Is the Nord Electro 2 a keyboard or a synthesizer?

[Jericho-79]

Hey everyone. I just would like some expertise here.

I'm thinking about getting a Nord Electro 2 to add to my performance rig.

One of my friends told me the following-

"Every synthesizer is a keyboard but not every keyboard is a synthesizer".

And from what I understand, a synthesizer has the ability to emulate various instruments via built-in sounds.

So here's my question-

Is the Nord Electro 2 a keyboard, or is it a synthesizer?

Any input would be appreciated. Thank you guys.

[maxpiano]

Uff... terminology... anyway, according to generally used terms, it is more correct to call NE2 a "keyboard" because you cannot create (synthesize) brand new sounds based on sound generation parameters, which is what you do in a synthesizer such as the Nord Lead or Nord Wave or Moog etc...

[Arjan P]

Interesting, cause I was gonna say it is a synthesizer - for the creation of organ sounds that the user has full control over, within the given parameters.

BTW, not every synthesizer is a keyboard since some don't have, well, a keyboard (rack units).

[maxpiano]

Of course any keyboard has a sound synthesis engine behind, but I wouldn't call the organ section of NE2 a synthesizer, otherwise any Hammond clone would be and usually they are not considered such.

[analogika]

The Nord Electro 2 is not a synthesizer.

It is a keyboard specializing in the RE-creation of existing real instruments, and is not aimed at allowing you to use those "real" sounds as starting points for creating new sounds.

[Ledbetter]

I think of a synthesizer as a group of modules or components (amplifiers, mixers, modulators, filters, etc.) that can create (synthesize) a wide variety of sounds, whether or not they exist in the world. Like the Nord Lead series.

The Electro is basically a sample player/organ emulator, albeit a really versatile one.

[Jericho-79]

So essentially-

The Nord Electro 2 is simply a keyboard containing synth modules?

[analogika]

No.

The Nord Electro 2 is a keyboard containing a modelling engine and a sample player, plus some effects.

What makes this discussion so pointless is that technically, anything that has a keyboard IS a keyboard, and that colloquially, anything that isn't (electro-) mechanical is a "synth".
Whether a sample player qualifies as a "synth" in a technical sense doesn't really matter. I'd probably say that it isn't a synth if it doesn't have filters and envelopes, and the Electro 2 definitely does not.

But technically, a Hammond organ is an additive synthesizer: It is based on electromagnetic generation of partial tones, which are then layered to shape the harmonic signature of the tone.

Nobody would call it a "synth", though.

With such completely muddied terms, who really cares?

[Mr_-G-]

Hm... the original Yamaha DX series had no filters and yes, I agree this is a pointless discussion.

[Gustavo]

Hola Jericho,

Whether something falls or not into some category (synth, workstation, stage piano, organ, module, drum machine, etc.) or not should not be influencing your decision about buying anything! Instead, focus on what the keyboard can do for you and if that is enough to cover your needs.

For example, let's say you need good piano sounds and at other times good organ sounds but you would not use them at the same time, then the Nord Electro is for you. If you need custom sample playback, for say, playing Mellotron sounds, the you need a Nord Electro 3 or 4. Should you need more than two sounds at a time but you still want that good Clavia sound, plus you need classic synth sounds (those produced using subtractive synthesis and based on waveforms like saw, square or triangle) then you need to go to the Nord Stage line.

Hope this helps you make your decision.

About the "every synth is a keyboard but not every keyboard is a synth", it is not true! There are synths like the Nord Lead A1R that have no keyboard and keyboards like a Grand Piano or even a Harpsicord that do not even use electricity. But as others stated, defining and categorizing synth vs keyboard is quite pointless.

Saludos,
Gustavo