If you must gig with just one board...

[ajstan]

Did they release a statement describing what the board was designed to do? When I buy anything at the high end of a product line I expect it to do everything the cheaper versions do, plus more. A decent flexibility with splits/layers should be standard feature, like cup holders in a car. Maybe I should flip it: what possible reason could Clavia have to exclude advanced split/layering? Its old technology, software-wise, so cost cant be a serious consideration at this point.

The split functionality is well documented in the Nord user manual and video demos. I knew how it worked before I bought my NS3, and saw it as a plus that there were LEDs that indicated the 10 split points and crossfade status. I have 100+ programs with splits and I rely upon the LEDs to remember where I set the splits.

 

The cost to implement split points on any key would likely be to add 76 additional LEDs on the NS3 88 or remove the LEDs altogether. I like it as it is, but understand why someone would want the capabilities you describe.

[ShadowMan]

As I've scaled back my gear to many lighter items (rather than one big keyboard and amp) I've been consistently impressed at the ability of my succession of Electros and their ability to cover just about everything I need on a gig. After an unfortunate incident years ago where a singer's misstep broke the power cord and jack on my SK1 73 mid-song - and I happened to have my old Electro 2 in the truck as a back-up - I haven't done a show without one Electro or another.

 

A year or so ago I augmented this with a MOXF6 as a top board for synth sounds and pads for a classic rock band - and with the addition of the Chick Corea board and sounds and the Organination B3 patches have found this makes the Yamaha and an SSV3 a killer, light rehearsal rig that I could happily gig with. It offers all the sounds, splits and flexibility that I could need to do a one board show. ( And even in SKB style cases, these boards are more than manageable for folks like me who just can't transport the heavy stuff anymore. )

 

Would I prefer a fully weighted bottom board and a clonewheel on top? You bet. I'd like a B3 and a Rhodes, too... but unfortunately neither option is in the cards any more.

[eric]

I used 2-3 boards religiously from ~1998 through 2011 when I went back to just one. I always loved having a digital piano fully weighted 88 note board like RD600 or S90 plus a waterfall clonewheel such as a Hammond or Nord clonewheel. I would occasionally use a 3rd board, such as a Moog LP or Nord Lead.

 

I switched to one board after I decided the NS2 could handle everything I needed, with the tradeoff being keyboard action. I used the NS2 88 for about 5 years and it was awesome. Then I got the HP 76 EX version and love it as well, plus the waterfall 73 EX. Nowadays, my NS2 88 stays in my home studio and I switch between the 76 and the 73 for gigs, always having one there as backup for the other in case something goes wrong.

 

I suspect the NS3 will be an even more powerful option, but I've been holding off on it, given the redundancy I already have with my arsenal of NS2 units from different eras.

[MusicaL]

I'm not quite ready to give up my two board gig rig, but, if I had to I would end up either with the NS3HP76 or the NS273. My classic Stage is staying home these days.

[David Loving]

Korg SV-1

[echo66]

Are instruments really better just because they're light? I must be missing something. On stage with a Montage 88 and/or a Kronos 88 makes me much happier than bringing my PX5s. Solid/substantive instruments feel great IMO.

[MusicaL]

Are instruments really better just because they're light?

 

 

Of course!!

 

When your back and knees thank you at the end of the gig.

 

aL

[CowboyNQ]

Are instruments really better just because they're light?

Depends on the usage scenario, but for those of us who have to carry our own gear - it's certainly helpful.

 

In his OP, Scott mentioned that one of the factors he was considering was public transport, so I'd say in that case most definitely. I'd hate to drag my SV-1 88 around on a train.

[echo66]

Good points. It sucks that our instruments are heavy and big. I would carry the extra to have the best sounds.....just me.

[hardware]

I prefer rolling ground sounds on wheels then carrying a light board

[echo66]

Same, easy is not always easy.

[ShadowMan]

Are instruments really better just because they're light? I must be missing something. On stage with a Montage 88 and/or a Kronos 88 makes me much happier than bringing my PX5s. Solid/substantive instruments feel great IMO.

 

No argument there. And when provided a backline of gear like that, I'm thrilled. But with three bad discs, for my own gigging gear it's either go light or don't gig. With a 30-35 lb limit per piece on what I can safely transport, my options are a lot more limited than yours.

 

And even with cases on wheels, everything still has to get loaded in and out of a vehicle and often up steps. So for me anyway, lighter IS better!

 

[ProfD]

Korg SV-1

Absolutely, as the proud owner of one.

 

I mentioned the Nord Stage 3 in this thread as a single KB solution consolidating my SV-1 and Prophet 6.

[analogholic]

These days, NS3 73

[Adan]

I notice more people getting the Nord Compact and being happy with it. If organ is a big part of your sound and you want to gig with one board, the Compact is the category winner. The only way to get better organ is to go dedicated clone, which means a 2 keyboard rig, and every other do-it-all keyboard is a significant step down in clone quality.

[kenheeter]

My Nord Stage 2 compact also works very well in a one keyboard setup. If you're on a budget, you can likely pick one of these up for significantly less and it covers almost all of the same ground.

Ken

 

[3rdAct]

You're describing a scenario of setting it up in advance, but completely ignoring all my discussion of doing these things on the fly. All the boards listed in my OP can do this on the fly. If you have no need for that and are willing to use boards that only let you do this kind of thing if you set it up in advance, you will increase the number of boards that can work, but you're limited to the combinations that you set up in advance, and there are still boards that, for example, don't give you easy real-time octave switching of just an individual sound, even if you set it up the way you describe, or may be missing some of the other features I described.

The Nords do make it incredibly easy to change most parameters on the fly. But even though I dont feel the need to do this very often, I still prefer the Nords interface for preparing patches in advance. I find it much easier to use than an interface that requires a lot of menu diving.

[Ken Beaumont]

I often gig with just my SP-6. It has an excellent organ to get by with if you don't need to change drawbar settings mid song. The piano and EP are excellent as are the other sounds. I use my VR-09 on top but its not absolutely essential. Depends on the gig.

[synthizen2]

I suppose I COULD make do with a 1-board setup... it's just that I WON'T.

 

Biggest factor, of course, being weighted keys for piano and non-weighted keys for organ/synth. That's just a MUST-HAVE for me. No compromises accepted.

 

If I were forced to do it, I would get medium-to-poor organ/leslie tone (and no drawbars) if I went with the MOX8... and 76 semi-weighted keys to play piano on, if I went with the PC3. Also I would have to create a piano/organ split where both sounds are needed in the same tune, and I HATE doing that!

 

In a pinch, doable, but definitely never desirable.

[AnotherScott]

You're describing a scenario of setting it up in advance, but completely ignoring all my discussion of doing these things on the fly. All the boards listed in my OP can do this on the fly. If you have no need for that and are willing to use boards that only let you do this kind of thing if you set it up in advance, you will increase the number of boards that can work, but you're limited to the combinations that you set up in advance, and there are still boards that, for example, don't give you easy real-time octave switching of just an individual sound, even if you set it up the way you describe, or may be missing some of the other features I described.

The Nords do make it incredibly easy to change most parameters on the fly. But even though I dont feel the need to do this very often, I still prefer the Nords interface for preparing patches in advance. I find it much easier to use than an interface that requires a lot of menu diving.

I agree completely. While it wasn't a factor in my "choosing a single board" evaluation, and despite my general reliance on grabbing lots of common sounds on the fly, there are definitely times when I want to customize a sound or set up a more complicated patch for a particular song, and I find it much easier to do on a Nord than on anything else. Setting up a 3-way split or altering synth filters/envelopes or programming the mod wheel to do just about anything you want is something I find much easier/faster on the NS3 than on anything else we've been talking about. You might have fewer options, but you can do the most commonly needed things very efficiently, and I guess that's the tradeoff in a nutshell.

[AnotherScott]

Picking up from some of the conversation here, there are some additional considerations if you're gigging with just one board AND you're playing LH bass. Discussed in part 2 of the post at https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2940357/Keyboard_for_LH_bass#Post2940357

[Electro Fan]

I am on the verge of buying the NS3 73 Compact to replace my Kronos 61 in my gig rig. I usually pair the Kronos 61 with a Px-5s, but the idea of the one board setup is very appealing to me. Unlike others who have mentioned that certain gigs in which small pay is a factor in bringing just one board, I do prison ministry, so pay is not an issue. However, many of the facilities that we play at require a lengthy check in process as all of our gear must be searched and accounted before can setup. We often have an hour to setup and run a quick sound check. We are a 6 piece band , so we have our share of gear. We only usually play one hour long concert, then it is break down and pack up. I am often the last to be ready and we have to do our own connection to the snake to reach the PA.

 

It seemed to me that the NS3s weight, real estate, focus on organ and APs would be a perfect fit, but I would at some point need to sell the Kronos to defray the costs. Some of the posts here suggested the Kronos 61 would be there one board setup, but wondered how they adjusted to the 61 Keys? I wish the 73 key Kronos was lighter and has unweighted Keys.

 

 

Well, I finally made the call on a NS3 compact. Sweetwater has a demo model, and if was enough of a savings off new, that I felt prompted to make the purchase. It should arrive Thursday. Hoping that Scotts comments about the ease of creating quick split and layers will be true for me as well. I have a concert on the 11th that involves multiple bands, so the one board rig would be ideal, but not sure I will have had enough hands-on time to bring it it to the gig.

[motomike1961]

No love for the Korg Grandstage?? I was forced to use it as my only board at a gig and it handled everything I normally do with my 2 keyboard rig with ease.

[Guven Ilter]

I would go for an NS3, but with a module like Integra 7, or a smaller version like Roland jdxi for some pad and strings sounds. Thats what Ive been doing for the last couple of months and its both easy to set up with the extern on NS3, and a lightweight solution.

[hardware]

Im liking my 1 88 note rig.

Physis K4 makes it easy to cover 4-8 parts during a pop tune.

The 4 scenes inside of a performance (song) make it a breeze.

The 4U on the bottom is a Code 8 OD, the 4U above it is a SurgeX, SonicCore XITE-1 DSP Rack, and the HX-3. The 2U on top is dual rackmounted PCs, one as a spare seeings how theyre inexpensive to build.

On top of that are 2 x SE-02s that are automated.

The gigs Ive been doing lately are pop and disco, small casino stages.

Outdoor gigs like this week. I use the TT08As outdoors.

Indoor gigs get the QSC K8.2s.

 

Im liking dancing drinking, and its a challenge covering every part.

Especially the Bruno Mars tunes.

 

[AnotherScott]

An update to my OP... I said that Numa Compact 2 has seamless sound transitions... but that's only true for selecting your sounds on the fly (though it does work independently for either side of a split). If you're calling up programs you've saved, there is no seamless transition between them. So depending on which way you prefer to work, that could be an issue, and would be a disadvantage compared to any of the others I mentioned.

 

[Tonysounds]

SK1-88 and my Integra 7 is a pretty bad ass 1 keyboard* rig.

[RABid]

A lot of people picking the Nord Stage. For me and my play style the synth section is too minimal. I'm very synth oriented so I would have to stick with the Kronos. The JP-80 would be in consideration if it was not such a tank in size and weight. On the other hand, I picked up a Roland FA-06 and was pleasantly surprised. This is a keyboard I would consider for subway travel.

[Kevin Sage]

I LOVE my Kronos X88 and use it as the only board currently in my setup, but am concerned about loading sounds on a rental unit that may be licensed on my K at home. We are beginning to get gigs that will require travel, potentially internationally and I really need a board that: Is readily available at most destinations as a rental, has the split capabilities but allows me to quickly upload my show, which would include decent piano, ep, synth and organ along with a few samples to a USB and transfer to another board with minimal effort. Does that board exist? To put in context, I'm doing Journey music exclusively.

[AnotherScott]

I LOVE my Kronos X88 and use it as the only board currently in my setup, but am concerned about loading sounds on a rental unit that may be licensed on my K at home. We are beginning to get gigs that will require travel, potentially internationally and I really need a board that: Is readily available at most destinations as a rental, has the split capabilities but allows me to quickly upload my show, which would include decent piano, ep, synth and organ along with a few samples to a USB and transfer to another board with minimal effort. Does that board exist?

To me, this application just screams for a laptop.

 

Bu otherwise, I'd probably go with a Motif XF with your sampled stored on its flash card, and you could bring the flash card with you and install it in the backline-provided unit.