Stick with Nord?

[Gambold]

>it´s gonna be a Piano, a Hammond or a Rhodes<

Honestly, that's all it ever should be. Playing string washes or synth blurps may be fun during a recording session, but it's not really what any keyboardist wants to be doing on stage. Like the singer, the guitarist, the sax player, or the drummer - you just want to play your instrument as well as you can. No-one else is being asked to sound like a theremin or a female chorus. Save that for a backing tape.

[Kaffimusic]

Nords are easy to operate. But they are not very powerful or flexible. You pay a lot for that package. They are - to put it in simple words - lots of buck for some bang.
With other major workstation-style instruments, especially those in the non-budget pricerange, you get way more power. More zones, more layers, more sounds, no need to load BASIC romplerstyle sounds in (because the waveforms are already there in ROM), more sophisitcated synthsections, more FX power, free splitpoints... The list might go on a bit. But they are harder to program. Because there is more to handle. Once you understood to handle them, you also gain lots of more flexibility. When you have an idea of how you want it, the Nord will have limits that other instruments do not have.
The statement that all others are "preset instruments" is true just for those who do not understand how to program those machines. That is the majority of keyboardplayers. The Nords are easy to program, but I still know people as well who pay others to program the sounds they need for a Nord Stage.
So... the chance to make a Nord do your bidding seems to be higher than any other brand because of the easier approach. If you do not recognize or care for the limits.
However, if you are willing to learn other instruments, you will soon understand how much more options are there to let the instrument do exactly what you want it to do. Because most of them can. But it´s more difficult and needs more learning and time.
Sound is a different topic. Quite subjective. For a more neutral approach, ask an experienced sound-technician that has mixed lots of keyboards in his life and listen to what he says about which type sounds really good on stage. And which need more tweaking to fit in the sound and which less. Ask for all the major brands that had been named here. What you hear in your headphones or in a rehersal-room is not the same what is needed on a stage.
I want to add: I do not agree with not playing synth stuff or strings or pads (or samples/loops) What you need strongly depends on what you perform. When you are in a rock´n roll based band, the classic electromagnetic keyboards are sufficent. When you play modern music, there are things that HAVE to be there, or the music is not how it´s meant to be played. And that means heavy use of synthesizers as well as all the classic keyboard sounds needed. Sometimes several the same time.
Depends on how much you are ready to fill that role or not.

[M_a_c]

>it´s gonna be a Piano, a Hammond or a Rhodes<

Honestly, that's all it ever should be. Playing string washes or synth blurps may be fun during a recording session, but it's not really what any keyboardist wants to be doing on stage. Like the singer, the guitarist, the sax player, or the drummer - you just want to play your instrument as well as you can. No-one else is being asked to sound like a theremin or a female chorus. Save that for a backing tape.

You know that moment when your stage companion (mostly the Guitar-Player) naturally expects the keyboard player to play the saxophone solo? You certainly also know the look on their face when you reply "I'm the keyboard player here - not a saxophonist. Ask the Drummer"...


But the following moment, when you suggest to the astonished guitarist, that you could also play his guitar solo on the keyboard, is also legendary. The thing is not that it would be possible - the thing is that it would perhaps sound even better...

[Rusty Mike]

LOL quick off-topic reply.

I was in a cocktail jazz group a few years ago where the leader was a trumpet player. It was straight acoustic piano or EP 100% of the time, and the band also included a drummer bass player, tenor sax and singer. He wanted to add some tune which used accordion on the recording. He casually told me that I could just use an accordion sound for the tune. I sent him a rather pointed response about being a piano player and not a novelty player of fake accordions, orchestras or goat screams. I told him that he could play the accordion part on his trumpet, to which he responded he played trumpet and not accordion. I then compelled him to evaluate the irony of his response.

In all fairness, though, sometimes playing synth parts can be fun, depending on the context. I played in a fusion band a few years ago, and did some synth pads and leads on the Stage 2EX, which was pretty fun. Gave me a bit of a chance to do some synth programming with the Stage - great stuff which showed me just a bit of what the Nord Stage is capable of.

But, overall, I won't try to emulate other "real" instruments aside from maybe jazz vibes every once in a while. But, I'm far from any kind of rock/pop keyboardist and won't speculate as to what other people need. All I can say is do your research to figure out what makes the most sense for you.

[cphollis]

A counterpoint?

I enjoy the challenge of playing (somewhat) convincing non-keyboard sounds on a keyboard. There's a lot you can do with technique, phrasing, voicing, modulation, etc. Most of my non-keyboard parts (horns, strings, accordion, flute, guitar, etc.) are only short passages, making it easier to pull off.

It adds a nice variety, and everyone seems to like it.

[Kaffimusic]

Bandmates usually do not understand and are quite ignorant to the demands a keyboardplayer faces. They just think about their narrow role. That is the reason why - many times - you find keyboardplayers as the musical directors of higher level bands. They outgrow the other musicians.

Back to the entry question: Playing a Nord Stage in a Band is like being the "Piano + Organ guy". Exactly that. If you understand your role as that, a Nord Stage is sufficent and does the job well.
But I found it is no fun to use it when you need to play modern dance music and Pop. Tried it with a Stage 3. I faced too many limits.

[M_a_c]

Okay - back to topic "Stick with Nord?" I just thought about that...

To be honest against my former post , I also like some nice Synth-Pads, living Leads and good Brass-Sounds from my keys (of course), as far as they are not used, to drive he whole song to an abnormal Sound (what maybe is wanted for other music-styles). That´s a big reason for me to get the NORD Electro (and the NordStage later), since I am able to bring all in one instrument. Especially the option of sampling my old favorite Sounds from other Boards is genius - what a development from my Days with the Roland S-330 and the Akai S-700 in the 80ies...

So if you ("ChoppedTop") are not so sure, if you get YOUR Sounds out of the Nord I can confirm, that the NS4 would bring the Nord-Organ and the Nord-Pianos to you. With that you get a smart Synthesizer with its own character. If the Synth does not bring you to YOUR Sounds, the Sampling-Option waits for you, to bring some really "ChoppedTop"-Sounds in. I sampled a lot and lots of Roland-Synths and here`s the point...

ROLAND-Sounds are legendary (Point!). If you think about a ROLAND Key instead, you will get nearly all knows ROLAND-Sounds with it. The Juno-DS88 already offers a Big number of Sounds with a good Keybed, Splits&Layers up to 16 how you like it to and a "good" interface for a small budget. I see it as the legal successor of these old XP-Series, as the concept had not changed (but has been developed) from the days in the 90ies. If you spend some more money, you can get the Fantom-08 with even more Sounds and possibilities, besides a good Clone-Wheel Simulation and a "better" Interface with a Touch-Screen included. Much more money would bring the Fantom-8, which opens an even bigger Universe of Sounds and much comfortable Interface with even more direct access.

But where there is light there is also shadow - I (personally) don´t like a Touch-Screen onstage. I always had troubles with my MODX8 when it comes to light - especially outdoors. But even in the studio, I don´t like to move to the appendix of a Side-Menu under the 3th page below the Main-Screen. When I think, the piano is not bright enough today, I like to have a desired Button or Poti to change this onthefly. And it´s a great thing to have more than 1000 Preset Sounds onboard, but what if only a few fits to ME? I have to carry the unwanted Sounds like a Burdon with me and will always stumble over them. Besides these modern Key-Flagships have sizes and weights far from what I want to carry around with me. They cut a fine figure in the studio with their deeper possibilities for sure, but they slow down my musical inspiration...

I´m mostly a StageMusician. My NordStage473 has acceptable dimensions, is easy to carry, got great Pianos and Organs and the fabulous WAVE2 integrated. I can add any Sample I want and the more than enough FX-Section is finally available per layer. I can nearly reach every sound I need/like. The Keybed is a dream for my hands and I can get along with the Mod-Stone and the Pitch-Wood. And 95% of all functions are accessable directly from this clear and manageable interface...

So my conclusion to "Stick with Nord?": it seems that I found what I missed since I got this Roland VR-760 during the Millenium-Days. I will keep the NS4 for sure, since I´m satisfied as Musician today, while ROLAND (or Ya. and Ko.) puts me more and more in the Role of a programmer.

... stick with my Nord will surely not keep me from sampling more of these great ROLAND-Sounds, as I have some ROLAND-Keys still in my inventory...

[Winds]

Bandmates usually do not understand and are quite ignorant to the demands a keyboardplayer faces. They just think about their narrow role. That is the reason why - many times - you find keyboardplayers as the musical directors of higher level bands. They outgrow the other musicians.

Back to the entry question: Playing a Nord Stage in a Band is like being the "Piano + Organ guy". Exactly that. If you understand your role as that, a Nord Stage is sufficent and does the job well.
But I found it is no fun to use it when you need to play modern dance music and Pop. Tried it with a Stage 3. I faced too many limits.

Hey I find your last point interesting. If you don't mind me asking, what keyboards you use for modern dance/pop?

[Kaffimusic]

I play Kurzweil on Stage. A PC361 and a PC4-7 that is modded with a Fatar synthkeybed. Very powerful, very good sounding. But be aware, there is a lot to learn with those. Making splits and layers with given sounds is pretty easy - maybe easier than with a Nord - but going more in depht and programming sounds is complex and pretty unique with Kurzweil. VAST synthesis.
If you do not know how to program a sound on a Nord stage synth, you will have a very hard time to do that on a Kurzweil.

[Winds]

I play Kurzweil on Stage. A PC361 and a PC4-7 that is modded with a Fatar synthkeybed. Very powerful, very good sounding. But be aware, there is a lot to learn with those. Making splits and layers with given sounds is pretty easy - maybe easier than with a Nord - but going more in depht and programming sounds is complex and pretty unique with Kurzweil. VAST synthesis.
If you do not know how to program a sound on a Nord stage synth, you will have a very hard time to do that on a Kurzweil.

Interesting. Do you have any videos of yourself out there that gives a good showcase of you using any of those? I'd like to see if you don't mind. Can private if don't feel comfortable posting here.