Disappointed with the new Nord stage 3 c

[Rene67]

Hello,

First post but not a nice one. Play about 42 years, bought the Technics 1000 / 3000 / 5000 new. Also Got a Roland DSi / BK9 / FA-08 and Yamaha 9000 Pro / PSR S770 / Tyros1.
Plays in several bands and never had problems with those keyboards/Synth.
Last one was the Roland FA-08 but I wanna a lighter and smaller keyboard and a keyboard with a nice organ sounds + drawbars + easy use of Synth.

Nord Stage 3 Compact was the solution and the best thing is that you can divide your keyboard in 4 zones and that was perfect for me. No need for a second keyboard

Bought a brand new one in December but 3 days later : Mod Wheel was not working anymore and the was a strange noise inside the Nord.
Due to Christmas and New Year must wait for almost 4 weeks but then i've got him back.

Now 2 weeks later :

Shift button does not work when you are in Split mode so cannot exit anymore and when you Edit a sound, saved him, then the E ist still lit or faintly blinking.

So back to the repairshop but do not want wait 4 weeks again but they promise me I can go to them and wait for the repair.

I hope this wil be the last problem otherwise I will give him back where I bought him and want my money back. I love the sound and the way to work with but I cannot life with those problems.

Am I the only one with a new Nord with problems ?

[thomasw-dk]

Hi Rene67,
i was also facing problems with a couple of buttons including a faulty shift button (same problem as you are describing). Fortunately the local danish servicepartner could fix the exchange within a couple of working days.
Now i have some issues with the keybed. There are different velocities on a couple of keys ( the samples sound much louder when playing a bit harder) and the lowest E has lost the same resistance compared to the other keys. That one feels just not right anymore. My NS 3 C is back at the servicepartner again at the moment.
I agree with you...it is my first Nord as well and it it is a bit disappointing having these quality issues already.
/Thomas

[ajstan]

It seems like the preponderance of these types of situations are with distributors outside of the US. It sounds frustrating. Here, with authorized retailers (at least the ones I deal with), it's a quick swap for a new unit if there are any immediate issues - there is no need for a customer to send a new unit out for service. Plus, we have Pablo to help us diagnose issues and determine the best course of action.

I'm not knowledgeable of the options you have in your country, but it's always worth it to me to pay a bit more to work with a reputable dealer for purchases of a meaningful amount. It's good to be confident that you are getting a new, unopened item and the retailer will make things right. Quality control won't catch 100% of all production issues, so it's good to have a safety net.

Good luck. I hope you get your issues resolved soon so you can focus on learning how to use your new NS3!

[kbmatson]

My initial NS3C had a light that didn't work, but since I bought from Sweetwater, they sent me another one immediately (2 day shipping) and allowed me to send first one back at my convenience within reason. The second one has been perfect - zero problems. (knock on wood!).

[e8ndave]

I've had 2 for over a year now with no issues at all. The first one came with a really early OS which was funky but a quick update took care of that. So far I've been very happy with both.

[Copia]

I had a pitch stick fail and had to repair it, which took about six weeks and cost a bit since it was recently out of warranty. But my perspective may surprise you: you’ll get it back and after you do you’ll find it’s a fantastic keyboard that is unrivaled in joy to play.

[LeftyBass68]

Unboxed an early V1.1 NS3C about 18 months ago,it's been a joy to play with a steeper learning curve than I expected producing great results!Have yet to install OS 2.50 and look forward to mapping/installing my own samples allowing the 3 to really do more.Importing the older library is also a welcome addition to the new sample software,bringing it up to a 'normal amount' like other platforms using older sounds.
Took home an unboxed floor demo NS3-88 seven months ago,again,no issues and because it is a V 1.1, managed to get a substantial discount on it.Most realistic sounding pianos I've ever taken on a stage in hardware.Great feeling 'all around' player that might have competition in piano feel,but the others don't have organ/synth that feel any good IMO.Yes the Nord Grand has better reviews but it has only one panel,the Stage has two complete panels.At a gig,this is the menu I need to get the job done in 90% of situations.
Having both a Compact and 88 at a gig really is overkill,shows requiring multiple front persons/vocalists sometimes four panels are welcome during a two hour show.

I've seen bad logistics, and reports of damaged 'new' keyboards are common unfortunately.I deal with a reputable chain and they always have my back if issues arise!
One day I saw a skid tip off the ramp of a Hino CF delivery van at the local music store loading zone.Not long after I bought a 'brand new' 2-15"X 2"horn Yamaha S215V for 100 dollars.
Had it sidefill some outdoor shows,great dispersion for keys,as in,'everywhere'.....funny, the Crest amp was free and powers it no problem.Stuff gets 'broken' all the time.

Get that Compact fixed,once you get a few gigs under your belt,you'll wonder what took you so long to get here.

[Elias]

I bought my first Stage 3 C, key resistance was really unconsistent.

Switched it to another one, MONITOR IN -port is loose and buzzy…

Best sound ever. Best user interface ever. The best All-In-One solution for many, many keyboard players.
But still. 3000€. Its been the most expensive and least reliable piece of gear that I have owned.

Just sharing my honest experiences, because you asked for it.

EDIT: I'm reading this now 1.5 years later after playing my NS3C a lot. I kind of regret posting this since I never encountered any more problems aside from the 2-3 inevitable crashes that happen to anything software-related.

[Rene67]

Hi Rene67,
i was also facing problems with a couple of buttons including a faulty shift button (same problem as you are describing). Fortunately the local danish servicepartner could fix the exchange within a couple of working days.
Now i have some issues with the keybed. There are different velocities on a couple of keys ( the samples sound much louder when playing a bit harder) and the lowest E has lost the same resistance compared to the other keys. That one feels just not right anymore. My NS 3 C is back at the servicepartner again at the moment.
I agree with you...it is my first Nord as well and it it is a bit disappointing having these quality issues already.
/Thomas

Yes it is. I also got a next problem while I'm playing. The lets around the volume knob from the Piano move back and forth. It's look like there is something wrong with the circuitboard from this section.
Tomorrow, I can go to a repair shop with priority and can wait for the repair. Hope it will be the last time.

[Rene67]

It seems like the preponderance of these types of situations are with distributors outside of the US. It sounds frustrating. Here, with authorized retailers (at least the ones I deal with), it's a quick swap for a new unit if there are any immediate issues - there is no need for a customer to send a new unit out for service. Plus, we have Pablo to help us diagnose issues and determine the best course of action.

I'm not knowledgeable of the options you have in your country, but it's always worth it to me to pay a bit more to work with a reputable dealer for purchases of a meaningful amount. It's good to be confident that you are getting a new, unopened item and the retailer will make things right. Quality control won't catch 100% of all production issues, so it's good to have a safety net.

Good luck. I hope you get your issues resolved soon so you can focus on learning how to use your new NS3!

Thanx. I bought the nord from an official dealer and this is theire quote :

"I find it very annoying that things are going so badly and I want to do the maximum to help you properly.
Exchange is very difficult. Of course I have already discussed this with Nord several times. Nord's policy in this is that they unfortunately never do this.
Even in these two situations I have deposited that again at the factory, they do not offer any support in this."


So I don't think this would be the last word on this.