How long to wait for a C2D successor?

[Rob Millis]

Hi all, I'm new here. I'm a semi-pro player from West London. I'm no pianist by any stretch and generally restrict myself to B3 and Wurlitzer sounds at gigs. Currently gigging a C2D thru' a Vent Mk 1; own an A100, a Lowrey Festival (think Garth Hudson) and a Wurly 200A.

My dilemma is this: my first foray into Nord wares was an Electro 4D. Loved every thing about it sonically - I already had the Ventilator, so continued to use it as they are hard to give up - but coming from an A100, the jump to just one set of real time drawbars was just too much. I eventually sold it to a pal and bought a C2D and another stage piano for my Wurly sounds. I'm just getting to the age where I now want all my sounds from one board, but it must be dual manual and have at least two sets of drawbars. But I'm not seeing anything at all from Nord on what the future is for the C2D or rather its succession. And with the rise of the Mojo/Legend, it can be argued that the C2D IS ripe for a rethink. That chorus vibrato is a little tired sounding now, and better internal Leslies can be found on newer clones. So, I look to the competition:

The Mojo "XT" recent update is infuriating: a hardware update, a proper power supply...yadda-yadda-yadda...but the EPs aren't Mojo 61 generation and STILL you can only play the Wurlitzer with a combo organ on the other manual! Ideal if you want to make Steely Dan's "Do It Again" last a whole gig, but...nah. I'm a staunch Wurly man and a top manual organ and bottom manual Rhodes is NOT want I want! Not even with tremolo, before you ask, no. And some of the video evidence of what a lovely racket is made when a Mojo is used in upper organ/lower Rhodes EP made is just all the more of a tease, knowing that there IS a usable Wurly in that beast, that you can't quite get to.

The Hammond SKx has at last improved the drawbar sets to manuals ratio, but...well, it's a Hammond SK. The EPs have been improved in their voicing to keybed, I'm informed...but the same old samples, and the Wurly isn't all that, to put it kindly.

Is there ANY insight on what we can expect to replace the C2D and when? I'm guessing that with Crumar (to an extent) and Key B (almost exact) now offering much more traditional solutions to the clonewheel console for just a little more bulk, and for less money, it might be that we will not see another fully-featured dual manual console organ from Nord. But a two-manual, two-drawbar set Electro-based solution to take on the SKx with all guns blazing would be music to my ears indeed.

Anybody know anything?

[CountFosco]

Coincidentally, I just posted this on the Stage forum. With this post I also have synth capabilities in mind, but yeah, dual manual Electro would be sweet.

{What about} a Stage 3 in a C2D-like chassis, with a weighted lower keyboard, and a semi weighted upper keyboard? How cool would that be?

[pieanoman]

Have you noticed that the price for the C2D has suddenly dropped by 20% at many dealers? Could mean that the C3 is coming...

[Quai34]

Yes, saw that....The only way to compete now is to incorporate some extra "engines" in the new Nord C3....You cannot base it on a pure organ stuff only....

[maxpiano]

Yes, saw that....The only way to compete now is to incorporate some extra "engines" in the new Nord C3....You cannot base it on a pure organ stuff only....

Could, could be not... the Viscount Legend is a “pure clone” and is recent, however I agree that Nord has the potential to create a “dual manual Nord Electro”, if they want to address the market of “dual manual hammond clones with extensions” .

[Quai34]

"Dual manual clone with extensions": you named it, exactly the right words. Send them your definition and do the marketing for them...

[WaldenMod66]

"Dual manual clone with extensions": you named it, exactly the right words. Send them your definition and do the marketing for them...

Hmmmm.

[Rob Millis]

Yes, saw that....The only way to compete now is to incorporate some extra "engines" in the new Nord C3....You cannot base it on a pure organ stuff only....

Could, could be not... the Viscount Legend is a “pure clone” and is recent, however I agree that Nord has the potential to create a “dual manual Nord Electro”, if they want to address the market of “dual manual hammond clones with extensions” .

It would certainly make more sense. Nord, to an extent, have lost a chunk of the traditional market now that the Legend Live has offered the magical combination of the smallish size "one lump" clone in the accepted as sensible console-sans-preset octave format AND with the full complement of controls. It has given the Mojo (previously the winner on traditional feel, user experience and many say sound) a kick up the ass by offering a near perfect 'dashboard' AND a flat top for another keyboard. I always thought it was idiotic of Crumar to use the top of the Mojo for controls when there was space elsewhere, but the full complement of four sets of real time bars and weight/size saving on the C2D mitigated it for me. The Legend Live has dished it out to both Crumar and Nord there. A new C3D/Electro Duo/whatever would at least get round the flat top problem by eliminating the need for an electric piano. The Mojo (duo not 61) even with the GT update does not, quite - you still don't get to pick exactly which extra voices you want on the lower manual when running organ up top. If you are a Rhodes player, no problem, but being a reed EP man I'm still not catered for there.

Meanwhile, Hammond Suzuki (remember them?) sneak out the SKx and finally give the bare minimum acceptable level of two sets of drawbars! But these are rigidly anchored to top or bottom manuals; why can't they be like the Korg CX3/BX3 where you had set A and set B and could opt for either set from either manual? The new Nord should offer this: the flexibility to switch between two sets of real drawbars on the same manual when using another sound on the other one, and also to be able to opt for either set from either manual when playing two manual organ. I'd love to be able to comp chords using a Wurlitzer piano sound on the lower manual of the C2D successor, but know that up the top I can set up (say) a watery whistle to add colour, and a fuller registration for soloing or to build a crescendo.

Oh, and it's an SKx so the EPs sound like s***. That would of course not be the case on a Nord C-series/Electro hybrid....

And please, Clavia - don't be like Crumar - does anybody need umpteen definable presets? What's wrong with drawbar set A, drawbar set B, one user preset and full organ?

[LeftyBass68]

My A100 has R1 bypassed on the matching transformer.No volume drop on 'perc normal'.Love it.Now THAT'S what I'm talking about.
Hey Nord,how about an update that allows the volume drop to be bypassed?
Or am I missing something here?

The EP's on the Stage 3 Compact sound great midi'd to the C2D. Large Wurli through a twin.....just the right overdrive when I lay into it.
Close enough to my old 200A/Music Man HD65 combo to keep me happy.

Of course pianos will always translate better on a proper clavier for it. At least the Stage 3 does when played with my Stage 2EX88!
The main difference to my ears is the 'low velocity' samples seem smoother on the 3.Pounding on either brings similar results....
of course the Compact runs out of room in a hurry!Best left to organ/synth IMO.

[Quai34]

"Dual manual clone with extensions": you named it, exactly the right words. Send them your definition ands do the marketing for them...

Hmmmm.

THAT!!!! Exactly....