Nord User Forum

I am a returning pianist (classically trained) looking for a digital keyboard because I can't use my old upright in my apartment. I am not going to take my keyboard anywhere because it is not my main instrument and I am not interested in getting piano gigs or anything like that. First I considered some slab pianos like the Yamaha P515 and Kawai ES8 but then found out that cabinet pianos have come a long way since I last saw them 8 years ago. The Kawai CA79 and Yamaha CLP775 caught my attention. But then I realized I can't play much more than acoustic pianos on a cabinet piano because of the limited sounds, so I looked into Nord. As piano "alternatives" I see the Piano 4, Stage 3 88, Nord Grand and Electro 6HP. I eliminated the Electro 6 from my considerations since it has a subpar action compared to the others in the category, then crossed out the Stage since it is way too advanced for me and I will only use 10% of the features on board. So my options are Grand and Piano 4. The Piano 4 as I understand has a Fatar hammer action keybed while the Grand has the same action as that of the Kawai ES8, a 1400 euro slab piano, which is kinda disappointing since the Grand is 3.5k, doesn't come with a stand, nor speakers, nor music desk. But it does have everything I want from a piano minus accessories. The Piano 4 on the other hand has a Fatar action which some people say is flawed and not up to par with even less expensive keyboards like the Kawai ES8 or Yamaha P515. It has exactly the amount of features I want, like the Grand (I think they are very similar pianos), but comes in at a more accessible 2400 euros. Question, are the Nord Grand and Nord Piano 4 comparable to the Kawai CA79 and CLP775 in terms of action? Sound wise I know I prefer Nord's library since it will never be outdated and seems like a more futureproof option, but action wise I am not sure. I haven't found much user reviews of the Piano 4 action and I'd love to hear from you guys.

Thanks as always

Hello Fritz, and welcome to the forum
You are probably aware that no one can give you an absolute correct answer to your question, but I´ll share some of mine experiences
I recently tried a Kawai CA49. This has the Grand Feel Compact action vs the Grand Feel III on the CA79.
At first I didn't like the balance between action-response and sounding, but after a couple of hours it felt bette (although I bit light-weighted).
The same was with my Nord Stage 3, with has quite light-weighted action. I believe The Nord Piano 4 is a bit heavier.
I did try a Nord Grand in a store once, but I didn't get enthusiastic about it. There was far to much noise from the keybed.
My best experience in the digital world is the old Yamaha GrandTouch II, also referred as GT2. It has a very good keybed, quite heavy as a normal piano/grand.
Then again it's not possible to move around, and takes up a lot of space.
In the end, I'm very happy with the NS3. Sounds good. Despite the light-weighted feel of the action, it's (from my point of view) a good balance between action-response and the sounding of the instrument.
Therefore I'm very satisfied with both my Nord and my Yamaha.
I'm currently on the lookout for the discounted Yamaha Modus F11. It's a sexy instrument, and a belive it has the same action and samples as the GT2

Welcome to the forum!

You seem to look for a new instrument for some time. Now,you are invoking different products, but of course there are even many more musical instruments with black and white keys out there: organs, synthesizers, pianos among others. Some are specialised, some are more into all-rounders.

You called yourself a "returning pianist", but the piano is "not my main instrument". Explain a bit what that means: What are your tasks, what's your music? You are mentioning sound quality and action. What about money, space, weight, design and ease of use as arguments for you? What about a software piano with dedicated hardware controller (Kawai VPC)? What amplification would you want to use (headphones, studio monitors)? What about coolness as a furniture?

You say an Electro had a subpar action. It could be true for the 6HP (it's specialised in portability, with compromises in playability), but in any case not for the 6D which is a very versatile instrument. But indeed, it's not too much piano like. So what action would you want? Certainly the Grand is the only Nord instrument I personally would accept as a real piano replacement. But I'm a piano guy. And I'd consider it the least versatile instrument except from the C2D organ and the specific synths.

In any case the Piano 4 action gets closer to a piano action than the Stage's. Other products like a Kawai may get much closer to a grand piano feel - with ivory touch, fast repetition and so on. But they may lack versatility like the Grand.

When I came into the Nord world, I decided that a Stage 3 Compact was the best go for my needs. It has the same action as an Electro 6D - it's Hammond organ like. If I want to play piano, I use a real piano or my old Yamaha CP33. But you can play piano on the NS3C, too. It's just not best bet.

All the instruments you are mentioning should be able to make fun playing them. To me, the Electro 6HP would be the weakest in your list. But this got clear for me: You can't rate a key action if you don't tell what it's for.

Hi. I feel your situation, since it relates in part to my own needs (playing a grand as my main instrument but needing a digital backup for certain purposes ranging from electric pianos and night practice to the odd performance somewhere and traveling). It took me a long time to find a suitable solution, but I ended up with (a) the Nord piano sound engine, and (b) a wooden Kawai action (in my case: VPC1 plus a small Nord electro on top).

A few comments: For experienced pianists, actions are a very personal matter and you should absolutely play-test the candidates you have in mind. My prediction is that you won't be satisfied as a pianist with the actions in the Nord Electros. You MIGHT be satisfied with the Fatar action in the NP4, but it is light and quite different from acoustic pianos, so you must definitely try it before making a decision. The Kawai RH3 in the Nord Grand is much better and quite playable (in my experience). However, in my country the combination VPC1 + NE 61 SW is *cheaper* than a Nord Grand, and the wooden action in the VPC1 is (again, in my experience) quite a bit more satisfying than that in the Nord Grand. What gives...

Edit: Again, speaking strictly from a pianist perspective, both the NP4 and the Nord Grand have one advantage over my setup: they support half pedaling, while the Electros don't. (I still can use the sostenuto pedal, though). In my situation this does not matter too much since the real thing is always close by and you don't need half pedaling for a Rhodes etc. In your situation it might matter... if so, my suggestion is to play-test both the NP4 and the Nord Grand - my prediction would be that if money is not limiting your choice, you'll end up with a Nord Grand (or a digital console piano with wooden action... )

FZiegler wrote:Welcome to the forum!

You seem to look for a new instrument for some time. Now,you are invoking different products, but of course there are even many more musical instruments with black and white keys out there: organs, synthesizers, pianos among others. Some are specialised, some are more into all-rounders.

You called yourself a "returning pianist", but the piano is "not my main instrument". Explain a bit what that means: What are your tasks, what's your music? You are mentioning sound quality and action. What about money, space, weight, design and ease of use as arguments for you? What about a software piano with dedicated hardware controller (Kawai VPC)? What amplification would you want to use (headphones, studio monitors)? What about coolness as a furniture?

You say an Electro had a subpar action. It could be true for the 6HP (it's specialised in portability, with compromises in playability), but in any case not for the 6D which is a very versatile instrument. But indeed, it's not too much piano like. So what action would you want? Certainly the Grand is the only Nord instrument I personally would accept as a real piano replacement. But I'm a piano guy. And I'd consider it the least versatile instrument except from the C2D organ and the specific synths.

In any case the Piano 4 action gets closer to a piano action than the Stage's. Other products like a Kawai may get much closer to a grand piano feel - with ivory touch, fast repetition and so on. But they may lack versatility like the Grand.

When I came into the Nord world, I decided that a Stage 3 Compact was the best go for my needs. It has the same action as an Electro 6D - it's Hammond organ like. If I want to play piano, I use a real piano or my old Yamaha CP33. But you can play piano on the NS3C, too. It's just not best bet.

All the instruments you are mentioning should be able to make fun playing them. To me, the Electro 6HP would be the weakest in your list. But this got clear for me: You can't rate a key action if you don't tell what it's for.

By returning player I mean I played piano for 5 years, stopped because it wasn't fun anymore, picked up the drums which I still play, then recently decided I wanted to try out piano again because I want to play genres I actually like (jazz, funk and also classical because I used to play it). My budget is right up to the Nord Grand, so about 3500 euros, I don't care for portability or in built speakers since I am going to play at home quietly and with headphones (family members have stuff to do and we're all at home). Design wise I'd like something that blends in with my room which is quite modern (it's a study) but I don't mind a slab piano like the Piano 4 or Grand. It's not really a priority though, it just has to look pleasant. I will NOT be using organs mainly and will focus more on acoustic pianos and E pianos like grands, Rhodes and Wurli, so a semi-weighted keybed is a strict no, that's why I am excluding the Electro 6D from my considerations even if it is a great instrument, but it's not for me. I read that the HP action on the Stage and Electro is not as realistic as the HA action on the Piano 4 nor the Kawai action in the Grand so I'm also excluding the Electro 6HP.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up with a Grand and the EX stand but I'm making sure I'm making the right decision. I'll have to test the Grand in a store when this pandemic lightens up but I think it's going to be some time. When I want B3 simulation I'll buy another Electro 6D 61 or something, I just don't see the waterfall semi-weighted keys being OK for pianos and e pianos. I think the Electro 6D is a fantastic organ keyboard but not much else. The Stage is just too much for me even if I can afford it, it has too much stuff I'll never use. I'm looking for an all round solution that gives me piano and E piano sounds and feel, and the Nord Grand seems to me like the best option with a Kawai action (but I'll have to test it). You mention the Grand action being loud, how loud is it? It may be a bit of a problem.
Thanks for the comment, hope I cleared some things.

maurus wrote:Hi. I feel your situation, since it relates in part to my own needs (playing a grand as my main instrument but needing a digital backup for certain purposes ranging from electric pianos and night practice to the odd performance somewhere and traveling). It took me a long time to find a suitable solution, but I ended up with (a) the Nord piano sound engine, and (b) a wooden Kawai action (in my case: VPC1 plus a small Nord electro on top).

A few comments: For experienced pianists, actions are a very personal matter and you should absolutely play-test the candidates you have in mind. My prediction is that you won't be satisfied as a pianist with the actions in the Nord Electros. You MIGHT be satisfied with the Fatar action in the NP4, but it is light and quite different from acoustic pianos, so you must definitely try it before making a decision. The Kawai RH3 in the Nord Grand is much better and quite playable (in my experience). However, in my country the combination VPC1 + NE 61 SW is *cheaper* than a Nord Grand, and the wooden action in the VPC1 is (again, in my experience) quite a bit more satisfying than that in the Nord Grand. What gives...

Edit: Again, speaking strictly from a pianist perspective, both the NP4 and the Nord Grand have one advantage over my setup: they support half pedaling, while the Electros don't. (I still can use the sostenuto pedal, though). In my situation this does not matter too much since the real thing is always close by and you don't need half pedaling for a Rhodes etc. In your situation it might matter... if so, my suggestion is to play-test both the NP4 and the Nord Grand - my prediction would be that if money is not limiting your choice, you'll end up with a Nord Grand (or a digital console piano with wooden action... )

Well I will test the Piano 4, Grand and some cabinet pianos but won't be considering the Electro because I don't play organ, I don't want to play classical piano or any acoustic piano on a semi-weighted waterfall keybed (I hear the keys are shorter on the waterfall keys compared to the HP or HA). I only need e piano and acoustic piano, which the Grand and Piano 4 provide, and the best piano-like action possible. Since console pianos have very few sounds but a great action, I might have to compromise and get the Grand since it has a lot more sounds and is futureproof with the Nord sound library, even if it has a worse action that is found on the Kawai ES8, a much cheaper board. Your solution sounds pretty great, with a wooden action controller and an Electro, I will have to find more about that. Although I would prefer a single keyboard that does everything. Imagine if adjustable actions came out... would be prefect.
Thanks for the comment!

catosim wrote:Hello Fritz, and welcome to the forum
You are probably aware that no one can give you an absolute correct answer to your question, but I´ll share some of mine experiences
I recently tried a Kawai CA49. This has the Grand Feel Compact action vs the Grand Feel III on the CA79.
At first I didn't like the balance between action-response and sounding, but after a couple of hours it felt bette (although I bit light-weighted).
The same was with my Nord Stage 3, with has quite light-weighted action. I believe The Nord Piano 4 is a bit heavier.
I did try a Nord Grand in a store once, but I didn't get enthusiastic about it. There was far to much noise from the keybed.
My best experience in the digital world is the old Yamaha GrandTouch II, also referred as GT2. It has a very good keybed, quite heavy as a normal piano/grand.
Then again it's not possible to move around, and takes up a lot of space.
In the end, I'm very happy with the NS3. Sounds good. Despite the light-weighted feel of the action, it's (from my point of view) a good balance between action-response and the sounding of the instrument.
Therefore I'm very satisfied with both my Nord and my Yamaha.
I'm currently on the lookout for the discounted Yamaha Modus F11. It's a sexy instrument, and a belive it has the same action and samples as the GT2

I understand the HP action on the Stage 3 76 and Electro 6HP is the lightest of the "weighted actions", then the HA on Stage 3 88/compact, HA on Piano 4 and finally the Grand. Is that correct? I'm looking for the most realistic piano feel in a keyboard and I am not very interested in synths or organs. 99% of the time I will use uprights, grands, Rhodes, Wurli and Clav sounds, the other 1% maybe some pads (very unlikely). Obviously I can't feel an action without trying it in store so when this pandemic lightens up I will make a couple visits to the music store to test out some cabinet pianos and the Nord Piano 4/Grand. The Nords have the futureproof sound library meaning they will never go out of date in software terms while the cabinets, while very heavy and expensive, will be outdated in about a decade, which is a problem since I want to keep musical instruments for a very long time.

Good luck on the Modus search, I really want a CP80 but I unfortunately don't have the space nor freedom to make much sound. Maybe one day I'll have a studio space with as many pianos as I like... that's the dream anyway.

Fritz Frigursson wrote: I understand the HP action on the Stage 3 76 and Electro 6HP is the lightest of the "weighted actions", then the HA on Stage 3 88/compact, HA on Piano 4 and finally the Grand. Is that correct? I'm looking for the most realistic piano feel in a keyboard and I am not very interested in synths or organs. 99% of the time I will use uprights, grands, Rhodes, Wurli and Clav sounds, the other 1% maybe some pads (very unlikely). Obviously I can't feel an action without trying it in store so when this pandemic lightens up I will make a couple visits to the music store to test out some cabinet pianos and the Nord Piano 4/Grand. The Nords have the futureproof sound library meaning they will never go out of date in software terms while the cabinets, while very heavy and expensive, will be outdated in about a decade, which is a problem since I want to keep musical instruments for a very long time.

Good luck on the Modus search, I really want a CP80 but I unfortunately don't have the space nor freedom to make much sound. Maybe one day I'll have a studio space with as many pianos as I like... that's the dream anyway.

Yes that's correct, The Stage 76 and E6 has a light keyboard action, not at all any lik a piano, while stage Stage88, NP4 og NG, has keyboard-action suited for pianoplaying.
Even though I don't have the NP4 og NG, It's my understanding that these actions are slightly "heavier" than the Stage88. When I tried the NG, my conclusion was that the touch and response was better than the Stage 88, but as mentioned: It was quite noisy. In fact I found it so noisy that it took away some of the good impression.
My needs in performing situations mostly require some more than just piano, so all in all considered the Stage is what I need.
My prediction is that you will get used to the action of the instrument you decide to purchase, and will adjust your technique accordingly.
As you mention, the evolving soundlibrary from Nord is a good benefit. Also they have some very well-nuanced pianosamples, so you will always find sounds with great characteristics.
To be honest, I think it's a bit shame that the Nord Grand wasn't equipped with internal speakers.
Even though it's light enough to act as I gig-instrument, one would think that it's more of a stationary instrument. In that scenario one shouldn't have to rely on external speakers or headphones. But that is MY opinion

About the cabinets, my GT2 is 15 years and is still one of the best digital piano/grand clone I've used.
The action is outstanding, and the sound is very usable both the speakers and line-out

catosim wrote:

Fritz Frigursson wrote: I understand the HP action on the Stage 3 76 and Electro 6HP is the lightest of the "weighted actions", then the HA on Stage 3 88/compact, HA on Piano 4 and finally the Grand. Is that correct? I'm looking for the most realistic piano feel in a keyboard and I am not very interested in synths or organs. 99% of the time I will use uprights, grands, Rhodes, Wurli and Clav sounds, the other 1% maybe some pads (very unlikely). Obviously I can't feel an action without trying it in store so when this pandemic lightens up I will make a couple visits to the music store to test out some cabinet pianos and the Nord Piano 4/Grand. The Nords have the futureproof sound library meaning they will never go out of date in software terms while the cabinets, while very heavy and expensive, will be outdated in about a decade, which is a problem since I want to keep musical instruments for a very long time.

Good luck on the Modus search, I really want a CP80 but I unfortunately don't have the space nor freedom to make much sound. Maybe one day I'll have a studio space with as many pianos as I like... that's the dream anyway.

Yes that's correct, The Stage 76 and E6 has a light keyboard action, not at all any lik a piano, while stage Stage88, NP4 og NG, has keyboard-action suited for pianoplaying.
Even though I don't have the NP4 og NG, It's my understanding that these actions are slightly "heavier" than the Stage88. When I tried the NG, my conclusion was that the touch and response was better than the Stage 88, but as mentioned: It was quite noisy. In fact I found it so noisy that it took away some of the good impression.
My needs in performing situations mostly require some more than just piano, so all in all considered the Stage is what I need.
My prediction is that you will get used to the action of the instrument you decide to purchase, and will adjust your technique accordingly.
As you mention, the evolving soundlibrary from Nord is a good benefit. Also they have some very well-nuanced pianosamples, so you will always find sounds with great characteristics.
To be honest, I think it's a bit shame that the Nord Grand wasn't equipped with internal speakers.
Even though it's light enough to act as I gig-instrument, one would think that it's more of a stationary instrument. In that scenario one shouldn't have to rely on external speakers or headphones. But that is MY opinion

About the cabinets, my GT2 is 15 years and is still one of the best digital piano/grand clone I've used.
The action is outstanding, and the sound is very usable both the speakers and line-out

I think it would have been a better choice to put a music rest on a 3.5k euro piano but eh, maybe Nord's employees don't like music rests. sigh.

Do you think the action of the NG makes as much sound as a cabinet piano? If it's excessive then I'm going to have to find a way around it, I don't know how. Again, I'll have to test it for myself but outside reviews are always welcome.

Fritz Frigursson wrote:
Do you think the action of the NG makes as much sound as a cabinet piano? If it's excessive then I'm going to have to find a way around it, I don't know how. Again, I'll have to test it for myself but outside reviews are always welcome.

Hello - here’s one outside review. My first Nord was a Piano 3 and I currently use the Nord Grand. Same library of sounds as you know - different keybeds as you also know. I found the NP3 to have a much “noisier” keybed than the NG. The NP3 (and I suppose NP4 though I have no experience with it) was a breeze to gig with, the NG a bit more complicated but not terrible. The main difference is the action which is a real joy for me on the NG with the Kawai action vs the NP3’s Fatar action. If you’re not going to move it and really want something for pianos and Rhodes - the NG is pretty outstanding in my view - though you could likely put together a controller/PC/Mac/virtual solution for less coin. As a package, the NG is tough to beat but everyone’s mileage varies on what they want and why.

Mainly I wanted to share in response to your question about keyboard sound, in my experience, the NG is quieter than the NP3. Good luck!