about Nord products - there's no reason to not make them match up) and the semi-weighted keys just don't cut it for piano (particularly heavy action Rhodes and Wurlitzer which I seem to do a lot).

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[themichaeltroy]

Love the clean look! I've been looking at upgrading my stand. Recently, I started gigging a lot and standing rather than sitting while playing and my X stand is not making the cut. It rocks back in forth, making it slightly to very annoying to play, haha.

I've never seen that type of stand you've got there and it look collapsable (maybe?) something that would interest my with the travel I do. Two questions I have: 1) do you like the stand?; 2) what brand is it? I've never seen one like it.

Thanks for sharing your set up!