Sound:
I am currently playing this through a Roland KC-550. In general, I think the sound is excellent, particularly the B3 and rotary simulator. The real "unsung" hero of this board are the Rhodes an Wurlitzer samples - I know they are appreciated by those who do, but they don't get mentioned often enough in these reviews - they are both great.
I have two criticisms of the sounds:
(a)from the effects rack, the overdrive is not particularly subtle - it seems like it goes from clean to dirty a little too quick - there should be some more shades of gray in there.
(b)I remain a little unhappy with the natural piano sounds. In fairness to the equipment, I grew up playing a really great Steinway baby grand, so I am probably a little harsh on the digital simulations out there. but in comparison to how good of a job they did with the organ and electric pianos, the acoustic pianos sound a little - thin? watery? spacey? - to me.
Other than those two things - the sounds seem excellent. (Hence the 9 rating)
Feature:
Let me split the keyboard, dammit. For two thousand dollars plus, more than one sound at a time and more memory is NOT too much to ask. Even with another board plugged in to split the keyboard, the best they can do is upper and lower register on the organ - not a Rhodes/Hammond split, which is what I really need sometimes.
Also, a mod wheel would be good.
Delay in the effects patch - hopefully with a tap function.
And yes, I know all of these are available on the stage - but for the amount they are charging for this board, this is really not too much to ask.
Ease of Use:
While it is very easy to use the buttons, it seems to me that with the addition of just a few more controls, they could have made this much easier. What if, for example, you are on sound 2 in the patch bay and you need to get to sound 17 quickly? Pressing a button 15 times quickly is not efficient feature navigation. It is not difficult, however, so I am not complaining too much. And truthfully, I have mine set up so that I can get to the 7 or 8 presets that I use very quickly - within a button or two.
Quality:
Light AND sturdy. I have not been able to say that about many pieces of musical/electronic equipment I have owned, ever.
Value:
Definitely stacks up well compared to the other Clonewheel organs available. Add on the world class Rhodes, Wurly, and Clav patches, and extremely serviceable piano samples - this is one of the best musical expenses I have ever incurred.
Manufacturer Support:
I have not had to deal with support for this product.
The Wow Factor:
That red is just fantastic.
Overall:
I am thinking about a stage ex compact for the delay and the ability to split the board for sound - not sure if I am thinking to augment or replace the electro. But I love the board for what it is and am looking forward to playing nords for a long time to come.
5 of 5 people
(100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
Superb in every respect.....the Hammond B3 is worth the price of admission standing alone....unbelievably good Leslie sound.....excellent electric and acoustic pianos. Quite the best keyboard I have ever owned, altho I use a midi A30 by roland as controller for other sounds
Feature:
One may move from sound to sound quickly enough for stage use, but changes in those sounds take some time....I rarely do, because the factory presets are amazing.
Ease of Use:
Very intuitive, very easy to make EQ changes, reverb and effects on board are simple. Deep changes take more time.
Quality:
Seems to be absolutely bulletproof. The degree of finish is outstanding, and I anticipate no problems....if need be, the warranty center is close at hand.
Value:
I would like to whine and cry about how expensive it was, but it doesn't matter......it costs a lot less than a Hammond B3, and sounds better........ten pounds works better than a quarter ton, too. yes, I lugged a hammond model A around for years.....with Leslie.
Manufacturer Support:
Best imaginable, since I haven't needed them a bit.
The Wow Factor:
Lust is a good word for how I feel about this keyboard. Had to have it...now that I have it, I like it even better! I look forward to it every time our band plays out.....it rocks!
Overall:
I do not anticipate, or could even imagine, a finer, more useful piece of equipment. Nord might actually replace some of the sounds, perhaps some of the acoustic pianos might have more overtones....but when that happens, i shall just download them, free, from my computer....yet another fine feature from Nord.
2 of 2 people
(100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound:
first i should say i own an Electro 2 73..got it used at a decent price. can't afford the Electro 3 unless they drop the price about a grand. and that brings me to the problem with the Nord Electro keyboards.
they're just overpriced for what they do. the onboard acoustic and electric stage pianos are terrible, and the "library" of about 3 sounds on the Clavia site is not any better.
clav, rhodes , and wurli are fine..would not make any improvements.
from most of the players i talk to, they buy this for the organ and leslie sim. this is one of the two best features of the board. the digital drawbars and vibrato are great and the leslie sim is sufficient. not much headroom on the rotary overdrive though..it's like all or nothing.
i think the main thing the Electro 2 has going for it is ease of operation...unlike calling the cable company,
you don't have to go through a bunch of menus to get where you need to be !
the overall level of the Electro 2 is rather low, and i have to crank that channel of my amp or use a compressor.
i understand the Electro 3 has expanded sounds and an editor. still for the price, you could get a Korg or
Roland with 1000s of patches, sampling, and a ton of effects.
the simplicity and sounds of the Nord just don't justify the cost to me.
11 of 32 people
(34.38%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?
Questions? Our gear experts can help!
800-zZoundsOpen_Monday!
Mention Reference
Number
MFV-9DCY When You Call.
Toll Free En Español: 800-460-7976 m-f 9AM to
5PM EST
Follow zZounds on:
Customize Search Results for Your Location
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
enlarge