Nord Piano 3 Review

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The Nord Piano 3 is the latest release from Nord’s best-selling series of digital pianos. This keyboard is supposed to be an upgrade from the previous version, Nord Piano 3, which was released back in 2017. Everyone who had the opportunity of using the Piano 3 understands that replacing it isn’t as easy as it may sound. The piano 3 was one of the best digital keyboards released last year and it helped in reestablishing Nord’s place in the digital keyboards arena. It’ll, therefore, be interesting to see whether Nord can actually outdo themselves here.

According to Nord’s official website, the Piano 3 builds up on all the incredible things about the Piano 3 and has also been fitted with significant upgrades to make it one of the best digital pianos in the market. We looked into this keyboard and we are glad to tell you that indeed, the Nord Piano 3 is a great machine. It comes with remarkable features that will be very useful to pianists of all skill levels. Here is everything you need to know about the Nord Piano 3.

Nord Piano 3 Features

Virtual Hammer Action

One of the outstanding features from the Nord piano 3 was the virtual hammer action technology. This is a superb feature which gave the keyboard an excellent grand piano feel. With the enormous success that this tech experienced, it was rather obvious that it was still going to be featured in their new keyboard. You will, therefore, have the opportunity to continue enjoying the unmatched performance of the virtual hammer action technology in the Nord Piano 3.

The virtual hammer action achieves the same feeling that weighted keys do except this tech is a lot more effective. It helps in stimulating the hammer action of an acoustic piano and the results are just magical. The technology makes the transition from one key to another insanely fluid. Thanks to the Triple sensor keyboard, the response is a lot more dynamic than what most other digital keyboards offer.

Virtual Hammer Actions brings us closer to a grand piano than ever before. With this tech, Nord has managed to replicate the response and feel of high-end acoustic pianos without passing a huge financial burden on their customers.

Upgraded Sound Library

With this particular keyboard, sound quality and options will be the least of your worries. The Nord Piano 3 comes with a 1gb Nord Piano Library. The library features sounds from some of the best grand pianos in the world. You will also get a few sounds from harpsichords, clavinet, and retro digital pianos. There are dozens of pre-loaded voices on this keyboard for you to learn and work with. In case you find some of them don’t match your taste you’ll be able to edit and change them with other voices included in a DVD. This may sound like a complex affair but surprisingly, it doesn’t take anything more than a few steps. All you’ll need is to connect the keyboard to your pc and then drag and drop the voices you need to the Nord Sound Manager. With this feature, you can also practice with new voices after you have mastered the current ones. This helps in keeping you constantly learning and diversifying your skills.

From the top panel, you can manipulate all the voices you have selected to meet your desires. One thing we noted with this unit is that manipulating voices here is a lot easier compared to other digital pianos. You won’t need to go through an extensive menu to twist a voice into your liking. The top panel gives you all the power to make all the relevant changes with ease. This allows you to put more focus on your performance.

On the top panel, you’ll also come across quite a number of buttons. Some of these buttons are used for adding extra effects to your music. From the top panel, you can nourish your music with effects such as reverbs, EQ, pan, chorus, tremolo and amp simulations from Dyno EP Sounds. In most keyboards, effects are accessed from detailed menus. The Nord Piano 4 grows from all these thanks to an extensive top panel. Of course, this will need some time getting used to but once you do you’ll be able to appreciate the convenience it brings.

Seamless Transition

The perfect transition shouldn’t be too noticeable or dramatic to be noticed and this is exactly what the Nord Piano 3 is designed to achieve. With this keyboard, you can switch from one sound to the next without a drastic change between programs. The same incredible effect is also felt when you combine two different sound sections in a split or layer. To make it even more efficient, Nord has fitted this keyboard with seven split points and a Split Point Crossfade capabilities for even smoother transitions. All of these capabilities have had a significant impact on the keyboard’s performance and it doesn’t even take long to notice the difference it makes.

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Enhanced Organization Mode

The Nord Piano 3 is now fitted with an enhanced Organize mode with supporting buttons for even better efficiency when using the keyboard. Some of the buttons here provide quick shortcuts to crucial functions. The keyboard also has new copy/paste and move functions to help you stay organized. You’ll also get a new list view from which you can navigate between pianos, synth samples, and programs. You can also sort different functions of the keyboard in three ways i.e. numerical, alphabetical and category/folder options. With the numeric pad mode, you can also number your programs according to your preferences or priorities. This brings the sounds you love or use so often closer to you.

Refined Sample Synth Function

One of the biggest upgrades in the new Nord Piano 3 from the previous versions is in the Sample Synth Section. With this new instrument, you get a bigger memory of around 512mb which is double the space you get from the Piano 3. In the synth section, you will also be getting 120 voice polyphony, another significant upgrade from the previous version.

With the new synth section, decay/release, filter/velocity (dynamics) and attack features are now easily accessible through new controls.

The best thing about the Synth Function is, perhaps, the Nord Sample Editor which takes music creativity to a whole new level. This is a special software that works with both Mac and Windows PC. It is designed to facilitate the creation of personalized samples. With this feature you can, therefore, create your own samples and use them wherever you want. All seasoned and upcoming pianists will have lots of fun with this software.

Nord Piano 3 Specs

• Dimensions: Width 50.7” (1278mm); Depth 13.4” (121mm); Height 4.8” (340mm)
• Weight: 40.1 lbs
• Virtual hammer action tech for enhanced response
• 88 Triple Sensor Keybed
• OLED display
• Seamless transition
• Layer & Split (Supports Split Point Crossfades)
• Refined organize mode
• Numeric pad to access programs more conveniently
• A 1gb Nord Piano Memory
• 512mb Nord Sample Library memory (Version 3.0)
• 3 Dynamic curves
• Creative piano filters
• 120 voices polyphony
• Dynamic pedal noise (A Nord triple pedal is included)
• Soft release
• Advanced string resonance
• A dedicated sample synth function equipped with Decay/release, dynamic, and attack controls
• Features high-quality stereo effects
• Three master reverbs including a bright option
• Two audio outputs sockets (6.35mm)
• 1 headphone output jack (6.35mm)
• 1 monitor input jack (3.5mm)
• 1 piano pedal input jack (6.35mm)
• MIDI Input & Output
• Type B USB Connector
• 1 volume pedal input jack (6.35mm)

The Nord Piano 3 comes packed with a Nord triple pedal, Nord piano library version 5 DVD-ROM, power cord and user manual.

Verdict

The Nord Piano 3 is an incredible piece, period. The upgrades done on this machine are just too significant to be ignored.  It’s sad and a bit unfair that individuals who bought the Piano 3 not more than a year ago see a new update in the market that is equipped with even better features. The virtual hammer action tech is an incredible addition that every pianist needs to get a taste of. The top panel ensures that accessing different functions is no longer a time-consuming task but rather a matter of pressing buttons or twisting knobs.

We loved the Nord Piano 3 and we are certain that you will also find it very useful for all your home, studio or gig functions.

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