Nord Stage 3 Compact + Roland A88 better than NS3 88 alone?

[wjones]

I play the NS3 Compact with an SL88 Grand. I love it. The Grand is heavy but manageable. I feel it's worth it for the wooden keys.

I pull the knob and two joysticks (temporarily) off of the SL88, and I set the NS3 right on top (with some support for the back feet). The SL88 software not only allows you to set user-defined velocity curves, you can also calibrate each key to have a more balanced feel. I had to really adjust the velocity curve a lot when I moved from the NE5 to the NS3 (due to the current velocity bug), but I'm glad I had a workable fix for the issue until Nord works things out.

[MartinJ2EX]

My current Live Setup is a Nord Stage 2 EX 88 paired with a (except for the custom wooden chassis) Doepfer D3m.
Having the HA in the Nord itself gives you the opportunity to take the Stage alone to a small gig where you don't need a second manual...
If you don't mind missing the more natural playable Keybed for Piano sounds, the Compact Model is just fine - just not for me

I love the feeling of the TP40M built into the HA88, but I just need more keys - And the 61 waterfall keys are also really awesome for Organ and Synth playing...
(73 keys would be even cooler, but I didn't want to raise the budget )