Stick with Nord?

[ZeroZero]

I am very weird. I have a very fussy ear and it is a curse. I bought the Stage 4 when it came out. Prior to this all the keyboards that visited my studio - the Stages and the modern Rhodes left swiftly and I kept going back to the superb action of the PHA 3 equipped Roland RD700NX - not a gigging keyboard too heavy, but the action is SO expressive with the right sound. I use modelled pianos and my favorite Goto is an obscure piano TruePainos Diamond module (not in the free trial). It's similar to the default Classical grand on the Roland. I can and do play this off and on 12 hours a day. I own lots of VSTs - Keyscape, Steinberg Grand, Pianoteqs, Ravenscroft etc... They never get used.

I don't think the action on the Stage 4 is as good as the RD700NX its a kind of model of the road action, trying to please everyone, most keyboards have gone this way IMO. The S4 is the best of these, IMO, after trying Yamaha, Rhodes and Kawai (except the MP11).
Getting a good action is one thing, but it has to be backed up by great sounds. The sampling method employs a rank of samples per key - pp mf ff and more, and then it blends the sounds through certain velocity regions. I have never likes this, it sounds wrong to my ears. That's why I prefer modelled. Modelled sounds gernally have a kind of crystal purity like an "Ideal" piano (unless modelled otherwise).
I don't like ANY of the Nord pianos for studio work. I have never used them on a gig, they might be designed for this setting, but in the studio, I have transferred completely to the wonderful EP9 Stockholm (downloaded). I have put a Hofner Violin Bass in the left and added a tiny bit of tremolo and I find this is fantastic. It really sings.
The Rhodes and the EPs on the Stage sound better that my very old 700NX, which is pleasing, but they are not the real thing. My ears now belong to Rhodes. So, I decided, I am going to fork on a real Rhodes mk8. I have played one and am not dissuaded.
I also have a real Hammond A100 that keeps breaking down and will never travel and a Hammond SKX Pro. I cant find a way to hook these up to a real Leslie (I have three) so they lay abandoned. The Stage 4 Hammond is very good soundwise. It's the only one I can get a decent Whiter Shade of Pale out of, but to my fussy ears a real Leslie is a different dimension.
I have lots of VST synths - omnisphere for example but even though the sounds are wildly colorful, the idea of of holding one note whilst gteh sounds play out over several bars does not feel like being a musician to me. I need to play chords and melodies expressively and so many good sounds do not let me do this.

Yes, I Am in a cul-de sac (again), but playing the Stockholm set up above has so far given me 11 months of pleasure.

Z

[LeftyBass68]

The library sounds, for me, leave a lot to be desired.

I erased 80% of the internal programs and leave only the (for me) genius ones.
With that I erased also simply all "not perfect" and for me unsuitable samples (also 80%).
But don´t get me wrong - this is a very personal perspective - Nord did a great job.
I just have subjective requirements...

...that can be fulfilled with the NS4. Tweaking Samples, creating sounds and samples makes my day.


I came for the ROLAND-Universe to Clavia.
Layering 16 Parts indipendent with different Midi-Ch(!), Volume, FX and output on the ROLANDs
is far from reach for other manufacturers (even Yamaha makes such programmings not that simple).
With that the Pitch-/Modulation-Lever is genius and these keys a unique "Roland"-Touch.
If you´re looking for a perfect layering tool, the ROLAND will surely make you happy.

The NS4 ofers this great and direct access, that it seems like an extension of my wants and meanings under my hands.
But I nearly sampled all of my great Roland-Sounds from D-50 over XP-80 to Juno into the Nords, to stay happy.
This is why Clavia offers this nice Sampling-Options.

This ROLAND-Layering concept is implemented in the XP-Series in the 90ies(!)
and has been incorporated into their Synths to this day (and improved).
If you are talking about the FA-06 today, the Fantom-06 is a great instrument too
and even the Juno-DS is not much worse.

Again, I´m this preacher that can write again:
We "keybordists" want to have different keybeds for different sounds
and a Hammer-key below with anOrgan/Synth-Key above...

Stage3 to an XP3080 wih four expansion cards.5 pin DIN MIDI cable.Rompler of the last 25 years here.Thanks Nord,will take it from here.Some samples I kept are plucked, hammered etc,decent one shot samples.This Emu Proteus 1XR 16bit sample player has more out of the box useful
sounds than Nord in my opinion,also twenty+ years old.
RD piano has external audio in,bluetooth,usb,selectable split points,paddle that will likely never fail etc.Triple sensor at a decent price.
Although Nord shines on piano and organ;Roland and Behringer are the most desirable in my world.Your synth might be different,many great choices besides Nord like Kurzweil,Korg,Arturia,and Sequential,to name just a few.
Still have two Yamaha TX7's! And a Roland JX8P/PG800! Yes I played in the 80's,was my third decade in.

[Gambold]

>The Electro has always been the gateway drug for the Stage.<

For players who want a built-in synth, yes. But I don't play synth and the music I play doesn't generally need it. The sample library has been enough when strings or horns or what-not are needed. I was never a fan of playing samples but most cover bands demand them.

The Electro for me was the "three-in-one" package: acoustic piano, Rhodes (or Wurli, depending on the cut of your jib), and Hammond. Those finally are the only three that really matter (I know, not a universal belief). The rest of it - Clavinet, Farfisa, Harpsichord, Marimba, FM keys blah blah is like having one of those old Casios that came out in the 80s and suddenly you could play 256 different sounds. I'm sure people use them but not as much as they think they do.

The problem I have run into is the keybed compromise - the Organ requires a waterfall with easy touch and the acoustic/Rhodes want hammer action. So my last two Electros have gone with the waterfall, but I'm getting tired of playing Nord's beautiful acoustic pianos without decent action - and on those dinky waterfall keys. My next Nord will almost certainly be a Piano, not a Stage, and I'll have to find something for the Hammond. Something very light, preferably.

[analogika]

The problem I have run into is the keybed compromise - the Organ requires a waterfall with easy touch and the acoustic/Rhodes want hammer action. So my last two Electros have gone with the waterfall, but I'm getting tired of playing Nord's beautiful acoustic pianos without decent action - and on those dinky waterfall keys. My next Nord will almost certainly be a Piano, not a Stage, and I'll have to find something for the Hammond. Something very light, preferably.

I hear you. I've always found the 73 waterfall a usable compromise that allows for "decent" piano playing, but having local-hired an 88-key Stage 3 recently… what a difference that does make for the pianos!

*sigh*

[Chicken chaser]

This is the same reason why I'm about to buy a stage 4. I think the current HA seems to be the sweet spot between a real HA like what you get from Kawai but it also works well with the synth section. I've got another keybed which I can use for occasional organ if I want but most of the time it's Rhodes, Piano or some kind of Synth layer

[cgrafx]

sort of in line with this thread, I just pulled the trigger on a used Piano 5 73 and a Korg D1.

I've been looking for a lighter replacement for my Alesis QS8.2 (49lbs). I had really wanted to stick with an 88key option, but not a lot of choices under 40lbs. I only recently started considering a smaller keyboard and the Piano 5 73 comes in at 34lbs, so almost 15lbs lighter. I've kind of been torn between a stand alone keyboard like a stage 4 -88, and a simple MIDI keyboard that I can either connect to my Stage 3 compact or a VST host system.

I actually had purchased a Kurzweil PC4-88, but I just sent that back as the keybed was just too sluggish for me.

I've been digging through YouTube videos and music store websites for about 7-8 months now, and just sort of stumbled on the Korg D1 (also 35lbs).

It's a very compact fully weighted 88 key action without any frills. Still has some built-in sounds, but I'm more interested in just using it as a MIDI controller.

I was going to wait on the Paino 5, but one popped up for $2600 with a 30 day return policy, so here I am awaiting the arrival of a couple of new keyboards. (three actually as I also picked up a 2nd Stage 3 compact as a backup/rehearsal board).

I was really hesitant to go for less than 88 keys, but realized I actually rarely play below the E on the low end, and pretty much never in the last half-octave at the top (other than a little more space if doing splits).

Anyway, I'll report back on the D1 when I've had a chance to properly evaluate it.

[M_a_c]

I would like to have a 61-Electro above my NS4-73 (which has an incredible HA-Keybed), to play Synth and Hammond with the Waterfall-Keybed (in this case dont ask for Aftertouch or a Mod-Wheel). The Nord Waterfall-one is different to the other Clone-Wheel Products, but I prefer it for its own character. The only thing is the mess with the missing Pitch-Stick/ Pitch-Wheel. If this feature would be added, the earliest Electro7 would be mine...

[Tasten-Bert]

sort of in line with this thread, I just pulled the trigger on a used Piano 5 73 and a Korg D1.

…..

Anyway, I'll report back on the D1 when I've had a chance to properly evaluate it.

Have you had a chance to also see/play a Roland RD-08? It’s only little more expensive, and my pianist-fingers do by far prefer it over the korg D1. I‘ve always wanted the korg because of its price and the MIDI socket, but then I played the keybed which was not to my taste.

Cheers from Germany

[cgrafx]

sort of in line with this thread, I just pulled the trigger on a used Piano 5 73 and a Korg D1.

…..

Anyway, I'll report back on the D1 when I've had a chance to properly evaluate it.

Have you had a chance to also see/play a Roland RD-08? It’s only little more expensive, and my pianist-fingers do by far prefer it over the korg D1. I‘ve always wanted the korg because of its price and the MIDI socket, but then I played the keybed which was not to my taste.

Cheers from Germany

the RD-08 is definitely similar to the D1. If I'm not happy with the D1 I'll see if any of the local music shops have one on hand to try out.

[cgrafx]

My Piano 5 arrived today, fortunately undamaged. The keybed does suffer from what appears to be a common missing or compressed felt under the action so 5 of the keys make an annoying loud clank/clack when the key is released (definitely metal hitting metal)

Ignoring the key noise issue, the keys play fine, so I'm going to keep it and just fix the keybed. (I might see if the vendor will discount the price)

What I am truly amazed with is the difference in sound between my stage 3 compact and the paino 5 when playing the same samples. The paino 5 tonal quality is significantly better than the NS3. I'm going to attribute that entirely to the keybed and velocity curves it produces. When I get a chance I'll midi the two together to see if I get the same tonal response out of the NS3 when played from the NP5.

I was also impressed with the non-piano synth sounds the NP5 was capable of producing even though it's limited to just a basic sample synth.

So.. initial reaction is pleasantly surprised.