I love the C1. Great Rhodes too !

I bet it's real good. I have only heard the Nord Electro and it also has great modelled Hammond B3 and Rhodes piano.

We had seven days demo's of the Nord at Septembers keyboard festival including one late night jam session with a real drummer...Great Dual Keyboard.

Although a good sound...Too bad theres no drawbars.......It felt awkward trying to adjust the digital ones with buttons on the fly when we demoed the Nord.

Great sounding instrument...has the B3 nailed.

Chas must be tickled.

Ian

I won't comment, Ian. I recognize when someone is trying to bait me.

chas

No, my friend, I wasn't trying to bait you...I figured you'd be very pleased(tickled) with the Nord...I thought the demos really didn't do it as much justice as it deserves.

I like the way the keyboards are so close together...you can't get that with two synths on a stand...lets you play all kinds of neat things, like dropping the thumb down to the lower manual, or vice versa, playing both hands on the lower and being able to use your fingers on the upper.

I imagine the digital drawbars take a bit of getting used to...Yamaha had a similar system several years ago on the Electones...nice once you became accustomed to them...and reliable.

Did you get a speaker system yet?

Ian

I was referring to the selected group of You Tube demos that were posted..although I did have a hands on experience with the Nord 61...in fact I went to the store with the intention of purchasing the board, but after playing it, I decided it wasn't for me....so I purchased another board..

As for mocking your decision to buy a Nord...Honestly I do not have a clue what you own, other than a Roland VP board..in fact .....I hardly give you a thought..
I think there are so many older "mock Hammond" boards out there to choose from that seem so much better[with real draw bars]...like the Korg C3, Roland VK7 and VR760..

In fact I believe for a piano/ organ combo player the VR760 is the one to beat..{and yes I owned one}..

Enjoy what you "play"...why should it matter what other folks think.....I for one don't care.....

[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 11-07-2007).]

Chas, just ordered my first Nord, so now there are two of us. Got the single manual for portable B and Rhodes simulation. If I like it, and I'm sure I will, I'll get the C-1.

I bought it on your recommendation, which I respect.

UD says Donny and Fran are good guys. Don Mason, a person I really respect, says they're ok, just full of Crap.

My approach is to laugh, shake my head, enjoy...whatever.

None of it is worth getting bent out of shape over.

Sometimes, the entertainer in some people just prevails, and this is abrasive to some, including me. But, for now, I'm believing my friends Dave and Don, even though it's a little difficult, occasionally.

Think of how boring it would be here if they weren't around. We'd miss the chicken hat, nipple shots, etc. Hey, I sent Fran a gift of a Kentucky horse turd, so he must be alright.


Stay well. I'm going to get to Atlanta, soon.

R.

Russ, I hope you at least take the C1 out of the box...

On the C1; there IS one little idiosyncrasy that may or may not be "annoying" to you. Unlike most synths which sound at the bottom of the keystroke, the C1 sounds as soon as you touch it (top of keystroke). I can't remember if a real B3 acts like this since it's been awhile since I played one, but if you've got bad playing habits like not hitting a key firmly or accidentally touching a key that you didn't intend playing, it can definitely be annoying. The good news is that it's forced me to clean up my act (playing technique) and it is no longer a bother (just being aware of it is half the battle).

I have to say though, that with no intention of trying to promote this keyboard (this is, after all, an arranger forum), I am totally and deeply, in love with this thing. If I had to choose between the C1 and my wife, I would soon have lots more time to practice . It has no other voices and was designed to be an organ only. I can't advise you on pedals (if you need them). The PK7a that I got works but I had to replace the "stuck on" EV5 expression pedal with a Behrenger FCV100, which, at 24.00 has to be the best bargain in the entire music world.

I'm going over to a Baptist Church tomorrow to try a real, well maintained, B3. I just want to make sure my over-the-top assessment is legitimate. The guy taking me over there, a decent organist himself, thinks the C1 is "scary good". We'll see.

I really do hope you'll get up this way. I don't have your collection of "toys", but I've got most of the essentials (Nord C1, Sonic Cell, Motif ES, VP550, Korg Triton, A70 for softsynths, and of course, the PA1x Pro and the Tyros2); in other words, enough for a little fun. Who knows, maybe we could do a collaboration and post it for the King. Wish we could get Mo on sax and maybe a little piano from Diki (I listened to his Weather Report/Joe Zawanil tribute and if you haven't heard it, go over to arranger.com; very nice, and also satisfying to hear someone playing real music).

chas

[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 11-07-2007).]

Sadly, Fran, it's a question of priorities. The good news is, I can let new toys rot in the box and would be fine, financially.

The situation is, as important as music is to me, teaching, graphics, film production, research, package design (the activities we undertake at my company) are equally important. I would be hard-pressed to make a choice between the two.

And, they all fit together. There are audio aspects to much of our productions.

Right now, I am working 20 hour days seven days a week to complete a packaging, point of sale display program, ad slick package and other elements for an imported tool line (53 SKU's) that will go into Home Depot, Lowe's and other big box chains.

That takes priority. Any playing in the public is forced relaxation, even though it is 4-6 jobs a week.

The Nord will go on the bandstand the week I get it. Getting up to speed on the G-70 or Midjay will take more time. And time is something I just don't have right now.

Everyone has to set priorities as far as work goes, and these are mine.


Russ

Chas...Weather Report on one side and chicken hats on the other...and we're suprised that there's an occasional problem.

Actually, I admire SOME of the attributes of good entertainers. Just don't want to be one.

Be well,


Russ

I'm going to give playing Weather Report IN a chicken hat a try, maybe it's the one thing that is going to put me over the top in the music biz...!

But, realistically, I don't much care whether someone is a jackass or a saint in their posting style. I just go listen to their posted demos, and if they can play, I'll take what they say a bit more seriously...

Hence the (mostly) lack of seriousness around here!


BTW, Donny, maybe we can get Fran to join you, me and Ian's NATO (Not Attacking The Others!) Pact... Things might even get boring 'round here.... (Naaaaah!)

There's something to be said about entertainers -
Shame and Scandal in the Family
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WCteobGDdNo

Back on Topic...

I've been playing a friend's Electro2 61 quite a bit, recently, and think that, once you start to get used to them, and put the time in that learning how to push and pull the B3's drawbars around took (even they are not perfect!), you can get used to the Nord system. It just takes practice.

The thing about the 'high' trigger point on the C1 is taken from the B3, and the contact bars. It doesn't model (unlike the TOTL B3 Hammond clone) the fact that different drawbars would trigger (very quickly, but you could notice it if you pressed a key VERY slowly) at different times, but a B3 definitely triggers MUCH higher in the throw that a piano or electronic keyboard. It is what made those lightening runs and repeated notes so easy...

I only have one major quibble with the Electro2, and that is that it won't do two things at once (other than a B3 split)... You can't layer it's Wurli with a Hammond, for instance. So I am looking a LOT harder at the Nord Stage, these days. But my ideal would be to have the C1, with a Nord Stage engine inside it. The PERFECT 'jamming' keyboard, as far as I am concerned...

Hopefully, Nord will develop it. It would be KILLA'..!

Yeah, I figured as much. I just didn't remember it as being quite so sensitive. BUT, if you like those B3 stutters (and what Jimmy Smith fan doesn't), they are just insanely easy to do on this board (I think the attack on the percussion might be a hair quicker on the C1). In fact, it may be TOO easy, as I seem to be inserting them into every solo.

I have only heard the Nord Stage once (live) but the keyboardist was so good, it was hard to tell if it was his playing or the instrument that had my heart racing. Don't know how the other voices are as he used it as a piano all night. Anyway, it seems to be steadily gaining favor with touring pro's.

Anyway Diki, since you seem to tend to "keep 'um 'till you learn 'um (in depth)", this seems like a great choice as it appears to be a keeper.

chas

Wow, I have to tell you, the Nord C1 sounds about as good as the Native Instruments B4 and much better than my Roland VK8m. I judge the clonewheels based on that cutting/grinding sound combined with a nice Sine tone on the drawbars. This baby has that distinctive sound.

The other issue with electronic drawbars is a moot point. I don't know many players that adjust their footages during a performance. They usually rely on presets to change sounds.

I'd love to get my hands on one!!

------------------
Al Giordano
http://www.arrangerworld.com


Tyros 2, Yamaha P-250, Korg Triton Extreme 76, Roland VK8-M, DW Collectors Series Drums, Roland SPD-S.

Unless you are playing your own B3, and soldered in the resistors to change the preset keys (the reverse ones), you ALWAYS had to make your own drawbar changes...

Then there's the old trick of just opening out the top two or three drawbars just a hair for the chorus and back for the verse (even if you weren't making gross registration changes) and you can see that finagling the drawbars constantly was a staple of B3 usage back in the day, and still is in today's clonewheel era. Presets don't really cut it for the fine detail work, although they are handy for setting up songs (and used to be if you made your own on the B3 as well).

The fact that you see many players relying simply on presets alone is usually a dead giveaway that they never cut their teeth on the real thing, IMO...

http://www.gearwire.com/nord-c3-winter-namm.html


Heres yet another Video demo of the C1

That's pretty much my idea too, Diki. The C1 is a great concept that could be taken a couple steps further. When I contacted Nord about the C1 (regarding drawbars), their response was that they were looking to make the best clone organ at the lowest possible weight and price. Adding features would only add to the weight and price. Unless they see a real purpose and market for a step up, I feel they are satisfied with their current design.

Not convinced about that explanation, cassp...

If you think of the switches, great big LED readouts for drawbar settings, and all the associated circuitry to drive it, I doubt a set of REAL drawbars or two would add MUCH extra weight to the Nord's.

No, the REAL improvement is for the preset guys... The LED's always show the correct settings when you change presets (and you can adjust them immediately), whereas drawbars would have to be motorized if they were going to reflect a preset change, or you would have to have a set of LED's AS WELL as drawbars to indicate the preset registration (and you would have a 'jump' as you moved the drawbars off the preset).

For all my love of real drawbars, after some practice I am getting used to the switches...

You know, if they could keep the weight under 45 lb. a C1 with a 73 lower manual and a Stage engine wouldn't be bad, either...

Diki, we differ on one point. It's my experience that the jackasses of the world can't play. The best players/singers I've known, and I'm talking about people in the class of Ella, Ray Brown, Steve Warner, Chet Atkins (only met him briefly-a gentleman)and others are secure enough in their abilities not to resort to smart ass remarks, put-downs, etc.

People of substance I've known have a respect for humanity, and, while they might laugh inside at the antics of the egomaniacs, their ability is reflected in their attitude about everything.

Of course, it's easier to be nice if you're not hungry and secure financially, which most of the real talents are. When you have to fight to put food on the table, the game and the rules probably change.

At least, that's how I see it...


Russ

Was this the thread you intended with this comment, Russ?

Just not sure how it segues into what we've been saying here, lately. Maybe it got lost in the edits by Nigel, earlier, or you are just continuing the horseplay at the start of the thread, but it seems that things have settled down. No need to re-stir the pot, perhaps?

(Not that I necessarily disagree just that we didn't seem to be on this topic, here)...

OK, went back and revisited the earlier (and edited) posts, and now I see where you're coming from. But I'm afraid I've seen (and played with) my share of great players who WERE jackasses, too..!

So I guess you could say I'd rather listen to a jackass that could play than one that couldn't (but I'd rather BOTH could quit the 'jackassedness'!)

Mind you, that's probably what they say about US, too!

Diki, after I thought about it, I know that many of my Jazz hero's (Chet Baker, Monk and others) were not very good people. I appreciate them a lot less than the Ray Browns of the world.

Sadly, even my friend Winston we talked about here is "difficult" sometimes.

R.

Heres some interesting opinions about the C1 & Hammond organs....

http://www.pgmusic.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=161452&an=0&page=12