HA76 weight and schlep

[danrv]

I found the FA-07 keys poorly suited to piano playing because the rear section of the keys require so much more force than the front of the keys.

Thanks, useful to know as I doubt I’ll be able to try one.
At first I thought the FA-07 might have the Jupiter 50 action which I would certainly consider. I think though that it’s still synth type, just larger keys.

[anotherscott]

At first I thought the FA-07 might have the Jupiter 50 action which I would certainly consider.

If the FA-07 had the Jupiter 50 keys, I'd have probably kept it. I ended up preferring the Kurzweil Artis 7. But I'm very curious to play the MODX7, which I think is likely to beat the Kurzweil overall (with the notable exception of 9-slider drawbar organ).

[danrv]

But I'm very curious to play the MODX7

Yes, interested in that. The 8 plays very nice with good piano action.
Don’t know if the keys on the 6 and 7 are any better than the MOXF but it does look like a great board for the money.
My local store hopefully would be able to get one in, no obligation.

[chriskeys]

I am owner of a Nord Stage 2 SW73 (compact) and a Yamaha Motif XS7. I am very satisfied with the Motif XS, but it isn't a lightweight - with a case or even a better softbag i have to carry about 25-30kg only with the motif. And i want to go a setup with only one Keyboard in future. (Not possible for me only with the NS2 due to different reasons...)
I was happy when Yamaha announced the MODX7, because i thought i can transfer all my Programs from the Motif to the MODX7 (new, modern, touchscreen, lightweight, not too expensive). So i ordered the MODX7 and was absolutely not satisfied.
1. the keys: absolutely not weighted, it was almost impossible to play the piano sounds as good as i want to.
2. the touchscreen with a complicated handling, so much klicks on partly too small buttons...and in general its absolutely new structure of the programs (performances). Of course it was NOT possible, to transfer all my Motif Sound-Mixings - only few performances with 4 parts.
In the end, the MODX7 was returned.

Now i ordered the Nord Stage 3 HP and i am happy so far. Seamless transition, Setlist, MemorySize and some other features, nice improvements.
The only question was "NS3 HP76 or SW73". As i am owner of the NS2 SW73 and also happy with the keys (piano playing is even better than with a not-weighted MODX7 and also Motif), and you can play organ and synthie-sounds - first i also consider ordering a NS3 SW73, but:
I dont like the physical/mechanical drawbars. For some programs, i prefer the keyrange E-F with 76 keys than E-E with 73 and the HP is "only" 2,5kg heavier.
Definetivley i would choose the SW, when it comes with 76 keys and LED-Drawbars.
Of course, its more heavy to play now fast synthie or organparts with the HP, but i do not play many of them and the feeling for the piano sound is even better than with the SW-keybed.
I was very surprised that the NS3 HP-keybed is totally different to the HP-keybeds i played before in a showroom (Nord Electro HP). I was informed, that the NS3 HP keybed is a new, improved keybed and the feeling is nice and works fine for me.

I have to find now a compromiss between SW and HP keybed. Both of them have its advantages. But MODX7 is NO option anymore (although i am a yamaha (Motif) fan).

[danrv]

Thanks for the helpful info

[kirsty]

Ive had the pleasure, (or displeasure) of playing several boards in the past a number of which have been labelled as 'semi weighted' or 'light weighted'.. but i have always found this to be a bit of a false advertisement. None have felt 'weighted' enough to feel adequate for piano playing.

I was surprised when I originally discovered my original Piano2HP 73 with the HP keybed. Given the low weight i had imagined it would be the same disappointing experience as other lightweight actions however I was wrong. I found the HP keybed to be great. The Piano 2 was replaced by a S2 EX76HP and again I found the keybed to play very well. Good action to sound connection, enough weight to call it weighted. Its a great compromise if you are struggling with weight.

Incidentally the HP action is a FATAR TP100 (albeit slightly modified by Nord) however this same action is used in for example the Kurzweil Artis, which is a 'fully weighted' spec 88 stage piano so its not all that much of a compromised action. Yes of course there are better actions... but they come with the weight.

If you have a S2 76 HA and you are happy with the board and its sounds etc... then the HP76 (stage 2 or 3) version of it seems the obvious way to go to lose some weight. Its only 12.4kgs for the HP variant vs 16.4kgs of the HA. To keep the Nord functionality and weighted keys you arent going to get much lighter than that

[anotherscott]

I think there is sometimes confusion about what a semi-weighted action is. We typically break actions down to three categories:

* unweighted, sometimes called synth action
* semi weighted, which is the same as unweighted except with some weight added to the keys
* weighted, also called hammer action, which uses an entirely different mechanism from the other two

Mechanically, a "semi weighted" action is a synth action with more weight, not a hammer action with less weight.

Grammatically, I think he word "semi" actually modifies the phrase "weighted action" and not the word "weighted." That is, the "semi" doesn't mean it is partially weighted, but rather it is part way toward a weighted action (by virtue of having a heavier feel than a synth action).

[danrv]

If you have a S2 76 HA and you are happy with the board and its sounds etc... then the HP76 (stage 2 or 3) version of it seems the obvious way to go to lose some weight. Its only 12.4kgs for the HP variant vs 16.4kgs of the HA. To keep the Nord functionality and weighted keys you arent going to get much lighter than that

Thanks. Yes that does make sense.
I haven’t actually played an HP Nord but have felt the keys in the store. Slight reservation is that it’s obviously even less
suitable for organ and lead playing than the HA.
Same goes for any piano feel keyboard with organ, leads sounds etc...but Nords have an awesome organ section. Fine for 60’s Vox or Farfisa style playing but B3 stuff would really require a suitable external controller keyboard.
The HP does look ideal though for weight and piano sound/feel.