Nord Electro 5 HP or keep PX5S+Mainstage

[Dextroze]

Hello guys,

 

I've been around in this forum and often I ask a lot of questions and don't really know what I want. For that I'm very sorry and thank you for being able to help me everytime !

 

I have a Casio PX5s that I use as a midi controller for VSTs like Keyscape or Arturia V Collection.

I'm ok with the sound it can produce, I'm not a defender of the hardware vs software etc, or analogue vs digital.

But the fact is that I find it a little bit more stressful to have a computer around, cables, audio interface. One day it was too hot and the sound was cracking just before the gig.

I bought a cooler thing to put under the mac and it seems to work. Another day I forgot to put the alimentation of the mac and the sound turned off sudenly ! My fault of course

 

The other issue with the software road is that I have problems with mainstage and my Casio...How to configure Mainstage with my casio so that everything is well layed out as a nord ? I have trouble finding how to have some kind of set list mode in Mainstage, having a lot of instruments possibilities without a CPU overload.

Do you have webistes, tips about that ?

 

I'm about to spend the big money for a nord but then I'll be broke and I won't be able to make gifts for christmas, that's a bit sad no ?

Maybe Mainstage would be easier to use with an Ipad (less expensive than a nord) ?

 

Every advice is very well appreciated

 

Dexter from france

And a new video of my band :

 

 

[Dave Ferris]

Really nice playing as always Dexter -- the Trio sounds great ! How did you like the Fazioli ? It appears to be the 278? Excellent recording of it and the bass and drums too. Great to have an enthusiastic audience as well.

 

Sorry I can't help out with your inquiry other then to say I'm still happy with the Yamaha CP4 after 4.5 years with it. I mostly play Jazz gigs with it and just use the CFX grand. Most often though I do play acoustic piano on gigs these days.

 

Love the Fazioli !

[stoken6]

+1 great playing.

 

1. Have you tried the Nord HP action? I imagine a musician of your calibre might find it offputting (although many here find it acceptable).

 

2. What do you use MainStage for? If I remember your earlier threads, you just needed Acoustic Piano and a high level of portability! But you're talking about things "layed out" like a Nord, which suggests the need for controllers? (Synth? Organ? Something else)

 

3. Just my opinion, but if my choice was a) Buy It or b) Don't Buy It - and b) would bankrupt me - I would choose a).

 

I still think this is an ideal use case for an iPad, with a multitimbral/multichannel sound source, easy-to-use patch selection/set list mode, and MIDI router/controller mapping. You would (potentially) still need an audio interface and cables, though.

 

I'm wondering whether something like the Kurzweil SP6 might be of interest? It's got a strong AP voice, (reputedly) better-than-Nord-HP action, and a wide sonic palette. But I need to know more about why you are thinking about the Nord Electro before I can confirm that recommendation.

 

Regards, Mike.

[Dextroze]

Really nice playing as always Dexter -- the Trio sounds great ! How did you like the Fazioli ? It appears to be the 278? Excellent recording of it and the bass and drums too. Great to have an enthusiastic audience as well.

 

Sorry I can't help out with your inquiry other then to say I'm still happy with the Yamaha CP4 after 4.5 years with it. I mostly play Jazz gigs with it and just use the CFX grand. Most often though I do play acoustic piano on gigs these days.

 

Love the Fazioli !

 

Thank you Dave, it's always a pleasure hearing from you and listen to your advices I should have bought the CP4 instead of the RD a "long time" ago

+1 great playing.

 

1. Have you tried the Nord HP action? I imagine a musician of your calibre might find it offputting (although many here find it acceptable).

 

2. What do you use MainStage for? If I remember your earlier threads, you just needed Acoustic Piano and a high level of portability! But you're talking about things "layed out" like a Nord, which suggests the need for controllers? (Synth? Organ? Something else)

 

3. Just my opinion, but if my choice was a) Buy It or b) Don't Buy It - and b) would bankrupt me - I would choose a).

 

I still think this is an ideal use case for an iPad, with a multitimbral/multichannel sound source, easy-to-use patch selection/set list mode, and MIDI router/controller mapping. You would (potentially) still need an audio interface and cables, though.

 

I'm wondering whether something like the Kurzweil SP6 might be of interest? It's got a strong AP voice, (reputedly) better-than-Nord-HP action, and a wide sonic palette. But I need to know more about why you are thinking about the Nord Electro before I can confirm that recommendation.

 

Regards, Mike.

 

Thank you for this nice insight.

Here's what I can answer :

1. I'm going to try the action tomorrow. (I was ok with the action of the PX5S)

 

2. I was using it for AP and Rhodes. But I want to extend this to synths (not especially organ, but why not). I like arpeggiators too and analog/digital synths

 

3. Not sure I understand what you mean !

 

I never heard of the Kurzweil SP6 indeed, but is that really better than my actual PX5S ?

I could need the nord for the inboard effects, the nice and evolving sounds, the portability. I would buy later a synth in addition to the nord (if I was buying a nord).

 

 

[AnotherScott]

I never heard of the Kurzweil SP6 indeed, but is that really better than my actual PX5S ?

I would say for sounds, generally yes. But as a MIDI controller, it's a tougher call.

[jahfume]

 

 

I dont think you can dial in MSB LSB and CC on the SP6 which is the main reason I returned the Kursweil.A pity as on 'paper' it looked to be designed as a capable 4 zone controller.Seems almost unforgivable.

On the Casio this is easily accomplished.

 

[Al Quinn]

Sounds great Dexter! Excellent production too. Love the Fazoli.

 

The Nord is simple to use and has really good APs and EPs. The action isnt for everyone but if you like it thats all that matters. I find Nords are finicky about amplification. I suggest playing it through your amplification before making a final decision.

[AnotherScott]

I dont think you can dial in MSB LSB and CC on the SP6 which is the main reason I returned the Kursweil.A pity as on 'paper' it looked to be designed as a capable 4 zone controller.Seems almost unforgivable.

On the Casio this is easily accomplished.

The SP6 doesn't have much editing from the front panel, but you can easily assign that stuff to zones using the iPad/Mac/PC editor. If you want to check it out, the editors will run with no SP6 attached. Just select a Multi, click Edit, and you'll see the fields for MIDI Program Change.

[jahfume]

Good point about the editor but it would have only taken a bit more coding to put it on-board in the OS.So I did jump the gun a bit but also I was not sold on the keys. I think the Casio has more of a piano feel dispite sounding a bit "clanky"!

[jahfume]

 

Just watched the Trio video. Your trio paints beautiful pictures! Not that you need any additions but I kept hearing Wane Shorter playing in the background!

 

Will check you out if you ever play in London.

 

Good luck with the gear conundrums.

[Markay]

You might like to get more familiar with MainStage. Every Concert caters for your patches to be grouped by song and sorted in set list order.

 

All MainStage needs is a controller and the controls mapped to the layout you build. MainStage's split and layering capacity far exceeds that of any hardware board.

 

The size and number of resource intensive AU's you can run concurrently, like Keyscape, is limited by your machine resources, not MainStage.

 

There are many free MainStage tutorials on Youtube, plus from folk like Brian Li and other extensive paid tutorials that range from the basic getting started through to extremely complex concerts.

 

 

[Doerfler]

Sounds great Dexter! Excellent production too. Love the Fazoli.

 

agreed. Posted these comments myself in the "Post Your Music Here" thread.

[Dextroze]

Thanks to all !!

I don't think I want to exchange my PX5S with another midi-controller (as I would use it for this).

The fact is that I've had issues with Mainstage, cracking, things like that.

Maybe that's because I use it in bad way, I have a very good mac book pro, core i7 500gb SSD + 16go Ram it shouldn't lag etc !

How do you do setlist with several Keyscape intances, stuff like Arturia V Collection without lags ?

I wish I could go on stage with everything on my fingertips and the assurance that nothing will go wrong; otherwise I'm not 100% into music.

That's the main reason why I feel I should maybe go the hardware road with a nord and later a real synth on top (for now I have the minilogue + a few pedals).

I also have a tiny bit of latency, maybe I should change of audio interface (I have the basic Steinberg Ur22).

[AnotherScott]

Okay, so you'd like to consider replacing PX5S+VSTs with a board with internal sounds. Can you explain exactly where the PX5S itself is falling short for you? i.e. which sounds are not good enough, or which features it is missing, or which operations are too cumbersome, etc.? Also, about how heavy a keyboard are you willing to consider?

[Dextroze]

The problem is more about the use of Mainstage than about the PX5S.

I find it a bit confusing to use Mainstage, for example I used to have problems with cPU when I was using to much instruments. Maybe I was doing something wrong, I guess that with my computer specs it shouldn't be laggy or cracky.

For sure the board must be under 25 lbs (12kg)

The sad thing is that the Nord Electro doesn't have modwheel or pitchbend

[AnotherScott]

It sounds like there are two different topics under discussion then.

 

The first question is about how to improve your Mainstage configuration. Still being mostly in the hardware world myself, I have no advice there, other than possibly trying Gig Performer and see if it works better for you.

 

The second question is about the alternative approach, i.e. where you said "I feel I should maybe go the hardware road" -- then I might have had suggestions, if I had answers to the other questions about how the PX5S falls short for you in that role (which sounds, or features, or operational stuff, whatever). But one crucial bit of new info you provided makes it almost moot, i.e. max 12 kg. Am I correct that it also has to have a weighted hammer action? If so, there are very few options. Maybe that SP6 is close enough at 12.36 kg? Dexibell S3 is just 10 kg, though.

[Dextroze]

There IS also all thé HP séries

[AnotherScott]

There IS also all thé HP séries

What's that? You mean the other Nord HP models? The 5HP you've been talking about is actually discontinued, so you'd probably be looking at the 6HP. The only other one is the Stage 3, which gives you the pitch and mod controls you want, but pushes above your weight limit.