Anything new from Nord?

[Sunlight2]

Obviously the pandemic has had a lot to do with it but it seems a long time since there was anything red on the horizon, including any updates to the library. 

[DJkeys]

This has been discussed at length on the Nord User Forum, here is one of the latest threads:

 

https://www.norduserforum.com/general-nord-forum-f29/and-so-october-t22875.htmlhttps://www.norduserforum.com/general-nord-forum-f29/and-so-october-t22875.html

 

It is their 40th anniversary as a company in 2023, so something is expected, but no one knows what it might be, just all speculation. 

 

-dj

 

 

[Stokely]

They've been busy applying a hefty price hike on anything I'd be interested in.  Which means I'm no longer a prospective customer.

I keep an eye on Guitar Center used as occasionally a deal pops in there.  Right now they have two HA88 stage 3s for around 4900 dollars...that's used.  It reflects the current new prices.  I'm sure they'll find some people with more money than sense to snap those up.   My wife knows from her realty business that there's no shortage of people with tons of cash out there.

[ElmerJFudd]

Wake me up when they’ve sourced new actions, put a synth engine in the electro or knocked 33% off their US retail prices. 

[Stokely]

Yeah, that's pretty much where my frustration comes from.  I loved my Electro in many ways, I only sold it to apply toward a Stage...but the action wasn't ideal.  So I was always torn on the compact stage.   I do like the weighted 88 action (not being a "real" piano player) but it's way too expensive now.

Hoping the other manufacturers can take advantage of moribund Nord, Yamaha needs a synth engine in their YC and the Fantom...well, that's actually what I'm looking at as it seems to have all bases covered adequately.  That or a used Kronos.   Neither of those organs is as good as the Nord (IMO) but it has the "holy 3" at least (piano, organ, synth).   My modx with ipad for organ does ok and until some great deal falls out of the sky it's what I'll use. 

[cphollis]

Not one of those whining about a long pause from Nord, especially for the flagship Stage which appears to be still selling strongly.  Nord releases new products when they're d*mn well ready.  If I'm being honest, I'm still probing the depths of the current Stage with more territory ahead.  My recent NP5 76 purchase proved to be a winner as well, especially the keybed which I am finding much more to my liking than previous iterations.

[16251]

Still waiting since 1983.  <it's only a joke>

[konaboy]

nords should be bargains in the US right now.

SEK has tanked in value compared to USD.

year ago, 9 krona to the dollar, now it's been over 11.

a NL2 costing SEK 15000 should have dropped in price from USD 1700 to 1350 on exchange rate alone.

[ElmerJFudd]

48 minutes ago, konaboy said:

nords should be bargains in the US right now.

SEK has tanked in value compared to USD.

year ago, 9 krona to the dollar, now it's been over 11.

a NL2 costing SEK 15000 should have dropped in price from USD 1700 to 1350 on exchange rate alone.

This common sense theory is wrecked by whatever agreements Nord has with their US distribution and dealers, etc.  Stage 3 88 remains at $5299 and Grand at $4099 (the only two I’ve any interest in but have no need for). 

[time4jazz]

I have an Electro 5D, which I like, but would really like to have a better action for B3 and (at least somewhat) better synth capabilities. I’m looking at the SK Pro 61, but waiting to see if the next Electro is a good competitor. If it is, it’ll likely have a more user friendly design, but be much more expensive. Then what to do? 🤪

[cphollis]

23 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

This common sense theory is wrecked by whatever agreements Nord has with their US distribution and dealers, etc.  Stage 3 88 remains at $5299 and Grand at $4099 (the only two I’ve any interest in but have no need for). 

 My guess is that Nord wants to see MAP prices remain stable.  What *does* change over time are "B-stock" prices, which end up being delivered  as *new* product almost all the time.  The difference for the Stage 3 88 is ~$900, which is pretty close to an all-time high by my recollection.  Less for the Grand, maybe $400?

[zxcvbnm098]

23 minutes ago, time4jazz said:

I have an Electro 5D, which I like, but would really like to have a better action for B3 and (at least somewhat) better synth capabilities. I’m looking at the SK Pro 61, but waiting to see if the next Electro is a good competitor. If it is, it’ll likely have a more user friendly design, but be much more expensive. Then what to do? 🤪

You might consider getting the Kurzweil PC3KC spring kit that Syntaur sells and install it on your Nord. That will lighten the springs to a more Hammond-like action. 

Someone here on the forum has done it, and I have used them on my Kurz Artis with great success. I have a second set that I've been meaning to put on my E5D but just haven't gotten around to actually installing. Hoping to do it over the Xmas break though....

 

They will not, however, give you better synth capabilities. 

[MathOfInsects]

I'm firmly on "team Nord," but IMO they are overestimating the value-add that comes with these inflated prices. The deal has always been "expensive because it's worth it," but the current price structure undermines that. I'd rather have a "slightly less worth it" board and the extra $2k in my pocket for impulse buys like rent and utilities. 

[time4jazz]

31 minutes ago, zxcvbnm098 said:

You might consider getting the Kurzweil PC3KC spring kit that Syntaur sells and install it on your Nord. That will lighten the springs to a more Hammond-like action. 

Someone here on the forum has done it, and I have used them on my Kurz Artis with great success. I have a second set that I've been meaning to put on my E5D but just haven't gotten around to actually installing. Hoping to do it over the Xmas break though....

 

They will not, however, give you better synth capabilities. 

Thanks, this might be a good interim solution worth looking at

[Docbop]

1 hour ago, MaskOfInsects said:

I'd rather have a "slightly less worth it" board and the extra $2k in my pocket for impulse buys like rent and utilities. 

 

I don't think it matter what instrument you play what sucks is when getting started you don't have money for good gear it get chewed up by rent and utilities.   Then when old you have the money for best gear but not a lot of chance to use it, or it's too damn heavy to load up.   

 

One thing though getting started with cheaper gear it can teach you a lot about getting the most out gear and doing a lot with a little.  Those are valuable skills even when using expensive gear. 

[Delaware Dave]

3 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

This common sense theory is wrecked by whatever agreements Nord has with their US distribution and dealers, etc.  Stage 3 88 remains at $5299 and Grand at $4099 (the only two I’ve any interest in but have no need for). 

Stage 3 73 key: sweetwater, $4100 and one year warranty.  Thomanns, $3000 + 20%(?) VAT = $3600 and a 3 year warranty.  Why a $500 discrepancy?  I've ordered from Thomanns in the past and it was delivered in two business days. Although you would have to ship it back to Thomanns, they do offer service repair as well.  Why would i not buy it from them and save $500?

[ElmerJFudd]

15 minutes ago, Delaware Dave said:

Stage 3 73 key: sweetwater, $4100 and one year warranty.  Thomanns, $3000 + 20%(?) VAT = $3600 and a 3 year warranty.  Why a $500 discrepancy?  I've ordered from Thomanns in the past and it was delivered in two business days. Although you would have to ship it back to Thomanns, they do offer service repair as well.  Why would i not buy it from them and save $500?

I’ve put a Nord in my basket before from Thomanns for shits and giggles.  You can’t finish the transaction.   They can’t sell it to us in the US apparently. 

[Doerfler]

Thomann cannot ship Nord to USA due to distribution agreements with Clavia.

[Docbop]

1 hour ago, Delaware Dave said:

Although you would have to ship it back to Thomanns, they do offer service repair as well.  Why would i not buy it from them and save $500?

There's your answer that $500 will get chewed up fast in sending back to Thomann or paying out of your own pocket to have repaired here.   

[TommyRude]

Perhaps they could come out with a synth that's focused on lead sounds?

[Kurzfan]

20 hours ago, zxcvbnm098 said:

You might consider getting the Kurzweil PC3KC spring kit that Syntaur sells and install it on your Nord. That will lighten the springs to a more Hammond-like action. 

Someone here on the forum has done it, and I have used them on my Kurz Artis with great success. I have a second set that I've been meaning to put on my E5D but just haven't gotten around to actually installing. Hoping to do it over the Xmas break though....

 

They will not, however, give you better synth capabilities. 

I also replaced the springs in my PC3K7 and I can confirm it felt as an improvement. But I have to add that last week I bought a PC4-7 and I think this action is even better! It is Medeli action and I know people complain about the 88-key piano action but this 76-key is pretty fine!

[analogika]

They've been prepping the Nord Sample Library v 4.0, and if past updates are anything to go by, they might add limited support to the Electro 6/Stage 3 generation once the next series ship. I'd love the round-robin samples on the Stage 3 just for slightly less artificial horns alone. 

 

So please hurry up. 🙂 

[eric]

i've seen so many people complaining and being impatient with Nord on Facebook and the Nord User Forum. There are some folks that have gone so far as to predict that Nord's slower pace of releasing a Stage successor is an indicator that they are about to close up shop or be bought out. I have no info to confirm or deny any of this, though based on their track record I think it is highly unlikely.

 

Nord's flagship instruments have gotten good enough that they don't really need to release successor products very often. I could still do all of my gigs on a NS2 and waited a few years to start using the NS3. It offered a few incremental, though not revolutionary features.

 

There's something a bit comforting in having a stable platform that gets the job done, without having to fuss every 2-3 years with a newer version. I think most manufacturers are like this, if you look at things like Yamaha's Motif and Montage, Korg's Kronos, and probably others. They have a platform instrument that lasts for many years. Some of these other companies have tons of other products, so the slower pace of the flagships is less noticeable.

 

I'm betting that Nord will have a NS4 up their sleeve in maybe the coming 1-2 years. I am not sure what additional features I need beyond those in the NS2 and NS3.

[MathOfInsects]

7 minutes ago, eric said:

I am not sure what additional features I need beyond those in the NS2 and NS3.

Market-competitive screen, preferably touch, and for the love of all that is holy, NO FIXED SPLIT POINTS.

[Docbop]

I've only had my NS3 HP76 a little over six months, but have some things I think would be nice.    My problem is I wish I had bought the 88key, I got the 76 because I was offer a gig and needed something a little bit shorter and lighter to move around. The gig fell through, but I have gotten used to the feel of the 76 keybed.   

 

Wishlist. more memory having to juggle what samples you load to fit I think is unnecessary in this day and age, add more RAM.    Be nice to have a Universal Panel.  There are Keyboard Panel A and B,  then Organ and Synth section.   A Universal Panel that could be any of the other panels would increase layering possibilities the Yamaha CP88 has something like that.    Balanced Outs,   USB MIDI and Audio,  Move the headphone jack to the front like my Kronos had.   Move the power switch more to the end.  Since this is mainly my practice piano I have the Nord music stand which means I have to do a reach under or around the music stand to turn the Nord on or off.   Make the Pedal Noise work with any pedal and not just the triple pedal.   Add a Reset to Default settings to the System menu, really crazy to get back to the defaults you have reload the whole OS and samples just to zero out the setting from experimenting.    Better screen and navigation.   Yes, my Kronos you always had to do menu dives, but have to say the navigation in the menus was easier.   The Nord S3 screen makes me feel like I back working on Unix servers in a terminal window.   

 

So what I said I think is minor so shouldn't be hard to do.   

[yannis D]

Volvo is not putting out a new model each year.

Nord has covered most bases if not all, with top of the line products and I guess they thing that there's no real need for more updates, as long as the old models are collectors items and the new ones still sell well and as long as top artists are using them. Is there a place for improvements? Sure there is. But i guess Clavia will take little steps and only make some improvements of the ones mentioned here. This is their logic...

 

 

 

[nadroj]

Rumours on the above link say that people who have contacted Nord asking about a stage with better action have been told to “wait until next year”. Could be utter nonsense, could be bait, or it could be something.

 

Either way, IIRC their Electro 6 is still their best selling keyboard and I can’t see it changing any time soon. They could do nothing new for the next two years and still get by comfortably. 
 

Also, one thing that pisses me off about the norduserforum is how entitled a lot of the users are. There are a lot of people there who seem to have no idea how Nord works. 

 

“I’ve been using a stage 3 for 4 years now, why the hell aren’t they updating it?!”

 

or

 

”should I spend £3000/$4500 dollars on this instrument whose sounds will be relevant for a decade to come, what if they release a new one next week?”

 

or 

 

“I spent £1500/$3000 dollars and this keyboard can’t do multiple splits layers/can’t play organ sounds/can’t pitch bend. Wtf is this I thought Nords were good?”

 

My Electro 4 is still going strong and can load a lot of the new sounds. There are touring pros who still rock an Electro 2/Stage 2. 

 

[analogika]

On the „pedal noise“ request: since the pedal noise depends on how hard/fast you slam or release the pedal, it’s not possible in a sensible way with any generic switch pedal. 
 

I do agree that they could add support for the different velocity-sensitive pedals out there from Yamaha, Fatar, etc. 

[octa]

Here's the only news I've heard about new Nord stuff, posted a year ago by former Sweetwater guy. Seems like legit info. Took me awhile to find in this long video heh:

 

 

--

Nord releasing a single pedal damper would be cool. Definitely not using the sostenuto/soft at the rock/country gigs. 

 

I'd be tempted by a Stage 4 w/ Kawai action, though that wouldn't be any more portable than Nord Grand probably. Would be even more tempted by Stage HA 73/76 or rack unit. 

[16251]

"Nord releasing a single pedal damper would be cool."  It's 2022, right?  <Holding my sarcastic tongue is difficult on this one padawon.>