The Nord Stage 3 digital piano is the fifth generation of the company’s successful Stage Series. The company claims that the piano is a continuation of its efforts and vision to create the ultimate instrument for pianists.
The Nord Stage 3 comes with plenty of exciting features and includes Nord’s award-winning technologies which are the Nord Lead A1 Synth Engine that has sampled playback and the acclaimed Nord C2D organ.
It also has an enhanced piano section and a wide range of hands-on effects. In this review, we’ll check out some of the features that the piano offers, the benefits, and finally some FAQs that we’ll get to answer.
Features of the Nord Stage 3 Digital Piano
This piano packs plenty of outstanding features, which is one of the things that make it unique and preferred by most pianists. Check out these features below.
Specifications
You have the option of choosing either the 88-key, 76-key, or 73-key Nord Stage 3 model.
2 super-clear OLED displays
Enhanced piano section with 2GB memory
Nord Piano Library, 120 voice polyphony, and creative new piano filters
The acclaimed Nord Lead A1 Synth Engine
Effects:
- Brand new filter effect
- Extended morphale parameters
- Enhanced delay effect
- Separate reverb and compressor for each slot
Connectivity:
- MIDI IN/MIDI OUT
- USB
- Power cord
- Stereo headphone output
- 4 assignable audio outputs
- 1 monitor input
- Sustain pedal
- Control pedal
Accessories:
- User manual
- Sustain pedal
- USB
- Power cord
Weight:
- 88-key – 41.8 pounds
- 76-key – 27.5 pounds
- 73-key – 22 pounds
Nord Stage 3 Digital Piano Design
The design of the piano is quite unique and efficient. It features a red color with weighted keys that are meant to make your playing experience worthwhile. The Nord Stage 3 digital piano also has a clean and sleek finish that will add a touch of elegance to wherever you decide to keep it – either in your home or studio.
It easily complements your décor due to its appealing red color blended with a touch of black on the sides. The glossy look of the keyboard is also eye-catching and the keys also shine from afar off giving the piano an amazing look.
Keyboard
The Nord Stage 3 digital piano comes in three models. These models include the 88-key, 76-key, and 73-key.
The 88-key Nord Stage 3 model uses the company’s top-of-the-line fully weighted Hammer Action piano keys. Therefore, that makes this model suitable for electric and acoustic piano sounds, although it can also work properly for organ playing. The key range of the 88-keybed is A-C.
The 76-key model, also known as the HP76, utilizes the amazingly portable weighted Hammer Action keys. This limits the weight of the HP76 model to only 27.3 pounds. The key range of the HP76 model is E – G.
The third Nord Stage 3 digital piano model is the compact 73-key, which uses semi-weighted organ keys. It has a rounded “waterfall” tip, which is ideal for rapid organ shredding and synthesizer licks. However, it also plays pretty nicely with piano sounds. The key range is E – E.
Nord Stage 3 Digital Piano Sound Quality
The Nord Stage 3 digital piano has three sound-generating sections. They include the Piano, Organ, and Synthesizer. You can use all of these sections simultaneously. Additionally, the piano has two separate slots that enable you to have 2 pianos, 2 organs, and 2 synths, with additional effects at the same time to produce impressive sonic flexibility. It also incorporates seamless transitions when changing sounds or programs when playing.
The song mode included in the Nord Stage 3 also allows you to easily organize a group of programs for every song in the list. The Nord Piano Library also features a wide selection of Upright pianos, Grand pianos, Digital pianos, Clavinet, Harpsichord, and Electric pianos.
You can also replace the sounds that you don’t want with the ones that you want using the Nord Sound Manager. However, the Nord Piano Library is updated often with new world-class sounds free of charge.
Connectivity
The Nord Stage 3 digital piano comes with a lot of connectivity options. This makes it easier for you to connect and use the piano with other devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers.
There are 4 assignable audio outputs, stereo headphone output, 1 monitor input, and sustain pedal. Other connectivity options include MIDI IN & MIDI OUT, USB, power cord, rotor pedal, organ swell pedal, and control pedal.
Extra Features of the Nord Stage 3 Digital Piano
There are many features included in this digital piano that we won’t even be able to highlight in this review. But, we’ll discuss a few other important extra features that you need to be familiar with.
Pipe Organs
The Organ section of the piano features two different new Pipe Organ models. The first pipe is a pure Organ with a few harmonics, while the second pipe is a recreation of metal pipes that usually make up the backbone of a pipe or church organ. There’s also a special detune mode when enabling Vibrato/Chorus.
Oscillator Configurations
This allows for fast and flexible programming, which is ideal for both advanced synth nerds and less experienced sound creators. The oscillator configurations available when using Classic, Wave, or Format include:
- Noise mix – It adds a white noise element that can mix with the main oscillator.
- Pitch – This allows you to adjust the pitch of the oscillator.
- Shape – It enables you to shape Classical waveforms.
- Noise mix 2 – It adds a filtered and a bit of resonant noise element to the main oscillator.
- Freq Mod 3 (FM) – It modulates the main oscillator.
- Ring modulation – This mode multiplies the main oscillator waveform with a sine of a chosen relative pitch to offer Classical Ring Modulation sounds.
- Sync – It emulates Hard sync by adding another oscillator, which is the sync reference.
- Waveform Mix (dual oscillator) – It adds a second oscillator, which provides a Sine, Triangle, Square, or Saw wave.
- Bell mix – It adds a dedicated “Bell” oscillator that uses a special FM algorithm to develop a suitable foundation for the bell-type sounds.
- Detune – It adds a second oscillator that can be separately pitched from the main one.
The Master Clock Feature
This feature included in the Nord Stage 3 digital piano enables you to sync effects to other elements such as the LFO or the arpeggiator. It also allows you to easily lock the effect rate to a range of note values. You can control the Master Clock using an external MIDI clock, which makes it perfect for syncing parts to a backing track such as tempo changes.
Who Is the Piano For?
The piano is for every player out there looking for a top-notch digital piano that doesn’t limit them. The Nord Stage 3 digital piano has many unique and beneficial features that make it suitable for starters, intermediate, and professional pianists. Also, it comes in three models that you can choose depending on your preferences.
Pros
- It comes with a fully weighted Hammer Action keyboard.
- All the Nord Stage 3 models have many unique features that offer limitless possibilities.
- The piano includes a Master Clock function that enables you to easily sync effects to other elements.
- There are plenty of connectivity options, which make the piano easy to use with other devices.
- It offers the best sound quality, thanks to the many sound features included. Therefore, it offers value for your money.
Cons
- Unfortunately, the piano is designed more like a Moog because you have to dial in the sounds and effects to get the sound you want.
- It has a noisy keybed, which is not an ideal feature considering its price range. It should have at least a silent one.
FAQs
Is the Nord Stage 3 Digital Piano Worth It?
Yes, the Nord Stage 3 digital piano is definitely worth buying because it has a lot of features and benefits to offer users. Another thing that makes it worth it is that it comes in three models to choose from depending on your needs.
Does the Nord Stage 3 Digital Piano Have Speakers?
Yes, the piano features the latest generation of the vintage 122 Rotary Speaker simulation. This adds an essential character to a live organ performance. It also has Slow, Fast, and Stop modes and a Drive Control. You can use the 122 Rotary Speaker simulation with the piano or synth section.
Will There Be a Nord Stage 4?
Yes, Yes, here is the Nord Piano 4 Digital Piano Review
Why Is the Nord Stage So Popular?
The Nord Stage digital piano is popular because of the high-quality sound that it produces. It has a lot of excellent sound features, which has made the keyboard popular among pianists.
Conclusion
Overall, the Nord Stage 3 digital piano is an amazing digital piano to consider buying. Although the piano is a bit costly, the quality and features that it brings to the table offer value for your money. Make sure to check it out today and say if it’s the type of digital piano that you would need.
