Stage 4 Owners - Any impression?

[Hlaalu]

You can minimize that by moving the slider "gingerly" but that will make it take longer for you to complete the operation. (And either way, you still need to "know" where the current real value is, relative to the position of the slider.)

I think a monitor + catch implementation would be the best possible theoretically, but whether that's going to be quicker than a simple "catch" mode, I don't know. I would rather think it's going to be slower, because it involves checking the value first and then moving the pot.

By the way, on the NS4, if the main problem is sliders, that's already solved because the "monitor" function are the LEDs themselves.

[anotherscott]

I think a monitor + catch implementation would be the best possible theoretically, but whether that's going to be quicker than a simple "catch" mode, I don't know. I would rather think it's going to be slower, because it involves checking the value first and then moving the pot.

It will not always be quicker, and if speed is the priority, then you could skip that part. But at other times, if smoothness is the priority, you'd have that option, to see exactly where you need the slider to be silently moved to, to assure the smoothest subsequent transition.

By the way, on the NS4, if the main problem is sliders, that's already solved because the "monitor" function are the LEDs themselves.

Yes, if you could have the sliders catch rather than jump, then those indicators would give you the info you need, to know where you want to move the sliders to. You only have to bring the monitor function into it in order to see the values for those controls that do not already show you their values, and where the actual controls are relative to those values. (Thanks for pointing that out, I have edited my previous posts accordingly.)

[hernjov1]

I have an NS4 88. First Nord. I do really like it . Lots and lots of positives. One of the most inspirational keyboards I've ever owned (and I've had a few!). Just makes me want to sit down and noodle!

A few negatives for me:

1. the front panel rattles a bit when I play. Pressing down on the panel stops it. Not a game changer - not something you hear when on stage but I would have hoped for a little better quality. The keybed itself feels a bit cheap - a bit like an old studiologic I used to play back in the 90s. But it does a really good compromise for me (feel wise) between piano, organ and synth. If it was any heavier (more piano like -as some have been hoping for) I feel the organ and synth sounds would be unplayable.
2. A few seconds after saving a program I get some weird digital glitching if I'm playing - it feels like the nord is writing to an old mechanical disk and that is causing the sample playback to glitch. I appreciate this is not actually what is happening but that's what it feels like (from back in the day when I had my DAW samples and project files on the same physical disk
3. I was really disappointed in the packaging. The item arrived in the original nord box but with very little internal packing - no internal box for example. Just three polystyrene spacers and a polythene bag. This may well have been the fault of the Uk supplier rather than nord though - I don't know
4. the white grand doesn't have proper soft layer samples (to my ears anyway). Playing softly just sounds like louder samples turned down in volume.

Those points aside though...definitely glad I bought it!

Thinking that the rattling on the panel, and possibly the glitching your having may be due to them shipping your keyboard to you? When I purchased my NS3C I made sure that the music store I bought it from put extra packing on it because these delivery people don't care about what they throw around ...
Ya never know! You a have a full warranty on your unit though so your golden there... Best wishes on your new purchase!

[WannitBBBad]

Whenever I need a smooth increase/decrease in levels with my NS3, I simply morph them. I don't see that changing a lot with the NS4, but the sliders will allow me to approach some programs differently when I want. The options discussed above will come in handy, but ultimately I hope we see an OS change so we can select the behavior we want.

[superbender]

Yesterday I tried to create a program for the song "I Keep forgettin" with the following split: (1) left Rhodes/Piano/Pad (2) right String (only the last 12 keys). In the song the strings are used as a standing element where I normally use a second sustain pedal - which is not possible on a single Nord Stage 4. For that reason I wanted to use the Modwheel to put the Release (under Amp - Envelope) to 45 seconds. This was possible on a Nord Stage 3, but it is not possible on a Nord Stage 4. See page 38 of the manual for the morph destinations.

[StuartR]

[quote="mozart999uk"]I have an NS4 88. First Nord. I do really like it . Lots and lots of positives. One of the most inspirational keyboards I've ever owned (and I've had a few!). Just makes me want to sit down and noodle!

A few negatives for me:

3. I was really disappointed in the packaging. The item arrived in the original nord box but with very little internal packing - no internal box for example. Just three polystyrene spacers and a polythene bag. This may well have been the fault of the Uk supplier rather than nord though - I don't know
————-

Every Nord keyboard I’ve purchased was packed this way (an Electro 6 and 2 Stage 3s). While they’ve all come undamaged, I was never impressed by their skimpy packaging for something so expensive and intricate. My point of comparison would be Yamaha with their superior packing technology.

[analogika]

I have an NS4 88. First Nord. I do really like it . Lots and lots of positives. One of the most inspirational keyboards I've ever owned (and I've had a few!). Just makes me want to sit down and noodle!

A few negatives for me:

3. I was really disappointed in the packaging. The item arrived in the original nord box but with very little internal packing - no internal box for example. Just three polystyrene spacers and a polythene bag. This may well have been the fault of the Uk supplier rather than nord though - I don't know
————-

Every Nord keyboard I’ve purchased was packed this way (an Electro 6 and 2 Stage 3s). While they’ve all come undamaged, I was never impressed by their skimpy packaging for something so expensive and intricate. My point of comparison would be Yamaha with their superior packing technology.

The only Yamaha keyboard I ever purchased new was the SY77 in 1991, and that was packaged the same way.

[hernjov1]

How about if there's a problem with the stage 4 going program to program, and the sliders aren't readjusting. Maybe they should have put automated sliders to readjust themselves? It's water over the dam now, but with all the money spent on this new board they could have possibly incorporated automation!
Hey, probably would cost 500 to a 1000
USD money more for the board, but it's only paper! Lol...

[DJKeys]

How about if there's a problem with the stage 4 going program to program, and the sliders aren't readjusting. Maybe they should have put automated sliders to readjust themselves? It's water over the dam now, but with all the money spent on this new board they could have possibly incorporated automation!
Hey, probably would cost 500 to a 1000
USD money more for the board, but it's only paper! Lol...

The LEDs on the Sliders do change with each program to show the saved level. Motorized sliders, in my opinion, would be a complicated, expensive, and unnecessary addition. I have the Wave 2 which has the same architecture, and it is no problem at all to adjust the sliders up or down when changing to a new patch.

-dj

[Tracii]

Justmusic in Berlin has a Stage 4 set up and ready to try. I'm not in the market, but I'm sure somebody is.