I'm Starting To Think . . .

[Hlaalu]

which is why Nord’s removal of the 1’ drawbar defeat is so annoying.

Yeah I agree... the best thing they could do, if they don't "feel" having this feature permanently on, would be at least to make it available as an option. A page in the menu "silence 1' drawbar when percussion is on"... doesn't take much. I agree it's a mystery why they have not done it yet (if they ever will...).

Although the perc buttons are reversed, I would imagine with time you develop muscle memory on the button locations, but it does raise another point. For as much as the Nord detractors gripe about the colors, I don’t think anyone has ever complained they can’t read the panel lettering. The YC is not the only offender here, but the small white on black color scheme is more difficult to read.

Well you would certainly develop muscle memory for that, but the problem is when you go back to another clone, or to a vintage Hammond, where things are reversed back to normal again. I think reading percussion settings on the fly just by glancing at the tabs / leds / switches should be second nature to Hammond players, and by reversing the order they aren't certainly making it easier. As for the colour goes, I actually thought it was OK to read but again most of the time we simply reach our fingers automatically for things without reading I think.

Anyway apart from this the YC looks like a very nice all-around board, it's somewhat a pity that they got caught up with such a trivial thing...

[Rusty Mike]

To be honest I would skip the Yamaha, and instead get a GSI Gemini with a MIDI controller.
The original acoustic pianos that came with the Gemini were not great, but the recent Yamaha C5 is fantastically playable and some of the others are not bad either depending on your preferences. Yamaha is too perfect, and while the new GSI pianos aren't quite as characterful as Nord, they do have the various resonances, pedal noises and are very dynamic to play once your key velocity is scaled to match. Please note, again, if you look these up, most samples are the original pianos and these are not very complimentary!

The Hammond organ model is, in my opinion, the best on the market, and there are literally dozens and dozens of parameters for tweaking the organ and Leslie simulation even down to selecting from different Hammond organ types (B3, C3, A100 etc) and the year. With a controller with 9 faders (Arturia KeyLab for example) this becomes a full organ emulator, with the buttons and knobs assignable for any additional tasks (percussion, chorus/vib, stop, etc.)

The Rhodes and Wurli are much better than Nord in my opinion, because these are modeled. Now there is a new CP electric grand sample, and of course there are lots of FM EP's, MKS, clavinet etc.

You also get a full VA synth for if/when your fusion project returns.

The effects structure has 11 effects in series, arranged in a very logical order. You can layer any 2 sounds together which seems like that is enough flexibility for your needs.

It will take some innitial set-up, this is not a plug and play unit out of the box but once it is set up to your liking via your MIDI controller, it is extremely intuitive. I paid under $900 for a brand new module, so it's also more economical!

[Gambold]

The YC is an Electo-hunter, to be sure. Given that Nord seems to be locked into some kind of stasis, I'm sure others are drifting in that direction too. Certainly if I wanted to update my own Electro, I'd look at a YC.

I'm giving Clavia five more months. If they haven't come out with a new board by the holidays this year, I call Crisis in Stockholm. No more blaming the supply chain, Covid, or anything else.

And it goes without saying that when a veteran Nordie like Rusty Mike, whose love for and knowledge of all things Nord is well-known on this forum, starts looking at YAMAHA as a next step in his musical journey....well, that should be a major red alert for Clavia management.

[Rusty Mike]

To be honest I would skip the Yamaha, and instead get a GSI Gemini with a MIDI controller.

I appreciate the suggestion. I agree that the sound quality of coming from GSI/Crumar is pretty great.

the recent Yamaha C5 is fantastically playable and some of the others are not bad either depending on your preferences. … while the new GSI pianos aren't quite as characterful as Nord, they do have the various resonances, pedal noises and are very dynamic to play once your key velocity is scaled to match.

I’ve been watching the recent videos on the Crumar Seven and Seventeen and have to agree their pianos have come a long way. I can’t put my finger on it, but it seems there is still something just a bit wonky about them.

The Hammond organ model is, in my opinion, the best on the market

I had their VB-3 in my studio for a while and agree it’s got a great sound. I also used to own the BURN simulator and was very impressed with the sound quality.

The Rhodes and Wurli are much better than Nord in my opinion, because these are modeled. Now there is a new CP electric grand sample, and of course there are lots of FM EP's, MKS, clavinet etc.

Big Rhodes fan, but much less so the others. I agree the Rhodes model is great. But then again, I’m listening to Max Tempia play the instrument, and I’m pretty positive he can make a wet paper bag sound like a great Rhodes

It will take some innitial set-up, this is not a plug and play unit out of the box but once it is set up to your liking via your MIDI controller, it is extremely intuitive. I paid under $900 for a brand new module, so it's also more economical!

It’s much less about the money, but this is way too fussy a setup for me (it’s all relative, I know). I carry my whole rig by hand in a single trip and set up in 5 minutes or less. It needs to simple and light, and I have to be able to beat some of the horn players out the door at the end of the session. A controller and module has too many plugs and connections.

I had also mentioned in the original post about concerns about reliability and serviceability should things go down. I’ve had great luck with the Nord products (hope I’m not jinxing myself ). Even if the Stage needs service, everything in the bag is compatible with the Electro, so I can easily swap out the keyboard. It’s also one of the appeals of the Yamaha YC, in that the pedals and power cord are compatible as well. Easy stuff.

I do appreciate your suggestion and agree that it’s got a good sound, but I really need a single ‘board solution.

[Rusty Mike]

I'm giving Clavia five more months.

Actually this is very good perspective. I’m not desperate to buy, maybe just a bit itchy for something new and shiny. I’m trying to pacify myself with some new VSTs for my studio.

Just upgraded to KOMPLETE 13 Ultimate and GForce software’s SEM module. I needed better virtual instruments for my home recording projects, and KOMPLETE is very comprehensive and sounds great. The SEM is just amazing and well worth the current sale price!

....well, that should be a major red alert for Clavia management.

LOL I see what you did there!