Feature:
Size, weight, and it does an exclusive job very well. It's a really decent dual controller as well so lets not forget that. It nicely handles my Korg Micro X and my V-Synth XT (which I just purchased as I really wanted more synth in my rig) giving me some giant sounds when midi'd together or clever splits and routings even for just changing ones program but not having it necessarilly play on the Nord's keys! Very cool.

Quality:
I have the Compact and it's the most amazing size and weight for it's class. Even the action is acceptable for a mild piano gig. Great size, weight, key action, and looks kinda' cool as well.

Value:
Jury's still out on this one as well as it's really pricey and sometimes I think to myself, wholly. that's alot of depreciation loss in the years to come but if I keep it for 10 years or more then it will have been worth it. I traded up from the Electro and that unit I had for over 3 years which is a record for me!

Desirability:
This is a sexy board, probably moreso than I am (cue laugh track...) But seriously it looks really good and is nice and slim. Hmmmm, I guess you could call it a babe! You can get pretty excited slammin' on those keys...

Sound:
It's a very unique board but I agree that the piano samples can sound a bit harsh and thin but then later on I listen back to something I've recorded with it and it's actaully pretty decent. Best EP's in the land. The organ section is really good. I like the Korg CX3 as well but with the dual aspect and the morphing and such you can do some pretty cool stuff here. As for the synth section, the jury's out. Sometimes I love it but at other times I'm finding it lets me down a bit particularly with the limited vibrato, limited pitch bending, no polyphonic portamento, The ADSR section has some significant limitations, and even some notes being cut off due to polyphony restrictions when layering, however, having said that I still find some gems in the synth section and overall I'm certainly glad it's there. For some single keyboard gigs or jam session it rocks.

Ease of Use:
This is a total player's board. It's got the vibe going on and it can kick some serious butt. Dead simple to use.

Support:
I lost my power cable and it took not only a long time to get one here in Canada but when I did finally get one from the distributor, it wasn't even new! It was like a Yamaha cable or something that had the square part of the end shaved down so that it fit the nord slot! No crap, this actually happened. First they said they lost the order request then I got that cable. However,on another occasion I did get info right away for a different matter so they can be pretty good as well.

Overall:
Overll it land somewhere between and 8 and a 9 as it does what it does well but it has some weaknesses as well (like most units have) The huge price is a significant one but who else makes a unit like this? The Roland VR76? Sorry Roland, this thing kicks that units butt to Kingdom come)I love the retro vibe and the pound for pound sound. No gimmicks, lots of power and fun in a killer sized package. Like I said earlier, this is my main controller as well so it not only handles my need for Organs, EP's, Clavinet (outstanding), and some synth, but also governs my other modules. And even in a flight case, it's about 50 lbs (23 kg)which makes it a flight board candidate as well.

Quality:
Seems as well built as Volvo (good sweedish quality)... I have to admit to being a little concerned about the beachwood cheeks... they might not be entirely gig-proof

Value:
Ok, it's not a cheap instrument.. but it's worth every penny.. and then some!

Desirability:
Drop dead gorgeous.. so long as you like red!

Sound:
Possibly the best sounding stage piano in the world... even the key release (dampers returning) has been sampled. Sounds totally like the real thing but costs a lot less and at just 41 lbs is way more portable.

Ease of Use:
Initial steep learning curve.. but pretty straight forward when you get the hang of it. Generally well thought out for performance use. Display could be a little clearer.

Support:
Excellent website, free OS and patch downloads and great tech support.

Feature:
I bought the 88 note variant. The unit does not have an external power adaptor so it is stuck at the voltage in the country you buy it. Which is not necessarily a good thing if you are gigging in countries with different ac specifications. The unit comes with a decent sustain pedal (although this lacks half pedalling support)

Quality:
It's a stage piano. Coupled with a decent flight case it should do just fine. The 88 note variation has a good keyboard, again not quite the match of my p-90 but then the varied weight of that wouldn't feel right for the other non-acoustic piano sounds. The other problem I have is that the piano sound select button is just a little too edgy for me. This may be a manufacturing defect as the other buttons are fine.

Value:
It's not cheap, and the value of the synth compared to having, say, a second midi output and a good module is debatable. That said, if you've got the cash, you won't regret it.

Desirability:
It's bright red made of wood and die cast metal. It feels well constructed and looks gorgeous. This is the Ferrari of Stage Pianos.

Sound:
The EPs are amazing, especially when combined with the effects and amp simulation. I mean truly amazing. The pianos are well sampled, but the lack of half pedal support means that they don't quite sound as real as my Yamaha P-90 which is a generation older than this. Also, the piano sounds are very bright, not thin though and you can eq them with the amp-sim section, but it does tend to a more rock piano sound. The organ section is great, the rotary simulator does an admirable job, however I don't really have so much experience with these sounds. The synth does what it does well, with a nice analogue style warmth. But the inputs are fiddly as hell. Why not have a nice ui for this available from on the PC software?

Ease of Use:
The ability to combine sounds and switch between sections whilst playing live is brilliant. I've never played anything that can switch so quickly and easily between sounds, with careful combinations of organ, piano and synth you can have 6 different sounds no more than 2 button pushes away, none of which upset sustain of previous notes and without annoying gaps as a digital fx box reconfigures.

Support:
Not spoken to them, but the ability to download new sample sets for the piano section and update the Keyboards OS over USB is great.

Overall:
Unless I ever get a real Rhodes 7, this is always going to have a place in the studio as my EP sound source of choice. I've enjoyed playing it so far, and can't see that changing. The analogue style warmth of the amp-sims and effects are what really sets it apart from anything else out there.

Feature:
Why do makers of 88-key electronic pianos think that a sustain pedal is adequate for someone looking for realistic piano sound? Leaving aside the organs and synths, a piano comes with *3* pedals. A damper, a low-sustain, and a sustain pedal. Leaving those features out leaves out a huge part of the sound of the instrument.

Quality:
The first one I got had lots of sticky keys and bad springs. I went to have it fixed by a local authorized repair guy. He couldn't fix it, and he said Nord no longer provided spare parts for the Stage 88. So Nord replaced it. Well, the new one has a screw loose that is rolling around the *inside* of the keyboard. And the E4 has a bad spring, same problem as the previous one they sold me (though at least only 1 important key is affected instead of 6). Overall, they don't know what they are doing when it comes to keyboard quality.

Value:
Sounds great, but quality is absent, and the price is simply to high.

Desirability:
It's a bright red Swedeish keyboard that says "Nord" on the side - that has sex appeal. But the reality is, quality and support are very bad and the keyboard will likely wear out on you within 18 months.

Sound:
The only reason to buy a Nord is the sound. The problem is the quality of construction and Nord's service.

Ease of Use:
Progammability is not bad, but the MIDI implementation is boggling. If you want to call up a patch and just use it from your sequencer, you can't - because change the patch from a piano to an organ, and suddenly you need to be using a different MIDI channel. It's bizarre, unintuitive, and severely limits the instrument's uability in a sequencer setup.

Support:
Just try and get their distributor - Armadillo - to answer your emails or phone calls. I had to contact Sweden's home office to get a response. They promptly sent an email saying "why aren't you helping this guy?", and then I finally got a response. When it was finally time for the exchange, it took months for Jason at Armadillo to respond to a simple email from Guitar Center confirming the RA number. Their support guy is always out of the office, too. I would call, and it was yet another 4-day weekend, or he's out of the office for 2 weeks, etc. If you are a pro and need fast help when you have problems, well you better be famous or you're not going to get any help from the clowns at Armadillo.

Overall:
Never buying Nord again. Sorry guys, but you're the worst I've had to deal with.

Sound:
all the emulations of the rhodes, wurlizer, hammond, acoustic pianos - are great. but the synth is a mystery to me. how much is this synth worth of the total value of the stage? 400 dollars? than i give it up and replcae the synth section alone with an alesis micron. think about it - for 400$ you get a lot more synth sounds + arpegiator + vocoder etc. another thing is - if you said this thing emulates electromechanical keyboards of the 70's - how come they didn't include some samples of a melotron?

Feature:
it is perfect.

Quality:
it will be whole for at least eternity

Value:
its worth every penny

Desirability:
i make love to it every night of my life

Sound:
no

Support:
they love me

Overall:
i wouldnt ask for it any other way

Feature:
More features than I need. I think the synth section is overkill.

Quality:
Again, I worry how long the Fatr action will hold up before the keys start clacking.

Value:
In my opinion the S88 is overpriced compared to Yamaha and Roland stage pianos.

Desirability:
I am not a fan of the hot rod color red.

Sound:
The organ is quite good, the Rhodes and Wurlitzer are decent. The pianos, like the other reviewers stated is a bit thin and harsh. The action is a bit sluggish and made by Fatar which also supples Kurzweil with actions. Every Kurzweil I had with Fatar actions always had keys that started clacking and breaking.