Buying a Nord on a budget

[beepbeepjacob]

Scott, I think I'll actually make a new post in the Wave section about this sort of sampling/emulating topic. Very interesting to me to discuss and I think it's possible, but of course in a limited version of the one readily available on other instruments. I was thinking 1 sample per layer, and that you would be limited to 4 layers at a time, but could program different registrations, but that's just me spitballing an idea i've had rolling around in my head for this positive organ. I don't think issues of percussion or synchronization are very difficult to solve.

[anotherscott]

Excuse me for sticking my ignorant nose in here, but if you really need a good piano and a good organ, wouldn't it be better to get 2 slightly cheaper keyboards than trying to get a NORD that does it all. Don't get me wrong, loves me some Nord, but how about a used Korg SV1for piano and, say a Hammond XK1...or 2, for organ? You could find those used for around $2000 for both

There are tons of good options. Whether they are "better" depends on your preferences in sound, feel, travel weight, and budget.

I happen to prefer the SV1 to any Nord for electric pianos... but prefer the sound(s) of the Nord for acoustic piano. If I wanted a lightweight and/or low budget piano, I'd go for the PX-5S, which is pretty good stock, but even better if you download some of the tweaked programs from the casiomusicforum. For organ, you can get something quite nice in a light and inexpensive Roland VR-09. Or the Numa Organ.

Scott, I think I'll actually make a new post in the Wave section about this sort of sampling/emulating topic. Very interesting to me to discuss and I think it's possible, but of course in a limited version of the one readily available on other instruments. I was thinking 1 sample per layer, and that you would be limited to 4 layers at a time, but could program different registrations, but that's just me spitballing an idea i've had rolling around in my head for this positive organ. I don't think issues of percussion or synchronization are very difficult to solve.

Layering 4 sounds is feasible for registrations that use up to 4 of the 9 drawbars; or to get sounds that require more than 4 drawbars, you could even combine the sound of multiple drawbars into a single layered sound (sacrifincing the ability to subsequently alter the balance of the ganged up drawbars). Percussion is not a difficult problem to solve, but it will use up one of your four layers. Phase issues are something you might just have to live with, but since you're going for a compromised "close enough" approach to begin with, they will probably be among the least of your distractions. Something approaching a genuine and switchable rotary effect will be impossible, but you could put the Wave through an external pedal to get that effect.

[nubis99]

Hello All, thanks for the many suggestions and the input! I've decided to not go with a nord in the end, as the justification price-wise wasn't really realistic. Instead I have since bought myself a Yamaha MODX8, and while I do think the stage3 would've been a lot nicer, the MODX is literally half the price with a feature set that comes quite close for everyday use. I'd still like to upgrade to a nord stage model at some point, probably once they announce a stage 3 ex or stage 4 or something. but for now, I'm going to stick with Yamaha, mostly out of price concerns. once again thanks for all the input and suggestions!

[orcoaffamato]

Hello All, thanks for the many suggestions and the input! I've decided to not go with a nord in the end, as the justification price-wise wasn't really realistic. Instead I have since bought myself a Yamaha MODX8, and while I do think the stage3 would've been a lot nicer, the MODX is literally half the price with a feature set that comes quite close for everyday use. I'd still like to upgrade to a nord stage model at some point, probably once they announce a stage 3 ex or stage 4 or something. but for now, I'm going to stick with Yamaha, mostly out of price concerns. once again thanks for all the input and suggestions!

Good luck! I had a Yamaha Montage 8 and I swapped it for a Nord Stage 3 'cause I really hated the OS, the constant menu diving and the fact that I had always to look at the manual or at some tutorial to program it... and something I would have liked to do was still impossible to achive!

[anotherscott]

I like both boards. I'm not sure there is much you can do on the NS3 that is impossible to achieve on the Yamaha, while there is plenty you can do on the Montage that is impossible to achieve on the Nord... BUT the Nord makes it much easier/quicker to do many of the things you most often need to do. There's really a basic tradeoff between two kinds of boards... ones that let you do almost anything you can imagine but require a bunch of menu navigation, versus ones that do less but let you do it a lot more directly. In the former category you have Montage/MODX, Kronos, and other boards of that ilk, while the latter approach is epitomized by Nord, but also found in boards like Yamaha YC61, CP73/CP88, Roland VR-09/VR730, Korg SV1/SV2, Grandstage, Vox Continental.

[alex78]

What about the Korg Nautilus? it has just been released and shares the same engine with the cronos, but more limited in features. It's cheaper than cronos as well. There is a bunch of reviews on youtube.