Both of these boards sound great. When I was in the market to buy a new live setup I tried the Nord Stage 3, Yamaha CP88 and Yamaha YC. I preferred quite a few of the sounds, action and workflow of the Yamaha. Also, having a built in audio interface is a massive plus as you can add tons of additional sounds from a phone/tablet/laptop and record both the audio and midi direct into a DAW with a single cable! I ended up going for both a Yamaha CP88 and Yamaha YC61 that cost me less than the Nord and also included cases!! Regarding the piano sounds I prefer certain aspects of the Yamaha pianos over the Nords and some aspects of the Nords over the Yamaha. The Yamaha pianos have a nice clarity and sparkle that really cut through a mix. By default, they sound thinner in certain areas than the Nord but this can easily be dialed in as demonstrated in this video by adjusting the Tone and Filter. I also find a little compression and choosing a denser reverb can also add to this. However, the main feature I miss with the Yamaha piano sounds is true sympathetic resonance! I would also love to have adjustable pedal, hammer and key release samples. A lot of these features exist in some of Yamaha's other pianos including the cheaper P-515 so I'm really hoping this will make it into the CP and YC boards in a future firmware update. This would really hake the Yamaha piano sounds to another level in my opinion and would give the Yamaha piano sounds a the edge over the Nords.
I'm a Yamaha owner (CP88), I was considering getting a Nord, but the not-so-great action was a deal-breaker. I have to say, Nords have their place, especially when you need organs and synths (I don't, I just need the piano), but the CP88 (which has the same sounds/action as the YC) really holds its own. I've played many Nords, and they sound great, and I agree with other commenters that the string resonance and overall nuances are more realistic, but I don't think anyone's likely to notice that in a performance setting. Also, I think comparing White Grand to the CFX isn't fair; instead, Douglas should've used Hamburg Grand on the Yamaha. Hamburg Grand has key noises in the sample, and with a bit of EQing, it sounds pretty close to White Grand. I think I personally made a good decision to go with the Yamaha rather than the Nord. Anyway, there's my two cents.
I really like the hamburg grand in the cp88, its my favourite by a long way. Unfortunately there are glitches and flaws in the samples that should have been fixed. The other pianos are ok, but a bit to churchy/pop oriented. White grand on the nord is great. None of the keybeds feels like a real piano. Perhaps a little more control on the cp 88 but the nord is a faster keybead. Easier to play.
@thenetworkmystery I agree, "Hamburg Grand" would be more suitable. When people compare the sounds of different brands, they forget about one very important thing. A lot depends on the manner of playing and sound extraction. I would like to note that Yamaha, in its entire history, has implemented the best Rhodes tone in the Yamaha CP1 released in 2009. The distinctive side between the Yamaha Reface and the CP1 is that on the CP1 alone you can adjust individual E.Piano parameters and achieve a very natural sound. I really hope that Yamaha will soon release a Stage Piano based on this technology, but only at a more advanced level so that the Grand Pianos sound more distinctive and more realistic. NORD is an excellent instrument that combines everything at a very high level, in a very compact body and with very cool controls. That's always what attracted me. But, I cannot be so indifferent to the fact that some instruments remain in the shadows and are so underrated. In my opinion, this particular instrument has the best sound of an acoustic piano and an electromechanical. I'm sorry that people think so stereotypy. Listen here th-cam.com/video/iQFeis_SOWY/w-d-xo.html
Nord is nice, but Yamaha sounds more wide and upfront which I actually like. Yamaha + Nord = Wide + Upfront + Warm (Of course, you can tweak each of the EQs to make it more suitable for your contextual needs)
Totally agree when it comes to damper resonance, Nord is better. However, this level of detail wouldn't be really prominent for live gigs where we play mostly with the band. All you need is to quickly cut through the mix which Yamaha is definitely good at.
That was a really good comparison. There is something special about the Nord pianos compared to all other brands. It somehow sounds way more like a real piano. I don't know the exact reason, sample size are sometimes bigger on the competition but it doesn't matter. For me, only Nord captures more than a glimpse of that livelihood you experience on the real pianos. In your example I got a clue it's something about how the sound is ending when or before you lift of the keys. They tones have something like a resonance at the end of the sound, especially without the sustain pressed. Almost as if slightly detuning. The Yamaha doesn't do that and hence it always sounds more sterile, sometimes even synthetic to me. On the other hand, Yamaha also has some special characteristics on their real pianos, be it Upright or grand. More metallic, more sharp than let's say a Kawai, Schimmel or even Steinway. I'm not particular fond of the Yamaha pianos and gravitate more to other brands. But they have their fans and probably that's why their stage pianos are liked as well.
The full grand sound on the motif series works great in many live settings. My s90 es still sounds incredible. The CFX sample is sub par compared to the full grand or s700 sample in the s90 es. The Nord sounds great too. The royal grand 3D sounds great. The white grand and Italian grand works well in many situations as well. In church I use the full grand sound on the moxf8 and it’s dynamic range is very natural sounding. I can play it soft with lots of body or strike it hard for great expression. The Nord to me lacks the dynamic range but excels in other areas. Hard to say what’s better.
I own yamaha moxf8 and like both cf3s and s6 timbres. They sound great. I owned korg kronos 88 and nord electro 3. Both sound great but yamaha is kinda magical in terms of how pleasant it sounds. I could easily buy kronos or stage 3, but yamaha keeps my hear busy, costing 3-4 times less than kronos/stage 3. Phenomenal 😊😊
Yamaha action is better. Also, I have always found Nord sounds fall down on realism in the DS part of the envelope. Hold a piano note on the Nord and hear the clinical sound of a looping sample as it decays. Not so much with the YC.
Fair analysis! Thank you! 5 minutes in and I thought you had a little bias toward the Nord, which you in the end admitted it so it's cool. Listening with my studio Headphones the Yamaha sounds like its panned L/R while the Nord sounds more centered... wondered if the 2 pianos got the same EQ. Personally I'm into Yamaha's - this part of the world Nord are still new and few. The ultimate comparison for me would be where you gather a few Nord & Yamaha enthusiasts, blindfold them, then play select sounds from both pianos and let the musicians chose which sounds best. They results are always inconclusive ...
I'm wondering if your Yamaha keys have ever busted. I had one key fail, then a few months later 3 more have failed. But I have a lower-end Yamaha, the P-125, which could just be an inferior product.
You said it the Yamaha sounds in general are geared towards live and group sounds, they are meant to cut though in the mix. Also the tail on the notes on they YC is a bit shorter than the Nord. Many Gospel and other similar musicians shorten the tail of notes (on modeled pianos) so fast playing has more definition. The Yamahas like their acoustic pianos are used in the studio a lot because they have a good sound to take the typical processing done in the studio. Nords ( have a Stage 3) are fuller and would be better for solo piano work. As you noted the YC sounded better at the extreme low and highs, the Nords start sounding stretched at the extremes unless using the XL size samples. Long run both offer a lot of EQ and other options to dial in a sound that works for you. On my Stage 3 I mainly use the Studio Grand 2 sample that I believe is a Yamaha C7. Occasional I do use the White Grand. The Studio Grand 2 for me has the well defined shorter tail note I like.
Yamaha all the way. Sounds more like a real piano. Nord is good but if you listen closely they have an unnatural but subtle chimy sound which to me makes it sound unnatural and more digital. Yamaha just sounds natural. There are a couple of Yamaha pianos I'm not crazy about like the felt piano but overall Yamaha wins in my opinion
Hi. I bougt the NS4 73. Pianos sounds great……in my headphones and my monitor at home/studio. But on gigs I play lot of rock/blues Delbert McClinton-like, and suddely I notis that NS4 dont cut through. Maybe you get a better compare on stage? 😀😀. I will see if I can borrow a YC73 somewere to compare on a gig. Great video
Nord guys have mastered piano sampling, not sure what they do but they let their pianos sound real and present, it's a shame there's no sound module as stand-alone option, everything else on the Nord is replaceable by other keyboards nowadays
I've not played the 3 sensor YC88 but the YC73 needs to be adjusted using curves and levels. The Osmose revealed a big problem on the YC73. If you adjust it more samples seem to kick in or become apparent. Maybe the 88 works correctly but MIDI an Osmose with continuous sensor or infinite sensor and the YC improves dramatically. It gives you infinite control. Probably the only way to accurately A/B them is using an identical controller. This removes any variables. The key action and settings can seriously change the performance and sound. For example the CK and YC playing the same Yamaha pianos/samples sound completely different. Key action and response and settings can change the results considerably.
I like the nord stage 4 sound better.. Both sound great but, I love the way the nord stage 4 is designed better overall . I may be biased because I am a nord stage 4 owner.
Nord, pois o nord tem um médio muito exagerado, no contexto de banda tocando, esse médio acaba se destacando bastante, o mesmo serve para os violões taylor
*I feel like the Velvet Grand sample on the Nord has more of an Upright quality. I sometimes wonder if Nord made a mistake and included that sample in the Grand Piano section by mistake 😂*
As a first time Nord owner, coming from Yamaha (DGX 640 & Monatge8), I feel Nord has better piano sounds for my taste, I’m loving my Stage 4, still kind of getting used to all the buttons though 😂 Great video by the way!!!
I had the pleasure to play the Stage 4 88key version in a music store today, and I dont now if this is just my imagination , but every single sound/patch I played sounded better on the new Stage 4. Clearer, deeper, more 3d. Strange since Stage 3 and 4 share a lot of the same samples. Or maybe Nord has upgraded the converters in the Stage 4 (I currently own the Stage 3 88-key)?? Could just be placebo....
I prefer the sounds of the Nord. The Yamaha sounds more artificial and metalic sounding. If I were to purchase a Nord I would go for the grand with its kawai keybed. Plus you can download what piano sounds you want and customise your keyboard with just your favourites. Sounds are always being added to the website for download. This is a big plus that other manufacturers do not do.
Both instruments use sample based technology, so my expectations are only so high. I own a Nord Piano 5, and really enjoy playing it. I think it terms of sampling pianos, Clavia/Nord certainly leads the way. I also own Pianotech 8 and the modeling based technology they use I believe is superior to any sample based instrument I’ve played. I also really enjoy playing the Roland RD-2000. When I play pianotech8 I have it connected to a Roland A88 MK2 with the PHA-4 piano action. Even with Nords triple sensor keybed, I think piano modeling a better playing experience. Happy playing 😊
I own a real Yamaha Conservatory C7F Grand. Fabulous instrument. That said, the YC-88 C7 patch sounds nothing like the real thing...especially in the midrange. Overall, I'd say the tenor and alto are more natural on the Nord, but the bass on the Yamaha is far superior. Hard to live without that rich defined bass. In contrast, the Nord bass sounds muddy to me. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. In the end, apples and oranges. Thanks for posting the comparison...
In future, think about lowering your voice mic relative to the pianos, by about six dB. (Really hard to hear the pianos with your voice being so much louder)
Even though Stage 4 is clearly better, I still like YC a lot. It's kind of inexplicable, but playing Yamaha pianos is a real pleasure. But I have to admit that the Nord is way ahead of the Yamaha in sampling
The Yamahas always sound great 👍 they are the industry elite standard for stage pianos.. at the same time, they still sound very “digitized “ and recorded. I tire of the sound over time. The Nord sounds like an actual mic’d piano. I own the NG. It’s inspiring to play.
I’m sorry bro but i’m going to strongly disagree I own a Yamaha GB1K & My grandfather owns a 2006 C3 Grand piano This YC88 Sounds much more authentic to how an acoustic piano sounds The nord has a long long way to go in comparison
Don’t get me wrong, the Nord sounds awesome! But there’s something about the Yamaha that makes me feel I’m sitting in front of the piano itself. Idk I love them both.
Nord é excelente em contexto de banda, mas realmente soa como um teclado, nord tem um médio muito excessivo, o que faz com que com uma banda isso seja excelente, mas um piano é equilibrado em todas as regiões, não excede e nem falta em nada, o nord tem médio muito exagerado, nesse sentido o yamaha vence, ele é mais equilibrado que o nord
I just bought the Stage 4. The pianos are Ok, evenv good, but I still go back to my TruePianos VST which is incredibly expressive and tonal. The Diamond version is the one. There is a free 40 day trial on their site of the Amber, but the Diamond is very exceptionallly good, even better than the Amber. This is a truly exceptional clear grand sound with fantastic touch. Even better, the TruePaino is modelled and has a tiny footprint, Ideal for laptops
Consider how much time, design, form factor/shipping money is allocated to the keys, the action/range, mechanical and the keybed themselves. It's probably time for all budgeted project money to go towards the brain & UI and DSP, display for the ultimate processing system and leave the keys to someone else or whomever you choose or you like best. The keys are so subjective and don't respond or feel like we want it seems like an afterthought absorbing half the production cost. As soon as Osmose or others release an 88 key option with total customization we won't need stock keys anymore. A synth or stage board could be twice as powerful without something we don't really need because we already have it. Total redundancy. You have to go purchase (3) of the same boards to get waterfall, graded 88 and anything else you like and even then you might not love it and 2 or 3 sensor action is still ancient bare minimum quality. Makes sense to dump the keys because they all have issues anyway. The ultimate are infinite sensor with aftertouch MPE etc. Vangelis said these boards aren't real instruments because of the limitations they have. Piano is a percussive key on/off or sustain which we still need but technology can now take us much further than just wax on wax off.
Basically the Yamaha has the EQ'ing on their pianos slightly more ready for stage to cut through and blend properly in the mix, whereas the Nord would need the bright button or some EQ'ing, as it would be flat, dull and muddy on stage. Aren't these supposed to be Stage keyboards!? But the Yamaha CFX and C7 pianos already have an advantage live because they naturally cut and blend in a mix live better than classical pianos like a Steinway, which is the Nord's main piano. Of course you can adjust the EQ'ing on the YC to be more of a natural authentic sounding CFX or C7. I don't agree that the Nord sounds better or more real/authentic. Nord just chose to make their defaults without any EQ'ing for Stage, and you are comparing a classical Steinway sound to the pop/rock/gospel CFX/C7 sound on the Yamaha. The Yamaha pianos were sampled/recorded at the highest level, same as the Nord's were. The internal processing hardware on the YC is equally as high quality as the Nord if not more so. If anything the Steinway on the Nord sounds a bit dull or lacks clarity, as if the velocity layers aren't set properly or more like a grand piano with the lid shut when it should be open, but that could just be the Steinway sound compared to the Yamaha sounding pianos. The fact that the Nord's don't have a Yamaha CFX or C7 piano should be a deal breaker for 'some' people who want a stage piano keyboard and specifically want the Yamaha grand piano sound. Comparing the Nord Stage to the Yamaha YC pianos (the Steinway to the CFX / C7 pianos) is like comparing a Les Paul Gibson to a Fender Strat...they are not meant to sound the same and have completely different sound signatures. It's personal preference, and one does not have less quality or sound more digital or less authentic than the other. If you choose other settings on the YC from the defaults, especially EQ type settings, it will sound as authentic with it's pianos as the Nord ever could. This was really just comparing apples to oranges! But if anything, if you are talking pianos for a "stage" keyboard, I'd take the YC any day of the week. I'd like to have the Steinway as an option, but I'd like to have it with the lid wide open, not completely shut like how they EQ'd it on the Nord by default. Luckily for me, I have a Montage with the CFX, C7 library and Steinway Library. I played my Steinway on the Montage along with the Nord and my best setting has the lid open. When I played my Steinway with no EQ'ing (closed lid), it sounds exactly like the Nord's piano!! But the big question is, since update 1.3 the YC has a Steinway (Hamburg grand). Why didn't you compare more apples to apples and compare the Steinways of each against each other..!?
I honestly really listening to the yahama as i use one for my church the yc. The hammond is trash yahama shouldn’t have. The hammond just sounds like a toy. Is it better on the cp88 then the yc? Without question, i have the Kawai mp7se box feel that it has a more lushy better sound in my opinion and the sk ex sound is so emotional and it brings out your true emotions. There is no virtual room or tech on a nord
So I'm hearing a lot of negativity about the compressed piano sound of the Yamaha. Anyone with experience have any input on that? It might be a potential deal breaker. I hate onboard compression that you can't remove.
Andertons is struggling with sales at the minute, wont last much longer. look at the 1 star reviews littered all over the company in the last few months, avoid them like the plague
Yamaha sounds great as they always do...but the Nord is on another level altogether! Yamaha sounds like a nice digital piano...Nord sounds like a nice acoustic piano!
The one thing the YC88 Definitely has over the Nord is an authentic grand piano sound I own a Yamaha GB1K & My grandfather owns a 2006 C3 Grand piano. Nord has a long ways to go before even sounding like a real acoustic piano, And it mean a long way.
The Nord White Grand is a sampled Steinway. It sounds more like a 9ft Grand acoustic. Moreover the brilliance and warmth of the Nord is remarkable. Unfortunately the Nord Instruments are imho ugly. 😊
I own a Yamaha GB1K I don’t understand how anyone thinks the nord sounds anything like a real acoustic piano, it’s miles off YC88 Sound sooo much more like the real thing
Hitting a market slot is exactly what Yamaha is intending to do. They are well aware of Nord offerings and price points and so they simply begin at a price point, say half, for example. Yamaha could make a $6K stage board variant probably that does the same or similar or even better. Since making money is their primary objective why not come in at half the cost and sell 2, 3 or 10 times as many? I mean it's a great board and you can grab a YC61 for something seriously cheap as a rompler or organ manual. How about buying two YC61s or two CK61s stacked as a double manual and still save a ton of money left over? Or get a CK88 as another option for something silly like only $1400. Always question what else can I get for this amount and obviously not just Yamaha. Nord is like a pop culture icon in red but most probably can't afford it but you don't need that much money to live in keyboard heaven these days. I wonder if Nord reduced the cost to half if they'd sell 10 times as many and by doing the math still make the same amount of profit. It just doesn't cost more than about $2K to make that $6K board. Maybe only one forth or fifth who knows. Once they are on the 4th generation of essentially the same machine and the assembly/manufacturing tweaks are rolling & parts only require modest adjustments how much do they really cost per unit? It's the same recipe just making more of it. Yamaha is making boards cheaper and cheaper so everyone can afford one. If the Nord is half the price I'd buy one so how many others would too? I can buy so much other gear for $6K it just makes no sense. It's not a workstation either with a intuitive touch screen etc. so it's expensive even if 7 voices at once. The Fantom also with red can do all of that and 16 voices at once and has onboard synth functions, pads, sequencing etc. I mean I like the NS4 but what else can I buy for $6K? Makes no financial &/or musical sense. Thus I still remain without one. The SKpro beats all of these in organs and it can do 10 voices at once using custom layers and has a monosynth. It's only about $2,500 for the 73 on a deal. Just tons of options at $3K and less. Say I buy and MIDI together a CK61 ($1K), Osmose ($1,800), YC or Skpro ($2,500) or similar combo spending around $5,300 that's going to absolutely kill a single NS4. They are seriously way, way overpriced IMO. Money is typically an object for most musicians and players alike.
It's kind of funny, I'm not a piano player or expert, but all the pianos essentially sound like pianos and inside a tune no one is going to know much about it other than a piano is playing. Slightly different textures of the same flavor vanilla especially in the mid range. The extremes can differ more such as in sustain in the low register and timbre in the upper.
Yamaha music corporation is over 100 years in existence, Yamaha set the stage for this era of digital piano technology. Nord only surfaced in 2010. Conduct your own comparative tests, apply the ears, not the eyes - Yamaha beats Nord hands down many times over
Veeeerrryyy frustrating review. You need to play the first piano, then immediately play the exact same thing on the second piano for a fair comparison. You do this a bit and that's the only way to compare.
I've had tons of Yamaha in the past, and a couple right now, ...but Yamaha got really lazy. Those pianos flat out suck. No mids or warmth. Cringy harsh bright on higher velocities. Would be curious to hear the CK pianos vs Nord, but I would assume the CK pianos are the same as the YC? And btw, most any piano will "cut" live with proper compression/eq. Tons of praise are heaped on Roland/Yamaha for "cutting" live by making horrible brittle pianos.
CK has the same samples, but probably in a worse/smaller format. It does have more samples than both CP and YC series. I used to have a Nord Stage 2EX, but found myself more “playing” with buttons than playing the keys. So I got the Yamaha CP. but yeah… it needs some serious firmware update to compete with other brands in the same price range (Nord Electro 6 etc.). Especially in the sounds/samples department.
@@ChrisP3000x after some searches, no luck so far. Maybe I’m mistaken. Some facts: 1. YC and CP use the same pianosamples, and considering the CK being the same type of instrument with the same type of architecture it would make sense if it uses largely the same samples. 2. The CP, YC and CK all use AWM2 sample architecture. The YC also has VCM/FM built in for organs and synths. 3. The names of the samples are the same: CFX, S700, Live CF3, etc. CK has some different timbres for the piano samples (bright/warm), whereas the YC and CP have MORE piano samples (after several firmware updates), like Hamburg, C7, Bosendorfer, etc. Then again: the CK has a lower price and more functionality than the CP. Yes, it’s made of plastic instead of aluminum, the keybed is less great, and it has no seamless sound switching, and maybe they used lower quality or shorter samples. But I don’t know about that last one.
@@luucdentoom6955 1) "probably make sense" isn't evidence. 2) AWM2 usage definitely doesn't mean the same samples are used across keyboards. 3) Preset naming definitely doesn't mean that they use the same samples.
Thanks! Congrats on your purchase! Check the version on your YC and if you’re not on 1.30, make sure you grab that, it’s got some new sounds! usa.yamaha.com/products/music_production/stagekeyboards/yc/downloads.html#product-tabs
I also have a video showing you how to update and give you a demo of some of the new sounds! th-cam.com/video/eEpS88F4NA8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=x2FdLPQ_wlad3U3s
Both of these boards sound great. When I was in the market to buy a new live setup I tried the Nord Stage 3, Yamaha CP88 and Yamaha YC. I preferred quite a few of the sounds, action and workflow of the Yamaha. Also, having a built in audio interface is a massive plus as you can add tons of additional sounds from a phone/tablet/laptop and record both the audio and midi direct into a DAW with a single cable!
I ended up going for both a Yamaha CP88 and Yamaha YC61 that cost me less than the Nord and also included cases!!
Regarding the piano sounds I prefer certain aspects of the Yamaha pianos over the Nords and some aspects of the Nords over the Yamaha. The Yamaha pianos have a nice clarity and sparkle that really cut through a mix. By default, they sound thinner in certain areas than the Nord but this can easily be dialed in as demonstrated in this video by adjusting the Tone and Filter. I also find a little compression and choosing a denser reverb can also add to this. However, the main feature I miss with the Yamaha piano sounds is true sympathetic resonance! I would also love to have adjustable pedal, hammer and key release samples. A lot of these features exist in some of Yamaha's other pianos including the cheaper P-515 so I'm really hoping this will make it into the CP and YC boards in a future firmware update. This would really hake the Yamaha piano sounds to another level in my opinion and would give the Yamaha piano sounds a the edge over the Nords.
I'm a Yamaha owner (CP88), I was considering getting a Nord, but the not-so-great action was a deal-breaker. I have to say, Nords have their place, especially when you need organs and synths (I don't, I just need the piano), but the CP88 (which has the same sounds/action as the YC) really holds its own. I've played many Nords, and they sound great, and I agree with other commenters that the string resonance and overall nuances are more realistic, but I don't think anyone's likely to notice that in a performance setting. Also, I think comparing White Grand to the CFX isn't fair; instead, Douglas should've used Hamburg Grand on the Yamaha. Hamburg Grand has key noises in the sample, and with a bit of EQing, it sounds pretty close to White Grand. I think I personally made a good decision to go with the Yamaha rather than the Nord. Anyway, there's my two cents.
Yamaha handles the nord in Pianos & EPs
I really like the hamburg grand in the cp88, its my favourite by a long way. Unfortunately there are glitches and flaws in the samples that should have been fixed. The other pianos are ok, but a bit to churchy/pop oriented. White grand on the nord is great. None of the keybeds feels like a real piano. Perhaps a little more control on the cp 88 but the nord is a faster keybead. Easier to play.
@thenetworkmystery I agree, "Hamburg Grand" would be more suitable. When people compare the sounds of different brands, they forget about one very important thing. A lot depends on the manner of playing and sound extraction. I would like to note that Yamaha, in its entire history, has implemented the best Rhodes tone in the Yamaha CP1 released in 2009. The distinctive side between the Yamaha Reface and the CP1 is that on the CP1 alone you can adjust individual E.Piano parameters and achieve a very natural sound. I really hope that Yamaha will soon release a Stage Piano based on this technology, but only at a more advanced level so that the Grand Pianos sound more distinctive and more realistic. NORD is an excellent instrument that combines everything at a very high level, in a very compact body and with very cool controls. That's always what attracted me. But, I cannot be so indifferent to the fact that some instruments remain in the shadows and are so underrated. In my opinion, this particular instrument has the best sound of an acoustic piano and an electromechanical. I'm sorry that people think so stereotypy. Listen here th-cam.com/video/iQFeis_SOWY/w-d-xo.html
Mix the CFX with the Hamberg, damper res up and a little reverb. Tried this last night and it makes a wonderful piano.
I get it. I need to practice. LOL. I just purchased the YC88 for the church, and the keyboard player is so excited!
Nord is nice, but Yamaha sounds more wide and upfront which I actually like. Yamaha + Nord = Wide + Upfront + Warm (Of course, you can tweak each of the EQs to make it more suitable for your contextual needs)
Totally agree when it comes to damper resonance, Nord is better. However, this level of detail wouldn't be really prominent for live gigs where we play mostly with the band. All you need is to quickly cut through the mix which Yamaha is definitely good at.
That was a really good comparison. There is something special about the Nord pianos compared to all other brands. It somehow sounds way more like a real piano. I don't know the exact reason, sample size are sometimes bigger on the competition but it doesn't matter. For me, only Nord captures more than a glimpse of that livelihood you experience on the real pianos. In your example I got a clue it's something about how the sound is ending when or before you lift of the keys. They tones have something like a resonance at the end of the sound, especially without the sustain pressed. Almost as if slightly detuning. The Yamaha doesn't do that and hence it always sounds more sterile, sometimes even synthetic to me. On the other hand, Yamaha also has some special characteristics on their real pianos, be it Upright or grand. More metallic, more sharp than let's say a Kawai, Schimmel or even Steinway. I'm not particular fond of the Yamaha pianos and gravitate more to other brands. But they have their fans and probably that's why their stage pianos are liked as well.
I like the Nord white grand. Slightly more body, slightly brighter, slightly more color. I need to get one.
The full grand sound on the motif series works great in many live settings. My s90 es still sounds incredible. The CFX sample is sub par compared to the full grand or s700 sample in the s90 es. The Nord sounds great too. The royal grand 3D sounds great. The white grand and Italian grand works well in many situations as well. In church I use the full grand sound on the moxf8 and it’s dynamic range is very natural sounding. I can play it soft with lots of body or strike it hard for great expression. The Nord to me lacks the dynamic range but excels in other areas. Hard to say what’s better.
Yep, fair enough!
I own yamaha moxf8 and like both cf3s and s6 timbres. They sound great.
I owned korg kronos 88 and nord electro 3. Both sound great but yamaha is kinda magical in terms of how pleasant it sounds. I could easily buy kronos or stage 3, but yamaha keeps my hear busy, costing 3-4 times less than kronos/stage 3. Phenomenal 😊😊
I own Roland RD 700, owned RD 2000, played Nord piano, tried SP88 and came conclusion that accoustic piano sound of RD 700 is winning.
Yamaha action is better. Also, I have always found Nord sounds fall down on realism in the DS part of the envelope. Hold a piano note on the Nord and hear the clinical sound of a looping sample as it decays. Not so much with the YC.
Fair analysis! Thank you! 5 minutes in and I thought you had a little bias toward the Nord, which you in the end admitted it so it's cool. Listening with my studio Headphones the Yamaha sounds like its panned L/R while the Nord sounds more centered... wondered if the 2 pianos got the same EQ. Personally I'm into Yamaha's - this part of the world Nord are still new and few. The ultimate comparison for me would be where you gather a few Nord & Yamaha enthusiasts, blindfold them, then play select sounds from both pianos and let the musicians chose which sounds best. They results are always inconclusive ...
I'm wondering if your Yamaha keys have ever busted. I had one key fail, then a few months later 3 more have failed. But I have a lower-end Yamaha, the P-125, which could just be an inferior product.
@@relicofgoldnever had a problem with broken keys on Yamahas,owned a few different ones,I think maybe operator error.
That's a lot like blaming the victim.Yamaha is trash.@@robertmichalscheck3072
You said it the Yamaha sounds in general are geared towards live and group sounds, they are meant to cut though in the mix. Also the tail on the notes on they YC is a bit shorter than the Nord. Many Gospel and other similar musicians shorten the tail of notes (on modeled pianos) so fast playing has more definition. The Yamahas like their acoustic pianos are used in the studio a lot because they have a good sound to take the typical processing done in the studio. Nords ( have a Stage 3) are fuller and would be better for solo piano work. As you noted the YC sounded better at the extreme low and highs, the Nords start sounding stretched at the extremes unless using the XL size samples. Long run both offer a lot of EQ and other options to dial in a sound that works for you.
On my Stage 3 I mainly use the Studio Grand 2 sample that I believe is a Yamaha C7. Occasional I do use the White Grand. The Studio Grand 2 for me has the well defined shorter tail note I like.
*Stage Grand 2 is a very good overall sample compared to the other grand piano patches.*
Yamaha all the way. Sounds more like a real piano. Nord is good but if you listen closely they have an unnatural but subtle chimy sound which to me makes it sound unnatural and more digital. Yamaha just sounds natural. There are a couple of Yamaha pianos I'm not crazy about like the felt piano but overall Yamaha wins in my opinion
@@nightworkband7715Facts
Hi. I bougt the NS4 73.
Pianos sounds great……in my headphones and my monitor at home/studio.
But on gigs I play lot of rock/blues Delbert McClinton-like, and suddely I notis that NS4 dont cut through.
Maybe you get a better compare on stage? 😀😀.
I will see if I can borrow a YC73 somewere to compare on a gig.
Great video
Nord guys have mastered piano sampling, not sure what they do but they let their pianos sound real and present, it's a shame there's no sound module as stand-alone option, everything else on the Nord is replaceable by other keyboards nowadays
It so beatiful to hear,.. sounds great,..both of this piano nord and yamaha..i love both...
I find that the S700 preset sounds nicer than the CFX on the YC/CP
I've not played the 3 sensor YC88 but the YC73 needs to be adjusted using curves and levels. The Osmose revealed a big problem on the YC73. If you adjust it more samples seem to kick in or become apparent. Maybe the 88 works correctly but MIDI an Osmose with continuous sensor or infinite sensor and the YC improves dramatically. It gives you infinite control. Probably the only way to accurately A/B them is using an identical controller. This removes any variables. The key action and settings can seriously change the performance and sound. For example the CK and YC playing the same Yamaha pianos/samples sound completely different. Key action and response and settings can change the results considerably.
YC73 is broken by design.
th-cam.com/video/U9cGzXvnRl8/w-d-xo.html
I like the nord stage 4 sound better.. Both sound great but, I love the way the nord stage 4 is designed better overall . I may be biased because I am a nord stage 4 owner.
Awesome Video brother!Would you Please Please Please do an EP, FM pianos comparison between them. I'm on the fence on which one to get. 🙏
I would love to hear which one sounds best with a band playing🤓 but both sound wonderful.
Nord, pois o nord tem um médio muito exagerado, no contexto de banda tocando, esse médio acaba se destacando bastante, o mesmo serve para os violões taylor
*I feel like the Velvet Grand sample on the Nord has more of an Upright quality. I sometimes wonder if Nord made a mistake and included that sample in the Grand Piano section by mistake 😂*
Thanks so much the Nord is so unique the YC is ok too it’s just how much you want to spend
Hey Douglas. Great playing. I just purchased the YC88 (came in Tuesday). Where can I download more piano sounds (if possible)?
Yamaha sound mondo app
As a first time Nord owner, coming from Yamaha (DGX 640 & Monatge8), I feel Nord has better piano sounds for my taste, I’m loving my Stage 4, still kind of getting used to all the buttons though 😂
Great video by the way!!!
I hated my stage 4 and returned it after 2 weeks
Kindly review the piano sounds of nord stage 4 with korg nautilus
I had the pleasure to play the Stage 4 88key version in a music store today, and I dont now if this is just my imagination , but every single sound/patch I played sounded better on the new Stage 4. Clearer, deeper, more 3d. Strange since Stage 3 and 4 share a lot of the same samples. Or maybe Nord has upgraded the converters in the Stage 4 (I currently own the Stage 3 88-key)?? Could just be placebo....
I prefer the sounds of the Nord. The Yamaha sounds more artificial and metalic sounding.
If I were to purchase a Nord I would go for the grand with its kawai keybed. Plus you can download what piano sounds you want and customise your keyboard with just your favourites. Sounds are always being added to the website for download. This is a big plus that other manufacturers do not do.
The YC is half the price with much better build quality. It’s a no brainer, Nords or over priced and over hyped. Just my opinion.
Facts, returned mine after 2 weeks was extremely disappointed in the product
They sound so similar....maybe i prefer the Nord a little bit!
Both instruments use sample based technology, so my expectations are only so high. I own a Nord Piano 5, and really enjoy playing it. I think it terms of sampling pianos, Clavia/Nord certainly leads the way. I also own Pianotech 8 and the modeling based technology they use I believe is superior to any sample based instrument I’ve played. I also really enjoy playing the Roland RD-2000. When I play pianotech8 I have it connected to a Roland A88 MK2 with the PHA-4 piano action. Even with Nords triple sensor keybed, I think piano modeling a better playing experience. Happy playing 😊
Good day sir, how does the keyboards connect to the computer for recording in this comparison?
What interface you connect the nord to?
When it comes to price though the Yamaha is a much smarter choice. The Nord is simply not 3 grand better.
Honest purchase question; is the Nord Stage 4 the only platform that can sample tones such as “Baba Oreilly”, or “won’t get fooled again”?
I own a real Yamaha Conservatory C7F Grand. Fabulous instrument. That said, the YC-88 C7 patch sounds nothing like the real thing...especially in the midrange. Overall, I'd say the tenor and alto are more natural on the Nord, but the bass on the Yamaha is far superior. Hard to live without that rich defined bass. In contrast, the Nord bass sounds muddy to me. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. In the end, apples and oranges. Thanks for posting the comparison...
Price is also a BIG difference!
Value for money....Yamaha'❤ Thanks a lot for the video
In future, think about lowering your voice mic relative to the pianos, by about six dB. (Really hard to hear the pianos with your voice being so much louder)
I ❤ My wonderful yc73
Even though Stage 4 is clearly better, I still like YC a lot. It's kind of inexplicable, but playing Yamaha pianos is a real pleasure.
But I have to admit that the Nord is way ahead of the Yamaha in sampling
Nords pianos are terrible
The Yamaha cp don't have "Piano Engine" (string resonance, and so) and the Nord I think do have.
The Nord pianos sounds to thin to me.
the nord sample loop repeat is audible at 2:50
7:56 Oh Yes! 🎵The #Internet Knows That 🎹🙌 Sound! That Live CF3 's a revamp of the PowerGrand Piano from the Original Yamaha Motif's! 🎹 Love This!
That tune at around 11:01 and so was solid. What’s it ?
IF the velocity on the YC hasn't been brought up to 120 then you are only getting half a piano.
The Yamahas always sound great 👍 they are the industry elite standard for stage pianos.. at the same time, they still sound very “digitized “ and recorded. I tire of the sound over time.
The Nord sounds like an actual mic’d piano. I own the NG. It’s inspiring to play.
I’m sorry bro but i’m going to strongly disagree
I own a Yamaha GB1K & My grandfather owns a 2006 C3 Grand piano
This YC88 Sounds much more authentic to how an acoustic piano sounds
The nord has a long long way to go in comparison
nord has a C7 its called studio grand 2 beautiful piano better than the CP I think
Don’t get me wrong, the Nord sounds awesome! But there’s something about the Yamaha that makes me feel I’m sitting in front of the piano itself. Idk I love them both.
Nord é excelente em contexto de banda, mas realmente soa como um teclado, nord tem um médio muito excessivo, o que faz com que com uma banda isso seja excelente, mas um piano é equilibrado em todas as regiões, não excede e nem falta em nada, o nord tem médio muito exagerado, nesse sentido o yamaha vence, ele é mais equilibrado que o nord
I just bought the Stage 4. The pianos are Ok, evenv good, but I still go back to my TruePianos VST which is incredibly expressive and tonal. The Diamond version is the one. There is a free 40 day trial on their site of the Amber, but the Diamond is very exceptionallly good, even better than the Amber. This is a truly exceptional clear grand sound with fantastic touch. Even better, the TruePaino is modelled and has a tiny footprint, Ideal for laptops
Consider how much time, design, form factor/shipping money is allocated to the keys, the action/range, mechanical and the keybed themselves. It's probably time for all budgeted project money to go towards the brain & UI and DSP, display for the ultimate processing system and leave the keys to someone else or whomever you choose or you like best. The keys are so subjective and don't respond or feel like we want it seems like an afterthought absorbing half the production cost. As soon as Osmose or others release an 88 key option with total customization we won't need stock keys anymore. A synth or stage board could be twice as powerful without something we don't really need because we already have it. Total redundancy. You have to go purchase (3) of the same boards to get waterfall, graded 88 and anything else you like and even then you might not love it and 2 or 3 sensor action is still ancient bare minimum quality. Makes sense to dump the keys because they all have issues anyway. The ultimate are infinite sensor with aftertouch MPE etc. Vangelis said these boards aren't real instruments because of the limitations they have. Piano is a percussive key on/off or sustain which we still need but technology can now take us much further than just wax on wax off.
I like the Y better. They both sound digital
Why didn’t you put the same level of reverb on the Nord as you had on the Yamaha?
Every time the worship team wants to play a different instrument, they ask me to see if there is a patch on the nord, so i prefer the nord.
The Nord is in a league of its own in my view. It's depth is wider, greater and better than the Yamaha!
Yamaha Pianos & EP over nord any day of the week
Basically the Yamaha has the EQ'ing on their pianos slightly more ready for stage to cut through and blend properly in the mix, whereas the Nord would need the bright button or some EQ'ing, as it would be flat, dull and muddy on stage. Aren't these supposed to be Stage keyboards!? But the Yamaha CFX and C7 pianos already have an advantage live because they naturally cut and blend in a mix live better than classical pianos like a Steinway, which is the Nord's main piano. Of course you can adjust the EQ'ing on the YC to be more of a natural authentic sounding CFX or C7.
I don't agree that the Nord sounds better or more real/authentic. Nord just chose to make their defaults without any EQ'ing for Stage, and you are comparing a classical Steinway sound to the pop/rock/gospel CFX/C7 sound on the Yamaha.
The Yamaha pianos were sampled/recorded at the highest level, same as the Nord's were. The internal processing hardware on the YC is equally as high quality as the Nord if not more so.
If anything the Steinway on the Nord sounds a bit dull or lacks clarity, as if the velocity layers aren't set properly or more like a grand piano with the lid shut when it should be open, but that could just be the Steinway sound compared to the Yamaha sounding pianos. The fact that the Nord's don't have a Yamaha CFX or C7 piano should be a deal breaker for 'some' people who want a stage piano keyboard and specifically want the Yamaha grand piano sound.
Comparing the Nord Stage to the Yamaha YC pianos (the Steinway to the CFX / C7 pianos) is like comparing a Les Paul Gibson to a Fender Strat...they are not meant to sound the same and have completely different sound signatures. It's personal preference, and one does not have less quality or sound more digital or less authentic than the other. If you choose other settings on the YC from the defaults, especially EQ type settings, it will sound as authentic with it's pianos as the Nord ever could. This was really just comparing apples to oranges! But if anything, if you are talking pianos for a "stage" keyboard, I'd take the YC any day of the week. I'd like to have the Steinway as an option, but I'd like to have it with the lid wide open, not completely shut like how they EQ'd it on the Nord by default.
Luckily for me, I have a Montage with the CFX, C7 library and Steinway Library. I played my Steinway on the Montage along with the Nord and my best setting has the lid open. When I played my Steinway with no EQ'ing (closed lid), it sounds exactly like the Nord's piano!!
But the big question is, since update 1.3 the YC has a Steinway (Hamburg grand). Why didn't you compare more apples to apples and compare the Steinways of each against each other..!?
I honestly really listening to the yahama as i use one for my church the yc. The hammond is trash yahama shouldn’t have. The hammond just sounds like a toy. Is it better on the cp88 then the yc? Without question, i have the Kawai mp7se box feel that it has a more lushy better sound in my opinion and the sk ex sound is so emotional and it brings out your true emotions. There is no virtual room or tech on a nord
So I'm hearing a lot of negativity about the compressed piano sound of the Yamaha. Anyone with experience have any input on that? It might be a potential deal breaker. I hate onboard compression that you can't remove.
Andertons is struggling with sales at the minute, wont last much longer. look at the 1 star reviews littered all over the company in the last few months, avoid them like the plague
Yamaha sounds great as they always do...but the Nord is on another level altogether! Yamaha sounds like a nice digital piano...Nord sounds like a nice acoustic piano!
The one thing the YC88 Definitely has over the Nord is an authentic grand piano sound
I own a Yamaha GB1K & My grandfather owns a 2006 C3 Grand piano.
Nord has a long ways to go before even sounding like a real acoustic piano, And it mean a long way.
I have the YC-73, which piano sound do you think is the best? I like Live CF3, Hamburg Grand and U1 upright.@@RogerT-kt3zd
The Yamaha sounds great but...the Nord...has that rich depth and more full sound...if that describes it...
The nord is richer and bigger
Comparing £5k kit with £2k kit. You’ll never guess which wins. Overall…
Nord is by far superior. Epic sounds.
Nord is trash
The Nord White Grand is a sampled Steinway. It sounds more like a 9ft Grand acoustic. Moreover the brilliance and warmth of the Nord is remarkable. Unfortunately the Nord Instruments are imho ugly. 😊
I agree. I don’t understand why they don’t offer a black design that red is just not good in my opinion.
I own a Yamaha GB1K
I don’t understand how anyone thinks the nord sounds anything like a real acoustic piano, it’s miles off
YC88 Sound sooo much more like the real thing
Hitting a market slot is exactly what Yamaha is intending to do. They are well aware of Nord offerings and price points and so they simply begin at a price point, say half, for example. Yamaha could make a $6K stage board variant probably that does the same or similar or even better. Since making money is their primary objective why not come in at half the cost and sell 2, 3 or 10 times as many? I mean it's a great board and you can grab a YC61 for something seriously cheap as a rompler or organ manual. How about buying two YC61s or two CK61s stacked as a double manual and still save a ton of money left over? Or get a CK88 as another option for something silly like only $1400. Always question what else can I get for this amount and obviously not just Yamaha. Nord is like a pop culture icon in red but most probably can't afford it but you don't need that much money to live in keyboard heaven these days. I wonder if Nord reduced the cost to half if they'd sell 10 times as many and by doing the math still make the same amount of profit. It just doesn't cost more than about $2K to make that $6K board. Maybe only one forth or fifth who knows. Once they are on the 4th generation of essentially the same machine and the assembly/manufacturing tweaks are rolling & parts only require modest adjustments how much do they really cost per unit? It's the same recipe just making more of it. Yamaha is making boards cheaper and cheaper so everyone can afford one. If the Nord is half the price I'd buy one so how many others would too? I can buy so much other gear for $6K it just makes no sense. It's not a workstation either with a intuitive touch screen etc. so it's expensive even if 7 voices at once. The Fantom also with red can do all of that and 16 voices at once and has onboard synth functions, pads, sequencing etc. I mean I like the NS4 but what else can I buy for $6K? Makes no financial &/or musical sense. Thus I still remain without one. The SKpro beats all of these in organs and it can do 10 voices at once using custom layers and has a monosynth. It's only about $2,500 for the 73 on a deal. Just tons of options at $3K and less. Say I buy and MIDI together a CK61 ($1K), Osmose ($1,800), YC or Skpro ($2,500) or similar combo spending around $5,300 that's going to absolutely kill a single NS4. They are seriously way, way overpriced IMO. Money is typically an object for most musicians and players alike.
Nord sounds out of tune, maybe no stretch tuning?
It's kind of funny, I'm not a piano player or expert, but all the pianos essentially sound like pianos and inside a tune no one is going to know much about it other than a piano is playing. Slightly different textures of the same flavor vanilla especially in the mid range. The extremes can differ more such as in sustain in the low register and timbre in the upper.
Yamaha is catching up a bit but Nord is still the undefeated champ of real sounding piano samples 😍
Yamaha music corporation is over 100 years in existence, Yamaha set the stage for this era of digital piano technology. Nord only surfaced in 2010. Conduct your own comparative tests, apply the ears, not the eyes - Yamaha beats Nord hands down many times over
@@Mista_Bigz Clavia Nord was founded in 1983!
Correct. But they only created drum pads, synth. & organs . The introduction & evolution of the Nord Piano as we have it today started in 2010
Nord = churches and commercial market vs Yamaha = domestic market
Veeeerrryyy frustrating review. You need to play the first piano, then immediately play the exact same thing on the second piano for a fair comparison. You do this a bit and that's the only way to compare.
I've had tons of Yamaha in the past, and a couple right now, ...but Yamaha got really lazy. Those pianos flat out suck. No mids or warmth. Cringy harsh bright on higher velocities. Would be curious to hear the CK pianos vs Nord, but I would assume the CK pianos are the same as the YC?
And btw, most any piano will "cut" live with proper compression/eq. Tons of praise are heaped on Roland/Yamaha for "cutting" live by making horrible brittle pianos.
CK has the same samples, but probably in a worse/smaller format. It does have more samples than both CP and YC series. I used to have a Nord Stage 2EX, but found myself more “playing” with buttons than playing the keys. So I got the Yamaha CP. but yeah… it needs some serious firmware update to compete with other brands in the same price range (Nord Electro 6 etc.). Especially in the sounds/samples department.
@@luucdentoom6955 Do you have a source for the CK having the exact same piano samples as the YC? Yamaha has NEVER said this.
@@ChrisP3000x I believe Blake Angelos or one of the other guys said this in one of the product demo’s. Let me check if I can find it.
@@ChrisP3000x after some searches, no luck so far. Maybe I’m mistaken. Some facts:
1. YC and CP use the same pianosamples, and considering the CK being the same type of instrument with the same type of architecture it would make sense if it uses largely the same samples.
2. The CP, YC and CK all use AWM2 sample architecture. The YC also has VCM/FM built in for organs and synths.
3. The names of the samples are the same: CFX, S700, Live CF3, etc. CK has some different timbres for the piano samples (bright/warm), whereas the YC and CP have MORE piano samples (after several firmware updates), like Hamburg, C7, Bosendorfer, etc.
Then again: the CK has a lower price and more functionality than the CP. Yes, it’s made of plastic instead of aluminum, the keybed is less great, and it has no seamless sound switching, and maybe they used lower quality or shorter samples. But I don’t know about that last one.
@@luucdentoom6955 1) "probably make sense" isn't evidence. 2) AWM2 usage definitely doesn't mean the same samples are used across keyboards. 3) Preset naming definitely doesn't mean that they use the same samples.
Nord all day baby
🤥🤥🤥
Real acoustic grand piano is far more better than this 2
Hey Douglas. Great playing. I just purchased the YC88 (came in Tuesday). Where can I download more piano sounds (if possible)?
Thanks! Congrats on your purchase! Check the version on your YC and if you’re not on 1.30, make sure you grab that, it’s got some new sounds! usa.yamaha.com/products/music_production/stagekeyboards/yc/downloads.html#product-tabs
I also have a video showing you how to update and give you a demo of some of the new sounds! th-cam.com/video/eEpS88F4NA8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=x2FdLPQ_wlad3U3s
That’s actually the first thing I did when I got it set up. I was actually watching your video at the time.