Most versatile action (which nord stage should I buy)

[MathOfInsects]

just as a hybrid bike isn't going to win races against either mountain bikes or road bikes.

 

Well, just to keep pushing that analogy for a moment: if the race involves both highway riding and off-roading, the hybrid will indeed win that race. In fact, it would be the instrument best suited to it, regardless of how good someone elses road bike was as a road bike and another persons mountain bike was as a mountain bike. Make sense?

 

I cant speak for anyone else. I can just tell you that as someone who plays both piano and organ, and whose races involve both kinds of playing on any given night, the most versatile option for me as a satisfying single board, is the NS3 Compact. In fact, the evidence of that is that I just unloaded my fantastic weighted-key keyboard for lack of use (to board member U. Honey, who turns out not just to be a city-mate, but a fellow dad at my daughters school).

[mate stubb]

 

But gentlemen....the OP asked about the most versatile action, not the exact action best suited to each individual kind of playing.

 

Yes, but we.... corrected him.

 

[Adan]

just as a hybrid bike isn't going to win races against either mountain bikes or road bikes.

 

Well, just to keep pushing that analogy for a moment: if the race involves both highway riding and off-roading, the hybrid will indeed win that race. In fact, it would be the instrument best suited to it, regardless of how good someone elses road bike was as a road bike and another persons mountain bike was as a mountain bike. Make sense?

 

But suppose your opponents show up with both mountain and road bikes, and lackeys who they station as appropriate at every change in terrain? Not likely to happen in any bike race we might be a part of, I know, but that's the analogical equivalent of bring two boards to a gig.

 

But I agree the Compact is probably the better choice for most people.

 

Another way to look at it is that, in a band context, the piano parts are often not as prominent in the mix as organ or synth. You can be a little off your game on piano and not worry that rotten fruit will cometh your way. For organ and synth there is usually more impetus to bring your "A" game.

[jefsco]

But I agree the Compact is probably the better choice for most people.

 

Another way to look at it is that, in a band context, the piano parts are often not as prominent in the mix as organ or synth. You can be a little off your game on piano and not worry that rotten fruit will cometh your way. For organ and synth there is usually more impetus to bring your "A" game.

can obviously see the preference of the compact weight wise, but surprised to see versatility of action preference over the ha88.

wonder how the number sold of each unit compares...

 

 

 

 

[MathOfInsects]

Again, using myself as a sample-size of 1: When I was just adding in "organ sounds" instead of "playing organ"--even if that meant glisses and repeated notes--the Stage was fine. It's a slightly lighter action than a strict piano board, and I could work around most of those limitations, partially because that was how I had ALWAYS played organ, so it wasn't a deficit, merely a technique. Clav and synth were manageable but not ideal.

 

I got away with a one-board set-up for probably 10 years, just using splits and layers creatively, or else putting patches next to each other (really, one "page" apart) for ease of switching back and forth.

 

Then my needs for organ and synth started to overtake the capabilities of the board. Once I added a second board, that second board started to double as a "single board" solution more often than the Stage did. Laziness plus versatility equaled that decision.

 

So over time my search has shifted to a "second" board that would work for everything I would otherwise be bringing my weighted-key board for, which really means piano. But it would have to be versatile enough to cover all aspects of a gig.

 

I tried using the NE5D for that, but it was so-so as a piano and the splits and layers are ridiculously limited.

 

Once the NS3 Compact entered the picture, I have had almost no occasion to bring a weighted board, even on gigs with a fair amount of piano. I *tried* to bring a weighted to a couple of gigs just so I could get some bonding time in, and couldn't even justify it in the end. The piano on the NS3 Compact is so "good-enough" that it has erased my need for a "main" board to function as a piano. I think AnotherScott is onto something with the "bottoming out" of the action; it functions as haptic feedback in the same way that weighting does.

 

Would I use it if I only played piano gigs? No way. It's not a piano. Is it a good-enough piano action-wise that it would be (and is) my board of choice for every other context, even piano-heavy ones? Yes. It's light and versatile and sounds great, and I would get very little benefit from adding a weighted-key "first" board to the mix right now. In fact I would now consider that a detriment, given the added cartage.

[jeffincltnc]

Anything but the HP76 action.

[Al Quinn]

Of course action is a very personal matter. MOI, it's great that you love the Stage 3 Compact and also easy to understand why. I see that it has the semi-weighted action. My Electro 4D has semi-weighted action and I hated playing piano on it so much that I swapped the springs so that it now feels like the Mojo (i.e., lighter action). Not ideal but better for piano and organ (for me).

[Copacetic]

Just brought home a Nord stage 3 compact. Super stoked. Thanks for the opinions guys.

[ewall08530]

I play the NS3 Compact...I have very little trouble adapting to piano on it (and I DID have trouble with the NE5D

Interesting. I found the NE5D to be much more suited to piano than the NS2 compact... but I haven't noticed such a big difference between the NE5D and NS3 compact. I wish I could say I'd had the opportunity to play them next to each other, though.

I find the NS3 compact much better suited to playing piano on than the Stage 2 compact.

 

I really enjoy playing piano on it, though the primary reason for getting the compact was a compromise between playable pianos and good Hammond and Clav action, with a priority on the Hammond.

 

The keyboard is a bit too stiff for organ, and a bit too light for piano, but the high trigger on the organ and the improved velocity curve for the pianos (some people will violently dispute calling it an "improvement", but it is for me) make it a joy to play for me.

 

For context, my daily trainer is a Yamaha CP70, which has my favourite piano action of all, but I spend a lot of time on the Wurlitzer, Mk1 Rhodes and '68 B-3.

 

I agree with analogika's opinion.

 

I've only had my Stage 3 since Monday but so far I'm loving the action. My experience with Nord's doesn't include an Electro 5 or Stage 2 Compact.

 

But I like the experience of playing pianos on the Stage 3 much more than the Electro 3 that I gigged with for 7 years.

 

So far I'm keeping my Stage 2 HA76 but I see a scenario in the future where I let it go.

[ewall08530]

Just brought home a Nord stage 3 compact. Super stoked. Thanks for the opinions guys.

 

Given what I've read in this post I'd be surprised if you weren't still stoked with it a year from now.

 

Good luck and happy music making!

[ewall08530]

 

There was much to like about the Kurzweil but it didn't make me want to ditch the Casio as I had envisioned.

What did you like better about the Casio compared to the Kurz?

 

 

My statement was a bit misleading. If the only consideration is which of these keyboards are better, the Kurz wins.

 

I realized that I wanted and needed to upgrade my 7 year old Electro 3 and Stage 2HA76. I figured correctly that selling the barely used, in high demand Kurz SP6 would get me closer to acquiring a Stage 3 then the 5 year old Casio.

 

In addition, for solo gigs I've been using the PX5S and playing iGrand pianos on my iPad and finding that a great solution for my dislike of the Casio acoustic pianos when not in a band context.

 

The pairing of the PX5S and Stage 3 compact with the Casio just playing Stage pianos also made sense.

 

[cphollis]

Just brought home a Nord stage 3 compact. Super stoked. Thanks for the opinions guys.

 

Add some sort of weighted action below, and you'll be super-duper stoked.