RoadHousePiano Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I was just on the official Nord site and it seems they have updated all of the pianos and e.p.s, including the Wurly sample. I haven't had a chance to download any of them but I'm excited to see(hear) what they've done. Korg SV2, Nord Electro 5D, Gigperformer/lots of VSTs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Is this old news or truly another update? "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdMusic Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 All piano's including rhodes and Wurly are updated as of today. Roland FA-08 Nord StageEX compact Yamaha MG10/2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhodaway10 Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Is this for the stage or the electro or the ____? www.brianho.net http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/brianho www.youtube.com/brianhojazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 They appear to be the existing sample sets, tweaked and refined. For all instruments except Electro 2. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Lots of questions, why not just go to the website and read for yourselves? CLONK HERE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calumet Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I have exchanged a few e-mails with Tomas at Nord about how the E3 responds to soft velocity (I have found it a little difficult to play soft - medium soft). I wonder if this has been addressed with these updates. Looking forward to getting home now! My band Thousand Houses: www.thousandhouses.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWW Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 are they better than the last 'improvement'? Hammond C3, Leslie 122, Steinway B, Wurlitzer 200A, Rhodes 73, D6 Clav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 so a lot of these will come stock in the new EX? https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhodaway10 Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Dave are you getting the Nord Stage bug? www.brianho.net http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/brianho www.youtube.com/brianhojazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Possibly. I'm going to have hear these new pianos and be pretty knocked out though. It's way too much dough to spend just to feel OK about them. The portability factor is the most appealing part to me. I don't think there ever has been a keyboard in all my years of playing that I've gone back and forth on has much has the Stage. I wanna like it but...... https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3keys Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 MP3s anyone???? Please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 When I had mine for all of 2 days when they first came out I loved the instrument (Stage 88) but found the pianos unusable for my purposes for live gigs! It also fell apart internally but that could have been from shipping. If Nord can nail their piano samples I think they would really rival the big 3. No small feat for a boutique mfg. It is a very cool instrument otherwise IMHO! Really liked it's design. CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dttmc Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 If Nord can nail their piano samples I think they would really rival the big 3. No small feat for a boutique mfg. IMO, they're going to have to either improve their feature sets or drastically lower their prices to reach that level. Case in point: I was recently looking to update/expand my keyboard rig, and the Electro 3 was at the top of my list. Who wouldn't want a lightweight board with a variety of useful, quality sounds onboard and the ability to load more, right? Unfortunately, the Electro was missing several things that I consider must-haves - multitimbral operation and a decent MIDI implementation being the two biggest omissions. So I thought I'd look at the Stage line, as they offer multitimbral operation and much improved (though still far from excellent) MIDI control capability. I wasn't too happy about losing the better organ and greater library of samples from the Electro 3, but I could have lived with it. What really did me in was the price. It's not that I wasn't willing to spend that amount of money on a board that absolutely blew me away, but the Stage (and even the Electro 3) didn't do that. The pianos are decent, the organ is usable, and the EPs range from good to excellent, but at that price they should all be outstanding, and (IMO, of course) they simply aren't. No board from the big 3 can top Nord for all around quality of basic sounds, but the lacking features in the Electro and the price of the Stage put them both out of competition for me. My solution? For about the price of the Stage, I could get a Hammond XK-3C, a lightweight 88- or 76-key controller, a Muse Box (when it comes out this summer), and a few sample libraries to play from it. I lose the convenience of having everything in one board (though I could gig with just the Hammond and Muse Box with little additional hassle compared to the Electro), but I gain the functionality I need and the ability to have the absolute best sounds in every category (Hammond organ, Scarbee keys, etc.) Don't get me wrong - for an all-in-one solution, you can't beat what Nord offers. But there are compromises involved: with the Electro you lose features that are standard in almost every other company's boards, and with the Stage you pay a lot of money for sounds that aren't the best in any particular category. If simplicity and portability are most important to you, Nord is the way to go for sure, but there are better options out there when it comes to no-compromise functionality and quality of sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Analogaddict Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 My solution? For about the price of the Stage, I could get a Hammond XK-3C, a lightweight 88- or 76-key controller, a Muse Box (when it comes out this summer), and a few sample libraries to play from it. ...here in Sweden, the XK3c costs 25% more than a Nord Stage 88 EX... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leavity Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 It appears that the Clavinet D6 samples remain the same as the E2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadHousePiano Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 So far I have tried the new E.p.s and the Wurly and the XL yamaha 2 grand. Can't tell a difference with the Wurly but I haven't really gotten into it yet. Rhodes 1 has a lot less of the heavy bell sound that it had. The other 3 Rhodes sounds are definitely improved but I can't quite put my finger on what the changes are. Haven't really played around with the piano sample yet. Korg SV2, Nord Electro 5D, Gigperformer/lots of VSTs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calumet Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Fredie, What board are you using? Have you felt a difference in how they respond to velocity? My band Thousand Houses: www.thousandhouses.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWW Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 the pianos (Yamaha studio, close) sound IDENTICAL to the old (3.0) version - which is a much smaller file Hammond C3, Leslie 122, Steinway B, Wurlitzer 200A, Rhodes 73, D6 Clav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadHousePiano Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 I'm using the Stage 88. Haven't noticed too much of a difference in how the samples respond to velocity but I haven't had much time with them yet. Korg SV2, Nord Electro 5D, Gigperformer/lots of VSTs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 IMO, they're going to have to either improve their feature sets or drastically lower their prices to reach that level.......... It's not that I wasn't willing to spend that amount of money on a board that absolutely blew me away, but the Stage (and even the Electro 3) didn't do that. The pianos are decent, the organ is usable, and the EPs range from good to excellent, but at that price they should all be outstanding, and (IMO, of course) they simply aren't.......... If simplicity and portability are most important to you, Nord is the way to go for sure, but there are better options out there when it comes to no-compromise functionality and quality of sounds. Again in all my years of checking out keyboards, I don't think I've ever given one particular model has much of a chance has the Stage and even the Electro. I've probably gone into a GC or W. LA Music at least a couple dozen times in the past few years with my trusty AKG 240s to listen. Everytime I go in with a very open mind----REALLY wanting to like them. Usually within 30 seconds of scrolling through the piano sounds my feelings range from--this thing sounds and plays like a toy to best case scenario- well MAYBE it will sound better live in a band context and cut through more than my S90 Classic. I doubt if I've ever spent more than 15 minutes, tops, on it without walking away thinking, I don't get all the hoopla here, it must be that it's red. I keep coming back because I hear of a "new and improved" piano sound related to the OS or someone will post an MP3 that catches my ear somewhat. And now we have the EX with supposedly all newly tweaked sounds. Without a doubt it's the greatest concept going has an all in one board plus you can't beat their portability factor. However, I've yet to hear them deliver on the goods from a pianist's perspective. Also, I look at the fact that a lot of the "piano players" seem to return the Stage after gigging on them and not being happy. I don't mind paying the dough but the thing has to impress me somewhat, at least in the environment of the music store. I'll continue listening and HOPING for something that will change my mind. https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Nagel Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 the pianos (Yamaha studio, close) sound IDENTICAL to the old (3.0) version - which is a much smaller file The old v3.12 "StudioGrand Mk2 YamC7 close v3.0.nsp" takes 40,6 MB. That's almost exactly the same size as the new "StudioGrand 2 YaC7 Close 4.4.npno" sound. The two in-between versions of this sound, "StudioGrand 2 YaC7 Close 4.2.npno" (41,5 MB) and "StudioGrand 2 YaC7 Close 4.3.npno" (41,1 MB), have been a bit larger and sound quite different ( = inferior IMHO). I havn't had time to check out if the new version is identical in sound to the old v3.12 version. My Free YouTube Piano Video Tutorials My Website Acoustic Avenue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dttmc Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 ...here in Sweden, the XK3c costs 25% more than a Nord Stage 88 EX... Yeah, the exchange rate/shipping/etc. really kills us here in the States when it comes to European products. I'd be all over the 88-key Stage EX at that price, if for no other reason than to have a lightweight do-it-all board to bring to practices and casual gigs when I don't feel like hauling my full rig. I almost think it'd be cheaper for me to fly to Sweden, buy a Nord, and fly back with it than to purchase one here in the States. Better yet, with cheap Nords and beautiful blond women, I think I'll just move there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 dttmc, For me the deal breaker was the piano sound(s) on that original Stage I had a few years ago. I must have had one of the first in the NYC metro area through GC on LI. Something about the Nord filters (i'm quessing) I found that tend(ed) to make the acoustic samples sound 'rounded', almost rhodes like at times! I haven't checked a Stage or E-3 out recently with the new samples to be fair so I better just shut up! Like I said I like the all in one idea! I could really use a board like that that is at least 'very good' in all the areas you mentioned. That would be a godsend for many of us. 'Set it' (pack it) and forget it! No more midi module/rack organ/2 keyboard gigs. Sounds wonderful doesn't it! The organ action would still be a problem to some degree. The piano(s) have to be very good and usable on gigs for me to consider it again. lb CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWW Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 I actually like the NS88 v3.12 "StudioGrand Mk2 YamC7 close v3.0 piano. I just don't see any improvement in the new and bigger versions of it. Hammond C3, Leslie 122, Steinway B, Wurlitzer 200A, Rhodes 73, D6 Clav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Nagel Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 I actually like the NS88 v3.12 "StudioGrand Mk2 YamC7 close v3.0 piano. I just don't see any improvement in the new and bigger versions of it. Same for me here. But I'll give yesterday's new versions a try! My Free YouTube Piano Video Tutorials My Website Acoustic Avenue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 ....Something about the Nord filters (i'm quessing) I found that tend(ed) to make the acoustic samples sound 'rounded', almost rhodes like at times!.... I tend to agree with this general contention. It seems that I have not heard any substantial improvements since v3.0, Studio Grand Mk2 Yamaha C7 close. This leads me to think that no matter how sophisticated their sampling techniques become, some limiting issue within the Stage...filters or whatever....results in little or no discernable improvement. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 There's no way these revisions are all complete resamplings. They are mostly minor tweaks to correct small problems, or XL version culled from more samples from the original session. The jump from v3 to v4 was also a file format change. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon May Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 They appear to be the existing sample sets, tweaked and refined. For all instruments except Electro 2. Understandable, but "I'm well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calumet Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I installed the new EP's in my Electro 3 last night. My initial thoughts are that the biggest difference is in how they are EQ'd. They just seem a little brighter. Like a bedsheet was removed from the speakers or something. Essentially, however, they are the same. I can't tell any difference in how they respond to velocity and the core samples are the same. I really liked the changes in the Wurly and the Mark V EP. I didn't like the change to the Mark II EP. I have not had time to mess with the pianos. My band Thousand Houses: www.thousandhouses.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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