Clavia Nord Electro 2 61 Key Synthesizer Keyboard


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Product Description

The Nord Electro 2 was developed to deliver the best emulations of traditional electromechanical keyboard instruments on the market, and to make the instrument compact and lightweight.Nothing else. No brass banks, no orchestral sounds. No compromises. Just outstanding electromechanical keyboard sounds with true feel, from fast keyboard response to authentic sound.The organ in the Electro 2 is based on a digital simulation of the mechanical tone wheels of the B-3 organ. It offers a number of very innovative solutions to mimic the typical B-3 sound. The piano section comprises several carefully multi-sampled electric piano instruments. As a bonus we also included an acoustic grand piano (concert model). The Electro 2 also sports a USB interface for quick and easy download of new piano sounds.The Electro 2 also features a very flexible effects section including a Rotary Speaker simulation out of the ordinary. Nord Electro 2 is available in three versions: the 5 octave Nord Electro 2 SixtyOne, the 6 octave Nord Electro 2 SeventyThree and the 19' rack version Nord Electro Rack 2. Both keyboard versiond feature exclusive semiweighted waterfall keyboards and weigh less than 10 kgs each!The Nord Electro 2 conceptThere are a number of very unique electric keyboard instruments that have always been a vital component in music over the years. Instruments that have a distinct sound and a soul of their own. Remember that great organ sound in Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', or the wonderful electric piano in Supertramp's 'The Logical Song', or the Clavinet sound in Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'? The list could go on forever. These types of keyboards have inspired generations of musicians and continue to gain new admirers every day. They certainly also inspired us here at Clavia and therefore we decided to create the ultimate 'electromechanical' stage keyboard.The organ section of the Nord Electro 2 is based on

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #8568 in Musical Instruments
  • Brand: Nord
  • Model: NE61
  • Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, 22.00 pounds

Features

  • Full polyphony
  • 9 electric drawbars with memory functionality
  • Effects: Presence (or Filter and Pickup selectors for the Clavinet D6 sound)
  • Memory: 48 user memory locations (6 Banks of 8 Programs each) in which you can store complete setups, including instrument settings (organ/piano) and effects settings
  • Included Accessories: Owner's Manual, Power Cord, Nord CD/DVD-ROM

Customer Reviews

The best 17 lbs. money can buy...5 For the gigging keyboardist, the Electro 61 falls somewhere between a Godsend and a no-brainer. It's hard to avoid hyperbole when discussing this instrument, but anyone who has toted a Hammond rig and a Wurlie and a controller and peripherals and every other blasted thing will get my drift. For 29 years, I've been condemned to driving a cargo van full of vintage keys which weren't designed to leave the living room in the first place. I've herniated myself in the process, and was almost killed in a rear-end collision that flipped my 'B' upside down. I have made every effort to 'scale down' -- Korg CX3, Micro B, Roland VK7, Oberheim, Hammond XM3, and oddball stuff. All of the aforementioned fell woefully short of Hammond heaven, and of course, didn't offer any EP features or anything else. The buzz about the Nord was intriguing, so I checked one out at a local store. Typically, the young, cooler-than-thou clerk could barely get the thing to power up, and I was pretty much left to navigate on my own. But five minutes on the Electro made me a believer (of COURSE I ordered one online -- any dope on the floor of a music store who can't get a keyboard that produces five sounds to work doesn't get his commission from me). Here goes (note -- run this guy stereo, even if ya have to buy a little PA to do so): the Hammond end of things is simply exquisite. I did a little EQ stuff (the Electro features EQ and presence knobs on the dashboard. What a concept! You know, you can actually tweak your sound during performance...), rolled back the key click, and entered my own registrations. Fat, juicy, and soulful. Big, even in the high harmonics. Not a trace of cheese. Outlandish chorus. Completely persuasive percussion. The best Leslie ever, and I don't mean 'pretty good.' It sounds like the real deal. I personally don't have an issue with the 'draw-buttons' and I like controlling the Leslie speed via footswitch. The last thing I want is another broken bakelite switch hanging pitifully on my 'board. Rhodes: ya want Richard Tee? Yassah. "Just the Way You Are?" (you'll actually want to play the old warhorse) -- roger roger. Steely Dan ala Victor Feldman and/or "Nightfly" stuff? Yes jones. Through the Electro, younger players might actually discover what a Rhodes really sounds like. Twenty years of screaching over-cranked synth knockoffs did the Rhodes sound no favors. Wurlie: intitially, I couldn't find one quite 'mean' enough, but five minutes with 'presence' did the trick. Early Ray, in a big way. A little tremolo and it's Mussel Sholes central. Just like my 200. Plays like it too. Light, but CONFIDENT feeling. Clavs: good grief. Perfect. CP80: Back in the day, I wanted one desperately. But, of course, like every thing else back in the day, I coudn't afford one. Now I OWN one. I LOVE it. Newbies probably won't 'get' the CP80, but us old timers will have our fun. Piano: contrary to most opinions, I think the piano is very good. I don't like it as well as my Kurweil 1200 Pro I, but it's entirely usable. I re-EQed it, rolling off some of the not-so-pleasant highs. Prior to a gig recently, I played some standards using the piano sound. I was testing the waters to see if the relatively short keyboard and on-board piano would work for jobbing. Absolutely. It won't cut stride, but an Evans-esque approach is A-OK. Conclusion: the Electro 61 is hands-down the most impressive and exciting 'keyboard' I've ever owned, and I have had a ton of stuff. Unlike a synth, it is designed for the player to make music on it. In that sense, it is a bonafide musical instrument. Sounds great! BUT...4 The big but. If you've ever played a real B-3 you may well be in for a disappointment. While the sound is beyond belief, the lack of real drawbars is Nord's downfall. You loose the ability to instictively "fly" your hand up to change settings. Nord's drawbar "buttons" are far from instant, hard to control, and have top be watched in order to get the setting you want. Also, whils the Leslie is the best simulator I've ever heard (2 amps for best results. I use Genz Benz UC4's)you're gonna miss the half moon Leslie switch. I had many B-3's and I have two Nord 61's. Some compensation comes from the other sounds, but much is lost in the transition from the real instruments. I've also had many Wurlys and Clavs. Mostly you loose the ability to control attack. Are they worth it? Well if you can't have the real thing(s)...YES. The keys seem to break at the back for no reason at all, so be prepared to pay $10 per replacement. (Nord: Please use better material)The up side is great sound and portability. Nord: Build a dual manual with real drawbars, and a half moon switch and you'll have accomplished the impossible. Note the four stars... It was almost three. At this point, would I part with mine? NO! I'm too old to lug two amps, a B-3, a Leslie, and two other boards. You should also buy ONLY an Ultimate support single post type stand. Just do it. Could the Nord 61 be better? Most certainly, but nothing else is. Best B-3 sound short of a B-3. P.S. Nord 61s ARE "keyboards". I really miss "riding" my B-3... Retro Raver5 If you like the organ work on Santana's Abraxas, or the cool sounds of Fender Rhodes on Bitches Brew, then you want to try out this board. You also get Clavinet (Superstition), CP-80 (In your eyes.) and Wurlitzer (LA Woman). The keyboard is quite comfortable (except maybe for the competent, but uninspiring accoustic piano samples), and the effects are spare , but of high quality, especially the tube overdrive and a fantastic leslie. Clavia offers a few extra voice samples which can be downloaded free from their site and inserted by USB onto the board. (Speaking of retro, though, if you are using Mac, you have to dig up OS 9; it won't run on X.) I only wish that these sly swedes would loosen up a little bit and consider sampling mellotron or maybe some arp strings. Still, I can't get enough of those cool Rhodes tones, thrashing and chiming about. This thing is a blast.