This 'unofficial' Forum is dedicated to the Clavia Nord Keyboards, including the Nord Stage, Nord Electro and Nord Piano. Discuss any issues around Nord's keyboards, share your favorite patches, samples, and music. We are not affiliated with Clavia!
Everything about Nord keyboards in general; which one to choose, the sound manager, sample editor, and general discussion about the sample and piano libraries.
M1tsos wrote: ↑21 Jan 2025, 23:42
As for electro 7 if they release it will take the piano 5 price spot. I believe Thats the plan of Nord
Not sure I would agree. The Piano series has the piano and sample synth engines, where the Electro adds one more engine with the organ, along with the physical controls. I would speculate that has to factor into driving up the cost. Where the Electro could cost Clavia a bit less is in the keyboard mechanism itself. If they stick with the HP action (hopefully using the TP-110 and not TP-100), it could be less expensive compared to the HA action in the Piano and Stage models. I'd gather that the SW action is less expensive as well, which is how the Electro could keep a price point below the Piano.
It depends on a) whether they come out with a new Electro and b) what features will carry into it from the Stage 4, Organ 3 and/or Piano 6.
My guess is that the new Electro will not include two piano and two synth engines, but rather one each, which helps position the Electro as a more affordable option. I guess we'll see.
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Mike from Central NJ, USA
Tools: Ten fingers, two feet, middle-age brain, questionable judgement and taste Current Nords: Piano 5 73, Electro 6D 73
Ownership History: Electro 2, Electro 3-73 SW, Electro 3HP, Electro 4D, Stage 2EX 76HP
Rusty Mike wrote: ↑22 Jan 2025, 00:06
My guess is that the new Electro will not include two piano and two synth engines, but rather one each, which helps position the Electro as a more affordable option. I guess we'll see.
Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Nord is waiting for NS4 sales to slow before announcing anything about a new Electro, if they still plan to release one, since the Electro is really essentially a spec'ed down version of the Stage. Giving the Electro too much power would eat into sales of the Stage.
I'm still thinking the Electro is their biggest seller. I could be wrong of course, but it's impossible to find confirmed sales figures from Clavia on individual models. We need a spy to start working there
No new Grand Sample for the Piano 6. Nord goes to Namm with a brand new Piano featuring a lead acoustic sample that's almost 6 years old.
To the inevitable whataboutisms that "Yamaha and Korg do this too:" they aren't Nord. They haven't built up a reputation for sitting on old samples generation after generation of keyboard model. And their price points always reflected that.
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Last edited by Gambold on 27 Jan 2025, 00:51, edited 4 times in total.
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Gambold wrote: ↑27 Jan 2025, 00:45
No new Grand Sample for the Piano 6. Nord goes to Namm with a brand new Piano featuring a lead acoustic sample that's almost 6 years old.
and it still sounds as great as it did almost 6 years ago
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>and it still sounds as great as it did almost 6 years ago<
Well...all yay-rah Nord aside, let's unpack that. Sure, it sounds "great" compared to just about every other Nord acoustic piano sample, mostly because those are either quite old and created with lesser technologies, or they are highly-specific samples like the Felt or the Baby that don't have a lot of general appeal. There's a reason Clavia didn't put their newest Grand (the Soft) on as A11.
But how "great" is the White Grand, compared to how "great" it should be by now? After all, the White Grand has its limitations, even considering the piano they used for the sample. It's not a full-sized Steinway like the Grand Lady D. It's not a basso profundo monster like the Imperial. It's not even particularly rich in character to the level of, say, the Silver or the Velvet.
The White Grand is a serviceable and fairly generic mid-sized Steinway sample. No-one can argue against it. It's the vanilla flavor on the board (hey...vanilla is white ). What makes it "great" is that it was sampled with better technology than its predecessors so the piano sounds fuller and richer than the aforementioned Lady D or Imperial...even though both of those are better and more interesting pianos in real life.
I've said this before - one of the implicit promises in Clavia's marketing is that the high prices of their boards are not just for the high quality of their craftsmanship, but for access to a continually-evolving sample library. A library that takes full advantage of newer technologies to create ever-better acoustic piano samples, keeping Nord always at the head of the pack, and their boards always maintaining high value. For many years, Nord kept this promise. Their occasional release of a new Grand was always a moment of celebration. New boards were released with new Grand samples - the A11 was never more than two years old.
No longer. This is the first board to be released with the same lead piano sample as its predecessor. That is not a happy sign. We shouldn't forgive it away by talking about how "great" the White Grand sample on the Piano 5 in 2021 or the Nord Grand in 2019 was.
This is the Piano 6, and it's 2025.
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I’m curious about Clavia’s approach to making minor updates and rebranding them as new, highly sought-after gear.
DISAPOINTEMENT flag needed
—Nordine
Jazz pianist & co-author of "Jazzology: The Encyclopaedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians" Nord Piano 5 (88)
Roland RD-88
Korg Triton Extreme
M-Audio Keys 49 MK3
Yamaha HS5 Monitors
Audient Evo 4
Nordine wrote: ↑27 Jan 2025, 20:25
I just found out that NP6 and NG2 are the same product except the keyb feel and some few effects. Check out this comparison link if you’re interested!
I’m curious about Clavia’s approach to making minor updates and rebranding them as new, highly sought-after gear.
DISAPOINTEMENT flag needed
That was the same for the original Nord Grand: it's just a Nord Piano repackaged in a nicer chassis and with a more "pianistic" keybed.
I guess it was never meant to be a totally original product, but just the answer to years of musicians complaining that the Nords never had a really high-quality piano action for advanced playing technique.
You want Nord piano sounds with maximum convenience and portability for gigging: get the Nord Piano.
You want a better piano feel and are willing to compromise a bit on weight and portability: you have the option of the Nord Grand.
I agree that it was a perplexing move on many levels: Clavia having a duplicate product in its portfolio? Kawai licensing its action to a competitor?
But given it stayed in production and they even released the NG2, it looks like there are people willing to pay the additional price, and it's selling well enough to justify its existence.
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Nordine wrote: ↑27 Jan 2025, 20:25
I’m curious about Clavia’s approach to making minor updates and rebranding them as new, highly sought-after gear.
DISAPOINTEMENT flag needed
This is literally how product lines work.
Radically new products tend to get new names, updates within product lines are basically the same product, but the 2025 version, with a few cosmetic updates (if any), a few changed/added features, and slightly updated specs.
Gambold wrote: ↑27 Jan 2025, 06:07No longer. This is the first board to be released with the same lead piano sample as its predecessor. That is not a happy sign. We shouldn't forgive it away by talking about how "great" the White Grand sample on the Piano 5 in 2021 or the Nord Grand in 2019 was.
Has Piano 6 been released or merely announced? Stores are offering preorders not sales, as far as I can tell.
So too early to say there's no new piano for the release of Piano 6, no?
It could drop tomorrow or the day after or any day within a reasonable timeframe of Piano 6 being available for purchase and one could argue Nord are maintaining the promise of their marketing.
