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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 onProduct Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #8648 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...
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...
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 Raver
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.