Why your synth keys sounds better than a Nord Stage EX

** bad original subject line: Nord Stage EX, not the Lead **

This isn't intentionally flame-bait.

I'd like to hear from those of you that have played/heard the latest XLR piano sounds on the Nord Stage/Electro yet feel that your Roland/Korg/Kurzweil/whatever sounds better.

Please note your live vs. studio opinion, and posting sound samples would be cool.

(my opinion: the latest Nord piano sounds are pretty damn killer.)

I think that there are both good and bad things to be said about the Nord pianos.

Good: they have character. I mean, they sound like a pianos, slightly out of tune, slightly quirky -very unlike some processed "McPiano", as a SOS review said.

Bad: Even though I appreciate the character of the Nord pianos, there's a problem; my band has a really good PA and yet I have never succeeded in making the Nord AP's sound good. That makes the Nord pianos no good to me, and that is also why I am going to get myself an external module for piano sounds.

Indeed not the clearest title. I thought of it more of comparing the SYNTH sounds of the Stage with other only purpose VAs - which would be a new and interesting topic!!!

While there has already been a lot of discussion about the Pianos, I would second Nillerbabs in most of his post.

It is pretty natural an AP the new XLR Pianos (a major step from previous Nord Pianos IMHO!!).

From my personal experiences with other synths I'd say

Roland XP-30: typical 2000erish Rompler generation, too artificial

Motif (orig.): Much better but the Nord sounds more natural, in particular the veryhigh and low keys

RD-700GX: Now that is a great Piano sound no doubt!

RD-150, Yammie P80,...: Typical Stage Pianos, a bit dated, and by far inferior to the RD-700, MP8 and also the NORD.

Kawai MP8: The most similar AP as compared to the NORD IMHO. I actually slightly prefer the Kawai which on top has the best weighted keys on the market so the way to go for the best feel IMHO!

Would like to add the PC3x, V-Piano, SV-1, M3-88 to the list!!!

I want roadies

I want roadies

Me too, but they are even harder to get than groupies...

Even more though for the 77lbs(!) Kawai (the action is killer, and string resonance since 2005), but not much discussed on KSS for some reason?!

Weight absolutely comes in to it. The Nord Stage ex 88 is only 18kg, compared to the RD700gx at 25kg. There is no other pro hammer action board out there that is as light as the Nord. By pro, I mean 88 hammer action keys, internal ac supply, zoning, onboard eq etc etc.

The lightweight alone makes the Nord pretty tempting. Is it really the case that the pianos do not sit well in a mix? If so, Nord need to create an over processed one purely for the band setting.

In my opinion the Nord excels at live sound. In fact, it's practically designed for great live sound and cutting through the mix. It does require some proper EQing, which can take some trial and error to get right.

Anyone else have an opinion they can share? I realize part of this is a taste/preference issue... but I'd really like to know what you like about your synth piano/ep's sound compared to the Nord.

Tried out a Nord Stage the other day. I'm starting to love the acoustic piano sounds. At first, they do not sound right, because I am so used to the typical processed sound from Roland and Yamaha.

However, the more you play about with the Nord, you realise how unique and brilliant the pianos are. I'm strongly considering a Nord Stage purely as a piano. The fact it is the lightest pro 88 hammer action board out there also helps. Plus the fact it looks cool.

I do not play organs or synth sounds. I only really play acoustic piano. People could call me crazy for buyin a Nord Stage purely for acoustic piano sounds. But I am really growing to like it. Even the action, light at first, is actually beautifully fluid.

The fact is that no stage piano feels like a real piano. So instead, look for one that is practical in terms of weight, looks cool and sounds damn good. That's the Nord Stage

If only it was about

The Kurzweil PC3X piano (and others) is awesome! But it's too heavy! Which is why I keep heading back to L&M test it and convince myself time and time again that it is not the solution. The trouble is, I already have 1/3 Nord with my Nord C1, and don't want to leave that home as it sounds sooo good with the Leslie 3300. So I've been flip flopping back and forth, trying to get a decent AP and EP sound via some sound module (Sonic Cell, Fantom XR, Motif XS racks sitting in my basement on 30 day loan) triggered by the C1. But they all sound muddy compared to the Kurz, and only the Kurzweil sounds great when driven by the C1's (velocity sensitive only) keyboard!

If only there were a PC3xR.

I can't attest to how the stage sounds on stage, but surely it's got to beat the alternatives, given its weight , so I may very well end up with two Nords in the end, much as it pains me to think of saying goodbye to the Kurweil.

I hope they're gonna make the PC3R. There's quite a lot of people wanting that, based on the response on Sonikmatter forums.

Ok, you asked for it...

The Nord Stage EX is easily the most overrated and overpriced keyboard on the market currently. Action is feather-light and not very responsive. AP piano sample/sound is second-rate even to DP's that cost half as much. Weird controls that I can never get used to. The red finish looks like it was swabbed on with a rag. I can't think of a single redeeming feature. I have not played the latest Electro so I can't comment on that but the Stage left me utterly disappointed and it's price tag is laughable..

I'm no fan of the Roland RD-series but it certainly tops the Nord, and while the Yamaha CP-300 weighs quite a lot it is a far more satisfying piano to play than the Stage in every way... and it costs $1000 less!

It's your money but for three grand I'd get a B-stock Motif XS8 and have far more instrument for the buck.

@The Pro: Which EX did you play? The 88's action is far from feather-light (but certainly not as heavy as fully weighted keys). I'm surprised you found the interface 'weird'... do you prefer the onscreen menu systems found in most modern workstations?

Kurzweils's Piano got balls live.

Stage's not.

@no eats yes: which Kurz do you mean, exactly?

I've been using a GEM RP-X module with my Stage for the past 2+ years and have been very satisfied!

PC3(x)

:poke:

I agree with most of the posts : Nord Stage AP is okay in the bass and the high range (however with the help of some EQ twiddling), but absolutely inacceptable in the medium, especially when playing jazz or classic piano pieces.

However, I wish to keep my NS 88 Classic for the Fender, Wurli and B3 which are exactly what I need in my band.

I see that Pawnz relies to a GEM RP-X module for coping with the AP weaknesses. Any other suggestion...? Thanks !

@Aramis: ok, but which particular sample are you guys talking about? There are about 6 different choices for AP sounds.

@ybakos : right, I use the Yam Studio Grand 2 XL C7 Close (v4.4, 62.1 MB in size)

This.

The newest Yamaha and Steinway grands are really lovely.

I actually prefer them to any piano in any rompler I've ever played, including the Oasys.

...I also own a true acoustic piano (you know, the old stuff where the plug is missing), maybe my ear is biased...? Or maybe my Yam HS80M are not up to ?

Try some of the other samplesets then.

...The Stage is not an acoustic piano, it just "plays one on TV".

Even my Baldwin "Acrosonic" spinet sounds better (in some ways) than even the greatest sampled pianos...

@Carbon111 : I fully agree, this is just an attempt to reduce the gap...

:-)