Nord Electro 5HP keyboard/sample torture

[AndyG1955]

Thanks for that advice, you obviously take a lot of care and thought in getting the best out of your musical instruments and equipment. The HP action is a little strange, somehow a little resistant. Samples seem to react differently to the keyboard, some piano samples make action seem heavier/lighter or slower/faster to react surely this can't be so? I never thought I would be able to play jazz with a waterfall so I didn't consider it
A while ago I used a Stage probably a 2 at a jazz festival. I always keep a few bits in my van, so brought in a TX7 desktop and midied it from the Nord. The gig promised to go in the fusion direction so it seemed good. I really hammered out the DX7 EP sound more then the EP of the Nord. Thats another thing - I compared the Nords' DX7 to the original, like someone does on Youtube. In any of my band situations the real DX7 just blows it away. Perhaps I am an analog man? At the moment its the sheer breadth of tone I seem to keep striving for and struggle achieving. The Nords EP by the way I do think have a lot of merit. The Nefertiti does it for me, with bass rolled off and mids lifted, and a bit of compression. With the TX7 added it sounds pretty real. I also like the MODX , thought the keybed was a bit lightweight.

[LeftyBass68]

I have auditioned all three keybeds in recording and live situations and my observations are; The 76 is not on par with either 88 or 73.The return part of playing keys is in slow motion.....
I feel bad for anyone who mistakenly chooses these models.Apologies to those who like the feel,just not for me thanks.
I use the Stage3,not an Electro5HP.The Stage3- 88 plays great!Also the Stage3 Compact plays excellent!
The HP action has chased more than one player away from Nord.Only the Roland RD150 had a worse action IMO.
Unfortunate for anyone who doesn't get to audition these before purchasing.

Also,these Meyer speakers tell the truth.Even these lowly Yorkville wedges sound fine with AP's,EP's,synths.
ajstan also has a 'live/home' comparison system to ensure his Nord is heard at it's best FOH and elsewhere!
That'is good advice IMO.I see his Radial Key largo in the gear list....also an excellent choice.My rig is much the same.

[harmonizer]

Others here have reported that the new "White Grand" AP sound is better than all previous Nord AP sounds, and that is especially better if using mono amplification.

I cannot use the "White Grand" on my old Electro 3, and I use mono amplification, so I still use old Roland AP sounds for covers band gigging.
To be fair, almost all my AP playing consists of adding some basic AP parts,
where the main requirement is to let the audience hear that AP part,
without getting in the way of other sounds from our 3-part vocal harmonies, guitars, and bass.
There is no Billy Joel or Elton John style AP playing happening here.

I find that the other AP sounds from Nord, including the Italian, Amber Upright, Baby Upright, Bright Grand, Black Upright, and Silver do not sound right in mono, for various reasons.
Royal Grand sounds very nice in mono, but does not cut in a 7 piece covers band.
I use a single EV zx-a1 for my amplification.
Someday I might get an upgrade to the Nord part of my rig, which would enable me to use the White Grand AP sound.

[dmamfmgm]

Is this the video?

[Rusty Mike]

Hi Andy. I play in jazz big bands and small combos just like you, and have been playing Nord keyboards for years. I'm also only a couple of years behind you in age, and try to keep as light a rig as possible. I'll tell you the approach I take.

I currently own a Stage 2EX 76 (with the HP action like your electro 5) and an Electro 6D 73. In the past, I've owned Electro's 2, 3-73, 3HP and 4D.

I find that the Amber Upright is my #1 choice for both big band and combo. I also use the White grand when I want a sweeter sound, usually for ballads behind a vocalist. But the Amber has a great voice in the midrange and treble, but is not overpowering in the low end so it blends well with the rest of the band. Prior to the Arrival of the Amber, I used the Queen Upright a lot.

I use EQ in my patch settings. I will usually dial down the bass to suit the room (but not so much as to lose the fullness of my sound), I also take a bit of treble off, as I don't like a screaming sound. The midrange will vary based on the room and what I'm hearing. Very light (or no) compression and very light reverb.

90% of the time I play through a single QSC K8.2 speaker. I run both the left and right outputs into the A and B inputs on the speaker. I do not use the Mono button on the instrument. The QSC is also set with a custom EQ setting that rolls off the highs. It sits on a small speaker stand that puts it about 4' in the air. There are times when I add a second K8.2 on the same type of stand. In that case, I will use a small mixer but still have distinct left and right outputs.

To me, one of the most important things is to temper the treble. In my playing, I tend to favor an older-style sound (like from the jazz recordings of the 50's and 60's), and reducing the treble takes a lot of harshness out of the sound.

I hope you find some of this information useful.

[LeftyBass68]

Thanks Lefty, great minds think alike, right? I got a lot of useful advice from the good folks on this forum as I was building my rig.

AndyG - it's possible that your type of music, amplification, and personal preference would be better served with a different board. It just so happens that the NS3 is a really good fit for me, but the NE5 may not work for you, which is certainly a valid position (although the title you chose for the thread could have been a bit less provocative ).

If you're still interested in trying to make it work, the Amplification section has a great FAQ-type thread:
accessories-and-amplification-f8/nord-a ... 16772.html

Also, you should check out the Electro Programs section to see what others are using as settings for their programs. Maybe you'll find something there in addition to the great ideas from others that have posted in this thread.
nord-electro-programs-f31/

[LeftyBass68]

IMG_20200123_121519789.jpg (3.84 MiB) Viewed 2558 times

Yes AndyG,the TX7 is a real gem! Mine is not for sale.And yes,Nord has a decent Hammond model,so do I.
ajstan,thanks for the kudos!
And for some synth,these monosynths,a TX7,and two Stage3 synths pretty much nails a new Nord Wave2 in function.
Won't be going there.

[hilbilly parade]

My go to is the Bright Grand XL with Timbre set to bright..

I have played everything from casio to yamaha I never have received the amount of compliments on my piano sound in my entire life of playing. Everyone to a man says the piano cuts through clearly and does not step on other band members sound.

[AndyG1955]

Well guys many thanks to those who have taken the thought, time and trouble to reply and problem solve my issues. To Rusty Mike - thanks for suggesting to leave the Electro set to stereo and merge the outputs if using only one amp/speaker. I’ll try that - setting the Nord to mono seems to negatively alter the tone … I was playing last night - a big band – and used the white grand on mono, the best acoustic piano yet in mono I feel but I could be happier! I will try Mikes suggestion and revisit the Amber Upright. Just a thought do you guys feel Nord could really go for some ultra large samples? When I first got the Nord it was full of samples - mainly small - obviously Nord was trying to demonstrate its versatility and breadth. I wonder if you guys agree that most pro type users want a go to sound they can work with and get on with the music. For instance on some gigs a 1gig acoustic, 1gig electric piano is all I would need. Likewise a few large size synth sample to back up piano ie synth strings of highest quality. Nord say their compression is lossless, but the White Grand is the largest, and many think it sounds the best. It may be other factors in the equation eg improved recording /sampling techniques. Best wishes to all. PS To Lefty that bottom keyboard in the picture is indeed a nice Hammond model, you obviously bought a Nord, painted it black and stuck it in a wooden case for the retro effect! I know someone in his early 70’s who has a Hammond on a wheeled frame, a van with a ramp and gigs regularly! I noticed you have a Model D – that was my next purchase – are you happy with it? To Harmoniser sounds like you should try Rusty Mikes idea of staying in stereo and merging inputs. Shame you can’t get the White grand

[Rusty Mike]

Andy, glad to offer what we can to help.

Just a thought do you guys feel Nord could really go for some ultra large samples? When I first got the Nord it was full of samples - mainly small - obviously Nord was trying to demonstrate its versatility and breadth. I wonder if you guys agree that most pro type users want a go to sound they can work with and get on with the music.

Sample sizes and their values have been discussed on this forum several times. Several of us are of the mind that the nuances introduced in the L and XL samples are largely lost on the stage. "In the din of battle" as cphollis likes to say. You can't really hear string resonance, individually sampled notes or pedal noises when you're competing with other instruments. Some of us have even advocated for keeping some of the pianos loaded in the Small size, particularly for certain types of music where the piano is really buried in the mix. To each his own however.

The studio is another matter entirely, as the sound needs to be as detailed and complete as possible. In a studio, however, you would have the time to download the XL piano you need into the instrument.

I keep only the White and Amber in XL, as they are the AP's I use pretty much exclusively. I have others loaded in, but they get much less use and are mostly the M size samples. As for the EP's, I use the new v6 samples, but also tend to stick with a few favorites over keeping the entire library loaded. My favorite is the EP2 MK1 Suitcase; it works very well for my playing style and type of music. It also reminds me a lot of the real Rhodes I used to own many years ago.

Cheers, Mike