Organ Players Take on NE2?

[Zydecat]

I'm considering a used Nord Electro 2 61 (for organ incl. Leslie sim, and whurli) to use with a P120 for gigs and also as a quick and easy rehearsal/jamming/etc. board. Online reviews for the NE2 seem to be the usual - everything from "organ totally unusable" to "sounds better than my B3 and 122."

 

I have an emu b3 unit, and had a CX3 way back when. I also have the chance to play an XK2 through a 145 at a blues jam on occasion. Putting the drawbar issue aside, is the E2 organ in league with the other clones? Opinions on the E2 acoustic piano also appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Phred]

Search this forum for TONNES of Electro 2 posts discussing these very things.

 

Many on this forum have it and love it (myself included). Some don't dig it so much.

 

Most that love it, love the organ sounds, and some don't mind the drawbuttons, but many don't like them. I mysef love the organ sounds, and don't hate the buttons, but don't really like them. I am not as good with them as I am with bars. Harder to visualize the shape of the sound from lights, than it is from bars...

 

Kanker on this forum uses the NE2 piano sound (from a weight controller) as his sole piano sound, and many find the piano unusable.

 

I personally think the piano sounds passable, but is really hard to play from the NE2 keyboard.

[wd8dky]

I had an NE3 for a week and returned it, as I felt the action was too "plasticky" for lack of a better term. Please try and put your hands on one before you buy it, so you'll know if you can live with the action.

 

Good luck! I'm jealous...

[Joe P]

Zydecat,

 

As you would probably guess, the NE2 has been the subject of countless threads. Chances are very slim you will be disappointed with this board. The raw tone is excellent (I A/B'd it next to my M3). To me, the slow Leslie is great, the fast Leslie not so much but very passable in a rock band. The action is not as light as my Hammond M3, but fast enough to do machine gun notes and for most of my mediocre chops. Get yourself a good expression pedal, it will make a big difference (don't go cheap on the pedal).

 

The piano sound I think is very good except D thru ~G above middle C, there is some cheese there but you will use your P120 for that. The keybed makes it nearly impossible to play the piano sound but from a weighted controller I think it sounds great (try it from your P120). The EP's are okay for me (they cut beautifully through a rock band mix. And I am not just repeating what I have read here and elsewhere. I used to not really understand what that meant until I used my NE2 w/ my band and playing Beatles Come Together & Revolution it is great). The clav for me is great, especially with auto-wah. It's a great board even with bad amplification (I use KC350 for practice and monitor and PA mains for gigs). Tweakbale too. Light. It's a musical board and eminently valuable as a gigging piece.

 

Best gear purchasing decision I've ever made. I hope Outkaster doesn't see this thread!

 

You may not have many replies because talking about the NE2 has been beat to death but I love mine and lots of folks on here do too.

 

Regards,

Joe

[Mogut]

I think I can expand on the "too plasticky" E3 action...

 

The electro3's action is super springy and quick, there is no "throw" feeling to it whatsoever. Clavia specs the key action to be "semi-weighted", which in my opinion is not accurate. My fingers don't feel a weight to them, maybe some resistance against a spring, hardly enough to classify as semi-weighted. All the clonewheels that Ive played have this springy feel to them as well, although the electro3 seems tighter and the quick return makes the plastic key seem lighter than others.

 

All this aside, I still think this board feels great to play... I'm keeping mine.

 

You should definitely try the other brands out before you buy the nord

[mate stubb]

The Electro's action is an organ action, no more and no less. This is why there is no feeling of throwing a hammer.

 

It is sorta kinda similar to a Hammond action, but the Hammond is sprung in a unique way and the lever is a lot longer.

[Zydecat]

Appreciate the replies and helpful feedback. For me, volume (expression?) pedal is esstential to organ playing. I have a couple Yamaha FC7 pedals - or is there a better option to use with the E2?

 

I love the P120 piano and rhodes sounds, but it's a lug and I'd like a better organ feel and sound. The E2 is looking like a very good compromise, especially to double as a grab and go board.

 

Now, about how to break it to the wife as I start checking ebay and C/L.

 

 

 

 

[Joe P]

Zyde,

You have to switch the polarity of the FC7 for it to work with the Electro. That's what I did (actually I had my friend do it). Somebody posted a work-around with RCA/1/4" adapter plugs where you switch the polarity that was pretty clever. But the FC7 pedal works well with the Electro after you do the mod. Good luck, you will love the Electro.

Regards,

Joe

 

Added later: You should be able to get the P120 EP's out of the Electro no problem, and with the tweaks and effects a greater variety too.

[Phred]

If your plan is to get rid of the P120 and you play any piano at all, you will miss its keybed. A lot.

 

Keep the p120 and have two gigging rigs,

 

1) NE2

 

2) NE2 + p120

[Zydecat]

If your plan is to get rid of the P120 and you play any piano at all, you will miss its keybed. A lot.

 

Keep the p120 and have two gigging rigs,

 

1) NE2

 

2) NE2 + p120

 

 

That's exactly what I was planning. Definitely keeping the P120.

[Meisenhower]

I don't understand what all the fuss is about when talking about the NE2.

 

It's a cost effective, 17lb way of getting very good Hammond emulation, without dragging around 350 lbs of organ and another 100 lbs of leslie around.

 

On top of that, it has great clavs and EP's to boot. BONUS.

 

Will it replace my B3 . . . .well, no and sometimes yes.

 

Is it perfect? No. Want perfection, drag your Hammond out on "Roll or Kari's", into a truck or trailer (with 3 other guys needed to lift it) and your Leslie.

 

If I'm playing an organ trio where I'm kicking pedals (or even left hand bass) and it's the dominant instrument . . .NO the real deal comes out. If I'm playing a wide range of things and I need just need some good Hammond sounds, the NE2 comes out.

 

I think the key action is well suited to organ playing, passible for clav and not really suitable for EP or acoustic piano (which is why I control the NE2 from my CP33 when I need those EP's, and it sounds great). I've even used the Mono Steinway patch and found it to be fine when used with my CP33 (I'm still partial to my Yammy piano, but can no longer say I hate the AP on the NE2)

 

Will it be a familiar playing experience if you're a Hammond player, mostly yes (except for those pesky drawbar buttons) and the leslie sim (which was greatly improved on the NE3).

 

Come on guys, it's a 17 lb, 1K (used) keyboard that basically does a pretty fair job at what its supposed to do.

 

FWIW, the majority of complaints I've heard about the NE2 (in person) have been from players who have NEVER actually gigged with a Hammond, so I always like to ask them how the view is from the "cheap seats" as I'm moving my B3/Leslie rig up on to a stage.

 

YMMV

[lightbg]

My NE2-61 has been my go-to gig rig for almost 5 years now. It's been sidelined recently for my C1 since most of my current gigs are organ only (and it'd be real neat if Nord would start making that pedal keys 27 accessory), but for casuals or mainstream covers it's tough to beat an NE2. My thoughts echo the other posters here regarding the buttons vs drawbars, but at 17 lbs it's an easy gripe to overlook. The on board sim is real good, and I'd use only that for a FOH send, but I do run it through a Leslie 2101 and that sweetens out the sound big time.

 

You won't go wrong buying one.

 

Jake

[yannis D]

i regret the day i sold my NE2 - although i replaced it with a Nord Stage. The Electro is light, has fantastic sounds and it's the essential keyboard for rehearsals, gigs and recordings. Yes, the drawbuttons are not real drawbars, but you'll get used to them afte a while. The Leslie sim is good (i prefer chorale to fast, wich to my ears is a little too fast) and you have all the other goodies, killer EPs, wurlies, clavs, CP80 and a passable AP wich can be better played thgrough a good controller. I would buy a used NE 61 if i could find a cheap one around here.

[JeffLearman]

Come on guys, it's a 17 lb, 1K (used) keyboard that basically does a pretty fair job at what its supposed to do.

Good summary, although the 61-note keyboard is under $1K these days. And I'd say its better than "pretty fair" for organ.

 

I think Native Instruments B4 sounds better, mostly because the tube overdrive of its Leslie sim sounds better. (And it's not the best of the lot.) But it's way good enough, and fun and inspiring to play. Sounds best in stereo, esp the Leslie sim. The clav and wurlie are excellent; the Rhodes is quite nice and very lively in the upper end.

 

The biggest disappointment is the piano, but even there, it's good enough in a pinch. I use the NE2 alone for practice, jams with friends, stuff like that. In my soul band, after a few practices I asked the guys if they minded the inferior piano tone, and they looked at me and said "huh?" (However, next time I play a better piano I do suspect they'll notice the improvement when we play "Try A Little Tenderness", which is just voice and piano for the first verse.)

 

It's an unsatisfying but serviceable piano. And yeah, the worst is the one sample from D to G flat (or thereabouts). I wish they'd filter out the harshness on that one sample!

 

I find the action great for organ, clav, and Wurli. Whoever said it above was correct: it's unweighted, regardless of what Clavia wants to claim, but it does feel quite different than most unweighted synths, too. It feels a bit like a Wurli to me.

 

I was so used to doing palm smears on a weighted keyboard that the first few times I did it on the little NE2 I nearly pushed the keyboard off the stand! My bandmates got a laugh or two out of that.

 

I got the 73, because I knew I'd be using it alone for practice and such. However, since the bottom key is F, I almost always have to set it up one octave, and never playing anything below C, that wastes 7 keys on the bottom. If I had it to do over, I'd probably get the 61. Only occasionally do I manage to get the advantage of the extra 12 keys.

[Joe Muscara]

I was so used to doing palm smears on a weighted keyboard that the first few times I did it on the little NE2 I nearly pushed the keyboard off the stand!

I've put some Velcro on the bottom of my NE2-61 and the stand, and it's now very solid. I even put the velcro in two places so I can set it up standing or seated (yes, it's a X stand, but if it breaks, I'll just put the Electro on my lap. ]

[retrokeys]

It will not replace the the XK3-leslie 21 system on the gig. There, I use it for all the other voices. At practice, however, it works great for everything just running through an amp (A Roland, no less and one that will never again leave the rehearsal space)

[Dave Pierce]

I've been gigging my NE2-61 for about five years now. Short version:

 

* Love the Hammond

* Love the Wurlie

* Love the Rhodes

* Love the clav

* Dislike the acoustic piano, but sometimes use it

* Hate the drawbuttons

* Love the waterfall keys and action for Hammond use, not so much for EP

* Love that it's < 20 lbs!

* Don't use the Leslie sim (cuz I use a Motion-Sound)

 

--Dave

[JeffLearman]

I was so used to doing palm smears on a weighted keyboard that the first few times I did it on the little NE2 I nearly pushed the keyboard off the stand!

I've put some Velcro on the bottom of my NE2-61 and the stand, and it's now very solid. I even put the velcro in two places so I can set it up standing or seated (yes, it's a X stand, but if it breaks, I'll just put the Electro on my lap. ]

I use an X stand too, and like the ability to go either way. I don't care that the hot ladies can't see my skinny white legs.

 

And I find that if I just learn to play the keyboard I'm playing rather than the one I'm not, it works fine.

 

Velcro is great, though. Where would we be without duct tape, baling wire, and velcro?

[JeffLearman]

About the drawbuttons.

 

They're not nearly as good as drawbars. But they're WAY, WAY, WAY better than nothing. On the Electro, I mostly use presets, but I often tweak them a bit as I play, and the drawbuttons do the job.

 

I do wish it was easier to select a preset, though (and they made that much worse on the NE3, unfortunately!)

 

On my old rig, with NIB4 on my laptop, I programmed the bottom keys (below low C) as preset keys, like white-over-black ones on a B. I confess I miss that, and it's not possible to do on the NE2 without more complexity than I'd want in my rig.

[Mogut]

I do wish it was easier to select a preset, though (and they made that much worse on the NE3, unfortunately!)

The organ presets you mean... Word! Nord developers must have collectively had a brain fart with that shift button. Not to mention placing the shift button so far from any of the corresponding buttons.

 

oh well... who would buy the next model if the current model is perfect in every way.

[theGman]

oh well... who would buy the next model if the current model is perfect in every way.

 

+1 They aren't that dumb.

[Jeff_D_in_MD]

I'm considering a used Nord Electro 2 61 (for organ incl. Leslie sim, and wurli) to use with a P120 for gigs and also as a quick and easy rehearsal/jamming/etc. board

I have a P120 and an NE2-61. The Nord is great! Light, compact, *fun* to play, easy to control. The acoustic piano is weak, but is somewhat improved if you download the Mono Steinway replacement from the Clavia web site. I use the NE2 for rehearsals and some gigs, and bring the P120 when I feel the event or the stage size merit it. I have no plans to get the NE3 because of cost and the less-friendly user interface.

 

In short: Grab the used NE2-61 before someone else gets it!

[darc68]

I am currently using the NE2-73. I got it on loan from guitar center til the my XK3 order came in. As far as I`m concerned it sounds great for rehersals and the leslie sim. is 1 mil. times better then the XK3c. I also like the percussion on it. As clones go it`s definately one of the best. Everything is user friendly. Yes the draw bars suck and so does the piano but over all it`s a great alt. and it`s so light. I too have trouble w/ the hand smears becuse of it`s weight. I had actually ordered the C2 I liked it so much. However I did cancel the order. After yesterdays discussion on a diff thread I`ve decided to go w/ the XKpro+3300.

[Tripp323]

How do you amplify your NE-2? Any suggestions... the output signal gain seems weak. thx

[leavity]

I go through the tube channel of the Traynor K4, sounds exceptionally good.

[Tripp323]

traynor? nice! DanL in another thread suggested a Lexicon Alex to boost Nord electro signal and then a Speakeasy preamp before sending to the FOH. Thanx for the reply!

[Jeff_D_in_MD]

How do you amplify your NE-2? Any suggestions... the output signal gain seems weak.

I run it through a small mixer. I had originally intended only to use the mixer when I was using 2 boards, but I found the extra boost useful so now I always use it.