Nord Electro 3 and Nord Electro 3 HP – Comprehensive Review
Nord Electro 3 HP widens the range of Electronic keyboards
List Price: $2,499.00Amazon Price: $2,068.97 with FREE shipping
The Nord Electro 3, Clavia Nord’s upgrade on the classic Electro models, follows the Nord pattern for authentic sound quality and usability. Borrowing the organ technology of the Nord C1, the acoustic and electric piano sounds of the Nord Stage EX, and all the sound sample possibilities of the Nord Wave, the Nord Electro 3 is one of the best portable, all-in-one digital keyboards. In this Nord Stage 3 review, you’ll find that, while simpler than models like the Nord Stage 2 or Nord Wave, the Nord Electro 3 delivers the maximum sound quality and versatility one could expect from an instrument of this type.
Nord Electro 3 walkthrough, Part 1
Nord Electro 3 vs Nord Electro 3 HP (Hammer Action)
The Nord Electro 3 comes in two different portable sizes, a 61-key and a 73-key, both featuring Clavia’s light-action, semi-weighted waterfall keys.
For organ players, the keyboard defaults to “fast play” settings in organ mode, where notes are triggered at the moment the keys are struck. Coupled with the light-touch semi-weighted keys, this creates a realistic organ-play experience.
Recently Nord also released the 73-key Nord Electro 3 HP, which gives piano enthusiasts the choice of the latest fully-weighted Hammer Action technology. This is one of the most portable options for a keyboard with an authentic, fully-weight piano feel. The full-sized Nord Stage 2 or Nord Stage EX may offer better versatility for hard-core pianists, but the Electro 3 HP weighs only 23 pounds, making it one of the lightest Hammer Action keyboards available.
Simple outputs & user interface
The Electro 3’s controls follow the standard of the powerful Nord Stage 2 in putting a simple, intuitive interface within finger’s reach. MIDI and sound controls are all displayed clearly. The effects controls are clearly accessible in the middle of the front control panel, with four different sliders to use to customize the keyboard’s digital effects. As for the inputs and outputs, the Nord Electro 3 has all the necessaries, plus a headphone jack and a USB port for hooking into a computer. Though it only includes the basic stage and effects outputs, the Electro 3 has everything functional users will need.
Nord Electro 3 walkthrough, part 2
Access to the full Nord Sample Library
The best part of Nord’s newest Electro upgrade is its almost unlimited sound and instrument palette, thanks to new online access to the Nord Sample Library. The Nord library takes the Electro 3 to new heights as an electromechanical keyboard, providing access to a huge bank of authentic sound samples from a variety of instruments, all of which can be downloaded to the Electro 3 for free.
Piano sounds
Most of the Electro 3′s onboard flash memory is taken up by a wide variety of piano sounds, including acoustic grand, upright, electric piano, harpsichord, and even Clavinet. The online Nord Sample Library has many more; it encompasses the extensive Nord Piano Library—in other words, the complete piano catalog Nord uses for its professional performance instruments (like the Nord Stage 2).
Organ sounds & control
There are three organ models included on the Electro 3, including the Farfisa and Hammond B3 organs. Plus, the Nord Sample Library’s organ sound selection is just as good as its piano library. The authentic, polyphonic sound is as true as possible to the original organ models thanks to Clavia’s advanced sound-capture technology. The Nord Electro 3 also has seventeen presets in organ mode to control the voice and drawbar settings of the instrument. For an organ player, the Electro 3 offers a range of control and personalization in style and sound that is unheard-of for a keyboard of its size and function.
Sound Samples
The drawback to the virtually unlimited access to sound samples through the Nord Sample Library is you won’t have room to store it all. The Nord Electro 3 has only 256MB of onboard memory, and only about 68MB is free for instrument samples that aren’t piano and organ. This leaves room for about 50 samples, which can, however, be swapped out from the Library or deleted at will.
The amazing Mellotron sounds included in the Nord Wave are included here, to note are solo strings, brass sounds, and church organ sounds.
Listen to the Mellotron samples here:
The Electro 3 sounds are notably detailed, completely in tune, and has a high-end sheen in the string sounds, and a more realistic, airy flute sound. When compared to a real Mellotron, the Electro 3 has a purer shine to it, though it occasionally misses the weight and thickness of a real Mellotron.
Effects
The Nord Electro 3‘s controls are clearly displayed in the middle of the front panel, with four different effects in a fixed signal path, each that can be adjusted through an algorithm selector. The first could be selected from a ring modulator, pan, wah-wah, or tremolo effects. The second includes a chore effect, a flanger, and a phaser. The third effect to select from can be an speaker/comp which offers a selection of amplifier simulations, from fuzzy sounds to completely distortions. The final effect to select from is the reverb which offers five different options. The reverb creates a very lush and occasionally eerie sound that you will enjoy on both your organ and Mellotron sounds.
Conclusion
The Clavia Nord Electro 3 is possibly one of the best portable performance keyboards on the market. With its authentic sounds, 23-pound total weight, and easy-to-use interface, the Electro 3 easily beats the competition in the compact keyboard market.
Get the best deal on the Nord Electro 3 SeventyThree!
Nord Electro 3, 73-Key Electronic Stage Piano and Organ (AMS-NE373)
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 List Price: $2,499.00 Sale Price: Too low to display Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping 
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Nord Electro 3, 73-Key Electronic Stage Piano and Organ (AMS-NE373) - Product Description
Much like it's predecessors, the Nord Electro 3 Seventythree stage piano/organ meets the demands of the performing keyboard player. It offers up some of the best stuff Nord has to offer in affordable and easy-to-use instruments. The keyboard is compatible with the Nord Piano library and takes full advantage of the Library's multitude of velocity layers, pedal-down samples, and extremely high quality samples providing you with unprecedented expressiveness. The keybed itself features a 73-key (6 octaves) velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted "waterfall" (square front) keyboard to help make this possible. Any current or future piano that is available for the Stage family will also automatically be available to the Nord Electro 3. Exquisited New Pianos Right from the start, the Electro 3 is loaded with a great selection of pianos. There are 3 acoustic grands (2 Yamaha C7s and one Steinway D) and 2 electric grands. Electric piano aficionados will love the time-based types; an Mk I, a Suitcase Mk I, an Mk II and an Mk V all with their unique and distinctive personalities. A great Wurlitzer A200 is present, as is the mighty Clavinet D6. The Clavinet type also includes the Harpsichords. There is a French harpsichord in the factory sound bank, and more to come in the Nord Piano Library download area. Each and every one of these pianos can be replaced if you wish. There are plenty more to choose from in the Library area, including some XL versions of Nord's grand pianos, with even more details like added velocity layers and pedal-down samples. And all those sounds are available for free. Samples from the Nord Library Not only loaded with great piano sounds, the Electro 3 also sports some great samples to add flavor to your sonic arsenal. You'll find some of the classic Mellotron sounds, a selection of strings, celeste, vibraphone, and many others. And, just as with the piano partition, all of the samples can be replaced if the factory selection does not suit your immediate needs.
Nord Electro 3, 73-Key Electronic Stage Piano and Organ (AMS-NE373) - Details
- 73 Velocity-sensitive semi-weighted waterfall keys
- 128 Program memories
- 9 Digitally controlled drawbars
- Full polyphony
- Compatible with the new Nord Piano library
