I love your nuanced response based on all that time on the board..

Not gonna lie I prefer the A1 engine on the NS3 than the Wave 2 engine on the NS4. Sound wise the sound of the A1 is more rich than the 4. When it comes to playability I like the synth engine on 3 as well just because it’s more of a knob per function approach. For example I don’t need to click a button to get access to the ADSR when I want to change something’s on the fly that’s my biggest issue with the Stage 4. Tbh if you’re literally trying to get the new board just save a bit and trade it with yours or sell it because Nords have huge value now it’s almost 5 grand for a used one where I live.

Not going to lie, it sounds pretty amazing. I'm not a Nord person, looking to purchase a Yamaha YC88 soon. I have a YC61 and the board is sick, no where the cost of a Nord but still a great board. Cheers!

The NS3 sounds 90% as good as the NS4 but the NS4's control interface is "smarter" (only way I can describe it) you can tell professionals helped enhance it

Thanks for the info! BTW, what pull-out piano desk are you using?

I wish they made these in black my goodness

Beautifully soulfully played wow! In your humble opinion, would you be able to advise on which would be better, the Nord five or the Yamaha CP 88 and why?

Still trying to figure out wether to get a Nord stage 3, 4 or a piano 4 or 5. They all seem to be quite similar. Mainly wanna get one for practicing classical piano (am studying jazz with sax as my major and piano as a minor). At any rate I gotta you say you have great chops! Gotta pay the dues

Telling that NS4 synth is better is just a point of view. I tried both, I own a NS3 and I will keep it, as A1 synth has some special blending options that NS4 simply doesn’t offer. NS4 has more options in terms of FX, but depends on the use you do of your stage keyboard. I believe NS3 is more immediate, a bit less options but the right ones.

Actually considering getting a stage 3 compact again. Recently tried out the stage 4 compact. The wave 2 synth engine is good but it takes alot more to get the sounds that ive already made with the stage 3. Not to mention they removed alot of organ features in the stage 4 (low key click, leslie option, and rotor/horn balance). Not including song mode is gone as well on the 4

The A1 engine sounds sweeter to me and its tad more flexible modulation wise, plus the two external section makes it a very powerful master key.

I have the Nord Lead A1.....it is a powerhouse virtual analogue. How cut back and limited is the A1 based synth in the stage 3? Does it still have the same effects and filters/wheel morphing etc as the A1? Really want to get the Stage 3 76. Great playing by the way 🙂

Would a Nord five compare at all to a montage M6 and what would be the benefits between either one

I am looking for a Nord for a while to make a comb with my Kronos. I think the big issue from Nord is the price... i don´t think it worth what it costs... definitely has so much quality in what they propose, but the price is too high. Now with the Stage 4, Stage 3 start to drop the price here in Brazil, where the Keyboards are almost a price of a car... I hope i can add a Stage 3 in the next months to my set... it is the most different keyboard that i can add now to my set... maybe after that some specific synth... but nord stage 3 + Kronos will give me more 10 years os sound explore...LOL

What is the reason not more people are using virtual instruments? I'm sure this Nord stage 3 can compare to for example Pianoteq but I'd rather buy a cheaper keyboard and use a VST to get the same or better sound.

tbh, I don't really like the Nord. My 2 cents because no one asked but for those interested in a different perspective... I recently had to play a gig where this keyboard is being used as backline. No other option available. I don't own one because of the cost so I decided to rent one to learn it and program it thinking you could set programs up and save the settings to a flash drive then simply fly in to the gig, load the program settings and go. No, that is not possible with this keyboard. It took a lot of research to find out you had to have a laptop, and a couple of software bundles to do this. That's an issue for quick turn around on a gig. Second issue: splits and layers are not fully programmable. You have to set splits at preset points on the keyboard determined by Nord. Third issue: if you need something like a pad on one part of a keyboard, strings further up, or some other sound from the same "zone" (or whatever it's called), that's not possible either. EDIT: meaning a split using the same "zone" bank of sounds; I couldn't find where you could do that. And last: you can't call tech support for any on-the-fly "gig's-on-the-line" help. For the high price point on this board, it is not as user-friendly as other boards that I've played. My favorite is the Roland RD2000. I have multiple programs that have layers and splits with as many as 8 sounds spread across the program, with each sound easily adjustable on the fly in a live scenario. And the keybed is amazing on it. Then you can pop in aflash drive, save the programs, and pop it in a backline board and you're up in running in 60 seconds flat. For those who are not planning on traveling for gigs and only use this board all the time, I can see the value in it (albeit overpriced). For those that prefer a MIDI VST connection; I've done that too in the past. I've found I've had issues with MIDI hangs and drops, and even a crash of the laptop. So after some experience, I've found the more you complicate with computers, the more you're risking a failure somewhere in the chain. For home studios, a VST is an excellent option. But live is just a bit riskier than I'd like to experience.