Are Nords Overpriced? Let's Talk Gear

This "My Gear" video is about the Nord Stage 3. Many think they are overpriced and nothing more than hype? Are they right? Or does Nord truly live up to its name and price?
My Keys to Music KZbin Page:
/ marclou25
My Keys to Music Website:
www.mykeystomu...

[@darrickkeels6387]

One small correction I noticed after uploading this video. The synth section has a 34-voice polyphony not 32 voices.

[@infamouslyfamous2134]

even 34 polyphony sucks.

[@lumer2b]

@@infamouslyfamous2134 It's not bad at all for Virtual Analog, but it is shared with the "sample synth" and for that it is quite low indeed

[@geoffk777]

For what Nord charges, the internal memory and synth polyphony are simply unacceptable in 2020. Yes, you can work around it, but for this money, you shouldn't have to. Also, if you are mostly a piano player, the action on the 88-key Stage is very disappointing. It is far too light and not realistic at all. It's not even close to a Montage or RD-2000/Fantom. The immediacy of the panel is nice, but the panel is cluttered and the displays are tiny. And the synth is nowhere near as powerful in what it can do as a Montage or Kronos. I've also heard of some build quality issues. You should know that other makers do have free sound websites like SoundMondo for Yamaha and Axios for Roland. So Nord is not unique this way. Nord does sound nice, and some players do like the layout. But it's always seemed like a bad deal to me.

[@darrickkeels6387]

You are watching all my videos! I appreciate it. Yes looking at a spec sheet Nord makes no sense to buy. Kind of like a MAC vs PC or Android vs iPhone. PCs and Androids are always better "spec'd" than their Apple counterparts. But in function the tight integration and the experience of the ecosystem keeps people buying AND paying the high price. Nord is the same way. Again it's not for everyone. Yes the synth polyphony is 34. But in function it ends up being okay for a live player which is what it is designed for. But also there are no "multi-voice" or "multitimbral" synth sounds. One note is one voice. Unlike my other keyboards. In the Montage every element is a voice. So yes it is 128-voice polyphony but one "sound" can eat up a lot of polyphony. I was shocked the first time I took the CFX Grand and added a Pad that I was out of voices! It happened on stage before a sound check. All the sounds using the the voices in the AWM2 sound engine. I learned later about the single part tones etc after reading the manual. In practice I end up doing more workarounds for the Montage and FA08 for polyphony than the Nord. On the Nord I can actually play 34 notes at once in the synth engine. Depending on the sound that cannot be said for the Yamaha. And I would argue that the free sounds in Nord's ecosystem is more robust than the Roland and Yamaha offerings. I have the RD-2000. There aren't many packs I can get for that. And most of them are "classic" sounds. Nothing new. Yamaha's sound library is quite small in comparison. But overall if you don't like the "experience" Nord is a bad choice. However if you do, there is nothing quite like it. In fact companies like Yamaha are starting to copy Nord's layout because of its success.

[@nickyates9820]

@@darrickkeels6387 The CP and YC series prove that Yamaha wants to tap into Nord's success as stage pianos : ) I appreciate your wisdom and insight because you avoid the Fanboy-dom that still to this day in 2020 circulates rampantly. I really love both Nord and Yamaha, and I consider the combination of a Nord Stage and a Montage/MODX to be quite powerful! You'd be hard pressed to find music pieces that couldn't be covered by that combination.

[@khalid6949]

I think everyone who doesn’t use the Nord can get that negative impression that the panel is so cluttered and the whole thing is unjustifiably overpriced. I had the same impression before. Fast forward to me buying and using a stage 3 compact, I agree with everything that Darrick says about it. I can’t imagine my life without it now. I do use the stage3/MODX6 combo sometimes but in so many situations I can get by just with the Nord itself. I don’t know about Roland but Yamaha’s Soundmondo is a sound sharing platform. More like users creating sounds from the existing sound engine of the Yamaha and uploading them. So you cannot for example load samples that do not exist in your keyboard from Soundmondo. However, it is a great backup tool if you’re using the CP or the reface series.

[@theclaverman]

I sold my Yamaha Motif XS 88 and got the Stage 3 88, and I`ve never looked back....with the exceptions of some of the DX-sounds (Yamaha is still the king of DX). So I bougth a RD-2000 to close this gap between the Motif and the Stage.....and was absolutely baffled how bad the RD was sounding compared to the Stage 3. So bad in fact that I sold it(everything just sounded very synthetic)Then lets talk polyphony and internal memory: Yes Nord could definately have more than 34 note polyfony in the synth-section and nobody would complain if it had 2gb of memory instead of only 500mb. But at least for me I can honestly say that neither the memory or synth-polyphony has affected my performances in a negative way even the slightest bit. I`ve been lugging this board around for concerts and gigs for the last two years, and internal memory nor polyphony hasn`t stopped me yet. When it comes to the keybed I think it`s a tricky poni...When I first got the stage 3 I was indeed slightly disappointed with the keybed (as I was used to the Motif keybed + alot of acoustic piano/grands), but what I noticed was that every time I played the Stage 3 I played way more dynamically (in a good way) than I had ever done on the Motif. If you are a piano player(I am) the Nords tripple pedal is simply a must have, making you play very intricate. I simply strongly disagree with you when you say that the panel of the Stage 3 is cluttered, I find it exatcly the opposite. No menu diving, one knob per function, VERY easy to build sounds, every parameter(as many as you want) can in the blink of an eye be morphed to an pedal or modulation wheel. Tiny displays? Maybe.... but the thing is you dont need a large touchscreen on the Nord, that`s the whole point. One thing I absolutely hated about the Motif was all the menu diving (Montage is even worse, and IMO kronos is currently on the throne of keyboards with confusing layouts). When it comes to the free sounds on websites (like SoundMondo and Axios), while putting out some excellent sounds(sound quality is anyway always personal opinion) I still don`t think they are as intuitive as the Nord sound libraries. If you have the RD-2000, then you are basically stuck with the factory sounds, both the ones you love and the ones you don`t like. In the Nord (and this applies to all Nord keyboards) ALL sounds can be deleted and replaced to your likings, and this way you can really customize the board to your needs. And this leads to the other aspect with this whole Nord architecture; even if Nord Stage 4 was released tomorrow it would not make my Stage 3 obsolete, and therefore these keyboards also holds their value extremely well compared to others. Is the Nord Stage 3 overpriced?? I don`t think so. Not at all. Many has called it the Ferrari of keyboards and (I think this paralell is quite descriptive): A Ferrari is bad in terrain, it is bad on snow and ice, cannot carry alot of load, cannot carry many passengers and is waayy more expensive than an toyota or Hyundai. But what it is really good at is : Going to your destination extremely fast, with style. And the Toyota just dosn`t sound quite like a Ferrari either... And most important, the Ferrari is red;-) All the best!! Cheers

[@tuneunleashed]

@@theclaverman Montage is worst than the Motif menu diving wise?! Loooool nah man the whole point of the montage is to make the menu diving experience much more easier with a touch screen. Sad part about it is....it is Yamaha first touch screen workstation in years when the Korg Trinity has been released in 1995 with a touch screen......SAD

[@isaacfanai2006]

Love this man. Almost bought a Nord but got a Kronos instead and I am so glad I did since I'm a layers and stacks guy. But the uprights on the Nord I feel are unmatched and I also love their piano sounds (nice woody sound)

[@darrickkeels6387]

If I had to choose between the Nord or Kronos, I would choose the Kronos. There are times I really need its power and setlist features. However with the Kronos and NS3 I truly have the best of both worlds. Thanks for watching AND commenting, I really appreciate it.

[@isaacfanai2006]

Darrick Keels I’ve been looking at the new Fantom too. The Fantom 6 looks like an overkill secondary. Maybe once I have the money 😂

[@darrickkeels6387]

@@isaacfanai2006 I've been eyeing it too, trust me lol!!

[@jmkeybass760]

I bought Suite Piano 3 from Wavearts. The best!!!

[@calebpromusician98]

I own the Yamaha genos and the nord stage 3 and the Yamaha psrew425 and with all 3 of them I have never faced a sound or option problem because they all do different things so depending on the situation like you said 1 keyboard may be better at one thing than another keyboard 34:14

[@ravenmusic932]

Short answer: yes, totally overpriced. Quick access concept is great and organs (at least when paired with a ventilator) are great, but you get everything else better and/or cheaper on other boards (especially keybed, A. and E.pianos). If they reduced the price by about 1/3, we might have a talk, but until then I am very uninterested.

[@345345asdasd]

When I see people say this I can't help but feel they haven't played one... because I've never seen someone play on the Nord FOR A WHILE and then go "eh... I'm not into it" or whatever... I only ever see them want one by the end. I'm sure you will say that you have tho.. but until I see it happen with my own eyes...

[@ravenmusic932]

@@345345asdasd I have played some Electros and Stages. But if it helps, I was recently testing through some keyboards and many have some obvious flaws considering it's 2022 and there's more than enough knowledge to put together decent boards. And Nord Stage could be a halfway decent board, but not at this price point.

[@ErrolMortland]

Stumbled across this. Thorough & informative. Nice playing too. My takeaway is if you can have only one keyboard to do essentially everything, this might be the one.

[@xxxxneoxxxx]

Overpriced? Yes. Brilliant keyboard? Also yes.

[@sangkong9738]

All the folks that are hating on the nord have never really had one for years. No other board is easier to use and dial in piano, organ, synth. It just works. I’ve never had issues with the synth running out of polyphony. Strings or pads shouldn’t use that much polyphony anyway if you are playing them properly. String sections don’t have more than 4-8 parts at a time. Samples are easy to load up too so I can bring Omnisphere with me. When I need to adjust a sound, it can done without any menu diving. Seconds to do things vs minutes. Less time spent trying to find that sound. Sometimes it’s faster just creating the sound in the synth section. For live playing it is the best. Other boards you spend a lot of time prepping the board to play. It’s not a workstation but I do that on my laptop anyway. It is overpriced though. I wish it was about 25% less. Less of a learning curve IMO as well. Love Roland, Yamaha, Korg but once I went Nord, didn’t want to do that menu diving ever again. Keybed is fine. I prefer a true hammer feel or waterfall feel, but Nords fatar key beds are perfectly usable and effective. There is a reason why pros love them nords.

[@RadWorship]

Definitely my most fun keyboard as well. That is exactly how I describe it. And that’s why it’s my favorite. What is more important than fun in a musical experience? Everything is improved by enjoyment.

[@darrickkeels6387]

I agree. When you are having fun the creativity really begins to flow. There are people however that like deep sound design and engineering type of work. It is fun for them. But I like the instant gratification for sure.

[@sghsghdk]

I have bought the Stage 4 over the Khronos for that reason as well. Based on online Khronos demonstrations I feel it would not be enjoyable at all.

[@area49g12]

Agreed, the piano sounds are very expressive and intimate, perfect for torch music in a piano lounge, etc. beautiful playing as always ;-)

[@officialWWM]

Of course Nords are over priced! The gap between Nord and the competition has closed considerably over the last few years. As soon as the Japanese figure out that you need to make your keyboards look cool as well as play well and sound good, they will break the hold that Nord have. I would choose the Vox Continental or the Yamaha YC61 or cp73 over any Nord product.

[@MRFThorne]

The strength of the Nord Stage 3 is as a live performance instrument with a 'triple whammy' of organs-piano-synthesiser - I don't think it's intended to be, or capable of being, a competitor with the likes of Montage and Kronos, given that they are fundamentally workstations. The 88-key version costs £3000 (maybe coming down now), so it's a split of 1000 pounds for the three components of piano/synth/organs - not too bad, given the quality of the pianos and organs? The Nord A1 synth engine is architecturally quite simple, but you can still get surprisingly good results out of it, especially if you are looking for a unique sound that you can layer two separate synth parts together with. The song and patch storage system is also easy to use. I agree that the keys aren't ideal, but I guess they had to be a compromise to cater for the organs, pianos and synths that are offered. A great presentation and demonstration by the way - very measured critique of the keyboard in question!

[@darrickkeels6387]

Thank you for watching. I appreciate it.

[@BirdseyeVu]

“My Keys to Music”...total agreement. Game-changer! Thanks for the work you’re doing on this channel.

[@darrickkeels6387]

Thank you!

[@darrylday30]

Great demo Darrick. Your playing is simply wonderful. I’d love to see you compare your Nord to a Yamaha YC. I bought a MODX7 as a “bang for buck” solution but as a part time musician I just don’t have enough time in my day for menu diving. What do you think of the YC73 vs your Nord Stage 3?

[@itsmaistro]

Hey I had the Yamaha YC before. The stage 3 is better regarding layering. The YC is more of a competitor to the electro not the stage

[@gerardofollano8417]

Great sounds!!! What is the song at 51:40 ?

[@podgesaxpiano]

The Korg Kronos Piano is also sampled, not modelled, according to the Korg website anyway.

[@tuneunleashed]

Sampled and Modelling not all the way modelling takes away the realism

[@darrickkeels6387]

I stand corrected. The Grand Piano SGX-2 sound engine is sample based. But the point still stands that there are far more editing capabilities because parameters like string resonance are modeled.

[@88mokeyz8k]

Thank you for this Tactilelicious demo of the Nord S3, and information. I have always purchase for the most bang for the buck. I need alive board, and this would be my choice now. Just looking at the Nord S3 you would think it would be complicated. I will look for a used one and buy it now. Great Video💯💯💯💯💯

[@darrickkeels6387]

They are definitely NOT complicated. It is truly a great live board. There is nothing else quite like it. Although Yamaha has now come out with a new CP series that is strangely laid out like the Nord as well as their new YC-61. If big companies like Yamaha are copying you, then you know you have been successful. Thank you so much for watching. I really had no idea the video would be so long. I appreciate you.

[@88mokeyz8k]

@@darrickkeels6387 When you are doing a videos like you do, you could have went on another hour, I would have still being watching, You Mentioned that you used Ableton Live as your DAW, do you use an 8x8 grid controller if so, which one do you used. I have been looking at the APC40MKll because of the control and you can combine a total of six! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3K6qmWKi9mLpZo. Your thoughts!

[@darrickkeels6387]

@@88mokeyz8k Just now seeing this question. When I am using Ableton in a live setting I use my Arturia MKII controller keyboard with its 16 pads to navigate through Ableton. I prefer big pads and simplicity when playing live so that less can go wrong lol! In all honesty I now only use Ableton on a live gig if it is a complex setup. For instance, if I need cue tracks that have a metronome in the in ear monitors of band members that will say "chorus, verse" etc. Or if I need Ableton automation set up so that it automatically changes the sounds, layers and splits on my keyboards automatically when certain portions of songs are reached. Or if I need Ableton to control lighting as well. Those gigs are few and far between. Normally I use my Akai MPC One instead of Ableton. I prepare the tracks in my DAW but bring them in as audio stems into the MPC. I launch the audio clips from the hardware unit instead of using a laptop. In my experience laptops can be fussy. They may stutter, crash, want to update, need new drivers downloaded after an update, etc. With MACs sometimes updating to the latest OS will render virtually all of you music equipment useless. So it requires extra care and attention to make sure there are no issues. I usually run two Ableton sessions in parallel though. That way if one computer goes down, I simply turn up the backup and keep going. And I only use computers with i7 processors, at least 16 gigs of ram, and solid state hard drives, so it is not a computer "power" issue. It is just the nature of computers. So unless a gig requires the power of a DAW, I will use my MPC. But the controller you showed me looks awesome. Lots of control over Ableton. That would work well in the studio and live gigs as well. You would never have to touch the computer when playing live and ultimately that is the goal.

[@scottmc2626]

I think the leslie on the Kronos is kronos realistic. A real leslie jas simultaneously two different rates of speed change, one forbthebwoofer and one for the tweeter. Theres something magical about a real leslie speeding up or slowing down. Not so much magic when its at a constant speed. I didnt hear the magic on the Nord leslie, but its there on the Kronos.

[@eggshellalien]

I agree. The Kronos sounds better to my ears and I’d rather have a touch screen. Knobs are great ... but for me, the touch screen is simpler. The Nord panel is just too busy and personally would be distracting to me.

[@Donetur]

No Joseph, the Kronos doesn’t sound better. That’s only your opinion. And Nord is way easier to use, that’s not accurate to say that Korg is simpler with all the hidden menus (and come on, it is not that complicate to learn using the Nord). I own a Nord Stage and a Korg, and actually the Nord mixes better with acoustic sounds in my opinion, it has more presence. But I still love Korg which is more modern sounding. I really think you can’t judge if you haven’t tried it, i really think the organs are better than everything I have tried and I have owned top of line boards from all brands (Motif, Fantom, Kurzweil K26*, etc.). All brands have special or usable things anyway.

[@matthewgaines10]

I get why the Nord is serving you well. Being a hobbyist, I can afford one but couldn't justify it. A cheaper, touch screen and menu driven stage piano is my cup of tea. You can justify it being it's a stage piano with great physical controls and immediate access to functions. You can put that to use. I have been educated. Great presentation.

[@kofiassor2164]

derrick does the Nord have drums. I don't have any keyboard but the sound examples i have heard so far, the Nord beats the Kronos for me. May be i am talking nonsense. Anyways, I am going into a Babyface type rnb production and i feel the Nord sounds present something closer to the sounds am hearing in my head. Does it have nice rnb type drum textures? Babyface, R. Kelly, Joe Thomas type music. Thanks

[@darrickkeels6387]

No drums in the Nord.

[@Guitarist888]

Great analogy! But why the heck did they stop manufacturing modulars?

[@jan-martinulvag1962]

Oh, that was wonderful playing at the end

[@mzamosokhela8467]

I like your detailed reviews... thanks a lot. If I had money my ideal setup would be Korg Kronos and Yamaha Modx8..

[@donleino]

hey darrick . im wondering about the stiffness of the keys on the compact loosening up overtime . i tried a new one and it was pretty stiff , but folks have said it loosens up quite a bit over time. any thoughts on this ? i noticed the electro had an ideal spring tension for me , but without the synth section :( thanks bro love your videos

[@darrickkeels6387]

I have not noticed any "loosening" over time with mine

[@deancol4080]

Thanks for posting. My biggest gripe about the Nord Stage and Electros is that there are only a few buttons (4 or 5) to select the sounds. If you play live, you need access to the sounds quickly, rather than fooling with a jog wheel. That may work for some who work with a fixed set list, but for those of us who have songs called on the fly, its useless. I need at least 8 buttons to access my custom presets and then I can modify on the fly. Other than that, the Nords are great sounding and feeling keyboard with lot of flexibility.

[@345345asdasd]

Do you mean the Nord stage like literally the first stage piano? Cuz The Nord stage 3 has a song mode with that exact function ur taking about..

[@deancol4080]

@@345345asdasd Nord Stage 1 and 2. Nord stage 3 looks like there are only 5 buttons to select the songs; I don't see how a Song Mode function adds physical buttons :).

[@345345asdasd]

@@deancol4080 nono in song mode it's even better than that! so those 5 buttons are 5 presets within 1 song. For example verse 1 chorus 1 verse 2 bridge chorus 3. That's 1 song. You use the scrolly knob to then switch to song 2 after you finish song 1 with 5 completely separate presets you choose. And you label them obviously.

[@deancol4080]

@@345345asdasd Thanks for the info. The song mode still requires the user to mess with a scroll knob to get to a song. Song mode might work for folks with a pre-defined set list but the groups I play with, the songs are called on the fly. The song might be 10 clicks away in Song Mode, I want a button to get me directly to the song instantly. I found a workaround which was to purchase a Korg Nano Pad and assign the pads to program change. Since the Nord doesn't have a USB midi control, I also needed to purchase a separate midi interface to connect the NanoPad to. Kind of crazy to have to do all that for a piece of gear that costs $3k+.

[@345345asdasd]

@@deancol4080 I mean, it's pretty easy to scroll '10 clicks' on it... like how instant does it have to be for you... that seems like a veeeery specific gripe to then question the pricepoint... plus that nanopad thing has like 20 buttons on it total that's not very many songs... maybe you can do it by category or something idk...

[@designersnestm569]

Can i get the same Nord Stage piano sounds on the Nord Electro 6D ...??

[@darrickkeels6387]

Yes you can.

[@delightmedia1556]

You play very well. What would be the best option? Nord Stage 3, Roland Fantom 8 or Yamaha Montage 8, or Korg Kronos? Looking to buy either of these 4.

[@darrickkeels6387]

Wow! You have a big decision to make. It really depends on what you are looking to get out of your keyboard. The Nord Stage 3 is easy to use once you understand the layout. Everything is right in front of you. The workflow is very fast because of the "knob per function" style. It has very little menu diving. It is clearly designed for the "live player" and that is where it excels. If all you need is simple layering/split options, you mainly play sounds like piano, ep's, clavinet, organ, and the occasional strings and horns, the Nord Stage 3 is an excellent choice. Now if you need deeper sound editing capabilities, play lots of orchestral sounds, complex splits and layers containing 5-8 different sounds at once, want a full blown arpeggiator and would like to have the option of a simple pattern-based sequencer the Montage 8 is an excellent choice. Now if you need a fully-featured pattern base sequencer, and deep editing capabilities, tons of sounds, need complex splits and layers that require more than 8 sounds, and you love working with virtual analog sounds I think the Fantom is the way to go. If need everything the Fantom and Montage has to offer but you need a sequencer that can record both MIDI and audio, you like to do a lot sampling, multisampling, you like really complex sound designing, like to take tons of sounds and samples with you, then the Kronos is the way to go. The Kronos is the most "powerful" keyboard out of all of them. This due to the fact that it is a full blown workstation which is designed to be an all in one solution for a musician. It has a full featured sampler, sequencer, nine individual sound engines, a 60 GB SSD, an additional slot to add your own SSD, tons of high quality effects, etc. In short the instrument is capable of doing almost anything a musician needs to do. But with all that power it is not "easy to use." I have read the entire manual of over 1100 pages, the touch screen and user interface can feel "old school" now. But if you need "power" there is no better option. So the decision boils down to what you are needing the instrument to do and which sounds you like best. Sounds are subjective. They all have "good high quality" sounds but that doesn't mean you will like the overall tonal quality of all of them. So the best option is the one that works best for you.

[@TheChodsr]

Understatement yes will continue with my Roland

[@waynewright2107]

So if I decided to layer two synth sound would panel A and B both share the same 32 note polyphony or does each panel have its own individual polyphony?

[@theclaverman]

They will share

[@Donetur]

The synth engine is a real VA and 32 voices for a VA is totally fine. The Radias, for example, has 24 only. And the VA section sounds same quality as any Nord VA (a bit more limited but still good with good sound quality). You can no say the same than most of workstations which sound like Nexus vst.

[@darrickkeels6387]

But the synth section is also where all of the sample-based instruments are. Strings, flutes, horns, bells, guitars, basses etc.

[@Donetur]

@@darrickkeels6387well I use more these samples for synthesis to be honest. But I have to confess I own a NS3 for 1.5 months only so I should probably shut up till I really explore it properly. I don’t use these samples so far because I am used to work in studio and if I want to use a flute or string, I use a VSTi because VSTis sound better than any brand regarding acoustic instruments. I have owned a lot of keyboards but I am so used to the realism of VSTis that the guitar from Yamaha Montage, for example, doesn’t impress me anymore, I usually search for what I cannot find in VST (analog and warm sounding VA, great leads, and some sounds which excel like some of the NS3). From the NS 3 I use organs, electric pianos and synths mainly, because VSTis sound as good but not better regarding organs and electric pianos, and regarding synth it still doesn’t touch Clavias’ sound in my opinion. I do like the accordion and the harpsichord as well and the acoustic pianos could be good for jazz (although I have a big repertoire of piano libraries). The rest is not something I personally use. But yes, you are right.

[@WarrenPostma]

To me the Nord Stage is a phenomenal live-keys board for a heavily piano and organ oriented player. A huge number of genres, including folk, country, pop, would be heavily weighted towards those, and the "synth" section is a spice rack, but the piano and organ section are the meat, and the potatoes. If your gig is organ or piano centric, to me, the Nord Stage is the board. To me, a roland or yamaha flagship is going to provide a far more broad set of niche sounds. You have a specific cover gig and you need to do Kyrie Eleison (Mister Mister) or Jump (Van Halen) and you are probably not going to find ALL those sounds on a Nord. I deeply wish I owned a knob-per-function-72-key-waterfall action keyboard. The Nord is over my budget but I respect folks who buy them, they are probably going to, as you do, have a huge amount of fun and get a lot of pleasure from their nord purchase.

[@darrickkeels6387]

I definately use my other keyboards for the niche type of stuff. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

[@yamahagrand]

The Stage 3 is easily capable of "Jump" type sounds. It sounds perfect on mine.

[@Phant0mK16]

I love Nord's Sound but for my playing style and needs onstage I require a workstation. I always use a set of sounds per song (around 6 to 12)

[@jeffreyreid6981]

I love sound for me it’s the feel the keybed that sucks

[@eggshellalien]

That’s what I always thought. Everyone raves about it though. Every time I play one, I’m like ... huh? ... This is crappy ... for that price??

[@danielx40]

About synth polyphony. If a piece of music has more that 32 notes played by one synth sound at the same time, it must be horrible music to listen to.

[@darrickkeels6387]

😂😂😂. Remember in the Nord the "synth section" is contains everything that is not a Piano, EP, Clavi, Harpsichord or Organ. So the strings, pads, horns, basses, woodwinds, synth leads, guitars, etc are all contained in the "synth section."

[@danielx40]

@@darrickkeels6387 Then the 30something notes sounds about right. Phew~

[@dy6682]

When ur unemployed or living on minimum wage, every damn thing is overpriced. Nord is good stuff , out of my range.

[@darrickkeels6387]

Yup we can only buy what we can afford. I have owned plenty of old used keyboards often with broken keys and knobs for many years. It took me a long time to be able to afford the things I have now. What's most important is developing your playing ability, even if it is on a toy keyboard.

[@jonathanrampersad8068]

@@darrickkeels6387 same here. I ve owned all the cheapest old and used equipment - in the past. Learning to master every function and playing skills first

[@wolfgangmarkusgstrein8522]

Idk why Nord Stage is considered super high standard? In comparison to Kronos or Motif XF, it is like a Paper plane vs Lego Technic.

[@darrickkeels6387]

Well some people really like the sounds and workflow. As well as the large database of free premium sounds that can be downloaded. It has almost no menu diving etc. And now it has a super intuitive and easy to use sample editor. Bringing samples into the Nord is easier than the Kronos or Motif. Yes the Kronos /Motif are more "feature rich" but they are workstations not stage pianos.

[@MarianoPerez]

The Austrian grand on the Kronos is money dude. I've never tried a nord because no one I know has it and it's too expensive to just buy it lol.

[@eggshellalien]

all keyboards are overpriced but Nords are WAY overpriced in my opinion. I prefer weighted keys for piano playing. The sounds are ok but I was never that impressed. I prefer the Korg Kronos as a main board. For a lightweight stage keyboard I’ll take a Yamaha with synth action over this any day and save a bunch of money.

[@samyar]

There is a street performer in my area who uses one of these...he ain't that good (pretending to play jazz but he definitely doesn't do much more than pretending) and the Nord is bright and red in front ...I tell you, just a few encounters like this, can bring a somewhat luxury brand to the floor.. if he was playing Korg, less attention would go to the instrument ...

[@1881Gordon]

Hi. I'm not too sure that I agree. If you have enough money to buy one of these 'professional' instruments whilst not being up to Darrick's playing standards then good for you. The same argument could be applied to 'professional' cameras used by novices and all manor of expensive Pro Tech gear not being used 'properly' I very much doubt that this could 'bring a somewhat luxury brand to the floor' - I think that is an exaggeration IMO.

[@samyar]

@@1881Gordon I think the pro camera example you used, further proves my point. Some otherwise prestigious brands, don't command the same respect due to their wide exposure and who the majority of these customers tend to be.

[@1881Gordon]

@@samyar Sorry. Disagree again. I take issue with your original statement. You may not like it but there is nothing wrong with an amateur musician buying and playing (however badly), an expensive pro instrument if they want to... These sales are not going to dent Nord's image one bit. Who knows, in a years time that same guy could have either upped his game massively, or got bored and sold the Nord. If he's inspired, determined and committed enough, buying that Nord COULD prove to be a worthwhile investment.

[@samyar]

@@1881Gordon you are raising what seems like an ethical perspective principle in answering a remark which is objective...yes ethically there is nothing wrong with none pros using anything they want ...that doesn't prove anything other than it's nice that they are able to ..brand perception doesn't concern with these kind of arguments...1. Perception is objective and you cant disprove or prove it using ethics or logic of that kind 2. Secondly, if you have done any brand marketing work (which is likely if you are an audio producer)...exclusivity is a desirable factor that brands like to advertise and show case... Exclusivity, uniqueness hint to greater power of individualism .everyone is black and white but you wear red, ..everyone wears is walking away from the camera ...but one is coming back everyone drives in faceless cars but yours is fun...I'm sure you have seen these visual messaging...these are attempts by a seller or a brand to either change how people view their oroduct, or keep their current position ...it's a constant battle to keep a brand at a certain image ...factors like ,ethics, should one buy one, or is it needed, who can it help...these are not topics that relate to public perception....imaging is. And it's objective

[@samyar]

Let me put it this way. There are no guilty parties ..in my Nord example, no one is guilty... The musician is entitled to buy anything they like...Nord is entitled to sell their products freely and even me as an observer am within my rights to hear and form an opinion...no one is breaking anything moral...there are however accumulation of views that when added can hurt or raise a brand...if a certain demographic adopt a certain clothing ..out of no fault of their own...they can influence how it is viewed..for example lawyers always wearing suits...is anyone at fault? No... Does it associate that particular clothing style with lawyers?....specially if say, the more inexperienced they are, the more expensive the suit is (as an example)...well if it happens frequently or at noteable moments...then there is a chance that yes, the objective view can come to prominence

[@jandoedel1012]

Does Nord make fine instruments? Yes. Are they overpriced? Yes. You feel like Steve McQueen when you're driving in your car and you think you look like James Bond when you're smoking your cigar I think Harpo's song does count really well for 'wanna be a star' band that have a Nord for that reason.

[@jesua301]

Yes. Pianos are great and some sounds, but you get much more with korg and Yamaha.

[@lowercase3635]

It’s the sad state of stage pianos. You’re either playing a first act or a nord. No in between.

[@darrickkeels6387]

What would you consider a "first act?"

[@neuron05]

The Stage 4 hase Wave 2 enginge and 46 poly with three engines.

[@sghsghdk]

I am quite sure that it is per layer. If it was shared it would reduce it to 14.

[@mrdali67]

In 2023 2/1gb for the new Stage 4 nothing changed there. There is a small upgrade to 48 voices for the synth section but I really think that is subpar today and why these strange numbers .. 34, 120. Yamaha have models with 126 notes polyphony ... where did the last 2 go ? 😅 Not to be nitpicky about those 2 notes, but anything that is based on sampling should be lets say around 128 at least today. It's another thing with virtual analog modelling which is more processing intense. But wether we are talking Yamaha, Korg, Nord, Roland it's all the same thing. In 2023 .. why do we still have to be 10 years behind the computer development when it comes to music gear. So they don't want to to give us eg 32Gb of memory for samples for a 5k keyboard !!! fine ... it would practically cost them nothing to add an expansion slot in the bottom of the board I don't care if they use standard DDR sockets or a propriatary system. It's really not a problem today to give you 32gb of memory. It doesn't even have to be super fast anymore. Just let us be able to upgrade the memory. Yamaha have had this all the way back 30+ years with their arrangers and later the Motif line. I remember adding 32Mb from an old PC to a P9000 Pro. I am pretty sure they could easy sell a memory upgrade to people that is willing to pay 5k for theese level of boards. It's just silly. That's a general opinion that covers most brands .. not a Nord specific rant. I never was fond of Nord but I do understand why so many uses them. It IS a more "hands on" board and that's not a bad thing for a gigging board for those that just want to "Play" and not care about having to be a software ingineer to program a Kronos, use syncked backing tracks an all those shiny things. At least there seem to have come a way better aproach to tdo your own samples for the Nord line as when I was initially introduced to them. The Nord sample library that at least when I last saw it was absolutely free of charge, but the samples werent really particulary interesting at that time compared to what you could get from Yamaha for the Motif's

[@James-cn9no]

Are Nord's over priced? Are Apple computer products over priced? Yes, a little, but the user experience is elegant, and at the end of the day they are dependable and just work...and they last and are supported a long time. You pay a little more up front, but the user experience is always satisfying and the total cost of ownership over the lifespan of your owning the product is very low. I just got the Piano 5 with its double memory size, ability to support Nord's new file format, and a few other new features. I am anticipating a Stage 4 to be released something during the next 2 years. If they do, I will be getting one. Enjoy your reviews.

[@James-cn9no]

Ha! I replied before finishing your video. You said the same thing =-)

[@darrickkeels6387]

@@James-cn9no Indeed! People are often just looking at the upfront cost. I have the Korg Kronos, and though there are expansion packs you can buy, they are not free. Roland has the Axial Website with free sounds but those sounds that can go into the RD-2000 are old sounds (over 20 years old). There are no brand new sampled grands or uprights to choose from. Yamaha has Soundmundo but those are just sounds users upload. Roland also has the Roland Cloud with a ton of new sounds but that is a subscription based program. Then you must consider the knob per function workflow. If you hate menu-diving nothing beats a Nord. Yamaha has two new stage keyboard lines that attempt to copy Nord's design. The YC series and the CP series are both aimed at Nord customers. They cost less but they offer less. So yes, you will pay a bit more for the Nord but having the ability to download brand new sounds for free can save you from needing to buy a brand new keyboard altogether.

[@James-cn9no]

@@darrickkeels6387 I tried the new Yamaha's. They definitely are competing with Nord and are appealing at first. But the keybeds have an odd clunky feeling. They reach a certain point in the depression of the key and fall over into the next position. It is odd. You will notice it if you play one. They have a lot going for them as a Nord alternative, until you play them side-by-side.

[@jazzsecrets]

@@James-cn9no CP is defenetly a strong competitor, but the keys are too heavy for me, after a while I stop going at the gym :))

[@James-cn9no]

@@jazzsecrets Ha!

[@planetdog1641]

They just jacked up the prices again. 61 unweighted keys now cost close to $3000

[@darrickkeels6387]

Practically all musical equipment is going up. Two years ago I paid $700 for my MPC One. Now it is $900. So the price hikes aren't a "Nord thing" but a market thing.

[@tuneunleashed]

@@darrickkeels6387 Not true. Yamaha Montage stayed consistent with their pricing. Nord on the other hand increased the price by a thousand...that's crazy!

[@darrickkeels6387]

@Tunewurld Hence I said "practically." Cars are up, gas is up, food is up, housing is up, and in general so are instruments. The Nord Stage 3 is back to $3499 on Sweetwater. Though the Montage has not increased in price during this inflation period, their availability has taken a hit. Currently you cannot even get a Montage on Sweetwater. With that said, I certainly would not buy a Nord with the price super high. BUT if I really needed a keyboard and the wait time for the Fantom was 6 months or more (that's how long people have been waiting), the Montage is hard to get, etc, I would buy a Nord. As a professional, keyboards pay for themselves.

[@firstimpression9399]

What about Hammond SK 88 piano with draw bars? Yes, Nord is over priced when it comes to many other brands, such as : Roland, Hammond and Yamaha. I rather have a Roland with a damn good software..... We must remember that all keyboards are digital. Hahaha figure that? Software is gigabytes program which is way better than digital keyboard.

[@darrickkeels6387]

If you would rather have a Roland and powerful software, I say go for it. You can certainly make great music that way. Music is less about gear and more about the one creating it.

[@madness8556]

This is a great review of a great instrument, but I'd prefer something more like a workstation.

[@davidclark3603]

Well overpriced by two thirds. I've seen many for sale 22nd hand, two years later, they are still for sale. You be the judges?

[@NinoCotonato]

Sure... Overpriced about sound engine... But well build and unique look...

[@simbaking6338]

I love Nords...but yeah!...they are overpriced.

[@gcmproductions3499]

I believe the nords have the best pianos and organs

[@angelparedes9967]

# 1 is to much money #2 why only red and is not the best l like the roland fantom 7

[@XPJV]

Yes, at least 3 times overpriced.

[@williamshaneblyth]

for sure

[@xp50player]

Kronos is “more bang for buck”, therefore by definition the Nord is WAY overpriced for what it does. The new Fantom is full poly on the V-Piano engine + 256 PCM/VA poly.

[@darrickkeels6387]

Bang for the buck is certainly a consideration. However, I don't think it is that cut and dry. The workflow, ease of use, and immediacy of tweaking features is a major highlight of the Nord Stage 3. Also the sampling functions with the new Nord Sample Editor is a MAJOR feature that is far easier to use than the Kronos and the Fantom has no multisampling capabilities currently. Nord is also always adding high quality samples to their library. So when you buy a Nord your samples never really become dated. And they are free. Korg charges sometimes over $200 for a couple of new pianos. My most fun live keyboard is my Nord. Though I think the MODX is the best value. I understand why Nord has such a big following who are willing to pay extra for the experience it offers.

[@theclaverman]

Of course the Kronos is more bang for the buck as you get included an extra 2000 pages of user manual compared to the Nord. All that printed paper costs money. But if you dont take the user manual into consideration I would say that the Nord is a pretty darn good buy. (Especially for us session/gigging musicians). It`s not cheap, but that was never the reason I bought it in the first place....

[@mvilla36]

KORG OASYs still blows that thing out of the water

[@darrickkeels6387]

Apples and oranges. The Oasys is not a stage piano. It is a workstation. That's like saying my pickup truck blows my motorcycle out of the water. Yes, they are both means of transportation, but they are really designed for different purposes and provide completely different experiences.

[@RodVazquezSardella]

Best keyboard.

[@jan-martinulvag1962]

There are so many wannabees on youtube and so few with solid ........... teaching abilities that inform

[@eliasprice7553]

Buying a Nord is like buying an apple product Edit: oh he says that in the video lmao

[@edrumsense]

Yes

[@jeffreyreid6981]

For money they could did better with keybed

[@jacobmorgenstein6788]

Yes they are

[@Azfurita]

Oh yes man, Yes they are.

[@paullebon323]

Nord hardware is crap. It always has been. The Fatar keybed is cheap. The memory is low. The polyphony is laughable. And the pedal unit is crap. I almost bought a Stage 3. But, since my focus is piano, I bought the pianist's stage piano, a Kawai MP11SE. For non-piano stuff, I have an Arturia Keylab 61 MKII. I also have Pianoteq Pro, Keyscape, MKSensation Xtreme, Neo Soul Keys Studio, Arturia V Collection etc... You couldn't give me a Nord... especially the new Nord Grand with an old plastic Kawai RH3 action from 10 years ago in it... for $3800 🤣

[@darrickkeels6387]

And yet other people really like them. They're not for everyone, but not everyone is looking for a "real" piano feel from the keybed. The polyphony is not laughable. The piano engine has 120 voice polyphony and the organ engine has full polyphony. How is that laughable? The synth section is a bit low with 34 voices but unlike other keyboards there are no "multi-timbral" sounds. Meaning you don't have patches that use 4 to 8 voices per note like Rolands, Yamahas, and Korgs. So in practice it ends up being okay in a live scenario because each sound engine has its own polyphony. I can layer two organs, an EP, a grand piano, and a pad and not run out of voices. My Yamaha Montage cannot do this, though on paper 256 voice polyphony looks to be far superior to the Nord. And though the Kawaii is an awesome stage piano it isn't for everyone either. That premium keybed adds weight. A 74 pound keyboard is not appealing to most gigging musicians. And for musicians that want more of a simple setup on stage but need access to plenty of sounds, the Kawaii's 40 something sounds simply will not cut it. When it's organ solo time the Nord shines. Distorted wicked leads? The Nord has you covered. Real time "on the fly" tweaks? The Nord is amongst the best. Playing traditional jazz piano sets all night or classical pieces the Kawaii kills the Nord. They are appealing to different customers. No one keyboard works for everyone. But that doesn't make it crap.

[@jazzsecrets]

@@darrickkeels6387 Bro I don't know what Nord are waiting for to hire you 🤣

[@Donetur]

Yet its organs, electric pianos, synth sound better than most of the workstations in my opinion. I didn’t mention pianos because I think they place is for Kurzweil. Work with one then let’s talk about it ;)

[@joecool8674]

oh? great?!

[@AntonisAdelfidis_UnderGround]

Very overpriced and no good quality instruments for the price point, especial the keyed, I have bought two and I will not never do it again...

[@jmkeybass760]

With the worst keybed on the market, YES, is overpriced. Kronos y the best!

[@vanessajazp6341]

Does a bear sh* in the woods?

[@darrickkeels6387]

😂😂

[@nerdball1010]

nice

[@shantv77]

Its overpriced and less effective than korg or yamaha

[@72cpugeek]

Yeah they are overpriced !!!

[@FlyingLotus]

overpriced overrated

[@GIa_DM]

Yes, very overpriced.

[@acarlosramirez]

Yes they are