Should I go Piano 6 or break the bank (Stage 4) ?

[HarmonicSeries2]

Hi guys,

I currently own an Electro 6D 61 keys, I mainly use it for organ sounds (reggae/pop/jazz gigs).

However I don't like playing piano on it due to the organ keybed. So I have a double tier stand with a Roland FP10 connected to Keyscape/Mainstage on my macbook. I really like the Roland FP10 action (PHA-4) despite it being a 400€ board !

My setup work just fine but it's a grind to carry a laptop, a double tier stand, 2 keyboards...

So i've decided to buy a new Nord and heres come the dilema. For what I understood the stage 4 and piano 6 have the same action (TP/40Medium et TP/40Heavy) but with different weight (the piano being a little heavier).

If I take the Stage 4 I get the mighty pitch bender (!) and the organ section (so no need to carry a second keyboard) but I'm afraid of dumping 4k€ in a board if i'm not sure I will like the action. (I live in south of France it's a 2h ride to the nearest Nord reseller)

If I take the Piano 6 I'll get a good piano action but will still be forced to carry 2 keyboards for 200€ gig :s

I already know that I want the Stage 4 but I've already played on a Stage 3 and the action was a little too light for me.

So my questions are :

• Could anyone compare the RolandFP action to the stage 4 ?

• For 'classical' piano player, how was the adaptation to the stage 4 keybed ?

• Is the stage 4 keybed way heavier than the stage 3 ?

Excuse the poor English!

Thank you all, have a great day.

[MrLeoMadrid]

I just can’t play organ properly with the NS4 HA keybed, I don’t know if that might be a stopper for you.

[cphollis]

Well, if you're not going to carry around two keyboards, compromises will need to be made. You'll either be compromising playability for piano parts (on an unweighted keybed like the NS4C), or compromising organ/synth parts (on a weighted keybed like the NS4 HA versions).

Since I do a lot of both, I think the ideal setup is two keyboards: the NS4C on top with a short, weighted controller underneath -- no need for a full 88 I've found. I use a NP5 73 as a controller and find the keybed delightful from my piano player's perspective, which would be very close to the keybed found in the NS488.

Best of luck!

[FZiegler]

I have no idea how serious your initial question was. But certainly, a Nord Stage isn't worth breaking a bank. A Nord Stage won't be the fulfilment of all your dreams in one box. You certainly know, there are two different actions available with the NS4 - and this is for a reason. In my eyes, directly grading up from an Electro 6D would result in a Nord Stage Compact; a Nord Stage 4-HA (73 or 88) is a different thing. One is made for playing organ, the other is for playing piano. You won't be fully happy with any of them if you want to do both with the same action - it is quite doable, nothing more.

A Piano 6 is even farther from an Electro 6D: only usable in a pianistic manner (with some synth, wind, strings or organ samples as a nice addition).

One thing is different: If you own a NS4C, you won't need a computer for the piano sound any more - just connect a weighted controller keyboard to the NS4C and have it produce sounds for both keyboards.

I have no idea if there are other and even better upgrade strategies. Think rather the same as cphollis.

Is it more piano or organ that you are meant to play?

[pianoharri]

Keyboard actions are very much a matter of taste, so hearing the opinions of others may or may not help. If I were you, I would bite the bullet and take the 2h ride to the Nord reseller to compare them yourself.

[HarmonicSeries2]

Thank you all for the replies.
I mainly want a good piano action, but still need some organ and synths occasionaly. The NS4 is probably the way to go.

Have a good day.

[maxpiano]

Thank you all for the replies.
I mainly want a good piano action, but still need some organ and synths occasionaly. The NS4 is probably the way to go.

Have a good day.

Actually the conclusion contradicts the first part of the statement: NP6 has a (arguably) better piano action (more weighted/heavier) than NS$ and for occasional Organs and Synths you can use its Sample Synth... guess you just try to find a justification to buy a NS4 anyway, or actually the fact is that NS4 it fits your overall need to carry only 1 keyboard better (regardless the action, accepting it as a compromise) so it was the actual choice from the beginning?