Kurzweil PC3 and PC3LE vs. Nord Stage Classic

[davidstvz]

I'm not much of a keyboard player (as I've mentioned in other threads), but I can do enough to play rock music on stage when backed by a bass player and guitarist. I was going to pick up a used nord stage classic as everything else seemed to complicated... but now I'm thinking I should consider a Kurzweil.

http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com/ProductList.php?cat=13

It's not entirely clear to me what these things are really capable of. How much better is the PC3x compared to the PC3LE7. They should have a comparison chart or something.

Songs I need to play require b3 organ, piano and various synths (tom sawyer, rebel yell). I could probably use some random acoustic samples (strings and bells and such) and that's one big weakness of the nord stage classic (I think).

*shrug*. There's an auction for a NS compact closing on Saturday that I was all set to bid on, now I'm having doubts at the 11th hour.

EDIT:

Why do they always hide these things: http://kurzweil.com/KnowledgeBase.php?product=181&topic=10&entry=311

Well if anyone has any direct experience with any of these I'd appreciate any thoughts you have. Looks like the main difference between the PC3 and LE series is customizability.

 

[floopy]

one thing i noticed was the difference in weight between the model in the PC3 line. the 88 key weighs 54 pounds, the 76 weighs 17 pounds less than that, but the 61 key weighs 30 pounds, only 4 pounds less than the 76. Why the huge difference in weight between the 88 and the 76?

 

[davidstvz]

Each of the 3 has a different keybed model as well as size. The 88 has physical weights, the 76 is called "semi-weighted" but as best I can tell it's just spring action. the 61 has a different model spring action.

You can look at the Fatar website and see a little about the keybeds, but it's designed for keyboard makers not ordinary users. 88 uses TP40, 76 uses TP8 and 61 uses TP9.

http://www.fatar.com/pages/TP_9PIANO.htm

I'm starting to get the impression that the PC3LE keyboards are newer than the regular PC3. If you look at the spec sheet, the PC3 is inferior to the newer LE's in a couple of ways (though not serious ways; the PC3 is superior in a number of important areas such as polyphony). I hope the keybed of the PC361 is nice as I'm seriously considering getting that.

 

[davidstvz]

A big confusion for me is key action. I have no experience with waterfall keys and not enough keyboard experience in general to know what's best here.

My yamaha e-piano has weighted keys which is very nice, but I don't want to lug something around with weights. The nord compact has "waterfall keys" which I gather depress straight downward instead of rotating downward on a hinge in the back of the key. Apparently this allows techniques that are important to organ playing as the classic B3 and such had this kind of action.

The kurzweils have standard keyboard action (rotating not waterfall) and springs not weights unless you get the PC3x or PC3K8 and that is more appropriate to piano playing.

What is best if you plan to play everything... I don't know. Nord only offers weighted piano style and semi-weighted (springs) waterfall on the stage line.

 

[delaware dave]

I don't recall the PC3 being inferior to the LE in any way. Of the 3 keyboards mentioned the PC3 is hands down the best. The PC3 can play up to 32 sounds at one time. It's B3 sound is considered one of the best for synthesizers due to the new leslie, which is not available on the LE model.

 

[floopy]

Been playing a PC3 76 for a year now, and love it. Such a beautiful piece of machinery. I also carry around a roland vk-8 for B3 sounds, but the kurzweil has nice B3 sounds too. The vk-8 just has the waterfall keys with very fast action.