Electro vs stage questions

Everything about the Nord Stage series; features, specifications, how to operate, and questions about technical issues.
Fallboard
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Re: Electro vs stage questions

Post by Fallboard »

Pidcin wrote:Yeahhhh it is weak, like the stage 3 organ weak . $5000 for 73 compact $5500 for 76 and $6000 for 88, plus 13% tax. But honestly and all jokes aside I’m glad you said what you said because I’ve only read that that people who can ntact nord said they got no response, so I’m all hyped up again , gonna get me a Nord stage 3 compact and a kawai VPC1
Wow, I paid $3600 USD for my NS3C and no tax because it came from out of state. Don't suppose you live by the border, heh. I have it paired up with the Kawai MP11 and do be aware that there are some major velocity issues with the NS3C when being connected to an external controller. I had to set my Kawai to its heaviest outgoing velocity setting and the Piano Section on the Nord to Zero just to make the setup playable, otherwise it was far too sensitive and impossible to play softly. I don't know how adjustable the VPC1 is, but just a head's up it may not be the dream combo you're hoping for just yet. Clavia Support also acknowledged this issue but they've got bigger fish to fry at the moment (organ, sample editor, pedal bugs, etc).
Last edited by Fallboard on 14 Dec 2017, 00:06, edited 2 times in total.
Nord Stage 3 Compact
2012 Steinway Model B
Kawai MP11
Sequential Prophet 10 Rev4
ASM Hydrasynth 49
Moog Matriarch
Yamaha MODx
anotherscott
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Re: Electro vs stage questions

Post by anotherscott »

cphollis wrote:You must have very acute ears, because I can't tell any meaningful difference between my Electro 4D and my Stage 3 Compact.
I think the NS3 complaints I remember seeing are about the Chorus 3 effect, percussion levels, vintage/leakage and click settings.
ericL wrote:I have had mulitple NE units, most recently the NE5, plus the NS2 and NS2EX. Comparing the NE5 out of the box (internal Leslie sim) to either the NS2 or NS2 EX out of the box (internal Leslie sim) - to my ears I hear a distinctly better organ sound from the Electro.
I think most people agree with that... Electro 4 and Electro 5 both being better than the older NS2/NS2EX model (though I seem to remember one person preferring the latter... there's always some subjectivity to these things). The main question seems to be about whether the NS3 now fully brings the Stage series organ up to the current Electro standard.
baekgaard
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Re: Electro vs stage questions

Post by baekgaard »

anotherscott wrote: I think the NS3 complaints I remember seeing are about the Chorus 3 effect, percussion levels, vintage/leakage and click settings.
I guess, in all fairness, that there has been a bit of discussions also on the overall "tone" in how well it cuts trough a mix -- which may be a bunch of different things mixed together, including some of the above.

And then I think the rotary balance is possibly also somewhat different (more horn than before, possibly)? All 3 (NE4, NE5 and NS3) have both 122 and 122 close rotary emulations, by the way, but I guess the balance might be set up in different ways?

In any case, my experience has been that Nord is quite responsive and also work diligently fixing any issues. I made my buy half a year ago, and have no regrets. If the board was stolen, I'd buy a replacement immediately :-)

-- Per.
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Re: Electro vs stage questions

Post by anotherscott »

Right, rotary balance has been mentioned as well, I forgot that one.
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Al_DeKlein
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Re: Electro vs stage questions

Post by Al_DeKlein »

I can't speak for the NS3, but below are a couple examples of the B3 sound on the NE5D from a Tom Petty tribute I played a month or so ago. No Vent, just the internal rotary simulation on the "122 Close" setting in mono (I never run in stereo live). Myself, I play a lot of B3 in my bands and I'm patiently waiting for the organ improvements to actually happen, before I drop $3100-3200 for an NS3C.

Last edited by Al_DeKlein on 14 Dec 2017, 14:35, edited 2 times in total.
MrTobbe
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Re: Electro vs stage questions

Post by MrTobbe »

Pidcin wrote:But honestly and all jokes aside I’m glad you said what you said because I’ve only read that that people who can ntact nord said they got no response, so I’m all hyped up again , gonna get me a Nord stage 3 compact and a kawai VPC1
I've also read that read that some claim they get no response.. I wonder how they contact Nord, cause I have gotten a response every time, and many times within 24 hours, and quite detailed response...

Stage 3 + VPC1 seems like a great combo! :)
Fallboard wrote:I have it paired up with the Kawai MP11 and do be aware that there are some major velocity issues with the NS3C when being connected to an external controller. I had to set my Kawai to its heaviest outgoing velocity setting and the Piano Section on the Nord to Zero just to make the setup playable, otherwise it was far too sensitive and impossible to play softly. I don't know how adjustable the VPC1 is, but just a head's up it may not be the dream combo you're hoping for just yet.
A bit OT, but I commented on this in another thread, and the VPC-1 has a lot of customization options, if you use its MacOS/Windows software editor. There are five internal memories for user touc curves, and these can be edited in great detail from the editor software, so the VPC-1 is probably most likely the controller with the best change to give you a great palying experience, in spite of the "the major velocity issues" of the NS3sw73.

http://www.kawaivpc.com/en/features/
[hr]Nord Stage 3 sw73
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and a lot more stuff...
Fallboard
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Re: Electro vs stage questions

Post by Fallboard »

MrTobbe wrote:
Pidcin wrote:But honestly and all jokes aside I’m glad you said what you said because I’ve only read that that people who can ntact nord said they got no response, so I’m all hyped up again , gonna get me a Nord stage 3 compact and a kawai VPC1
I've also read that read that some claim they get no response.. I wonder how they contact Nord, cause I have gotten a response every time, and many times within 24 hours, and quite detailed response...

Stage 3 + VPC1 seems like a great combo! :)
Fallboard wrote:I have it paired up with the Kawai MP11 and do be aware that there are some major velocity issues with the NS3C when being connected to an external controller. I had to set my Kawai to its heaviest outgoing velocity setting and the Piano Section on the Nord to Zero just to make the setup playable, otherwise it was far too sensitive and impossible to play softly. I don't know how adjustable the VPC1 is, but just a head's up it may not be the dream combo you're hoping for just yet.
A bit OT, but I commented on this in another thread, and the VPC-1 has a lot of customization options, if you use its MacOS/Windows software editor. There are five internal memories for user touc curves, and these can be edited in great detail from the editor software, so the VPC-1 is probably most likely the controller with the best change to give you a great palying experience, in spite of the "the major velocity issues" of the NS3sw73.

http://www.kawaivpc.com/en/features/
Since the VPC-1 has no interface I wasn't sure how its software editor worked. The MP11 is kind of its big brother and it too has the five user curves as well as the factory touch curves. I just hadn't had a chance to ever lay hands on the VPC-1
Nord Stage 3 Compact
2012 Steinway Model B
Kawai MP11
Sequential Prophet 10 Rev4
ASM Hydrasynth 49
Moog Matriarch
Yamaha MODx
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