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Is this the best performance keyboard on the market?

Clavia, the Swedish manufacturer behind Nord keyboards, on 15 February teased an update to its flagship performance keyboard, the Nord Stage 3.

Today, Clavia has officially announced the release of the Nord Stage 4. The instrument has been revamped with a new control panel design, an improved keybed, expanded effects section, an updated synth engine and more, making it a strong contender for one of the best performance keyboards on the market.

The Stage 4 new control panel design is aimed at making the instrument more intuitive to use and features a completely new layout and dedicated LED faders for each sound layer, with the majority of knobs and switches controlling one dedicated parameter. The keyboard has been equipped with a new preset library, to make accessing sounds quicker and easier.

The instrument keybed has been redesigned, an improvement many Nord fans were hoping for. The previous generation’s keyboard has been replaced by a triple-sensor hammer action keybed with aftertouch, with the triple-sensor technology constituting the update.

The Stage 4 Piano Library has been bolstered with an enhanced collection of grands, uprights and electric pianos, while the instrument’s synth engine has been upgraded to operate using Nord’s Wave 2 technology, taken from their synthesizer of the same name. This offers virtual analogue, FM, wavetable and sample-based synthesis, an updated arpeggiator, and an expanded stock sample library with an increased 1GB of onboard memory.

Nord new keyboard has also been outfitted with physical drawbars to control the onboard organ emulator, a feature taken from the Stage 3 Compact that was notably absent on the Stage 3. The effects section has been improved significantly, delivering a complete and independent set-up of effects for each sound layer. The new pump effect allows for tempo-synced or pedal-controlled sidechain modulation, while an upgraded reverb has been bolstered by spring, booth and cathedral settings.

The Stage 4 comes in three different models: an 88-key version, a 73-key version, and the Nord Stage 4 Compact, a smaller and more portable 73-key edition. Clavia has also announced the release of a new premium pedal range that controls a variety of the Stage 4’s new features.

The Stage 4 88 is retailing at $5699/£4399, with the Stage 4 73 coming in at $5399/£4111 and the Stage 4 Compact at $4899/£3869.

Find out more on Clavia website.

Nord Stage 3 Compact 73-Key Digital Stage Piano with Semi-Weighted Keybed

Introducing the fifth generation of the hugely successful series: the Nord Stage 3.

The Nord Stage 3 Compact features Ultra-light 73-key semi-weighted waterfall keybed Stage Piano with Nord award-winning technologies including the Nord Lead A1 Synth Engine – with sample playback, acclaimed Nord C2D Organ Engine, enhanced Piano Section, and extensive hands-on Effects – all in one exceptional performance keyboard.

From expansive grand pianos to searing synthesizer leads, the Nord Stage 3 Compact enable user to cover a wide range of musical styles in a single session, and a slew of dedicated function controls makes it easy to tweak your sounds until they are perfect for your application. And with two independent instrument slots, user can load up two pianos, two organs, two synths, and effects, all simultaneously to create huge layered sounds.

The Nord Stage 3 Compact boasts 2GB of memory for sounds from the Nord Piano Library. Two super-clear OLED displays for on-stage clarity, Seamless Transitions when changing programs/sounds, extended Split functionality, and the addition of the new Song List Mode makes the Nord Stage 3 more intuitive and flexible than ever for the live performer.

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