Nord User Forum

I guess the NS4 fader layout makes it slightly less of a direct "appropriation" of the Stage ethos on this...

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... tage-piano

I haven't downloaded the manual yet but it looks like one layer of each and that synth section is barely above the preset level. Having said that, I loved the piano sounds on my RD2000 but at nearly 50 pounds they continue to make obscenely heavy products. Too heavy for me.

This looks like an enhanced Nord Electro! the keyboard seems to be an incredible instrument....but..... I prefer Nord for the sound quality and keyb.

Oh there's a VStage 76 too... semi-weighted waterfall... I was a Roland devotee for 2 decades... sure it won't tempt me away from the NS4 compact but I'm very excited to try it!

According to the video, this thing is much more than an Electro - totally competes with a Stage 4. Even makes setlists available. Soundwise just a different approach: hardware knobs for some values (more for EP than AP), in-depth sound designers for AP and EP down in the menu.

It has 4 engines, but that's not the number of layers. Depending on how you should count them, there are 3 organ (upper, lower, ped), 1 AP, 1 EP and 2 synth layers. Free split points (viewable on the display), audio interface - class compliant stereo sound or dedicated driver for transport of each engine's sound on its own.

I've gone through all the available videos.

Things I liked:
- much better i/o
- deep dives on the sound engines parameters
- very advanced FX section (multiband compressors!)
- big color screen (wonder how it does in direct sunlight?)
- enhanced EP section - something Nord is weak on
- great price for what you get

Things I didn't like:
- inadequate synth section
- didn't warm up to the organ section
- the V-Piano has its a distinct inorganic sound which doesn't suit me

I came away thinking "wow, what a great board for the money" and at the same time "not for me" as I didn't really embrace many of the sounds I heard. Then again, its substantial tweakability means there's probably better there than I heard.

Well I think that this will teach Clavia how to make the future Nord Stage 5 some years later, (I might go crazy with the synth engine) especially if they could emulate a Z1 inside. —JK.

cphollis wrote: ↑22 Jan 2025, 06:06 Things I didn't like:
- inadequate synth section

About that Roland says that V-Stage registered owners will get 4 additional Zen-core synth models for free:

ZEN-Core Synthesizer engine with over 400 onboard sounds and support for SDZ Sound Packs and Model Expansions on Roland Cloud (JUPITER-8, JUNO-106, JX-8P, and SH-101 Model Expansion titles are free downloads for registered V-STAGE owners)

https://www.roland.com/global/promos/v-stage_series/

That‘s at least interesting. I must admit that even I‘m not watching out for any new keyboard I feel the desire to test this Roland. I had several fantoms, a VR-760, U20 and D20, most of them with additional SRX cards, and I do remember the good saxes, a lovely blues harp, string pizzicati and celli, a good enough piano for live acts and perhaps more. Ah, yes, the Djou djou scat voice which I miss since then. And all the sample sounds were touch sensitive. Puh, it will get tough for me to resist.

But, as said, I‘m not searching …

Cheers from Germany

Tasten-Bert wrote: ↑22 Jan 2025, 12:33 But, as said, I‘m not searching …

Be honest - it´s the endless Hunt...