Choosing Nord Stage 4, help!!

[sprazer]

I have been playing the piano from Kawai ES7 for fun for a decade. Not really a trained pianist and not even close. I'm just a casual piano player.

The thing is I want to play Funk Clav and Organ and Synth to expand my musical journey, since it's been a big part of happiness in my life. I only play at home by myself and no gig, so forget about traveling. I mean If I get better with the stuff in a year or two, I will buy 61 electro since I only own a motorbike.



I have been saving up to buy the stage 4 but the thing is I have 0 level of how to play those aforementioned stuff so I just can't go and test if they key is right for me. I think it's like I can't test the truck when I don't even know how to drive one!!!

I have been thinking about buying the compact and put it on top of my Kawai. But alot of people are against it. Especially the mentor that I'm taking a synth class with. He says that "at the end of the day I will end up using one board more than another" so he's encouraging me to get the 88 version and play those stuff with it. He even mentioned Jordan Rudes lol. I mean I only know how to play a few classical piano pieces.


I guess it's best to ask here if any of you were at a fence like me and if you had to do it over. Please help, I need your opinions on this.
Thank you!!


(if I were to choose the 88, I'd give away he ES7 to my relative, so that's not a problem)

one more thing I'm worried about is that Nord will not send the triple sensor signal when it's receiving or sending the Midi to other device. I play some chopins and I want to learn more of his pieces. I wonder if this is something I should be concerned.

Thank you all in advance.

[sprazer]

I have done some research

the B3 I style I want to play is kinda doable on the Hammer action according to this
Ref






But I can't find the video of Clav's tapping techniques on the hammer action tho!! I wonder if it's can be done on the NS4 Hammer action, since it's designed to bounce back faster than other HA.
Here's the reference of the style.

[cphollis]

I have been playing the piano from Kawai ES7 for fun for a decade. Not really a trained pianist and not even close. I'm just a casual piano player.

The thing is I want to play Funk Clav and Organ and Synth to expand my musical journey since it's been a big part of happiness in my life.

I have been saving up to buy the stage 4 but the thing is I have 0 level of how to play those aforementioned stuff so I just can't go and test if they key is right for me. I think it's like I can't test the truck when I don't even know how to drive one!!!

I have been thinking about buying the compact and put it on top of my Kawai. But alot of people are against it. Especially the mentor that I'm taking synth class with. He says that "at the end of the day I will end up using one board more than another" so he's encouraging me to get the 88 version and play those stuff with it. He even mentioned Jordan Rudes lol. I mean I only know how to play a few classical piano pieces.



I guess it's best to ask here if any of you were at a fence like me and if you had to do it over. Please help, I need your opinions on this.
Thank you!!


(if I were to choose the 88, I'd give away he ES7 to my relative, so that's not a problem)

I don't think you're getting great advice from your mentor. Nothing against Jordan, but he's not someone I'm aiming at. Also, I use two boards equally.

As of now, many believe the NS4 is best-in-class for an all-in-one board that covers all the bases. It may not the best across all categories (piano, organ, synth, etc.) but it's pretty darn good. just what you need if you're going to be performing a wide range of material, like I do.

The optimum rig for many of us is a dual setup: an unweighted NS4C on top (for synth, organ, samples, etc.) and a weighted controller below (for AP, EP, clav, etc). The bottom board doesn't make any sound, it just sends midi to the top one, so your ES7 could work fine. Or just about anything else you like. Everything is controlled and mixed on the NS4C, so it's like playing one board that way.

To be clear, my hands jump back and forth between the bottom and top board, depending on the part I'm playing during a song, so -- yes -- I use both boards extensively during most songs.

Although the video shows the guy rocking out on a weighted 88 (it can be done!) most people would find that a big compromise when playing organ, synth, samples, etc. 88s are also more bulky than they need to be. I use a NP73 shorter weighted keybed as a controller and realized I didn't need all those extra keys.

You can play funk clav, organ and synth just fine on an unweighted keybed like the NS4C, although I prefer a weighted action for my clav funkiness. Also, keep in mind, the presets are just examples of sounds to get you started -- the real fun begins when you start tweaking to taste!

[vojtech-h]

Hello!

Aaaaa, great ... cphollis was faster in the basic idea and also described it better ..., thanks.

If you are satisfied with the keyboard and also you use speakers Kawai ES7, the addition of NS4 compact can be a good choice.
Kawai ES7 will become (using MIDI cables) a weighted keyboard for piano sounds NS4. You can also connect the headphone output of NS4 to the LINE In input ES7 and you do not have to deal with speakers for a separate NS4.

Most of the other functions of NS4 - organ, synth, effects - you will understand when getting acquainted with them according to the traditionally good manual and once you start using them, you will learn more and more.
I experienced this years ago with NS2.

I use 88-key weighted VPC-1 and Nord STAGE 4 Compact in my home studio - complete satisfaction. I play mostly piano pieces supplemented with other synth sounds.

Let it play ...

[christianjwagner]

Get the NS4 compact and a hammer-weighted controller on bottom that you connect via MIDI.
You will have the benefit of using the sound from ONE board only, no messing around with Mixing and EQ'ing two boards, makes it double as complicated. Besides, dealing with two different user interfaces and all that stuff.
You can get decent MIDI controllers, even weighted, for reasonable $$ and you have a light, great NS4 as your main board you can easily take anywhere.
Getting one NS4 88 limits you too much for playing anything other than Piano and your back won't be that happy either.

[sprazer]

First of all thanks so much guys!!!
I forget to mention that I only play alone at home, I don't have any friends who play music , sadly .

But I'm planning if I get better with the stuff I will try to join a gig for fun. But I won't happen in a year or two. If then I will get another Electro 61D because I only use motorbike so I guess it would fit in my back while I'm riding. (it's a huge scooter Honda ADV350)

If you are satisfied with the keyboard and also you use speakers Kawai ES7, the addition of NS4 compact can be a good choice.
Kawai ES7 will become (using MIDI cables) a weighted keyboard for piano sounds NS4. You can also connect the headphone output of NS4 to the LINE In input ES7 and you do not have to deal with speakers for a separate NS4.

Get the NS4 compact and a hammer-weighted controller on bottom that you connect via MIDI.
You will have the benefit of using the sound from ONE board only, no messing around with Mixing and EQ'ing two boards, makes it double as complicated. Besides, dealing with two different user interfaces and all that stuff.

The shop owner at the music shop that I went mentioned that if I use a midi controller to connect to the NS4C , I will to deal with midi settings and stuff. let me ask you guys if there is a simple way to make the midi controller to mimic exactly the same that the Mainboard is doing? I watched the tutorials on youtubes and found that I can set the midi controller to tide to a specific sound or later. But I wonder if I'm layering 5 different layers on the mainboard when I press the NS4C and the midi controller will work accordingly. Even when after latering 5 layers and I change it to just one, will I have to go to the MIDI setting to tide the midi controller accordingly or it will just change automatically.

Sorry about my English, I know it's a little bit of a mess about my concerns but I hope you know what I mean!

[FZiegler]

There's an easy way to use an external MIDI keyboard: Just don't program anything on that external board and don't change anything on it when you change sounds on the NS4C! The only thing that you need to do is setting the MIDI channel on both boards to the same value so that the Nord will listen on the very channel the other board is sending on. The rest of the programming will only be done on the Nord and has nothing to do with MIDI: just set which layer from the Nord will follow the incoming MIDI notes.

I gets more complicated if you want to use the controllers of the external MIDI keyboard to control the sounds on the Nord -- but there is no need for that. Just continue to control everything on the Nord itself.

That's why you can easily swap the external board for another one within a minute.

[cphollis]

Midi is pretty simple: the defaults usually do what you want, but if not, a quick menu dive is all that's required.

The NS4C has 7 engines: 2 organ, 2 piano, 3 synth. A button press assigns any combination of them to the external midi keyboard. A typical program for my bottom board would have a piano with a layer of organ/strings/synth behind, with something more lead-oriented on the top board. If you want to drive five layers from the bottom board, have at it!

If you have limited transportation, consider the melodica? Seriously, it's not just the keyboard you'll have to transport -- it's the stand, a throne, some sort of amplification and so on. People do it on subways etc. but maybe you should be thinking "tablet plus small midi controller".

[analogika]

Speaking for the Stage 3, not the 4: The hammer action keyboards are much better for pianos than the compact version, but I *really* don't like to play Hammond on them. Also, the compact is much nicer for Synth, with a very nicely dosable aftertouch for vibrato.

[sprazer]

I have a few questions.

1. I'm starting to get confused now. You guys mentioned about the aftertouch on the compact. Doesn't the 88 model also have it? or it doesn't work as intended as the compact one?

2. Can I still pick the Stage 88 and play those Organ and Clavs on it? Especially the funk clavs I put on the post!! It's crazy!!. I have always been into disco music and this is something I'm so inspired to learn!!!