This is the same guy that was playing the PSR2000 with that jazz outfit in another thread.

For those that missed it, here he is playing the PSR2000


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WS4yNCPH9w


I'm thinking he's playing a Nord in the following video. Any idea which model? Nice Rhodes sound. Dig the kid playing drums. BTW, the kid is the band leader!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRmXGMXlso8



[This message has been edited by Scott Langholff (edited 10-25-2007).]

Next to my suitcase ( Thanx RUSS !), the Nord is my favorite Rhodes! Motif is a close second

Nice. A clear example of playing at a "pro" level. Usually only "schooled and skilled" players will tackle this kind of music.

UD, looks like you (along with everyone else) is always comparing and looking for the perfect "Rhodes". I agree with your comments on the Nord and Motif but my personal favorite "electric piano" (not necessarily the best Rhodes simulation) is the Korg Triton. As long as you're comparing (an assuming you have access to Fran's), check out some of the Rhodes-type voices on the Sonic Cell. Some are not too shabby (probably from the Fantom).

chas

My favorite for funk was my old Wurly, but I did have an early model Fender Rhodes Mk1 for several years...it was a tad heavy at about 130 lbs, but it was a fine compliment to the EP-200's harder sound.

A great Rhodes sound depended largely on the amp...the Fender Twin Reverb being the amp of choice for many of us...the Wurly sounded great through it as well.

A new DX-7 replaced the Rhodes and Wurly for me...I didn't miss all the hassles with the action in the Rhodes, and the murderous tuning issues with the Wurly.

I love the new "Sparkle Stack" electric piano that is on the S900(it's not on the T2)...very cool!

Ian

http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum29/HTML/002260.html

Dave, it was my great honor to pass the suitcase on to you. It was my favorite all-time instrument. If you hadn't wanted it, it would still be sitting right where it was. Lots of folks have wanted it over the years, but you're the only one I wanted to have it.
I know you "do it proud".

Come back, and I might REALLY part with that cherry Bontempi!


Hope your "adopted kids" are doing well,


your friend,


"Redneck" Russ

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 10-25-2007).]

Fran demoed a used Nord 61 in the store the other day maybe he'll post his review soon?

Chas, Dave and others...I think I'll get a Nord after the first of the year...primarily because I never had one, and I like the sound of the one the guy with Corrine Bailey Ray gets. Looks like lots of English groups use them (T.J. Tungstall (sp?) and others).

Know nothing about them at all. None in this area.

Which one do you think I should get? No particular plans for use out...just WANT ONE!

"Packrat" Russ

Ian, still have two "old Whirly's"-a black case and an old brown case. Great sound. I've seen them more frequently lately. Belonged to my old partner. Got them from his wife after he passed away. Lot's of maintenance (reeds) as I remember.

Russ

http://www.nordusa.com/

In the video. It's possible the model NORD STAGE.

First let me say, you have a wonderful wife. Next, I don't really know anything about the Nords either, other than the C1, which I absolutely love, love, love (and not just until the next model comes out). They have an excellent reputation among those that own them but they don't have nearly the (market) coverage of the big three.

IN MY OPINION, they are the epitome of a "pro" instrument, in that they are extremely well built, well voiced, and price-wise, "kinda high" (remember, one requirement for being a "pro" instrument is that it be at least slightly overpriced ).

As far as that red color, well I guess these guys just listen to a different drummer, but I'm guessing you'll be seeing a lot more of them in the future.

chas

I agree that that is a Nord Stage.

A friend just got an Electro 61, and the Wurli and Rhodes ROCK...! The B3 section although no real drawbars, has one of the top two or three clone sounds out there, too.

It's actually one of the FEW current keyboards (although I'd rather get a Nord Stage 73) that I have any serious lust for...

Just about the perfect axe to go out and jam with...

Yep, Russ, it was the fiddly way you had to tune them with solder and a file...and the reeds had to come out...and you had to solder, file, put the reed back, plug the piano back in, then repeat as necessary...arrrgghh!

But, I felt the Wurly was better for playing rhythm than the Rhodes which was usually too sweet even when spanked, although it did work in some tunes.

The Clavinet D-6 was king for playing rhythm...played one but never owned one...had a great DX-7 patch that did the job.

Vintage gear is so cool, but I'm just too lazy to do the maintenance.

Ian

For those that love the vintage sound, but can't carry a tech to keep them maintained all the time, I think I can honestly recommend the Nord's as being the best all-rounder for that task.

Rhodes, Clav, Wurli and B3. All of these models are at the very top of the heap in realism, the controls are plentiful and logical, the key-beds are great, they are light and attractive onstage.

To compare one of these to a DX7 is to miss the point entirely. The DX7 NEVER came even close to any of the above instruments. It may have been the closest at the time of it's release, but this is over 20 years on. Most of these Nord models are extremely close to the original instruments... Enough to be used in favor of them on countless recordings and on national tours by name bands (just saw AWB using one a few weeks ago).

The DX7 NEVER ever came close to fooling anyone, it was just the most convenient at the time. But these Nord's, for the sounds they do do, are balls on dead accurate, and easily able to fool all but the most discerning ear.

I think I am talking myself into a gear purchase...!

Actually, the DX-7 didn't imitate as much as it replaced the Rhodes, Wurly and yes, sometimes even the Clav.

Third party programmers made a good living from producing authentic(for the day)patches for the DX-7.

Nearly every recording in the 80's and early 90's had a DX-7 on it...and if you were in a cover band, you had to have one.

Rhodes, Wurlies, Clavs suddenly went out of vogue and were used mainly by those who were dedicated to them, like Bob James, Super Tramp and Stevie Wonder (who could also afford to maintain them)...everyone else used a DX-7(or later on, a Roland D-50)

Now vintage is back, and unless you can afford the luxury of the maintenance involved with vintage instruments, you gotta get the next best thing...

Of course the Nord imitates those early sounds better than a DX-7, but you can be sure that among the former's Electric Piano patches is an FM E.Piano, a tribute to the DX's popularity and longevity.

The Rhodes, Wurly and Clav patches on my S900 are authentic enough for me...and the Rhodes sound of a PSR seemed to work well enough for buddy in the video.

I thought the G70 had terrific Rhodes patches, as well as very nice Wurlies and Clavs...the Hammond sounds are great too.

But, if you just have to have "balls on dead accurate" sounds, and you have the bucks, then I imagine the Nord is the way to go.

Ian




[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 10-25-2007).]

Ian, I also have a Hohner and an old DX-7. Great old high maintenance stuff. I have a warehouse full of the great old toys from the past that get "long in the tooth"..not really practical, reliable, portable or usable for today.

Still, great fun...great memories.
I'm going to order the 61 note Nord this week-end (not the lead model-the other one-would have to look up the model number again-about $1400.00 net from Zsounds.)
I'l probably use that one on daily one-nighters. If that works out, I'll get the double manual organ Chas owns. A 33 lb. B-3 replacement? That would be great for my trio!

(Damn, I'n getting to be a sentimental old fart)!

Russ

Russ,

I remember volunteering to fill in for another keyboardist, and was told I didnt need to bring anything because he had an electric piano I could use.

Surprise! It was a Hohner Pianet...not really bad to play, and the sound was sort of a cross between a Rhodes and a Wurly, but it had no sustain pedal....eek!

That was a memorable evening.

The Nord Electro Keyboard is a nice piece.

I'm trying to get a friend of mine to sell me his Yamaha AN1x retro-analog synth which would be a cool compliment to my S900.

Ian

[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 10-26-2007).]

I remember when the DX7 came out that a friend of mine loved his Farfisa organ he'd had for years but I persuaded him to move on a bit and get the DX7...I went to see his band one night and not really being able to see him I thought 'oh he's still got the Farfisa' on stage but no! somehow he'd managed to get the DX to sound like his old Farfisa...how bizzare that was.

Noel

Russ, if you do get the C1 down the road, trust me, after about a week of cursing (but finally making peace with) those digital drawbars, you will absolutely love that board (even if Donny wouldn't BUY a free one ). Compared to the cost of the dual manual Hammond (XB3???), it's a relative bargain. Some reviews even claim a better mid-range for the Nord but since I've never heard them side by side, I couldn't say. I think it's even cheaper, er, less expensive, that the somewhat dated, Korg (BX3? CX3? ...whichever is the 2-manual).

Good luck with the new Nord board, but this time you have to promise to at least take it out of the box . $1400.00 for any board with Nord's reputation can't be much of a gamble. Think of it as a one-hour trip in a King Air (true op. expenses) .

chas

You're right, Chas. The plane was purchased by my grandfather who was afraid to fly commercial (anything, really), and used it to commute from Fla to Ky after semi-retirement.

I would never have purchased it, but I'm a pack rat and just don't feel the need to sell it.

Op expenses are calculated at $1500.00 plus an hour. That means a trip to Atlanta or Chicago and back costs in excess of $3000.00, not including ther cost of the layover (pilot time).

Excessive, but enjoyable. We also have a Cessna 180 and a Benson gyrocopter to play with.

Ah, the toys...


Russ

PS. Used to work all night and fly the Benson early in the morning 1/2 in the bag (Really stupid). First trip out stone sober was SCARY AS HELL!

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 10-26-2007).]

Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with a DX7 (still got my second one, with a Grey Matter E! expansion board), it WAS the sound of the 80's, and some of those FM-ish sounds have made it to the basic bread and butter sound category, copied even by the Nord!

But the vintage keyboard revival has shown that, after an initial flirtation with FM, and then ROM-plers, they just don't stand up to the musicality that the real thing evokes. This is where the Nord shines, because not only are the sounds themselves VERY accurate, but far more importantly, the way they RESPOND to your playing is very accurate too, and the effects and amp simulators only add that extra sheen, too.

My G70 has some VERY good Rhodes's, but the response to velocity and the way they break up (or rather, don't!) when you spank them puts them behind the Nord's, IMO. And the clavs and Wurli's in the G70 are WAY behind a Nord in authenticity.

For those of us that grew up with the REAL gear (I had Rhodes's, Wurli 200's, Clav D6 AND a B3 back in the day, amongst others) being able to go back to playing styles long lost because of compromises in the sounds is worth every penny. The DX7 never made me FEEL I was playing a Rhodes, the G70 doesn't make me FEEL I'm playing a Wurli, but the Nord's come the closest I have ever been to FEELING I am playing the original....

Russ, any cheap adjoining properties? I'm moving to Kentucky .

chas

Actually, I've got @ 6 hrs. in a RAF 2000 Gyro. Saw it in Oshkosh and thought it would be great weekend fun. My buddy and I would take turns flying (his Bonanza or my Mooney) up to Republic field in NY just to get an hour's instruction (closest factor-authorized instructor). Now the 180; I've got about 4 hrs. in a cub, just enough to be totally dangerous in a taildragger. What've you got, a dirt strip around there? Darn, I hate getting old. Anyway, this belongs on the OT (before we get a reprimand ).

chas

Chas-two dirt strip fields in small towns in the area. Lots of tail draggers fly out of Bluegrass Field in Lexington. Actually, the Benson is on a small part of the farm I kept when I sold in 2000 and became a "city dweller". The Benson has a 1 1/2 hp pre-rotor so it's airborne in about 60 feet on a calm day. We cut a strip into the area behind the metal barn we use for a hanger.Actually, haven't flowen it since last summer.


R.

Best option for Rhodes/Wurlitzer emulation for Roland owners (and not only them):

I don't think you can put SRX boards in anything other than Roland products...

Actually, put on of these into a FantomX, instead of a G70 or E80, and you gain a whole bunch of extra presets with 'stompbox' effects and COSM amp modeling, too.

In fairness, though, the G70 Rhodes's already ARE pretty good, and the keybed is great for playing them, but even after listening to the Roland SRX demo's, my nod goes to the Nord.

I've got a great set of samples for my Kurzweil for super critical recording stuff, but I hate lugging THAT monster (you think a G70 is heavy?!) out live.

Well, I beg to differ, and so does the owner of the Purgatory Creek website; you might want to check this link , that refers to a topic posted some time ago on the Keyboard Corner.

In his own words: "Here is something I posted a while back to demonstrate the similarity in tone between the SRX Rhodes and the Scarbee software Rhodes (considered by many to be the best Rhodes sample library). The first is SRX Rhodes #2 followed by Scarbee. My preference is actually Rhodes 1 on the SRX-12 board which tonally is beautiful. I use it all the time. I don't have a demo available of that Rhodes. I also have a Nord Electro 61 and Electro Rack. I'm sorry, but I much prefer the sound of the SRX Rhodes over the Nords. In terms of "the tone" and clarity. Well listen to the demos and compare.

The Wurly is another story. The SRX Wurly is just kind of strange, IMO. I prefer the Nord."

Now, since you own already a G-70 and -if I remember well- it has an empty expansion slot, I wonder: what are you waiting for?
My Fantom XR is thanking me all the time for filling one of its slots with the SRX 12.

[This message has been edited by Dreamer (edited 10-27-2007).]