Nord C2 (or Comparable) Advice

[Guest]

I am a baroque organ music enthusiast, taking lessons from an organ teacher, but all I have to practice on is a Yamaha p-85 keyboard. I've seen the youtube videos for the Nord C2 (with Pedal Keys [sic]!), and it looks very exciting. Does anyone recommend it? I don't have the time to try to build my own Hauptwerk based system, and I don't have the money for a "real" digital organ like a Rogers or Phoenix. I'm looking for an out-of-the-box system with two manuals and a pedalboard for $5000 or less. Does the Nord fit the bill? I assume the Roland C-330 is much more expensive than that.</p>

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Honestly, I don't think a two manual digital system with pedalboard is more complicated or expensive to build than an upright piano, and yet they are many thousands more. What gives?</p>

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Jim</p>

[arie v]

Re: Nord C2 (or Comparable) Advice



Jim,</p>

I think you got to start living in the real world. Digital organs are a technology driven item, and even so, certain components such as a pedalboard are going to cost money to build.</p>

But here is a deal for you. You come up with a million dollars, and a thousand friends who want exactly the same as what you want. I can guarantee that if you live up to your end I can get you an instrument, basic though it may be for $5,000 plus you get your money back.</p>

Seriously, the problem is technology is costly, and digital organs are seriously low volume type of business. And that is why they cost more than a piano. But wait, have you priced a decent upright piano lately, one not made in China or Indonesia? They are costing closer to $10,000 and more, especially if it is a European made.</p>

The Nord C2 doesn't sound much like a real organ to me when the stops are piled on. Individual stops don't sound that bad. I would be surprised if you actually got a Nord C2, stand, bench, pedalboard, a couple of powered external speakers for under $6,000 or even $7,000. Nord equipment is generally very well built.</p>

AV
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[michaelhoddy]

Re: Nord C2 (or Comparable) Advice



As a classically-trained organist who also a working pop musician and a Nord owner, I would suggest that your money would be best-spent on one of the many used electronic classical organs available. You'll get an organ that's far closer in feel and authenticity to the kind of music you're playing, and you'll probably get it much cheaper, after you're done with the pedalboard and such. The Nord is basically a jazz/pop/rock organ (and a pretty good one) with some classical samples thrown in. You don't have much in the way of a traditional organ interface beyond the keys themselves.</p>

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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica; ">Honestly, I don't think a two manual digital system with pedalboard is more complicated or expensive to build than an upright piano, and yet they are many thousands more. What gives?

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As Arie has already stated, a much smaller, specialized market and economies of manufacturing scale are what gives. Plus, upright pianos aren't exactly cheap, once you've sorted out the mass-market trash that barely qualifies as musical instruments anyway.</p>

[Victor Jules]

My quest for an affordable home practice organ has finally led to checking Nord 2-manuals out online. Yes, I think I could get a considerable amount of practicing done on one, even with those little 27 pedals, esp considering that

(1) most of my practice is at greatly reduced tempos and

(2) I'd been thinking I could get away with just the 2 red-encased keyboards (why red? only red?) before I noticed the 2 pedalboard options.

So, you think they're well-built and a passably good investment even though there are comments elsewhere that the keyboard units feel lightweight and almost fragile? I do like the sound of their reported lightness and portability. Plan to check some out at GuitarCenter very soon, maybe tomorrow.

Is Nord, I assume, the only brand making a 61-note 2-manual modular tabletop type instrument? They must be good quality, because the prices rarely fall below $3k anywhere I look. I like good Hammond-style playing in any genre, but those sounds are of zero use to me in this. Wish somebody would make an equivalent as strictly a MIDI or Hauptwerk vehicle - some of that expensive tech referred to above would be thus bypassed.

Of course I'd love to call the Venice FL dealer and order up a nice 1990s Allen 2M, but don't have the room for it and aim for portability whenever possible.

THANKS -- VJ

[radagast]

The Nord C2 doesn't sound much like a real organ to me when the stops are piled on. Individual stops don't sound that bad. I would be surprised if you actually got a Nord C2, stand, bench, pedalboard, a couple of powered external speakers for under $6,000 or even $7,000. Nord equipment is generally very well built.</p>

AV
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I agree. The Nord C2 is a very interesting concept. And it is advertised as having Baroque pipe organ samples in it. But the ensemble is lacking. If it had the feature of allowing some voicing, like individually tuning each stop, some warmth could be added to the sound. The samples sound like very short loops as well.

[jgirv]

...the Nords are great, I've used 'em for gospel type services...and, jazz of course. I would think that the baroque samples on it are intended for the giging musician who may occasionally need them for, say, that wedding procession at the catering hall. the point is, the instrument is not intended as a classical organ substitute. Take a quick look at Classic Midi Works to see what you can do for real for classical organs. Pricey, yes. You could also try a few MIDI controller keyboards, a used pedal board, and take Hauptwerk for a spin. Time consuming, can be. But what great fun, and terrific for practicing. I agree, a used electronic for less $$ may be the ticket for you. I just wouldn't put a lot of money into the Nord if you were expecting it to be a stand-in for a classic instrument.

[radagast]

I see at the Musikmesse in Germany a few weeks back, Hammond introduced a competitor to the Nord C2, namely the SK-2. It is a lightweight double manual drawbar organ with pipe samples from their 935 organ.