Stage Classic vs NS2 ?? (Help please)

[Gustavo]

What i was hoping was that i could MIDI DUMP (even if one patch per time) each patch from the Stage Classic to the NS2, and then all the data from each patch (like all the sound settings and midi settings etc) would be contained in each DUMP.

Hi,
I still have my Ns88 and my NS2 SW and was trying to do a midi dump, but when I dumo from the NS to the NS2, the NS2 just shows Sysex Error. So unless I set it up incorrectly, I believe it cannot be done.

Still. I would reaaally consider going to the NS2 instead of EX. Mainly due to the inclusion of user samples and such. Due to this I would consider using somthing like this nifty program: SampleRobot (http://shop.audiosurfer.de/product_info ... ucts_id=97) sample all the EMU stuff you use and do the samples for the Nord Stage 2. That way you'll end up with a lighter and simpler rig.

Why does the NS2 not have a slot entitled Elec Grand (for the CP80) ?? And it has 2 x Elec Pno (for Rhodes) ??

Are the dimensions the same (in other words, will and NS2 fit into a hard flightcase of a Stage Classic) ??

Can you step thru your programs vertically (for lack of a better description). So from A1 to B1 to C1 etc ?? i don't see a Page + / Page - pair of buttons like on the Stage Classic ??

Cheers.

The Elec Grands are stored in the same slot as the other Grands. The E. Grand Slot was replaced with Harpsichord. The second E.Piano Slot is for the Wurly, which is truly a different instrument even if it sounds similar to a Rhodes.

The Dimesons are supposed to be the same I think.

And you can do the bank jumping. There are 4 Banks, each has its own button. If you are seeing program Ax:y, press bank B and you will go to Bx:y. You also have the Pages, so if you are seing program A 1:x and press page up, you will go to program A 2:x. Then for program switching in the same bank and page, you just press the program # button or just scroll up/down with the selection wheel.

As I see it there are 5 advantages of an NS2 over a NSEX: Huge piano memory (500MB), Sample playback (to get rid of other modules you carry), improved B3, you have a dedicated Transpose button and also SHIFT+PanelA to have completely Mono sounds (trust me it does come in handy).

Hope this helps,
Gustavo

[monsterjazzlicks]

Thanks Gustav,

Thats a really helpful reply indeed !! Excellent.

i think i might email Nord and ask them about the MIDI DUMP from a Stage Classic to an NS2. Most people on here are sure it won't work, but i think i will double check with Nord just in case.

i have a Stage Classic and was thinking to upgrade to the NS2. But, a member replied to one of my threads saying that the NS2-EX will be coming out next year (to be honest with you i can't keep up with all the different models !!). And also he said that the new Rhodes samples (again i was not aware of this) are likely to be very big and so the NS2-EX would be better then the regular NS2 for holding these memory-wise. As i say, i had never even heard of the NS2-EX and i could not find anything on it on the official Nord site. i am assuming it is the same as the NS2 but with more memory ??

i am not sure why they catagorised the Wurlitzer as 'Elec. Piano 2' ?? Whats the point in that ?? Just keep it as it was having its own dedicated slot. And the same for the Electric Grand which again is nothing like a Grand Piano !! Its very easy to keyboard sample jump on a gig when everything is in its own catagory (like it is on the Stage Classic). And on gigs, i don't think many people would need to jump to a Harpsichord that quickly because its not really an intrument that you would use on and off every (say) 8/16 x bars (like you would with a Piano or Organ). So again, i don't know why they did not continue to keep the Harpsichords in the Clavinet slot ??

Ta,

Paul

[RedLeo]

the NS2-EX will be coming out next year (to be honest with you i can't keep up with all the different models !!). And also he said that the new Rhodes samples (again i was not aware of this) are likely to be very big and so the NS2-EX would be better then the regular NS2 for holding these memory-wise. As i say, i had never even heard of the NS2-EX and i could not find anything on it on the official Nord site. i am assuming it is the same as the NS2 but with more memory ??

I'm afraid this is all just speculation and wishful thinking. There is no evidence of any sort that either of these things are in the pipeline. Nobody, but nobody has an inside track on what Nord are up to or what's coming next.

You can of course be sure that whatever you buy, sooner or later something bigger and better will come along, but that's just in the nature of technological development.

[monsterjazzlicks]

RedLeo,

In your opinon, would you say its logical and forgone conclusion that they will release a NS2-EX ?? Or is it just gossip ?? If it was common knowledge that one was in the making then i would hang on instead of buying the regular NS2.

i don't mind buying something knowing that its going to get superceded at some point. But regarding my possible decision to upgrade my Stage Classic to a NS2, its going to be a big and expensive move for me. i started outgrowing and realizing the limitations of my Classic after owning it for only 6 x months !! Then i found out about the EX and was devistated !!! So i would only make the switch if i was sure it was going to last me a good few years before becoming obsolete.

Ta,

Paul

[RedLeo]

I wouldn't even begin to take a guess on that. There are a lot of factors that go into what is ultimately a fairly serious business decision. What gap in the market can we spot that other manufacturers have missed? Can we come up with a new idea at a good price point that we think we can interest people in? If we design and launch product X, how many units does our market research show us we can sell, and what would be the profit magin? What new technology is there that would allow us to make product Y at a low enough manufacturing cost to be commercially viable? Would releasing Product Z cause sales of any of our other products to lose ground? And literally dozens of other considerations.

A decision to introduce a revised version of the Stage 2 would be partly (even mostly) a sales/profit driven decision, and would have to take into account what other manufacturers are doing in the same area.

Even if a revised Stage were introduced, there's no guarantee that it would have the improvements that any one person would like to see. For all I know, a new Stage might contain less piano memory, but include drum pads. Or be a three octave plastic studio controller with a built vocoder... (just kidding). The point is, only Nord know what their market wants, and trying to second guess them is fairly pointless.

However, a couple of general points:

The assumption that a company will forever and a day just keep upgrading and revising the same basic product wouldn't be a sound one. When the time comes that there's no mileage left in a particular product line, then that product line will fade away and be replaced by the next big thing.

Secondly, whatever keyboard you buy, it will be obsoleted by a new version or new product within a year or two. No company can afford to let three or four years go by; technology is rapidly advancing, and if they don't keep up to date, some other company will beat them to the punch and steal their sales.

It's been said before, but the trick is to buy a good musical instrument, and to realise it doesn't suddenly become any worse because there's something new on the market. After all, guitarists don't keep selling their guitars just because there's a newer model on the market, instead they learn to love what they've got and get the most out of them musically over many years, even decades. A '59 Les Paul isn't a useless pile of wood just because newer guitars have active pickups and preamps!

Trust me, most pro keyboard players I know do not have the most up-to-date gear, they keep what they're familiar with and wring the most out of their keyboards, often for many years after hobbyists have traded in their old stuff for the latest whizz-bang.

Sorry I can't give you a definitive answer, but hopefully I have shown you that predicting what a company might do next is not as simple as it seems. What's obvious to you and me might be a million miles away from what the company is thinking of doing.

[monsterjazzlicks]

Thanks RedLeo, i think you have cleared up that one for me !!!

Is the top of the NS2 range the NS2-HA ?? And what does the HA stand for please ??

[anotherscott]

Is the top of the NS2 range the NS2-HA ?? And what does the HA stand for please ??[/b]

All three NS2 models are electronically identical, it's just a matter of what keybed you want. 73 key semi-weighed, 76 key hammer action, 88 key hammer action.

[monsterjazzlicks]

Do you know if there is any WEIGHT difference between the NS2 (88) and Stage Classic (88) ??? ta.

[anotherscott]

Do you know if there is any WEIGHT difference between the NS2 (88) and Stage Classic (88) ??? ta.

As I recall, there is little if any difference in weights from one generation to the next. The specs for all models (including discontinued ones) are on Nord's web site, you can check there.

[monsterjazzlicks]

Well the reason i ask is because i can't find anything on what the Stage Classic (88) weights. However, it says that the Nord Stage EX (88) weights 18,5 kg (41lb), and so does the NS2 (88).