Nord User Forum

Hello to all. I have owned a Nord Electro 2 since 2010, and am thinking of upgrading to a Nord Electro 6D. I use Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric piano sounds the most. However, I really like the Mellotron sounds on the NE6 I played at Sweetwater.

I have three questions:

-Would you sell the NE2 to help pay for the NE6, or keep the NE2 as a backup?
-I read one review saying they liked the Wurlitzer sound better in the older models. Is this true?
-Do the new ones have lesser build quality as some have suggested?

Thanks in advance,

Mark R.

Weclome. Lots of good opinions here, here is mine:

1. The NE2 is old, but still relevant. Due to build quality, they still have many years left on them. You can't think of a NE2 as a serious backup for a NE6 unless your needs are exceptionally modest. So I'd sell it. as someone will certainly want it.

2. "Better" is a matter of opinion. The NE6 has better sound generation hardware, more sounds, more effects, more ways to use them, etc. so that would be "better" in my world.

3. Other than the usual blips that manufacturers sometimes run into (or rough handling), all of the Nords have a reputation for above-average build quality, newer ones included.

Your biggest concern should be planning enough time to have fun learning what's happened since the NE2

I think it was cphollis who suggested that it's worth taking a look at every other update - as in, if you owned an Electro 4, you could skip the Electro 5, but once the 6 came out, it warranted consideration.

It's a good point -- unlike electric guitars, digital keyboards don't age well. Value-wise Nord is an exception because of their build quality and reputation, and it would be fun to collect an old original DX7 to see what it can do. BUT - you are still falling behind the technology curve every year, and the older Nords just don't have the memory to load the good new samples. Nor do they have a lot of features that are either new or improved.

If you can afford it, buy a new Nord!

Worth it. The new Rhodes and Wurlitzer samples are light years ahead the Electro 1 and 2's. I've recently read an interview to an affirmed keyboardist who maintained that the old Roland VK8's got the best Hammond simulation, in his opinion: you'll always find some oddball, even amongst pros. The Mellotron official library's one of the reason I bought an Electro, you're not alone! And there's much, much more, from the vastly improved Hammond to the beautiful new acoustic pianos.

The only reason I can think of for not selling your Electro 2 is the Hammond: I'd keep it so to have as a second manual for the B3 engine, since that's my main instrument band-wise. If you aren't keen on Hammond, then sell it as soon as possible.

A lot of people swear by their E2, no matter what. Of course, there's tons of stuff the 6 can do that the 2 can't. But *IF* the 2 can do what you need, people like its simplicity, it's often said to have the best clav, and some people think some of its other sounds are better than in newer incarnations as well. There's always subjectivity to that, though.

Gambold wrote:I think it was cphollis who suggested that it's worth taking a look at every other update - as in, if you owned an Electro 4, you could skip the Electro 5, but once the 6 came out, it warranted consideration.

I recognize it's basically a way of saying, with changes being incremental, it can be more cost-effective if you wait for an extra round of changes before upgrading, i.e. for there to be enough changes to warrant the cost, but I'll offer an alternate take. There's also value to having the features you'd like to have and enjoying them now, rather than waiting 3+ years for the next model... and especially in the case of Nord, when that next model could easily also remove features you like too! I think the decision of whether to update to a new model or wait for the next gen really just comes down to how much you really want the features that new model has.

Here's my quick take on what I see as most significant changes so far, sticking with the 61s for simplicity, and not counting changes to organ/Leslie engines since people always seem to argue about which ones are really better anyway...

ELECTRO 2-->3

* Gain: sample library, high quality piano library, ability to load your own samples
* Lose: you only have 2 quick patch select buttons instead of 8

ELECTRO 3-->4

* Gain: drawbars, 4 quick patch select buttons instead of 2, MIDI over USB, long release and advanced string resonance on the pianos, delay effect

ELECTRO 4-->5

* Gain: 2-sound split/layer (plus split/layer with an external sound over MIDI), informative OLED display, Set List mode, more memory, pipe organ, advanced piano string resonance, velocity curve adjustments, more envelope and velocity adjustments to sampled sounds, more effects and overdrive options, B3+bass organ mode, compatibility with enhanced EPs and the white grand piano
* Lose: clav EQ

ELECTRO 5-->6

* Gain: 3-sound split/layer with crossfade, seamless sound switching, additional pipe organ, more polyphony, more sample memory, compatibility with sample library 3, numeric pad program selection mode
* Lose: assorted tweakable organ parameters, Set List mode, ability to split with an external sound over MIDI

I guess the biggest jumps in total functionality were from the 2 to the 3, and from the 4 to the 5. But some of the other models still had very significant changes maybe you wouldn't have wanted to wait x years to get, perhaps even only to be disappointed by what disappears, too!

Good observation that the Electro 6 has been frequently criticized for its handling of the Hammond side of things. Eliminating the 9th tonebar percussion feature, less tweakability, and some would argue a weaker sound in general. I don't use the Hammond much, but I did feel right away that the B3 sound on my Electro 6 was not as "good" as the one on my Electro 4. Unfortunately I had sold the 4 to buy the 6, so I couldn't do a side-by-side comparison to confirm or dissuade my suspicions.

No-one is sure WHY any of these things happened, but they did - and Clavia has given no indication that they will be addressed in the future.

Also - I'm still waiting for Nord to come up with a better banks/preset numbering system than the current, kinda batsh*t method of 11-14, 21-24, etc. It's endlessly confusing. How about just 1-16 for each letter? Is that really a bridge too far?

--Gambold

Agree on the clumsy UI on the Electro. Pieces of it exist on the NS3, but they have masked it better there.
Goes to my point that the whole reason the Electro series exists is as a gateway drug for the Stage

Gambold wrote:I'm still waiting for Nord to come up with a better banks/preset numbering system than the current, kinda batsh*t method of 11-14, 21-24, etc. It's endlessly confusing. How about just 1-16 for each letter? Is that really a bridge too far?

It's because of the introduction of the (quite useful) number pad mode. There are only four buttons, numbered 1-4, so the only possible numbers you could key in can only consist of those digits. That's why you end up with 11-14, 21-24, and so on. There's no way to enter a two digit number that contains anything other than the digits 1 through 4.

I'm actually in a quite similar situation myself, trying to decide if it's worth replacing my Nord Electro 3 HP which I really really love. Also have a Yamaha P-125 which I also really like for the piano sounds (but really hate the keybed action, feels too unnatural for my needs!)

I'm considering to sell my NE3 HP for either a NE5/6 HP for the added functionalities that the new models come with; however the dillema I'm currently facing is that I also need a keyboard with a really good, responsive & realistic keybed as possible (something that the Nord Electro series doesn't offer me)

So another option would be to sell my NE3 HP (and potentially my Yamaha P125) for a brand new NP5 88 which comes with great pianos/EPs, layering capabilities, larger memory etc + a better keybed!

But then again, I keep reading how the NP5 comes with the standard Fatar keybed, which apparently is quite mediocre (haven't tried it myself though, so wouldn't know much) compare to other stage pianos with similar price tag

So this makes me question whether it's actually worth investing on NP5, where I could go with the final option of just STAYING with my NE3 HP and replace my P125 with a better action keybed (e.g Kawai MP7SE, Korg SV2-88, Yamaha CP88 etc) - with roughly the same money as I would spend on replacing my NE3 with NP5 - but also keeping the organ sound of the NE3, which I've used sparingly and might even regret giving up!

Another option i guess would be to keep my NE3 and replace the P125 for NP5 which would give me the better keybed benefit...and 2 Nords! but that might just be too expensive...

Any thought on the above?? Do you think keeping my NE3 for a couple of more years i a sensible thing to do, or would it be good timing now to try and replace it with something better?

To me, there are four very significant elements the Stage 2 gives over the Electro 6:

• The Stage can layer two APs or two EPs because of the A and B panels, where the E6 can support one AP or EP at a time. If you like to layer your piano patches, you will lose this in the Electro. If you never did this, then it doesn't matter. There is a wonky workaround, where you can put a piano in the synth layer, but it will have only one velocity layer that can be sort of manipulated through the velocity filter.
• The Stage has the added synth section, which is pretty flexible. Again, if you don't use the synth for things other than pad layers and the like (no "real" mono leads that require pitch bend and mod wheel manipulations), then this is also a moot point.
• The Stage has a more robust MIDI capability, but there are still some pretty cool things you can do with the Electro.
• The Stage has aftertouch on the keybed, which the Electro does not. Again, if you don't use it, it doesn't matter.

There are certainly other difference, but I see these as the most significant depending on how you use the instrument. If you are mostly pianos and organ, these things may not be as important to you.

That said, the Electro offers some great stuff:

• More polyphony
• More piano and sample synth memory
• Better tone organ emulation
• Lighter weight

The piano and sample libraries are exactly the same, so there is no downgrade in sound quality.

I have a Stage 2EX HP and an Electro 6D 73. I'm waiting for the next Electro version to drop, and will strongly consider selling the Stage for the next Electro HP. I've always had a fondness for the Electro, and the 6 pretty much checks every box for my needs.