Keyboard test: Grand 2 vs. Grand 1

[Ecaroh]

Hi all!

Has anybody had yet chance to play Grand 2? Or even better, A/B test it vs. original Grand? I am curious to know is there a real improvement in piano touch, something which you immediately feel under your fingers. Or is the new keybed just minor update or more like marketing stuff?

[Mangorosa]

Hi, I have done a A/B test and i can say the nord grand 2 is so much better and quieter and it is and enjoy to play.
I got my Grand 2 last week and i am so happy. the only problem is that the new pedal 2 don't fit in the wood keyboard stand so i have to use the pedal1.

[ziozeus]

Hi, I have done a A/B test and i can say the nord grand 2 is so much better and quieter and it is and enjoy to play.

Can you elaborate?
Main thing is: is it now graded? (Lower octaves keys havier than higher ones)

[jbolazzi]

Just received the Nord grand 2 to replace my NG1. I know a lot of you are waiting for some comparison feedback regarding the improved Kawai keybed. As an acoustic piano player, the quality of the keybed has always been my criteria number 1. I must say that I was positively surprised by the improvements. It is a complete different action than NG1. Much more precise and slightly tighter. My impression of the mechanics is between the famous Korg RH3 and Kawai VPC1 ( I own both). This more precise keybed is less forgiven than the NG1, for piano players that are used to lighter keybed ( like it is on NG1). It needs some practice to get used to. From my point of view, Nord did close the gap with this new version, versus others piano manufacturers , in term of keybed quality, which is what a pianist expect when purchasing such instrument. . Let’s hope on a good reliability and durability.

[Sparkle]

I think lot of people here are waiting for an opinion on NG2, so I add a stone to the building.

I tried again the nord grand 2, yes, i think it is "heavier" than ng1, so that's cool.

[Ecaroh]

Hi all!

I had chance to test new NG2 straight after unpacking. Unfortunately there was same background noise so I was not able hear precicely how much it had mechanical noise. But it seemed quieter than its predecessor. And it was certainly quieter than NS4 88 which was next to NG2. On the other hand NS4 was a demo instrument and I assume that it had lot of hours of playing and in that respect it was not a fair comparison. Anyway compared to NS4 new NG2 was more pianolike, a bit heavier, more tight and precise. But how it compares to original NG1 it is hard to tell because those weren’t both there. But what I remember I might probably say this same - more pianolike, a bit heavier, more tight and precise - but it’s not that mind blowing difference. Best piano from Nord line so far that’s for sure. But worth upgrade? Personally I am not sure yet. What I was missing was ”escapement” to make it feel like real grand piano (and not upright). Also texture of keys was somehow little plastic to feel like grand piano. Speaking about keys (not sound) some other manufacturers have better managed to capture luxury feeling of having ”Steinway” under your fingers.

EDIT: I can’t help adding the main reason why I didn’t get NG2 (for good price too). About this has been talked in other thread: NG2’s midi incapabilities. You cannot put individual parts to local off and give them to external controller. It’s now even more stupid with NG2 because it has doubled its multitimbrality. For example I have a small nice midi controller which would fit perfectly over NG2’s ”table top” but no, you cannot play any NG2’s part individually. In general there’s a serious lack of midi wisdom nowadays in Nord’s product development. They give their instruments more power which you cannot fully use. It’s same with NS4.

[ziozeus]

From these infos down here taken from a spare parts vendor (where I bought my replacement PCB for NG1) and given the fact that I saw in NG1 the keys metal counterweights are all printed with a W3 (weight3 ?) I assume that Clavia may have decided to use the W2 keys from kawai to obtain a havier, while still not graded, RH3 custom action. This, together with a better dampened chassis and maybe softer felts (like has always been the case in the kawai keyboards), could be the only special choices made to upgrade from NG1.

Down here I copy from the spare parts website

The Kawai RH88B keyboard is a velocity sensitive keyboard with 4-zone hammer action...
With the 4-zone hammer action, Kawai is trying to get even closer to the feel of a mechanical grand piano than was possible with the previous hammer action keyboards. The keyboard touch of a mechanical piano is different in weight depending on the zone, whether bass or in the high range. This is simulated in the Kawai RH88B keyboard by the fact that there are four different hammers with different weights.

The 4-zones are divided as follows:

Zone 1, Bass - note 1 to 15
Zone 2, middle1 - note 16 to 32
Zone 3, middle2 - note 33 to 63
Zone 4, soprano - note 64 to 88

[innermusic]

I'm a jazz musician and tried the NG on a gig, and loved it (compared to my Yamaha CP4 which I've been using for years when there is no grand piano on the gig). So I thought I'll try the NG2 and see which one I'll buy. After trying the NG2 I decided it wasn't worth the additional money. Keep in mind that all I play is acoustic grand piano and Rhodes, and the NG is for gigs where no grand piano is present. The NG2 has all these cool features for layering, which sound great, but will I ever use them on a gig on in the studio? Probably never. And I do like the faders on the NG2 as opposed to the rotary pots on the NG. And yes, the action on the NG2 is different but not different enough to warrant those extra big bucks.

[ziozeus]

All the new features on the NG2 are of little or no use in my case as a jazz pianist. Keyboard could be the only benefit but it seems it's not changed that much.
Also I'm sticking with 1.54 firmware for the wider dynamic velocity curves in there (Nord, why on earth did you change that!?) and I fear a lot what I could find in this regard in NG2, maybe wasting the pros of the new keyboard.
I already replaced the PCB in my NG1 with the new spare part from kawai some time ago.
So this crazy idea is growing in my mind:
Buy a kawai Es920 (for less than 1/3 of the price) and swap the 2 entire actions.
Would it work? Hopefully yes.
I could have ver.1.54 velocities and the full featured GRADED kawai action (with let-off sim....which I don't care about but it's ok) plus a new lightweight amplified keyboard with my old action for reharsals.
It's cooking

[glabadille]

Différences de clavier entre le G1 et le G2:
Touches legerement plus longues pour le G2
Toucher moins léger pour le G2