Nord User Forum

Hi forum,

I had started writing this post a few months ago and left it behind, as I was still looking around for additional pictures from the earliest days of Nord ownership. The earliest I can find are from the early-mid '00s, when I was using NE2 and NE3...leading up to NS2 starting around 2011...there was a NE5 in there somewhere in the mid '10s...then NS2 EX...then NS3.

My very first Nord was the NL1, which I used from around 1999-2002 in a wedding band, along with Roland RD-600 and Korg CX-3. I can't locate any pictures of this rig. I also used several different NL units over the years. I had the original NS1 and NS1 EX as well, though I don't seem to have any of those pics either.

I had fun going on a trip down memory lane. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Early picture from ~2003 with NE2 above Yamaha S90. This was a KILLER rig and I still own all parts of it!



Another from a similar era, when I had shifted from NE2 to NE3, probably around 2006ish. I didn't keep the NE3 for the long haul, though I loved it as the first Nord I owned that could load samples.



There was a brief time when I was using NS2 plus NE3. This was around 2011-2012.



The NS2 was my trusty partner from 2011-2018 (I still have my first NS2 88 pictured here).



The NE5 snuck into the rig for a brief period, when I was testing the waters of "can I do the gig with an Electro instead of the Stage?" and the answer ended up being no.



Used a couple of NS2 EX units around about 2016-2017, when I was getting close to the big transition from NS2 to NS3.



NS3 became my mainstay around 2018 to present. I can get so much out of this keyboard on multiple different gigs.



I'll leave you with an action shot from a recent gig with the NS3.

Evolution of the rig, but also of the keyboardist

Thanks for sharing!

Is the NS3 screwed to the plank or is it strapped ?

Fred

Pretty cool collection of pictures. I have to admit that taking pictures of my rig/self is something I've always been terrible at. I have very few photographic memories of my setups which is a real shame. Good for you to capture these memories.

maxpiano wrote:Evolution of the rig, but also of the keyboardist

Thanks for sharing!

Yeah. I have definitely not aged well at all.

cookie wrote:Is the NS3 screwed to the plank or is it strapped ?

Fred

Industrial strength Velcro. Works great.

ericL wrote:

maxpiano wrote:Evolution of the rig, but also of the keyboardist

Thanks for sharing!

Yeah. I have definitely not aged well at all.

Oh no come, I didn't mean that, indeed ... I mean a positive evolution as keyboardist, since seems you also learned how to play vertically meantime

maxpiano wrote:

ericL wrote:

maxpiano wrote:Evolution of the rig, but also of the keyboardist

Thanks for sharing!

Yeah. I have definitely not aged well at all.

Oh no come, I didn't mean that, indeed ... I mean a positive evolution as keyboardist, since seems you also learned how to play vertically meantime

It's all good, thanks! I'm happy to still be playing live shows after all these years. My "play vertically" times started well before my time with Nords. I don't have as many pictures from that era, though my rolling keyboard rig dates back to the late '80s and the tilting/vertical rig to the early '90s. Here's a "then and now" collage I made years ago.

Cool! What's the band's name?

maxpiano wrote:Cool! What's the band's name?

Fighting Gravity, a ska/reggae/pop band performing original music. I toured with them for over a decade as an original member, and we recorded and released 10+ albums over the years. The band stopped touring in the mid '00s, though we get together 2-3x annually for reunion shows from 2017 to present. We have three shows booked this year in different cities. It's so much fun! Here are a couple of video compilations to give you an idea of our music.

P.S. I also play regularly in a couple of different cover and tribute bands, in addition to Fighting Gravity.

[BBvideo=425,350]https://youtu.be/6i7DLesvEuI?si=2RwjTH6nZHR-3Vpj[/BBvideo]

[BBvideo=425,350]https://youtu.be/nKTKAXvDpe4?si=wkTuTghQ5TKY-5AH[/BBvideo]