The trouble with buying your first Nord ...

[dcjams]

The trouble with buying your first Nord ... a Piano 5 in this instance ... is that you want to sell all your other gear and buy a Wave 2 and a Stage 3

I'm all in. I'll drink all the Nord Kool-Aid I can get. This instrument is the very emodiment of less is more.

This is going to be a productive relationship!

If only they'd revisit the Nord Drum, or even attempt a drum machine.

[Hlaalu]

If only they'd revisit the Nord Drum, or even attempt a drum machine.

Not sure about your priorities, but I (and many others) wouldn't mind a new organ either...

[MarkJames]

The trouble with buying your first Nord ... a Piano 5 in this instance ... is that you want to sell all your other gear and buy a Wave 2 and a Stage 3

I'm all in. I'll drink all the Nord Kool-Aid I can get. This instrument is the very emodiment of less is more.

This is going to be a productive relationship!

If only they'd revisit the Nord Drum, or even attempt a drum machine.

Funny, I bought a Piano 4, then ordered an Electro 6D which I returned for a Stage 3 Compact, and then returned an Argon 8X for a Wave 2.

I do have some other gear still though - a Motif Rack XS, a PC running VSTs as well as Gig Performer and just picked up a Prophet Rev2 module that I control from the Wave 2.

[dcjams]

Ah man this morning I’ve just become obsessed with the Wave 2. Omg it looks and sounds amazing.

I imagined I might “upgrade” to the next iteration of the Stage in a year or so (whether that’s a 4 or a 3 ex) but I’m not much of an organ player (love them as a listener) but I’m actually thinking Piano 5 plus Wave 2 would make more sense for me.

I’ve got a Waldorf Quantum which is an incredible instrument and I always enjoy playing it but, and I hate to admit it given what they freaking thing cost, I struggle a bit with the UI and touchscreen and 6 months in I haven’t done anywhere near as much souund design as I thought I would.

All these amazing instruments. What a time to be alive!

[dcjams]

Waldorf Quantum

My point being the used value of a Quantum would easily cover a Wave 2 purchase.

The other thing about the Quantum is, I was very drawn to the granular synthesis but ultimately it disappointed somewhat.

The big surprise about the Quantum though was how good the VA engine is.

[Hlaalu]

Ah man this morning I’ve just become obsessed with the Wave 2. Omg it looks and sounds amazing.
I imagined I might “upgrade” to the next iteration of the Stage in a year or so (whether that’s a 4 or a 3 ex) but I’m not much of an organ player (love them as a listener) but I’m actually thinking Piano 5 plus Wave 2 would make more sense for me.

Yes despite some criticism that's been moved toward the Wave 2 (there's a thread for that here, don't know if you've seen it), it's still much more capable of the Stage 3 as a synth, obviously. So with the S3/3EX/4 the only significant thing you'd get is the organ engine, but if you don't need it much, you could get away with an organ patch on the P5 or the W2 itself, for when you need it, and have a fully weighted piano and a synth.

Fantasizing over such things though is a potentially dangerous game for your finances though.

[MarkJames]

Ah man this morning I’ve just become obsessed with the Wave 2. Omg it looks and sounds amazing.

I imagined I might “upgrade” to the next iteration of the Stage in a year or so (whether that’s a 4 or a 3 ex) but I’m not much of an organ player (love them as a listener) but I’m actually thinking Piano 5 plus Wave 2 would make more sense for me.

I’ve got a Waldorf Quantum which is an incredible instrument and I always enjoy playing it but, and I hate to admit it given what they freaking thing cost, I struggle a bit with the UI and touchscreen and 6 months in I haven’t done anywhere near as much souund design as I thought I would.

All these amazing instruments. What a time to be alive!

I like that the Wave 2 has the TP8 keyboard (similar to S3C) as opposed to the lighter TP9 but that’s just a preference.

I’ve looked at the Quantum (actually the Iridium, Waldorf’s 16 voice desktop version) but I’m not much of a sound designer. I really just want good playable sounds that I can use for covers. I did add the Prophet Rev2 as it’s easy to get “that” sound of the 80’s, but I’m sure the Wave 2 could get super close as well. I’m just lazy and I got it at a great price, plus I enjoy tweaking the knobs. Having said that, if there are 3 or 4 Rev2 patches I only end up using live I might just sample it to the Wave or Stage. Same goes for the Streichfett I have currently hooked up.

If I were to gig with 2 boards I’d probably leave the Piano at home and just use the semi-weighted S3C. I did this with an Ensoniq TS-12 for years so I know it will work. But as I’m not playing live right now I’m still futzing around with the configuration.

[dcjams]

but I’m not much of a sound designer. I really just want good playable sounds

I think that's what I'm realising of myself, or I've changed. I'm more interested in playing than production or writing. If I think about it any composition I've ever done has come out of playing around rather than consciously "creating".

It would explain why Nord's approach is suddenly resonating so strongly with me.

[MarkJames]

but I’m not much of a sound designer. I really just want good playable sounds

I think that's what I'm realising of myself, or I've changed. I'm more interested in playing than production or writing. If I think about it any composition I've ever done has come out of playing around rather than consciously "creating".

It would explain why Nord's approach is suddenly resonating so strongly with me.

I know for me it’s because money > time now.

When I was 19 and bought my first synth, the ESQ-1, it took all my money and I couldn’t afford more cartridges or other people’s sounds. I tweaked and tweaked to cover the sounds I needed. I spent many hours this way and learned every nuance of that ESQ-1 - enough that I can still program one 30+ years later.

Now, if I’m going to cover a song, I Google to see if someone sells it, and then for $10 or $20 or $30 I can buy a bunch of them and I’m good to go. Or I find something close and then tweak it slightly.

Also, if I want a classic keyboard, there are many VSTs that are “good enough” and I can play it from one of my Nords.

So in that respect I honor those who do sound design because it means I don’t have to, and I’m happy to pay them for their work.