Nord User Forum

Hello! I'm mainly guitar player, but I've been playing keyboards at home for some time. Now I'm planning to expand my bands soundscape and buy keyboards to our rehearsal place. Sounds I'm looking for are Mellotron in style of King Crimson and Moog in style of Camel and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I want to keep my setup pretty simple so for that reason I want to get those sounds from just one keyboard. Sounds don't have to be exactly same as bands that I mentioned, but as close as can be with one keyboard. What Nord models I should look for? I know this is Nord Forum, but would some other brand do these sounds better?

I would like to play sometimes guitar and keyboards at same time like Geddy Lee. Nord have this
https://m.thomann.de/fi/clavia_nord_pedal_key_27.htm foot controller, but it's quite expensive. Can I use any MIDI controller with Nords if there is cheaper options? I would like to hear suggestions for these also.

Thank you!

Hello Tappivanukas, welcome to the forum!

Nord keyboards having capable of playing Mellotron sosunds are those that can load the smaples form the Nord Library.
Nord keyboards capable of playing synth sounds are those that basically are synthesizers -except if samples can satisfy you, but I think it's a bit sterile when it comes to synth sounds.
Nord keyboards that combines both functionalities are the Nord Stage, as far as I know. Anyone, please complete.

Asa fart as other brands, I'let other forumers add their suggestions, but here are two -possibly weird- ones: EHX Mel9 and EHX Synth9.
Who knows!

Nord Stage 3 Compact does what you want, and then some.

For a lower cost option than the Nord Stage 3, Kurzweil Artis 7 does a good job at these sounds, though you lose the front panel synth editing (synth editing is done through an iPad or Mac/Windows app).

Thanks for your recommendations! Nord Stage 3 seems to be the most interesting option, but it's also expensive. Of course it would be really good investment. One of my local music stores has good Black Friday offer for Kurzweil Forte 7. Do you have any opinions about it? Would it suit my needs? My wallet would like it more.

You may get a used Nord Wave whcih can load and play teh Nord Samples (including the Mellotron) and also provide very good synth sounds; for the pedals, any MIDI pedals work with Nord keyboards (as with any MIDI keyboard) so you can look at cheaper models, maybe just 1 octave.

Yes, Forte 7 would be good. And compared to the less expensive Artis 7 mentioned, it has on-board editing,

I bought Kurzweil Forte 7 because offer was so good. I played it for few hours I it seems to do what I wanted. There is good enough Mellotrons and there is at least one Moog setting that sounded pretty good to me, so I'm really happy with it. Thanks for your help!