Should I Buy a Nord Wave 2 if I Have a Nord Stage 3?
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The Original Question:
Mark V. asks: "I'm a very happy owner of a Nord Stage3. I really like the Nord because of the sounds, quality, and intuitive way of controlling the Stage 3 without having to dig into a complex menu structure. Now I would like to buy a synth to expand my gear. The Nord Wave 2 would be an option. Do you recommend the Wave 2 or would it be more of the same and the sounds would be all too "Nord"ish.
Summarized Question: Should I buy a Nord Wave 2 if I have a Nord Stage 3?
Answer:
Great question and one that comes up a LOT around here. You are the first to give this concept a name: "too Nordish." That's great. 🤣
Well, there is a fair amount of Nordishness when you add a second Nord keyboard to your rig - sure. But is that a bad thing? Maybe yes, maybe no. In the end, you have to ask yourself if you want to "play the field" a bit by going with another brand. Doing that immediately adds to your learning effort which could have you frustrated in no time (see your original comment about not wanting to dig into menus and such). But it can be a sexy option to play the field and there is a bunch of stuff out there to look at and have fun with. Everyone is making killer boards these days in the synth department. Ask yourself what type of sounds you need and then listen to your heart as you're doing your research. In the meantime, I'll list the main advantages of the Wave 2 added to a Stage 3.
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Advantages of adding a Nord Wave 2 versus something else: 1) You already know how to use it (kind of). The Wave 2 is a touch more complex on the synth side but not by much. 2) They use the same exact Sample Editor and Sound Editor software. This is a huge advantage and a time-saver for you. 3) The Wave 2 plays samples and when you think about it, there is plenty of variety in these samples to make it seem like you have another keyboard altogether if you try even a little. 4) The two boards look great together on stage (all that "red"). 5) The Wave 2 has the amazing ability to do things on the fly. If you are the type of player that likes to "tweak" in the middle of a song, this keyboard begs for that. 6) You can come up with some fairly robust soundscapes with the Wave 2 beyond what the Stage 3 can do if you are into sound creation. 7) The Wave 2 has enough features that to the naked ear you'd assume you're listening to another manufacturer's board at times. (see #3 above) 8) For me, the Wave 2 gets me 4 more synth layers which is exactly what we need at times to cover songs or add "depth" and power to our overall sound. Once you MIDI a Stage 3 and a Wave 2 together, the lights start blinking (a good thing). |
* If you want to use the arps from the Stage 3 and Wave 2 at the same time, you're going to need a third-party clock to keep all that in sync. A computer is best for this but you could also use a drum machine along with a MIDI splitter.
** I plan on releasing some content this year that addresses all the configuration options of "multiple Nord keyboards" because this concept is growing in popularity. "Why have only one Nord keyboard if you can have two!" Take a look at any of the Nord Facebook groups and you'll stumble into several posts where you see 2 Nords in the picture. This is more common than I would have originally expected.
Personal side note: For me, I lust over the Moog One 16 voice. However, this is not an easy board to haul to a performance and in the end, it can't play a piano sample! But, I've decided that is more likely a retirement board for me in about 12 years when I have more time on my hands.
Best of luck with your decision!
Want More?
Watch a full comparison of the Nord Stage 3 versus the Nord Wave 2 below.
Also if you have questions... you can post a comment on any of the videos below
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Marc 🎹
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