Nord User Forum

Apologies as I’ve kept the title of this post short so I will first explain my setup and what I’d like to achieve with a new Nord Keyboard.

I currently have an Electro 6d and I have a Hammond bass pedal that is midi’d out to the Ext keyboard to low that triggers the synth section with a deep string as well as playing the bass sound from the pedal (routed into aux in). This is mostly accompanied by an XL grand which I really like.

However I would like to have another synth/sample underneath the piano whilst playing and obviously this can’t be done with the Electro 6d as I’m utilising everything it has.

I was thinking of getting another Nord like the Nord Grand as I’m very piano oriented but I know I’ll be in the same boat as it’s only got one synth engine. I’ve looked into the Nord Wave but it’s not got a dedicated piano engine (unless I’m wrong) so I wondered if what I want can be done on the Stage 3?

Thanks

Yes, it can be done with the Nord Stage 3 (but also 2 or earlier) because it has 2 Synth sections (one per panel/slot A and B), just look at product page specs and manual on Nord website.

I think either the Nord Stage 3 or Piano 5 would have the 2x Sample layers.

agcohn wrote:I think either the Nord Stage 3 or Piano 5 would have the 2x Sample layers.

Correct, but Piano 5 has no Organ and you cannot assign individual MIDI channels to a section (as of today at least), so it cannot be used the way the OP wants.

Thanks for that, another option would be to trigger sounds on my laptop to give me another layer, but I would like an upgrade soon...

So I was wondering for someone piano oriented, am I better going for the Grand (triggering a layer from my laptop) or the Stage 3 88 hammer key?

It will be gigged to so that is something to factor in.

daz1761 wrote:Thanks for that, another option would be to trigger sounds on my laptop to give me another layer, but I would like an upgrade soon...

So I was wondering for someone piano oriented, am I better going for the Grand (triggering a layer from my laptop) or the Stage 3 88 hammer key?

It will be gigged to so that is something to factor in.

The Grand can capture more nuances in the dynamics of piano playing, however I'm a fan of the Stage line and the flexibility the organ and synth sections (x2) bring to the table. For gigging, the Stage 3 would be a simple and convenient solution for layering what you'd like without the added complexity of a laptop. Good luck to you!

WannitBBBad wrote:

daz1761 wrote:Thanks for that, another option would be to trigger sounds on my laptop to give me another layer, but I would like an upgrade soon...

So I was wondering for someone piano oriented, am I better going for the Grand (triggering a layer from my laptop) or the Stage 3 88 hammer key?

It will be gigged to so that is something to factor in.

The Grand can capture more nuances in the dynamics of piano playing, however I'm a fan of the Stage line and the flexibility the organ and synth sections (x2) bring to the table. For gigging, the Stage 3 would be a simple and convenient solution for layering what you'd like without the added complexity of a laptop. Good luck to you!

Thank you that helps a lot, although the Stage 3 is more expensive it does certainly offer a lot more - a lot to think about

Fortunatelly nords have a very good resale value, you could cover most of the stage's cost by selling the electro.

I recommend ditching the laptop idea completely, unless you absolutely need it. It can never replace the immediacy of a Stage 3. I've tried it with both Mainstage and (Ableton) Live, and it was just too much work for very little benefit. Get a Stage 3 if at all possible. It was made for this job.

daz1761 wrote:Thanks for that, another option would be to trigger sounds on my laptop to give me another layer, but I would like an upgrade soon...

So I was wondering for someone piano oriented, am I better going for the Grand (triggering a layer from my laptop) or the Stage 3 88 hammer key?

It will be gigged to so that is something to factor in.

As Elias has mentioned I completely 2nd that motion. From experience with gigging with a laptop for about 2 years and then after finally getting the NS3 let me save you the trouble.

Get an NS3 (or Grand, whichever you prefer in terms of playstyle/needs) in anyway you can and save yourself the headache of trying to gig with a laptop. It is way too much work: too many variables to consider, setting up, too many things can go wrong, and finding the fault can be very mentally stressing especially when it occurs between sets (happened to me alot! Trust me, it's not worth it)/

For example if suddenly you have no sound coming out from your laptop (which happened to me various times). The variety of reasons that could be wrong is too many for example: Could it be your interface? Your software? Mainstage? Which levels are off? Your laptop? Your amplifier? Your output settings on your laptop/software? Your keyboard connection settings? Or both? Or some other combination of one or the other problems mentioned or not mentioned? For me personally it was too much unnecessary stress to work with, and I can tell you after finally getting the NS3 and gigging with it, I am extremely much more happy and less stressed, knowing that if something does goes wrong it is so much easier to troubleshoot since there's extremely less parameters to work around, and therefore it's easier to figure out the problem quicker, not to mention setting up in comparison to using with a laptop is such a huge breeze.

Yes I understand for some people that have the mindset that using a laptop can give you endless possibilities of working around sounds that an NS3/Grand might not be able to do. Believe me I was in that boat as well. But once I got an NS3... it was like a huge weight has finally been lifted off my shoulders and I can finally gig with more ease, less worry and less stress.

And besides, to those that say you can do endless things on a laptop, imo it's still doable on a Nord. Although perhaps with a laptop there are definitely, extremely endless ways you can carry out a sound, but for me what the Nord offers in terms of its parameters is already enough.

Also if you're more piano oriented, you could definitely go for the Nord Piano or Nord Grand.. but of course make sure you try it out first at a store and they can assist you more about those layerings you require, as well as you can see which one would suit you more!

So basically, do yourself a favour. Skip the laptop, and just get a Nord. You'll be happy for it. (And if you run into any small glitches or stuff you're unsure, thankfully you have a good community here for support, good luck!)