I want to change my keyboards

[Roty34]

Hello
I am currently in possession of a Korg Kronos LS and a Yamaha Montage 7, managed by Camelot pro IOs. I'm pretty happy with it but as I get older and for health reasons, I have to spare my back, and they are heavy (repeat once a week). Can the Stage 3 (76 or 73) and add possibly a Nordwave 2 (or other controller) do exactly the same job? my groups are pop / rock cover (piano, organ, brass, strings, synth). I don't use sequences but samples, a lot of splits (although I think I will have to change my working method). I don't want to use a computer or rehearse or on stage, but the iPad does.
Thanks for your help

[Tasten-Bert]

Bonjour Roty

and a very warm welcome to this wonderful forum of nord enthusiasts.

You mention rock pop covers and the typical instruments. For exactly this purpose I have a nord electro 5D 61 plus a lightweight korg X50 (only 4,5 kg), and if I need some particular synth sounds I use my iPad with two moog apps. That all plus a light k&m 18880 stand means only 19 kg incl. pedals. So if you want to protect your back, that‘s in my eyes a nice and satisfying combi.

The nord does all organs, pianos and e-pianos, whereas the korg with its multilayer and split possibilities does all the rest, with in my opinion really good brasses and strings.

Sunny regards from Germany

Edit: Today‘s products nord electro 6D and korg kross 2 would be in the same weight range, even if you chose an electro 73.

[cookie]

Of course, Nord keyboards will not do exactly the same job as a combi Kronos+Montage.
It's a totally different philosophy but you'll find lighter keyboards with faster boot-time (ahah) and direct access to more simplified programs.

I find that Nord's mono-layer samples do the job in cover bands and my Nord cut direcly in the mix. Never needed the extra features of the workstations you have (Karma, sequencer, arpegietto patterns...).
You can have one 88-key keyboard (like the Stage 3) lighter that Montage that will be able to cover all your splits and samples.
I personnaly use a second keyboard (less than 10kg), feeling more comfortable as sometimes the fixed split points on the Stage is an issue when I need many samples.

I made the full Nord move few years ago and may never go back to this "workstation" configuration.

Fred

[Elias]

As @cookie said already, Nord's will not do exactly the same job, because they are not workstations in the same way that Kronos and Montage are. You have far less menus, less layers and less everything, expect immediacy. Basically every action is 2 steps away. On most later Nords you can make and download user samples, so you have a lot of freedom.

Unless you absolutely need very complicated layers/splits, you will probably be fine with just a Stage 3 Compact 73. I would encourage trying that first, and then maybe getting a Wave 2 or a workstation if you need more layers.

[MarkJames]

I’d get a Stage 3 Compact to start with and then see what’s “missing”. I have a S3C and a Wave 2 and feel they complement each other, but you may find that the brass is lacking (or not).

[ajstan]

This looks like the perfect question for @AnotherScott, but here are a couple of ideas:

- The MODX7 could replace your Montage 7 at a significantly lighter weight and I believe it can load and play all Montage 7 programs. The MODX does not have aftertouch.
- The Korg Nautilus could replace your Kronos, but I'm not sure how well it plays Kronos programs and what the differences are.
- If you want to add a Nord, then either the Electro or Stage 3 Compact will be your best bets depending upon how much you want from the synth/sample section (sample player vs synth engine), if you want two layers of each sound engine instead of one, and if you want a mod wheel and pitch-bend stick.

[Roty34]

thanks for your advices
I'm thinking of buying the Stage 76 to replace the kronos (I hardly use sampler and sequencer functions)
is Stage 4 coming up soon? and what more can you expect?
I will enter the Nord world

[Schorsch]

is Stage 4 coming up soon? and what more can you expect?

Probably the most frequent question in this forum, and the most frequent answer is: nobody knows ….

You should look at what you need today and what you can get today, if the match is close enough then buy. Waiting for new instruments because of the expectation to get something better or in addition will lead you to never buy anything - because you never know if the next model will have something else which could be useful or interesting … and so on and so on and so on …

[cphollis]

I agree. The lightest, most capable Nord in the lineup is the Nord Stage 3 Compact -- NS3C. I like them so much I have two.

It will not do everything you are doing today, but it will do a lot. And it will do some fun things you probably aren't doing today, like morphing multiple parameters, which I find endlessly entertaining. As does the audience.

The Nord philosophy works well for what I do. I can pre-arrange 5 different programs per song, 400 songs, lots of underlying programs, and so on. I am happy with most of the composable sonic building blocks, with solo horns and strings being a weak spot. So I just substitute something else that sounds good.

Within that setlist/songlist framework, I can easily improvise along the way. Tweak a few knobs. Substitute voices easily. Go wild for a bendy synth solo. Crush that B3 with grunge. Put a little bite into that flabby clav sound. And so on.

Get good at it, and it turns into a slightly elevated form of "playing" an instrument. I've never had so much fun.

[Hlaalu]

That was pleasing to read cphollis. It seems like you really are enjoying it.