Is a NS2EX still worth it in 2025?

[upbeat]

Hi all,

I have the opportunity to purchase a used 88 key Stage 2 EX. My question to you all is whether this still makes sense considering it is a 10 year old instrument? Also, is there anything I should be on the lookout for in terms of functionality or known possible technical issues? Just for reference, my alternative would be a Yamaha YC73 or YC88 if I can get a used one.

Cheers and happy Sunday!

[upbeat]

Imho, Stage 2 EX is well worth it in 2025, depending on the price you’re paying. If the price is 60% of a new Nord Stage 4 (maximum!), and lower than the YC88, go for it.

Here is another thread with a similar example:
viewtopic.php?t=24780

What you’re getting from the Stage 2 EX that is probably not in a YC:
* 6 layers of sound engines (2 slots with Organ+Piano+Synth each)
* 2 fully fledged (of course streamlined, but handson) synthesizers built-in, 18 voices of polyphony in total
* 1GB storage for Nord Piano library samples, where you can freely decide which pianos you want on your Stage 2 EX.
* 380MB (0.37GB, up to 999 samples) for synth/strings/brass samples, either from the Nord Sample library nsmp 1.0/2.0 or from this forum, or custom created samples with Nord Sample Editor!
Granted, they are one-layer-samples, and are not multi-layer samples that sound different with harder velocities like on other boards (or like the piano samples from Nord (npno), which are multi-layer!
* 2 independent and very flexible Extern layers to control any MIDI/USB synth, sound module or iPhone/Mac. This even sets it apart from Stage 4, because on Stage 4 you’re losing a synth layer with external mode.

Summing up, I think Stage 2 EX is still a great board, and apart from more storage, more synth voices or seamless transition you’re not missing out on many things even compared to a Stage 4!

[Spider]

Another couple of threads more or less on topic:
viewtopic.php?t=25988
viewtopic.php?t=24595

Also, consider that apart from the piano memory, the Stage 2 is essentially the same thing as the 2EX.
The only differences are some hardware changes, but it really depends what version you're interested in:

88 keys: no differences

76 keys: HA action in the NS2 (much better for piano, but heavier), HP action in the NS2EX (not as good but much lighter for portability)

73 keys: the action is the same, but the NS2 has F-F range, the NS2EX E-E. This may matter to you or not. Also, the NS2EX has slimmer wood sides so it is even smaller and more portable.

[anotherscott]

The Stage 2EX is still a great board, with many advantages over the YC, and definitely "worth it" if priced well, but YC also has its advantages, so it may be a matter of what's more important to you. Adapting a similar list I had posted elsewhere (some redundant with or modifying items in Martin's list above), starting with things that more favor the Yamaha...

* YC has eight single-button patch recall buttons (instead of five), and the screen can display the names of the 8 sounds currently assigned to those buttons

* YC's sampled non-piano-type sounds tend to sound better because they can have multiple velocity layers

* YC has more effects capabilities, e.g. better ability to have different effects on different split/layered sounds, and a wider range of different effects overall

* YC includes a USB audio interface

* YC LED screen is better, displaying more information at once

* YC has seamless transitions when switching from one Live Set (program) to another (held/sustaining notes of one sound won't cut out when switching to a different sound)

* YC has physical drawbars, though some may prefer Nord's buttons since they always edit smoothly from a recalled patch

* YC has a fully flexible split point location (vs. a more limited number of split locations), but the YC only permits one split per program instead of two on the Nord, so this one can go either way.

* YC has 4-zone MIDI control function for external zones vs. 2 external zones in the Nord... but Nord's implementation for those 2 zones offers front panel control for those zones, which YC does not, so if 2 zones is enough, Nord is better here

* Nord has a larger set of sounds, plus a library of additional downloadable sounds, so you can swap out ones you don't care about in favor of ones you'd find more useful (the YC voice list is fixed, there's no library of additional/alternate voices you can use)

* Nord gives you the ability to load your own custom samples

* Nord has a full VA (virtual analog) synth section, for better quality analog synth emulation and also full front panel control to edit those sounds or create your own

* Nord has aftertouch

* Nord has morphing (simpler, more flexible modulation assignment)

* Nord has more variety of different kinds of piano sounds (and subjectively speaking, I think Nord's acoustic pianos are better than YC's)

* Nord has better piano resonance implementation

* Nord has high trigger point on organ

* Nord has more complete clav emulation, including all 4 pickup positions and all the EQs

* Nord has arpeggiator

* Nord has room for 400 user combination programs (instead of 160 live sets), plus 300 user synth sounds which can be incorporated into those programs (no YC equivalent)

* If you want a single action that plays pretty well for both piano and organ, I think the 88-key Nord beats Yamaha's options, being better for piano than the YC73 while also being better for organ than the YC88

* Subjectively, I think Nord''s front panel interface is more clear and simpler to use

That's not everything, but I think I covered most of the main ones.

[cookie]

If I may, something that makes a huge difference is... Nord User Forum !
Meaning, there are here PLENTY of programs and samples already created by users, freely available, that you can tweak to your own taste.

I also like the organ engine on the Stage 2 compared to the 3. Very different indeed but a lot smoother to my ears.

But careful as the new samples for the Stage 3 and 4 are NOT backward compatible with the 2. The program viewer will help you convert the parameters of some NS3 programs to your Stage 2, apart from the synth engine.

Fred

[Rusty Mike]

Even though the non-piano samples are single layer, the Stage sees them as sound sources for the synth engine, just like the waveform oscillators. That means you can run them through the synth filter (with resonance) and envelopes, applying velocity and other modulation controls. In this regard, the samples on the Stage are so much more versatile compared to the sample engine in the Electro or Piano. The single-layer argument is not really relevant on the Stage 2EX.

I have a YC73 and find the synth engine to be merely adequate, and are based only on the waveforms that Yamaha decided to give you; there is no loading your own samples. The piano section is vastly inferior to any Nord. And, like cookie says, the user community here is leagues beyond anything out there for the Yamahas. Here, you have access to samples created by talented people from around the world for almost any need you can think of.

I think the YC organ engine is a slight bit better than the Stage 2EX, but the Nord organ sounds great and has a lot of character.

Nord Sound Manager is free to you as a user - simply download it. For the Yamaha, you need to purchase a third party app for library management. And the Nord Sample Editor is also free so you can create your own samples and load them into your instrument.

I owned a Stage 2EX for about 8 years, and it's a great instrument. I sold it mostly because I don't need the synth or sample engines for what I do and was looking for more simplicity. I currently play a Piano 5 73 and YC73, and toggle between them based mostly on whether I have to climb stairs or not, as the YC is lighter. But the Nord pianos are just head and shoulders above Yamaha's offering. I also have an Electro 6 73 (organ action), which I also really like, but don't get to take out as much since I play mostly piano and need the weighted action.

[anotherscott]

The single-layer argument is not really relevant on the Stage 2EX.

Multiple sample layers permit more authentic acoustic instrument emulations. For example, on your YC, there's a flute which, when the key is hit at high velocity, yields the sound of an "overblown" flute.