Nord User Forum

anotherscott wrote:

WannitBBBad wrote:Regarding the fixed split points, though you are somewhat limited by that for internal sounds, using the synth section of the Stage 3 (or any other keyboard including your Electro with a sample loaded), you can create your own Nord samples with split points anywhere you'd like for sample playback on both the Stage 3 and Electro 4.

Certainly worth noting, but also with the caveat that there are significant limitations since the Nord considers the splits sounds to be a single sound, so you then can't do something like apply an effect or envelope setting or foot pedal function to one of your split sounds but not the other.

Good point!

anotherscott wrote:

aperturevx wrote:At the end of it, now I just want to own them both!

When you say both, which two are you talking about?

Oops, I forgot to specify. The music store I went to had the RD2000 and NS3 88. If money were no object I’d buy the RD2000 and a NS3 compact tomorrow!

aperturevx wrote:Oops, I forgot to specify. The music store I went to had the RD2000 and NS3 88. If money were no object I’d buy the RD2000 and a NS3 compact tomorrow!

That sounds like a good combination. Honestly, I‘ve just taken some time and went through all the replies and ideas here again. The imagination that I would have to set up three keyboards on stage, linking them by MIDI cabling and bearing in mind „if I want to play organ I need to take this keybed whereas the sound comes from that other on top and the program changings are done on that other keyboard …“ I would go crazy. If I was you I‘d go with either a Roland RD-2000 or a nord piano 5 for the pianos, would keep my nord electro 4 for the organs (I had a 3 and remember that I liked the organ, it even sounded a bit warmer to me than my 5) and would buy either a Behringer MonoPoly or a Sequential Take 5, depending on whether I want Moog or Prophet. That‘ll be a nice „wall“ on stage.

Cheers from the sunny middle of Germany

OK, so I made my decision. I pulled the trigger today on the NS3 compact and - maybe surprisingly - the Kawai MP7se.

The Kawai was recommended by a few on various forums including this one and I was able to find it today in a music store to try it out, all I can say is WOW. For classical & jazz playing, nothing else comes close. Playing difficult pieces by Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Debussy was a breeze. The Fatar keybed on the Nord Stage 3 88 feels like a toy in comparison. Compared to the Roland; I'd say the action is very similar with the RD2000 maybe having a slight edge, but the Roland SuperNATURAL sounds don't sound very "natural" to my ears. The Kawai sound engine is married to the action in a much more realistic way IMO and that's what really counts. Apparently the MP11se is even better (they didn't have one for me to try in store), but it's also double the price and nearly double the weight. The MP7se weighs about the same as the RD2000 and is slightly shorter. Another advantage is that it supports advanced pedalling techniques like catch-and-release and half-pedalling with a single pedal (included), whereas with Roland and Nord you have to buy the optional triple pedal to get this functionality. Certainly the Kawai is limited in terms of functionality compared to the Roland, but it's $1500 cheaper here and much more satisfying for classical and jazz which is important to me. I was also surprised at how good the other sounds are. The string samples are good enough for live use and the Rhodes is possibly better than the Nord's.

As for the NS3 compact, I'm very excited to get my hands on it. They didn't have it in stock and had to order in so I have to wait a few weeks. Realistically, most of the time I prefer to jam & gig with one board out of pure laziness, and the NS3 compact has almost everything I need in a single board in terms of splits, layers, and sounds. I understand its limitations (fixed splits, only 2 synths at a time, etc) but honestly, 99% of the audience won't hear the difference or notice that extra layer is missing, only I will. For most live situations, the waterfall keybed is fine for piano & EP work, and for rock/funk/top40 I'd rather play piano & EP tones on waterfall than attempt to play organ & synth on a weighted board. If I really want both and have the room on stage, I can bring both boards and use the Kawai to MIDI control the Nord for the best of both worlds.

The final factor in my decision was that the Nord Stage 3 88 hammer-action doesn't have physical drawbars which I use ALL the time on my Electro. So rather than buying the NS3 88 and keeping the Electro, (and the classical player in me still not being happy), I can sell my Electro and use it to fund the NS3 compact + Kawai which works out to be around the same cost as the NS3-88, and gives me (almost) everything I want.

Thanks all for your advice and recommendations. If I had a bit more $ I might have gone for the RD2000 + NS3 compact as some suggested, but I really think I have my bases covered with this combo. If there are any other classical players like me looking for a keyboard with exceptional action & sound that doesn't break the bank (relatively speaking) I'd strongly recommend the Kawai MP7se.

Kawai makes great pianos. And the action in the Nord Grand is a modified version of the action that's in the MP7SE. I'd say the only place you're falling short in terms of what you said you were looking for is on the orchestral side, but you can probably get by between what's on the two boards. Worst case, you can still add something like a nearly zero-weight iPad, there's lots of orchestral sounds available there, and the NS3 and the MP7SE are both good at integrating internal+external sounds into your recallable user presets (two external zones on the Nord, four on the Kawai).

I think a further consideration is how you plan to play live. Nord NS3 has the most easy to navigate set up with nearly everything in front of you tweakable… that includes things like filters etc in the synth which if you are doing interesting stuff live you may want to be spontaneous with at any given moment. I also think the synth on the Nord, although not all encompassing is still very strong, fun to use and will nail most sounds well. It emulates a Lyn analogue synth fairly closely although with a slightly different path in how you mix waves, filters etc.

Orchestral sounds are not perfect but I have never quite understood the hate for them… not least because a lot of vintage music that people play, especially that produced in 80s synth based music, used v artificial sounding brass/strings etc. that is part of its charm. But I also think you can get a more than passable rock brass sound that sits well in a mix on the Nord. Ok- you will never sound like Miles Davis, but that is why we have have jazz solo instrumentalists!

I am planning to yet simplify my live rig and keep only the NS3 (leaving my FA07 and Moog at home, or sell them). But I still believe that 400 hundred programs are not enough (it does require a lot of planning and organisation), and there is no real librarian associated (as Moog has, brilliant by the way). Also the 2 synths parts are sometimes not enough (specially when I perform with our 'Disco Dance band') and I will need back up with more synth capabilities (where my FA excels...). Another idea was to keep the NS3, add a 61 keys controller + ipad with AUM if really needed.

Don't know why, but next big OS update should bring the new sample library and hopefully, increase the 400 slots (even the NW2 has only 400 programs...). I want to bring only 1 keyboard to my gigs / rehearsals.

In this kind of discussions, always the same familiar names of the big brands pop up. I personally like Kurzweil, I think it is soundwise easily on par with Nords but that brand is usually off focus. So I throw that in now - according to the headline of this thread and post a link to an interesting article:
https://keyboardkraze.com/kurzweil-k270 ... lYmyUKCNdc

I have to agree with Kaffi, and not just because I remember you from Mastering VAST

I've spent 12-13 years rehearsing/performing with a Kurzweil PC3x. Orchestral, brass and synth are all superior in my opinion, although I've only had my NS3 for two weeks so I'm still learning. I'd say pianos and EP are on par, but I will give the NS3 the edge when it comes to the B3 + Leslie.

If someone wants one board to take to any gig, then I don't think you're looking for a stage Piano, I think you're looking for a workstation, and the K2700 looks like it can roll with the best of them.

Gone_Insane wrote:I have to agree with Kaffi, and not just because I remember you from Mastering VAST

I've spent 12-13 years rehearsing/performing with a Kurzweil PC3x. Orchestral, brass and synth are all superior in my opinion, although I've only had my NS3 for two weeks so I'm still learning. I'd say pianos and EP are on par, but I will give the NS3 the edge when it comes to the B3 + Leslie.

If someone wants one board to take to any gig, then I don't think you're looking for a stage Piano, I think you're looking for a workstation, and the K2700 looks like it can roll with the best of them.

Interesting. So my deduction is, you've left the PC3x behind because of the B3 organ? I like the K2700, just waiting for a waterfall keyboard (As Kronos LS or 73 keys)