Nord User Forum

I noticed Nord Electric Grands are categorized as "Grands" by the NS3, rather than as "Electric". Is there a reason for this, that anyone knows? It's true that they are, well, acoustic-er than a Wurlitzer, but I'd tend to think them as much closer to an "Electric" type of piano.

The CP-80 has long been known as an “electric grand” with the strings and harp much like a small grand piano so I guess Nord aligned with other grands because of this. Also, the original intent of the CP series was to provide a touring approximation of a real piano, more so than a Rhodes or Wurlitzer that are their own sounds. The CP became its own sound as well though I’d say it’s well aligned with the grand category.

Thanks for your reply. Well yes historically it was trying to be a portable piano, but so were the Wurlitzer and the Rhodes, albeit all of those 3 ultimately became their own sound and personality.

Not that Nord categorizing the CP80 this way has any impact on the way the piano sample is usable inside the Stage, but I was just curious to know people's perspective about this. To me, the CP80-kind of pianos aren't less electric than an electric guitar -- which nobody would dare categorizing as an acoustic guitar just because it has strings. But perhaps there is a rationale to call them Grands.

They maybe call it "grand" because the shape of the CP80 is "grand-like" ... I am with Hlaalu that it is an electric piano but specifically categorized as "electric grand" in Nord's piano library, so the correct sample category in the instrument would be something like "EGrand" for this and "AGrand" for the acoustic grand pianos. Maybe an improvement proposal to Nord for future OS releases and instruments although it has a really low importance from my point of view

CP-70/CP-80 are effectively real pianos in every aspect - voicing, technique, frequency response, mechanics, feel — except tone. The difference in mechanics (leather hammer tips, snappier damping) are subtle. It’s just a somewhat different-sounding piano, adapted for stage use.

Rhodes and Wurlitzer respond completely differently from a piano (despite the fact that they were intended to replace acoustics in certain settings). Their tonal character is completely different.

If you want to stay with the guitar comparison: a CP80 will take similar processing to an acoustic, even if it’s played via an amp: EQ, compression, maybe a chorus, some transient shaping, but that’s mostly it.
Processing a Rhodes works much more similarly to an electric guitar than to an acoustic: wah-wah, distortion, amp crunch, phaser, flanger, etc. Of course, dry works as well, but so does clean guitar.

You wouldn’t put an acoustic guitar through a Fender Twin Reverb at full crunch. Neither a CP. Both are great through a Jazz Chorus, though.

Now, a Rhodes through a twin or a Wurli through an AC30... yum.

They have moved things around in order to keep the total categories to 6, things have ended up in different places in each model. E. Grand was its own category on the original Nord Stage. Once they're not going to do that, you can make an argument for numerous other possibilities. "Electric" and "Grand" are both in its name and part of its design; sonically it is probably closest to an Upright; or if you don't feel any of those are right, you could always fall back on Misc.

I wish the user could choose the category where he'd like to put a given piano sound. One thing I miss in the 3 is that Rhodes and Wurli are no longer in different sections... meanwhile there's a "wasted" Digital category which has no sound I ever use. If I could put each sound in my category of choice, I could have quickest access to my 6 most commonly used sounds.

I guess it might have to do with the EP filters which may be a bit different from AP filters. I'm quite sure there are no Dyno filters for the acoustic pianos, right? So they aren't also there for a CP80 etc. Just a matter of different treatment, not historic classification.

https://www.nordkeyboards.com/enhanced- ... ep-filters

(to make this point clear: It's only my assumption that the filters have to do with the piano category - just like the Clav EQ filters which are only used for the clavinets. Not sure at all about that)

From a practical point of view, I agree with Schorsch, this issue has no relevance -- except that, as Scott says, it would be more useful if the 6 categories were customisable. I also second him about the uselessness of the "digital" category (which is not very tenable from a theoretical point of view as well).