NS3 to NS4

[matje]

This question is put on this forum multiple times.

But now after some years my question is if the allround coverband players still would trade in the NS3 for a NS4.

[ericL]

I have at least one or more posts about this over the years and have considered it multiple times. I remain in the NS3 camp primarily as I have so many custom programs along with high reliance on Song Mode that it’s not worth upgrading to me. I have been using a pair of NS3 Compact units since around 2018 for a wide array of bands and they sound great plus I am very familiar. NS4 has some nice things though I am still content with my NS3. Heck, I even kept my original NS2 and could gig with that tomorrow if needed.

[cphollis]

Do you NEED to upgrade? Definitely not. Do you WANT to upgrade? That's the question. I did, and am quite happy.

I had two NS3 Compacts at one time, so heavily invested. I held off on the NS4 for a good six months, and then crumbled. I played both side by side for a while, and you could really see/hear the differences that way. Not so much buried in a cover band, though.

Here is what I liked about the NS4:
- per-engine FX
- improved organ engine and FX
- sounds a bit cleaner and fuller, new DAC perhaps?
- enhanced synth section
- a bit nicer action
- section presets (organ, piano, synth) saves time when programming

Could I be playing a NS3C these days and still be happy? Yes, certainly, the NS3 is an awesome instrument.

Was it worth the $$$?? Yes, to me.

[matje]

If I would upgrade to the NS4, I would do it for the synth section. 3 instead of 2 layers would be a great update. But that would be the only argument.
I think also the community for the NS3 is bigger then the NS4. I'm not a sound designer and use a lot of programs shared on this forum.

[DJKeys]

Since I already got the Wave 2 (which has the same architecture as the NS4) and my NS3, I never considered getting the NS4. Those two boards have everything together that I will need for my bands.

-dj

[jeffkeys]

For me that upgrade was determined by 2 major factors. Firstly, I have (still) a NS 3 HA88. Totally love the the hammer action keybed, but wanted to reduce weight and footprint because of the shoebox stages I play on. That was foremost. I also wanted the drawbars for the organ section. I really dislike the drawbuttons and using the OceanBeach drawbar module was good, but sometimes would overload the MIDI transmission and the response wouldn’t be immediate. I love the effects per section, but those first two points really pushed me to upgrade. The NS3 is now my practice/backup board (sold my NS Classic).

[matje]

Since the Nord Sound Manager v9.10 it is possible to convert NS3 programs to NS4 programs. It seems a great feature. There is not so much information on this forum or videos on Youtube which cover this? Who has tested the converting feature and what to expect from it?