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I currently have a seventies Farisa organ, yamaha psr 423 and p105. I am classically (RCM) trained on the organ but find myself playing 90 % piano. Most of my playing for enjoyment is through headphones. Play mostly classic rock but dabble in all genres...

What I am searching for is roughly in this order:

1. Best action
2. Sound - piano
3. Other usable sounds - synth, strings etc
4.Portability
5. Value for the dollar

Uses will be primarily for home, jam band playing and maybe the occasional gig as in a couple a times a year. I have tried the cp 4 in which I liked the action and the sound. Was most looking forward to the rd 800 but when I tried was very disappointed in the sound especially thru the headphones. I picked up on the metallic sound I have read about or at least I think although it was in the lower registry. The salesman noticed it as well and I honestly thought maybe ther is something wrong with the unit. I have read that with tweaking the sound can be improved but was not sure what to do. I also tried th kawai ca 95 and absolutely loved the gf action and soundboard feel. They did not have an mp 11 available at the time.

Would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks

Which piano sound did you try on the RD800? If it was the V-piano sample it will undoubtedly sound "metallic." I don't hear anything metallic in their SN pianos. If you are hearing a metallic resonance when playing forte, that is the Dynamic Harmonic feature and can be adjusted to your taste.

I was thinking close to the same. Are you sure it was RD800 and not RD700NX? The RD700NX had the "metallic" sound for sure. RD800 no longer has that sound unless you choose one of the NX piano sounds.

CP4 is ok. I like the action. Sound was pretty good but nothing as rich and pure RD800 or anything Kawai. I even think my ES7 acoustic piano sounds are a little better than CP4.

Cant wait to try the MP11. Looks amazing. I'm more interested in MP7. I think that will meet the needs of many looking for the same as you (and me): great action and piano sound, other usable sounds, portability, and value. MP7 seems to check all the boxes

The MP11 has strictly piano, E piano, and some pad & strings sounds, but ti also happens to be a great MIDI controller, so you can continue to use sounds from your other synths or software sounds. I haven't yet toyed with the MIDI controller part but I do know it is quite capable of that. I really like the piano sounds and the level of customization available.

Have you tried the MP7? That has a different action than the MP11, but a lot more sounds. The CP4 has a lot of the sounds, but I wasn't that impressed with the action in comparison. Also, while the MP11 is a stage piano, it's 71.5 lbs, so "portability" only for a strong person or two average people.

I can't speak to the Roland, but I'm not overly fond of their action. Usually they have good piano sounds, but I think the MP11 sounds better.

It was the first piano to come on - concert grand - sound was below c3 mostly and we tried it thru a couple of amps and different head phones - I am going to try it at another retailer because based on the employees reaction he was surprised by it as well and let you know - it definetly was the rd 800 and not the 700 but I was hearing the sound on other piano settings as well ... For the mp7 does it have wood keys as well?

I don't believe so, and it's the RH2 action, not RM3-II like the VPC or GF like the MP11. I've not played one so I can't say how it compares. You like the GF action on the CA you played, so feel-wise you'll love the MP11. It's just the limits on number of sounds and possibly the weight that might be an issue with your list. So with the MP7 you'd get a lot more choices in sounds and a lighter instrument, but a compromise on the action.

I spent almost 90 minutes the other day on the 800 at GC. I think this is the best stage DP Roland has ever come out with. Almost to the point were I could see myself maybe getting one. And that's saying something since their keyboards have never worked out for me in a live context.

The new pianos are a significant upgrade from the NX pianos to my ears. I scrolled down and compared the older NX pianos to the first two new pianos - Concert and its brighter variation -and there was no comparison. The updated pianos sounded much more expressive (combined with the new action), vibrant and alive then the 700NX.

I also heard some very nice Rhodes too. They nailed the Fagen/Steely Dan phased rhodes. The Wurlis weren't so hot imo. The acoustic and a few of the E. basses were very good as were the strings and a few pads for layering.

I'm generally happy with my Nord, overall, so my main reason in looking at the 800 is primarily the state (or more aptly put, non-state) of regular band gigs - quartet, trio, even duo.

I need the the drum loops and patterns for solo gigs when I do LH bass & vocals.

The swing groove (hardest to get right ) might not have been as good as the CP5 I owned at one time, but it would work for the standards, as would a lot of the other patterns. One thing very cool about the 800's drum patterns are - if you have the drum pattern window open - you can scroll down for multiple variations, seamlessly, without any hiccups in the groove. The tempo stays constant. VERY great feature for gigs. Can't do that on the CP5.

So yeah, it sounded and played very well. All that said - I still was able to get around more fluently on the CP4 , for what I do a lot of - jazz.

Being the total non-tech guy I am, I'm just not solid on this whole concept of loading wav drum loops into the CP4 via usb stick. That would be the only negative about using the CP4 for the solo gigs with LH bass & drum loops.

Just has a straight gigging piano , I think the Yamaha would be my first choice.

How about an iPad + drum apps? I have not done it myself, but it will likely be more user-friendly than USB. May be worthwhile asking around. Should work with the Nord, too.

Gettonikid, I believe the MP11 offers the most realistic keyboard action and piano sound currently available in a stage piano. Given that you already liked the action and sound of the CA95, the MP11 would be a good choice. However, due to the instrument's real wooden keys and solid construction, it's a little heavy at 32.5kg.

The MP7 offers many of the sounds of the MP11, and uses the plastic key RHII keyboard action widely considered to be one of the best in its class. The MP7 features a wider range of sounds than the MP11 (including tonewheel organs and a brand new synth section), and is rather more portable at 21.0 kg.

Kind regards,
James
x

1. Action - This is highly subjective but you have tried the CP4 and seem happy with it
2. Piano Sound - Again highly subjective, but again you at least seem happy with the cp4 sound
3. Other usable sounds - I think both CP4 and RD800 have a large selection of decent other sounds. The MP11 is has limited other sounds however the MP7 might be worth a consider.
4. Portability - CP4 is by far the lightest. MP11 is by far the heaviest
5. Value - of the three you listed, I believe the CP4 is the cheapest, however if you consider the MP7 I believe that might be cheaper.

I played it again today and had a good hour of uninterrupted play and I believe it is the dynamic harmonic feature suggested that I was picking up on - I believe it also has to do with the fact that I am used to or perhaps prefer the yamaha sound but I going to try the mp 10 and 11 this week to give kawai another go as when I played the ca95 I did not have my headphones - thank you to everyone who has posted and I will update you on what I decide get or do

I'd be interested to hear what you think of the MP10 compared to the MP11 and CA95. Particularly the action.

The Yamaha sound is definitely different than the Roland sound. It isn't much different than comparing a Yamaha grand piano to a Steinway or Kawai. If you have a strong preference for a certain tonal character, the others may never be your cup of tea regardless of specifications you can compare on paper.

Sorry I have not had the chance to drive out to the Kawai dealer who has both a Mp10 floor model and the new Mp11 to post my thoughts.

On a side note I have been reading up on the VPC 1 and was wondering what peoples thoughts are on using it with a Nord Electro(I also want to improve on my organ sound/feel from current set up which is a Yamaha PSR 423 with a Boss Rt20 leslie simulator) to achieve the best of all worlds - That is having access to the great Nord sounds and the feel of Kawai for piano and the electro for organ...

Some of the questions I would have are:

1- since I play thru headphones mostly would I simply plug into the electro when I am using the VPC as the controller for the electro
2- can I try to find an older model electro and still be able to get access to all the nord piano sounds and does this library of sounds include Yamaha as well as kawai, etc
3-would this still work for a live setting bearing in mind it would be very rare

It seems an ideal combination - I believe some people on this forum have it. You get the flexibility & variety and open-ended software approach to piano sounds from Nord. And you get a realistic piano type keyboard from the VPC.

Also, you have the Nord keyboard for playing organ, Hammond and any other non-piano sounds, if you wish, while the VPC1 has facilities for accommodating many computer-based pianos which you can get fairly cheaply.

Questions:

1. Yes.
2. Don't know, but presumably, yes.
3. Yes - so long as you can carry the VPC - but it's not really a gigging instrument - it's more a studio/ home instrument, afaics.

A VPC plus a Nord is a great combination - Le Rouge et le Noir.

As for your questions:

1. Yes
2. Yes, the Nord Piano Library is available on all Nord Electros 3 and 4. Note though that (a) the Electros have limited piano sample memory, so not all piano sounds of the library fit in in their largest (XL) version, and (b) the Electros don't have key sympathetic resonance (they do offer damper resonances though). I find both limitations rather inessential. If you want organ, you should get a Nord with waterfall keys (not HP). Another more pianistic option might be a Nord Piano 2HP (no piano limitations, but no organ either). See the Nord site for more information.
3. Yes, but beware of the weight of the VPC. But then you can use your Nord as a HIGHLY portable standalone instrument!

As toddy and maurus note, the combination of the Nord sounds controlled by the Kawai action can be an excellent solution.

I use an Electro 3 controlled by a Kawai MP8II (an older relative of the VPC1) and am very happy with this setup.

Perhaps the cheapest way of accessing the Nord Piano Library is to pick up a secondhand Electro 3 (61-key). The limited memory can be frustrating, but if you plan your sound selection wisely, a good variety can be found. The Electro 4 models (with the exception of the 61-key drawbar model) feature larger memory capacities, allowing more pianos to be loaded simultaneously...including the XL. Unfortunately, they still do not offer the string resonance of the more expensive Stage and Piano models, however.

Cheers,
James
x

I just bought a Nord Piano 2, so reading this thread about using the Nord sounds interests me. As I stated in my own thread about Nord, I'm not as inspired with the acoustic pianos. I'm continuing to explore them and it helps that so many people find them to be among the best for built in sounds. I'll try to get some headphones and I'm going to have some friends come by to demo for me.

I know I need to gig with it but I feel I have to reach a level of acceptance before that happens.

Hi 36251, before going with the Nord APs I was a Kurzweil and Yamaha user (nothing too expensive though), besides owning acoustic pianos. Initially I was also surprised at the Nord sounds because they are markedly different from other DP makers. However, after a little while, and comparing with the acoustic, I really like the way Clavia prepares their APs. Most of them have some quirks somewhere in the range, but as a matter of fact this is in part by decision in order to give them character. After getting used to Clavia's sounds I find most other DP sounds of acoustic pianos rather lifeless and artificial (with the possible exception of the recent Kawais).

As I wrote in the other thread what I found crucial is to use some EQ of the sounds, even with headphones; with most sounds I find it necessary to boost the midrange a bit around 1-2kHz, and sometimes also to give a bit more body to the bass. Of course this would depend on the headphones or other audio chain.

A general problem is the treble, most sounds lack body and sustain in the higher octaves. Boosting around 2kHz can compensate this a bit, but only so far, as you don't want to distort natural sound in the remaining range.

So far, playing the Nord sounds from the VPC has given me the best experience in the digital world (short of 3500+ €/$).

thanks for that. I'm trying to love them.

I really thankful for all the support from everyone (sorry this is off-topic but I'm just responding to where the thread manifested to.