Nord Stage 4 vs Electro 6 Piano sound

[Mat86]

Hi everyone,

I have a quick question about Sound quality between Nord Stage 4 and Electro 6.
Now to my understanding these two should be pretty much identical in terms of Organ and Piano section.

However, owning both a Stage 4 88 and a Electro 6 (Waterfall keys), the Piano sounds significantly better (more clear) on my Stage 4, where as I find the Electro 6 piano a bit "boxy". (/edit yes, I made sure the settings are the same in both sections, so no Mono mode on the electro etc. ) It is specifically the pianos, the organs actually sound identical on both instruments.

I am asking because I am thinking about trading down the Stage 4 88 to a Stage 4 compact (for weight reasons), but I am a little afraid it is actually the waterfall keys that are causing the pianos in the Electro 6 to not really come as awake as in its big brother somehow.

By any chance have any of you run into the same issue?
thanks!
-Matthias

[ericL]

I have not done a scientific comparison between NS4 and NE6 pianos. There is a possibility that the NS4 has higher quality DACs that could be contributing, though I doubt it would be a significant difference. NS4 has way more effects capabilities, so there's that.

I used a NS2 for many years and moved to NS3 (used all variations - 88 HA, 76 HP, 73 SW) and I found the piano sounds between these units to be indistinguishable. Having the 88 HA keyboard adds a LOT to the piano playing experience, though I've adapted to the 73 SW quite well and find that I am very satisfied with piano playing on this action.

You might want to do some recordings between the two and share them to see if anyone notices clear audio differences, or is it subjective based on action. My general understanding is that a Nord piano sample is a Nord piano sample and should sound the same across various generations and models.

[FZiegler]

As you have both instruments at hand, it should be easy to play one engine through the keys of the other (via MIDI). I have a NS3 compact and never play the acoustic piano sounds through its built-in keyboard. Instead, I use different weighted actions, and even there, I can feel a clear plus in realism if I play through a Kawai VPC1 compared to an older Yamaha CP33. So in my eyes, it may be quite likely that - in your case - the different keybed makes big part of the difference between the two instruments.

But I need to add that I really like my setup with a Stage Compact and an additional external hammer action keyboard. I need to haul around two keyboards when gigging, but the rest is easy: One weighted keyboard is in the rehearsal room, another one at home - the only one I always lug around is the Nord.

[maxpiano]

As you have both instruments at hand, it should be easy to play one engine through the keys of the other (via MIDI). I have a NS3 compact and never play the acoustic piano sounds through its built-in keyboard. Instead, I use different weighted actions, and even there, I can feel a clear plus in realism if I play through a Kawai VPC1 compared to an older Yamaha CP33. So in my eyes, it may be quite likely that - in your case - the different keybed makes big part of the difference between the two instruments.

But I need to add that I really like my setup with a Stage Compact and an additional external hammer action keyboard. I need to haul around two keyboards when gigging, but the rest is easy: One weighted keyboard is in the rehearsal room, another one at home - the only one I always lug around is the Nord.

Same experience (and same current setup) and it is easy to test that playing exactly the same sound from a HA and SW keyboard is not the same and it will seem the sound is different, but it is not, what is different is the key (finger)-to-sound connection.

You can partially compensate that by adjusting the playing technique when on the SW, anyway the lack of the HA "rebound" will always make a difference that affects the playing style.

[pianoharri]

I have a Stage 4 Compact and a Piano 5 88, and in both instruments almost identical piano samples loaded.

I can confirm that e.g. a raw White Grand sample (with no effects) sounds differently when I am "just playing as usual".
This means, I'm playing the 88 hammer action keyboard in another way than the rather light-weighted and springy Compact keybed. And the result is that the piano sounds tendentially richer and more expressive with the Nord Piano.

If I would play a longer period piano sounds/stuff only on the Stage Compact my fingers and way of playing would surely adapt and it would sound better and better. But switching from one to the other leads in my observation to another sound experience.

Of course, when just hitting one key on both instruments with almost identical velocity, the sound is more or less identical.

That's why I wanted the Nord Piano for playing piano stuff with the best possible feeling and action. And on the other hand the multi versatile Stage 4 for playing everything (it's no fun playing organ or quick lead synth things on weighted keys).

[pianoharri]

Agree with Nordlicht. Each time when I have replaced my Nord with another model with different kind of keyboard, my favourite piano samples have changed, too.