Doubts about buying nord stage 3

[Stormbringer]

Hello everyone!
I just registered but I read the Forum with interest for a long time.
I mainly play Rock '70 and I play in a Deep Purple tribute.
I decided to ask for your advice because for years I have had great satisfaction with a nord stage 2.

I had a good purchase proposal and, although I had no intention of selling it, I was very intrigued by the new nord stage 3 ...
However, I read that many users are not completely satisfied, and that the nord stage 3 still has problems. I am concerned that the organs are not as aggressive as in the nord stage 2 ... I wanted a sincere judgment from those of you who made this purchase, because I would not make a mistake.
Some complain of mechanical or display problems. I'm interested in the nord stage 3 compact

I know that the best solution is to try the keyboard in the store, but it is never possible to compare the new model with the nord stage 2. So for me the opinions of those who have taken this step are very important

Thank you!!!

P.S: sorry for my English

[Ivan Jochner]

The only way, compare them side by side.
Otherwise you will be lost.
There are a lot of discussion on the forum NS2 vs NS3, just Google them here.

[Stormbringer]

Yes it is true, but it is not possible because the shops have never available the nord stage 2.
I asked in this forum because I think that are people more expert than other internet sites there are people who have both keyboards maybe for the same musical genre that I play. And they used the nord stage 2 first and then the 3 trying to recreate the same programs.
People who are therefore more precise in making a judgment.
Anyway thanks for the kind reply!

[Tasten-Bert]

Hi friends of good rock music, I can well understand the hope of Stormbringer and I guess, if you give it a bit of time, there could well be somebody who has or has had both of them. I play in a rockband myself with some Deep Purple tunes in the setlist, and from time to time I help in other Purple Tribute projects - be it in Germany or Italy. My question to Stormbringer is why do you look for a stage and not for an electro. DP is mainly organ, a bit of a sharp sounding piano and only little synth. As I come from organ and acoustic piano I don't like the key feel with the aftertouch sensor below it. To be honest, I hate it. Therefore my choice would be an electro 6D 73 or a second hand 5D. Even a sound for the Lazy (MiJ) Intro is possible with ring modulation. Anyway, I'd be glad if you could keep us informed how things are proceeding. Buona fortuna e tanti saluti.

[analogika]

Oh, but the aftertouch sensor on the Stage 2/3 is wonderful for adding vibrato to a nasty synth line.

[cphollis]

I've owned both the NS2 and NS3 at the same time. The problem is that I don't play your genre of music too often. Just not a lot of call for it in the retiree-centric town where I live

That being said, I think a NS2 will more than fit your needs. The improvements in the NS3 probably aren't all that relevant to you. You can generate all sorts of gritty organs, amped pianos and nasty synth lines. In particular, with a little effort, you can get reasonably authentic Jon Lord sounds without external effects.

So it gets into price spreads, e.g. the lowest price you can get for a (used) NS2 vs. the lowest price you can get for a (used) NS3. If the difference is more than a few hundred dollars/euros, I'd go for the NS2. Assuming your horizon is your current material, that is. BTW, that assumption has never worked out for me.

Now, the counter-case?

I do love my NS3 as I play across several bands and styles. Once I got the NS3C, the NS2 was immediately up for sale. Aftertouch is fine for me, except when playing AP parts.

My current rig across 4-5 groups is a NS3C above, and a weighted keyboard below (actually, an older NP2). When it's time to do some wild stuff, the NS3C aftertouch is quite tasty. And I do my AP/EP things on the weighted board.

The NS3C generates all the sounds. The "song mode" feature is amazing for stepping through a set list, especially if you're a multi-band player as I am.

All the significant bugs in the NS3 were fixed a long time ago. I now have a super-duper simple rig: two boards, one stand, two pedals, a CPS SSv3, a pair of stereo 1/4" cables, and a mono from the CPS SSv3 to the FOH. No external effects, no personal mixer, etc.

We do a few rockin' tunes across the various bands where it's time to bring out the big, nasty sound and it does great.

I'm sure you'll be super happy with either Nord -- both now, and in the future.

[WannitBBBad]

For a heavily overdriven Hammond like used for Deep Purple, the Stage 3 close microphone setting adds a bit of character I like.

[analogika]

Leslie "close" Setting and the addition of physical Drawbars to the compact model are the biggest advantages of the Stage 3 over the 2 for organs IME

[hilbilly parade]

I would definitely get the stage 3 if you can afford it. It will cover any deep purple tune out there plus if you ever need to play in other situations you have a powerhouse at your fingertips. Many musicians have came up to me from day 1 after getting the nord and tell me how much better it sounded then my previous setup ( Yaamaha Moxf6 and Juno ds61). They always say how sharp and crystal clear the organs and piano sounds are.

[gfullick]

Hi
I have a NS2 and NS3C as my live stage rig. Interesting to hear the comments here. I only play a little deep purple, but do use a bit of aggressive organ. I use the NS3C most often for this as it has better cut through than the NS2. A good example is Gimme Some Lovin’ - the NS3 just has a better treble edge than than NS2, even allowing for EQ settings. I still love the NS2 however, and use it for pianos more often than the NS3C, but it is also great for subtle organ work, where you don’t want the same amount of cut through. My take is that the NS3 May be a better tool for the job, but if you’re really happy why change? If however, you can get both - that’s a whole different story. I’m lucky to have that option.