New Roland V-Stage vs Nord vs Yamaha vs Korg! - Blindfold Stage Piano Shootout

[@AndertonsKeyboardDept]

Check out our full deep dive on the new Roland V-Stage | kzbin.info/www/bejne/inPbY6GHrdGUmdE

[@austindaniel3103]

It’s no exaggeration to say that millions of dollars of sales will be decided off of this video. Great job.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

cannot believe it is 4 years since we had the pleasure of hearing dan on the channel

[@hificomics]

On the Yamaha the display showed that he was playing the CFX grand. Yamaha just released a new OS update version 2.0 this week for this CP series that includes the newer CFX2, which to my ears sounds even better :)

[@1881Gordon]

You have very keen eyes man! 😊

[@hificomics]

@@1881Gordon Haha, thanks! Watching on a large screen so can catch lots of things. Already annoyed at 6:15 that the "rotary" LEDs on the far left side of the Organ section on the Roland (under the master volume knob) are flashing even though the Organ section is turned off! :)

[@andrelindenau3856]

@@hificomicsSherlock Holmes is still alive, I believe.

[@HrWisch]

I still can't get over the fact that Yamaha crippled the CP88 in terms of string resonance. I like the sounds, I love the hands-on approach with those old school switches. It's a great instrument to perform live. But it always feels like Yamaha limited it on purpose. But the same goes for the V Stage. Why can't we have a stage piano with the PHA50 action and Roland's latest piano modelling engine? In terms of sound and action, the V Stage would be a step back from my FP-90X. It's time for an RD-2000 successor with the PHA50 action, both (!) piano modelling engines (including all models) and all the other cool features of the V Stage.

[@nickwebb9290]

Hey that’s interesting, thanks for the info 👍

[@jeno.javori_music]

I was only curious about this channel before, but now I genuinely respect the people involved and the presentations. I truly appreciate how you create clear, objective comparisons without bending to media bias. Keep up the great work!

[@cirisirpula152]

The Korg Playstation 😂

[@VadimShinnik]

It's old joke 🙂

[@chuxmyk]

It’s funny joke 😂

[@VadimShinnik]

@@chuxmyk 😉👌🏼

[@tommyg5095]

The joke's on us..😮😅

[@marc_sarria]

😂😂😂

[@kokostudioku]

The TOP 2 for me : - Nord (moat realistic, widest dynamic range) - Yamaha (superb tone clarity)

[@VadimShinnik]

@@kokostudioku I wonder if you managed to play on Viscount Legend 70s? I won’t say anything on my own, I’ll say what was said to me by those who have been playing on the Nord Stage for many years, this is about musicians who give concerts, tours, etc. The best piano sound they've ever encountered in non-acoustic instruments Legend '70s. We are talking about "American Grand" from the A.PIANO module. Many people also noted that when playing on Nord in the upper register there is a feeling of glass sound, glassy, ​​sharp... But Nord suits everyone, for several reasons: There is always a Nord in the rider if you have to play in another country and there is no way to take your own instrument. Another reason, we just got used to the Nord over the years, it works well, power horse.

[@jp4751]

Interesting, I listened to number 2,3, and 4 without looking at the screen. When the CP came on I thought it sounded pretty smooth and when the Roland came on it also sounded good but not quite a smooth and the Nord sounded good but not quite as open. Interesting enough I agree with Dan that when did the play bqck, the Korg jumped up in score for me too. It actually sounded a lot better. I didn't feel that it sounded bad to begin with but it sounded a lot better on playback.

[@66guidos]

Yeah, I gotta say, I used to gig with a Nord in a band and now gig with a Yamaha (CK) in the same band, and the Yamaha just cuts through so much better in a band/live scenario for me. I think the Nord acoustic pianos sound amazing when recorded, and on their own, but for live band playing, the Yamaha seems to just sound better in the mix. It's all going through a crappy PA in mono half the time anyway :D

[@SamStormsKBD]

​@@66guidos that's interesting because I heard once it was the other way around: Yamahas sounded best alone but got lost in the mix but Nords would cut right through the mix. Interesting to have a different opinion, especially by someone using a CK, which I've been quite interested lately

[@66guidos]

@@SamStormsKBD Ahh really? Well, I guess it's all subjective anyway :) - Certainly in my experience, I've really noticed the difference with the CK in a band setting. Side note: if you are considering a CK, I would recommend it - really nice instrument.

[@zoomzoom3950]

Ordered my Korg Grandstage X as soon as possible after NAMM 2024 - it arrived in September, and I'm very pleased with it. Sound, feel, control, options,...does everything I need for a piano focused instrument. Sounds great to me.

[@BongoBaggins]

It's BEAUTIFUL.

[@PhilipSheard-l5q]

First time I've watched you all. Really enjoyed the content. Thank you x

[@elwhagen]

Listening to Dan playing is such a treat! ♥ Of these patches Nord is the one I like the most with this tune. A really full sound.

[@PB9PIANO]

In the Nord clip, the sound is unprocessed, but if you add Soft Release and set Unison to level 3, you'll understand the piano sound that feels as if you're sitting and playing a grand piano or an upright piano with natural realism. ❤ I love Nord.❤

[@TheHennes36]

The white grand is unmatched-every time I hear it, I fall in love with it all over again!

[@sandscribbler]

I can only aspire to the type of playing Dan does - and that's when he's wearing a blindfold. Loved the video!

[@michaelekwulugo8659]

Missed D Bingers, welcome back brother 👊🏾 🔥

[@ldifalco2010]

It’s always about action and sound and of course for the most part, that’s what it should be about. I’m 69 years old and have been hauling keyboards to gigs for 55 years and I have the back to prove it. There is one reason why I am sticking with my Nord Stage 3 HP76. Itweighs just 27 pounds. Even with its inferior action to the NS4, it’s still one of the lightest keyboards with piano action out there. To many older players, weight is key.

[@odmusicman]

Amen.

[@andrewlienhard6758]

I second that amen!

[@SWATTECHNOLOGIES]

@@andrewlienhard6758 I really wanted a Montage but oh...the weight. So, I have an RD88 and MODX7+

[@danyldaniel834]

Thanks for updating this relevant topic.

[@bettsdn]

Look I'm just saying doing this blindfolded is a crazy flex from Dan

[@nelsonpuello8722]

Dan described it perfectly for how I would explain why I prefer the Nord. It is that connection between the action and the sound when it is triggered. It is an experience.

[@CarterDDana]

It’s great having Dan and friends on! 🔥🏄

[@Sportsfan3811]

Bring in Mike !!!

[@bloemundude]

I second, third, and fourth this comment. It's not a real comparison video without Mike!!

[@seanmichaels718]

@@Sportsfan3811 MR. Patrick step to the front pls

[@ivance1985]

This video is so good! Thank you Andertons!

[@EduardoRohdeEras]

I wish more comparisons like that, with different musicians and different machines, including unexpected models in between

[@seanmichaels718]

Also next time use an old keyboard as a wild card like a fantom88 or a motif to see the outcome

[@EduardoRohdeEras]

Excellent idea!

[@CTBroadfoot]

They wouldn’t do that, though, as Andertons don’t want people buying used on eBay! It is a fair point - lots of older products now still hold up fine - there isn’t the huge gulf there used to be.

[@brymills]

@@CTBroadfootto be fair, they had a 20 year old Korg Oasys on a show a couple of weeks back with Luke-from-Korg.

[@matzer8846]

TOP of the on stage art: great keyboards ... great demo

[@richardpenrose1968]

The original CFX is possibly my least favourite piano sound on the CP88. The newly released OS 2.0 CFX2 is a noticeable step up from the original. The Hamburg is also an improvement over the original CFX. Also, the new CP88 OS 2.0 has added an adjustable damper resonance which improves it further. Regarding action, the CP88 feels closer to both the Kawai and Yamaha acoustic uprights I have in my teaching room than the Nord Stage when I compared them.

[@lhbalesjr4670]

Great comparison. If someone has already asked, I apologize but what is the song you are playing? I would love to hear the entire song. I only play by ear and I've been listening over and over trying to learn what was played, but I can't find anything that suggests what the song is. Thanks

[@t0bywh1te09]

Love Jack’s relationship with Dan B and Mike P makes for some amazing videos

[@b00ts4ndc4ts]

Fair play with the blindfold. Don't beat yourself up mate you did better than I ever could.

[@GizzyDillespee]

I can't negatively judge anyone's playing while they're blindfolded.

[@andreievkalupniek5717]

I agree with the scores. I have the CP88 and the Nord Stage 4 and I prefer the Nord - the reverb and effects are way better on the Nord. I played the new Korg and it is really nice and this is the best Korg piano to date - and I like it better than Roland, but the Nord still beats it. My advice to Yamaha is get nicer effects, specially reverb and delay and add string resonance, pedal resonance and the brightness modes the Nord has.

[@dddumbo8815]

What about a video of comparing different keyboards from the same brand i.e CP88, Montage8, YC88. Rd2000, V Stage and Jupiter X. Or Nord piano, stage etc.

[@terrancegriffin1046]

All sound good. Only notice slight difference in Korg (more reverb)

[@filip5150]

He’s back 💪🏻

[@shauncurtis4398]

Oz’s grunt is why I come here. The rest of the video is just bonus content

[@JCjrise78592]

Thank you for this blind tasting . I also found the sound of Nord Stage the best. Fuller and warmer.👍

[@DarraghC]

Another great video, thanks lads.

[@ext3rn734]

Omg that PS5 joke caught me off-guard 😂

[@LuisShand]

Love these videos!

[@66guidos]

I wonder if Mike Patrick would give similar scores? D Bingers admits himself that he is simply used to the Nord, but also, it does sound bloody amazing.

[@david_davinci]

I'll probably keep my YC88 but the new Nord Grand II is really calling to me!

[@maxds02]

Will you make a video comparing the Vivo S10 Dexibell with others? Nord Stage 4 x Vivo S10 Dexibell would be a good fight!?

[@Хотятлирусскиевойны-н2г]

Nord заплатит, чтобы этого не было. В противном случае всё может оказаться для него не так радужно, как думают его поклонники.

[@saheltaja]

Andertons doesn’t sell those, so it’s unlikely.

[@stenaldomehilli8809]

This is from before watching! Damn, I still watch those videos from 4 years ago. They inspire me! Dan, It's great to listen to you again! Edit: After watching the video, there’s one thing that moves me soundwise. Korg is replicating a grand better than everything else except for Nord, which of course has a reputation for it. But since the years of those videos Dan made here on the channel, I don’t think Nord has brought anything new in terms of Grand piano sounds. They have released 3 new keyboards since then considering the newly released Nord Piano 6 as well. despite appreciating the work you do no matter what, I would like to suggest that you keep your videos as natural as always, and that the playing part remains long and natural as once upon a time. Thank you and keep it up!

[@richardalldredge9129]

It may be a bit controversial… but I liked the more natural sound of the Roland. I can actually hear the resonance and what not that they’ve modeled in there. It is so unique and gives it a realistic characteristic over the samples…

[@jfcleanup]

Perhaps pair the Nord sound with the Yamaha action ? Nord stage still has a Fatar action. Never been a fan of that (believe me, I really tried so many times; Tp40, TP100, TP40W , TP110, TP400W…always got back to Roland / Yamaha / kawai actions). Sure it is very playable and sounds are well adjusted to the action. But pure for AP presets Kawai and higher end Roland and Yamaha actions simply feel more solid and long lasting. Nord already has used Kawai RH-III in the grand, perhaps a Stage 5 could have the latest revision of that Kawai keybed in the future …

[@Begbiespintpot]

As much as I like the Kawai action, I think it's too heavy for a stage. The Fatar action is light and decent enough for the jack of all trades the stage needs to be, when Piano and EPs are your dominant instrument. Former Kawai GF action owner, current Stage 4 owner.

[@Jason75913]

The Grandstage seems to be in need of boosting treble a bit, and boost both bass and treble on the Roland. Would make it a bit harder to distinguish all four on just sound. They all sound great. Yamaha appears to be the best bang for the buck because of the lower price.

[@midinotes]

Gotta love the Nord piano, the V piano just not my thing… it sounds synthetic. From a very happy Nord Stage owner 😊

[@ksager123]

True

[@szentmorija]

As the owner of a Nord Grand, RD2000, Yamaha Motif, SL88 Fatar, Hammond Xk3, and RD500, and as a keyboard player on almost all major brands, I can say from personal experience that the most comfortable, finest, most enjoyable playing I have experienced to this day is on the RD500 from about 30 years ago, although I have refurbished the mechanical part myself, with a rubber felt ordered from Japan, and it is still my best action. However, it is clear that the Nord Grand as an acoustic piano and the RD2000 as a digital piano sound unbeatable. Of course the Yamaha Motif is also millimetres behind the Roland.

[@incenseandpeppermints4625]

I think the Nord nicely emphasizes the middle sustained warmth of the piano tone best, even though the decay might be a little quicker than the Yamaha or Roland. I play a Montage so I know the CFX sound well and find it has a nasal quality to it that I do not like. I tend to use the S700 piano over the CFX, despite the age of that sample library.

[@lumpichu]

1 Korg - very natural, but high quality tone 2 Nord - wow sound, processed, EQ with big bass boost 3 Yamaha - little thin 4 Roland - little artificial

[@ayepeewee]

we need a video with the nord stage 4 vs the montage m8x with Mike Patrick. or the ns4 vs the m8x, fantom and kronos! please!

[@tonylancer7367]

Decided to also just listen to this without watching but watch the results, so I wrote the below: Keyboard 1: Sounds like a good grand piano like the character, more laid back (6/10) Keyboard 2: Is this a Roland? More "live". More in your face Keyboard 3: Also like it, very mix ready, not too much bottom end. (Easier to play, throw is shorter, 7/10), forward. Keyboard 4: Character piano, sounds nice, but not for live, fuller sound? (The Winner?) Nord? 9/10. Nice mix, balanced EDIT: I agree, at this point, you are really splitting hairs, but the standout ones were keyboard 4 (Nord Stage), liked the fullness of the piano sound. Keyboard 1 (Korg Grandstage) has a wonderful grand piano sound, very good for a solo piano record. As always, the Yamaha and Roland have a very "live" mix sound to easily cut through the mix.

[@mystscot9814]

Jack's back!!

[@meldmagic]

🤠 Also compare with Kurzweil.

[@aselma10]

Yess.... the nord is my favorite, I have nord piano 5 and love it . I also have yamaha mx88 , I rank yamaha after that. Korg have decent piano, but very nice rhodes. Roland have nice rhoded too , especially the new roland stage to be presents in NAMM. Their piano is ok... I'd use it for pop

[@XPJV]

Roland V-Piano technology is uncomparable to sample based.

[@alonsojobs]

Brooooooo!! The korg grandstation has me dying!

[@neil.dickinson]

Fantastic video. I'm a decent keys player but Dan's playing is on another level. Anyone got any resources they can point me to in order to learn Dan's style of playing? (I appreciate that he's hugely talented and that you can't just learn to play like him without natural talent but it's the style in which he plays which really excites me)

[@davidkyle2073]

Start by studying the published works of David Foster, Dave Gruisin, Giovanni Allevi, Phillip Aeberg, Lyle Mays, and the goat, Keith Jarret’s Koln Concert.

[@neil.dickinson]

@@davidkyle2073Thanks, I’ll check them out 🎹

[@andertonsfan3144]

Methinks Jack is having a jest with us here, I know for a fact that Jack and Bingerz spent at least 10 months last year touring with James Arthur....

[@FerIsella]

go Nord (imagine the Nord Grand 2 or Nord Piano 6 😍)

[@ericmartin2778]

US prices as of 1/25/25 (from a major online dealer): Korg Grandstage X - $3000 Yamaha CP88 - $2600 Roland V-Stage88 - $4000 Nord Stage 4 88 - $5700 So, is the Nord over twice as better-sounding and stage-functional as the Yamaha? Some may feel Nord has priced themselves into oblivion with this latest release.

[@Daniel1987H]

I know the MP11SE is "old" at this point, but from a sound perspective I still prefer the sound of Kawai. Would have been very interesting, how it would stack up to those others.

[@LuisGaraySessionPiano]

I have a yamaha motif xs with the s700 sound and I don't change it for any of those sounds

[@howardbthyname713]

The Nord Reigns!

[@pjlira]

Thank you for the comparisson... YAMAHA always on top, as usual, IMHO.

[@stevenkrenz5687]

Massive respect for these guys… and love Andertons. Might have been easier for him if the keyboards were mounted around him, and he could switch from one to the next. Very satisfied Nord Stage 4 owner, so yes, I’m biased. He distinctively picked the NS4, and that’s not surprising…. It’s heads and tails above for sure.

[@agartthamishkan2054]

do it again with Viscount Legend One please :)

[@GoToExtremes]

Please set up all the keyboards when doing a comparison video. You meed to be able to go back and forth without a break to switch put keyboards for a true comparison of keybed feel. Sure you can play back audio for the sound but the keybed is most important.

[@jamiepastman5594]

thanks for this. i’m a pro keyboard player. i’ve wanted to like the Nord for years now, but the action feels like hitting a hard tabletop to me, I could never learn to like it even when i wanted to (i love the controllers on it). The Roland (as usual) sounds inferior to the others. I’ve been touring with Kronos for many years, and still can’t find something i like better, but these things are subjective of course

[@TaylorMMontgomery]

The new CP looks very cool, very glad they got rid of the bulky case - def trying to pull some Nordys over to the dark side! V Stage as well! It's clear Nord is the benchmark these days

[@johnkuckowicz781]

I played that same Nord today and, though I really want to love it, the keyed feels hard when it hits bottom and the sound is a bit muddy on that default Grand. But, if the action doesn't bother you, it's a pretty amazing machine for live performance, but it's very pricey. For me, the action is a total deal breaker and the Yamaha Montage that was right next to it felt very piano like in feel and response and it's over a grand less in price.

[@DigitalRackGear]

I'm quite stunned at how different all these sound - even through my laptop speakers.

[@brunopereira3640]

Nord Stage 4

[@manoaramiarimanana5635]

amazing

[@thisllub]

Nord an easy winner on sound. But the Yamaha is less than half the price. You would need a hearse to get to a gig with the Korg.

[@66guidos]

Handy if you're playing a funeral :D

[@SiphoMzizi]

I prefer Korg's piano sound, Nord would be number 2.

[@jenniferbard623]

I’ve often felt keyboards with built in speakers have a better feel due to the vibrations felt in the action. I’m curious, as to how of those may have ranked?

[@gabrielmellotecladista]

A ressonância e mistura das notas no Nord é imbatível!

[@thedailyremedy968]

The Korg easily has the best natural sound: the best balance between high, mids, lows. It’s the only one where I’m getting tingles.

[@peterconnolly2724]

Here, wear a blindfold, but keep your glasses one.... 🤣

[@fragu123]

Great stuff...!

[@howardjones543]

No mention of price, considering some are double the price of others here?

[@christophebrunel8875]

thanks it really helps us to make our opinion ...as for me Nord is the better

[@RDMusic504]

"it feels and sounds the best, felt at home with it." - Nord just great with it's acoustic pianos.

[@reltius2993]

Curious if Dan could rank the Nord Stage 4/Piano 5/Grand 2

[@thaexception3406]

Good one

[@thefilmandmusic]

I liked the Kong granstage best .. it’s the midrange nobody ever gets right …

[@samprock]

Nord stays most elegant and something I would keep in my bedroom studio. Though Nordland sound good + zen-cores but seem a bit ugly, no?

[@MrFlatroofer]

It also depends on the music played.

[@odmusicman]

It could be the playing style of the player, but I am struck by the horrible lack of dynamics demonstrated on all of them. I suspect it is because they have the key weighting set to medium and not heavy. They should have set the dynamics to heavy. That's the only way I play, so I can achieve soft and hard notes and subtlety in-between. It would also have been nice to hear the lowest and highest registers of the pianos for comparisons. There was a lot missing from this demo I'm afraid.

[@cesarbragapiano]

Top notch to me: . . . . . . Dan's playing ideas and cared touch on the keys. Any of these keyboards sound great and suits his playing. Aside from that, transportation is key to me. So, I'd choose the lightest and most compact. Having said that, Korg playstation 5 is out. Another feature that sits well is technology. Does itt have a good eq? Midi implementations? Sounds? Split? Layers? Last, but not least: keybed. I can't get used to ivory feel. I have never played on acoustic piano keys made like Roland's and Casio's ivory feel. To me, it feels like the keys are dirty, dusty. Keys to me must be silky, smooth, slick. So, I might be down to 2 or 3 of those options now. To finish, price. And I have ended up with no new keyboard whatsoever! 😂

[@edsknife]

Should do a shootout of keyboards with 7-segment displays.

[@axs203]

These comparison videos are helpful. I think you should get some more players in to try the same test. It can be subjective depending on the person. Personally I liked the Nord sound. It's very close though.

[@misscandicelove]

if u put a vertical wall up where the keys end (made of like office a plastic folder material) , he wont be able to see the controls.. even better with a lid/lip on top 90degrees for a few inches.. will save making it too high. It'll be like an upside down "L-Shape".. and then he can seeeeeeee!

[@williampaivaoficial]

I have a suggestion: call the winners in reverse order is ok, but it would be funnier if you call the winners from 3rd to the 1st. That's because you would have two keyboards fighting for the 1st place but one of them would jump straight to the last place as you announce the winner!

[@dmoss1285]

no matter who chooses what, in this day and age this type of shootout is so subjective. Everynone has a preference to sound and how something feels. You could do this identical test with 20 different people and come up with all kinds of results. As far as the Nord, it does sound very good but I would have to disagree that its not EQd. It sounds heavily EQd to me especially in the bottom end. They all sound good IMO. I quite like the Korg actually.

[@paulmapp8306]

Agreed. I cant stand the feel of the nord keybeds either. I love the Rolands (though the stage is teh PHa4 not the PHa50 - so its a step back from the fantom 8 and RD2000). The RD does suit how I play live too (using external sound sources as well as its stand alone) but if I was choosing a single board just for pianos/EPs/Organs Ifd probably go for the yam. To me its got the second best keybed after the Rolands and the second best (natural) sound behind the Nord - I just think the yam is the best compromise between sound and feel.

[@henrycstjamesjr8k]

The Korg Grand Stage X and the new V Stage sounds better than the other 2

[@brmh1667]

I agree, but I also agree with what he said about you could live with any of them. Must say, impressed with the Korg, but I loved the SV as well. If buying the Roland would win.

[@chrisanderson9981]

The Yamaha would've sounded better than it's default... with the V 2.0 update or using the Steinway Hamburg sample .. the CFX2 sample is better than the default as well.

[@carlbenick5238]

What patch number where you using on the Nord Stage 4?

[@serpentblade8704]

should ahve put in a casiokeyboard in for a surprise as well.

[@pianobill8781]

does that tune have a name?

[@reltius2993]

I agree Nord White Grand is impossible to beat

[@tonylamosa3]

In my headphones, Roland was the best.