Nord User Forum

The one question that I have and that makes me a little uncertain is if the E5 hardware is more capable than the hardware of the NS 2, meaning that some day in the future there will be sounds available on the Nord homepage that can be played with the E5 but not with the NS2. This seems to be the case in the organ section already. Are there also differences in the piano section?

If Nord would not present a NS3 in Frankfurt I'd hate to buy it and not be able to enjoy new sounds two years down the road.

After the Nord Stage 2 EX has been released with "many new features" haha , I still think it's better than an Electro, of course
What I really worry about is the new Effects section from the E5 and its great new pipe organ, though there are pipes in the Nord sample lib. Since I never had or played a keyboard with any great leslie or drive simulation... (although I found out I can do something similar with my Yamaha PSR-S550 :$)
So do you guys think a keyboarder like me needs an E5 with more drive effects and rotary (or even B3+bass - what exactly is that?) and I would recognize the difference to Stage 2 simulations (though the ST2EX is the "flagship" with a much higher price ^^)?
Furthermore, there's those great choice of Stage 2 Programs here and the Synth section of the Stage I think makes a lot more sense than new rotary and drive sim ...

I'd like to hear your comments

The organ/rotary/drive sims on either the E5 or the Stage 2 will be on a whole new level compared to the Yamaha PSR-S550. The improvements in those sounds on the E5 compared to the Stage 2 will be incremental rather than drastically different. I would imagine that you would be equally happy with either.

Unfortunately, as you're finding out, there's no such thing as the perfect keyboard that does everything you want, so it's really a case of "you pays your money and you takes your choice". Only you really know what you need. If you need a proper synth in one keyboard, then it would have to be the Stage. However, the Stage is a really powerful machine, with two organs, two pianos and two synths/samples simultaneously. I can only guess according to the instrument you're playing now, but you might want to think if the Stage 2 could be overkill for you. Another option could be an E5 and buy a separate synth to go with it. Or you could add a module that gives you additional sample and synths for even more flexibility. Also, you should go to the Nord website and listen to some soundclips of the sample library to make sure you can get the sample sounds you want.

The reason that the E5 has improved organ/rotary sims compared to the flagship Stage 2 is simply that the Stage 2 is an older model than the E5, hence it has an older version of those sims.

B3+bass means that you can have a normal organ sound plus the bass pedals from a Hammond at the same time. Many people who play a real Hammond play the bass notes with their feet, on the bass pedals not on the keyboard of course! (apart from Keith Emerson probably), and so on the E5 you can split the keyboard and play the bass pedal parts with your left hand while playing normally with your right hand.

RedLeo wrote:Many people who play a real Hammond play the bass notes with their feet, on the bass pedals not on the keyboard of course! (apart from Keith Emerson probably)

LOL

MartinJ2EX wrote: So do you guys think a keyboarder like me needs an E5 with more drive effects and rotary (or even B3+bass - what exactly is that?) and I would recognize the difference to Stage 2 simulations (though the ST2EX is the "flagship" with a much higher price ^^)?

Yes. No. Maybe.

I finally settled on the NS2 because I wanted 88 keys and the synth. The big price drop of the NS 2 brought it much closer to the E5 so that was out of the equation. Since I never played a real Leslie, I honestly can't tell the difference between "good but not good enough for internet using perfectionists" and "o.k.".The few times I need a pipe organ (christmas with the family) I'll use a sample. I will have to excuse more for the mistakes I make while playing than for the poor organ sound.

I am in a similar situation as MartinJ2ex.
I am looking for a light alternative for gigging. First I thought I would buy a NE5HP.
But now I played the Nord Electro 5HP, the NE5D, the NP2HP and the NS2 HA in a store. The NE5HP felt much tighter than the keybed of NS2 HA and also tighter than the one of the Nord Piano HP.
To be honest I liked the keybed of the HA besteht, but this is to heavy to carry around for gigging.
I was told that the different HP keybeds of Piano, Electro and Stage differ a bit in the tightness.
Therefore I will wait until I can play the NS2EX 76 HP and hope that the feeling is a bit softer than the one of NE5HP.
But I am also a little bit worried about buying a NS2EX with the "old" organ-version.
That's more or less the only reason why I might buy the Electro instead of the new Stage.
Difficult luxury Revision

ijahmike wrote:Hello, in your opinion what is the most complete keyboard? Nord Electro 5 or Nord Stage 2?

Of course the Nord Stage 2 is !! The Synth-section is much better and you have more variation and possibillities with layering. You also have a pitch-stick and mod-wheel with morphing pos-
sibilities. There are more split-points, and you can split the keyboard in two or three parts if you want. These are just a few of the things in which the Stage 2 is better then the Electro 5.