At the 2018 NAMM Show, Clavia is introducing the Nord Electro 6, the latest version of its stage keyboard.
The Nord Electro 6 offers three independent sound sections, supporting multi-timbral use, splits and layers, crossfades and more.
Features:
- General
- Seamless Transitions
- 3 part multi-timbral
- Split and Layer all 3 sections with optional Split Point Crossfades
- OLED Display for excellent overview
- Organize Mode for quickly rearranging programs, sounds and pages
- Piano Section
- 1 GB memory for Nord Piano Library
- Piano Filters
- Extended Voice Polyphony
- Sympathetic String Resonance
- 4 Dynamic Curves
- Sample Synth
- Expanded memory (512 MB) for Nord Sample Library
- Extended Voice Polyphony
- Dedicated Sample Synth section with Attack, Decay/Release and dynamic controls
- Organ
- B3 Tonewheel, B3 Bass, Vox and Farfisa simulations
- 2 Pipe Organ models
- Dual Organ Mode
- Model 122 Vintage Rotary Speaker
- Physical Drawbars on 6D 61 and 6D 73 models
- Mount for Half-Moon Switch for Rotary Speaker control (6D 61/73)
- Effects
- A wide range of instantly tweakable high quality stereo effects, modeled after classic stomp boxes
- New reverb with Bright Mode
Pricing and Availability
The Nord Electro 6 will available in three versions: the 6D 61 and 6D 73 have 61-note and 73-note semi-weighted waterfall keyboards and come with physical drawbars, while the 6 HP includes a 73-note hammer action keyboard with LED drawbars.
The Electro 6 is expected to ship in the spring, with pricing to be announced. See the Nord site for more info.
I’m here to push back on the new trend of calling split or in this case 3 part instruments “multi-timbral”. Nominally true, but historically multitimbral means one part per voice, up to 16. Duo-timbral split instruments are not really multitimbral unless the instrument is only limited to duophony.
DSI Tetra had 4 voices and supported 4 part multitimbrality. That’s legit.
A 16, 24, 32 or 64 voice instrument with 2 or 3 part “multitimbrality”? Bogus claim.
It’s a stretch, true. This instrument has three separately addressable sound engines.
Still, nobody’s calling a split keyboard “multitimbral”.
> nobody’s calling a split keyboard “multitimbral”.
Korg is! Download the manual for the Prologue. It supports single, split and dual – two parts. They are advertising it as “multitimbral” and people are all “Wow! It’s multitimbral!” We gotta put an end to this craziness. It’s undermining the integrity of the entire multitimbral concept!
How does having more voices make it less multi-timbral to you?
Polyphony is independent of multi-timbrality. Kurzweil keyboards were 16-part multi-timbral, but you could also split the polyphony as you wanted.
Meh!
Where is the Nord Modular???
No, you’re never gonna get it. Never ever gonna get it.
As stated by Nord themselves, they’re never going to release another modular because they would just lose money.
Anyway, this Electro 6 is nice, but all of this should have been available in the 5. As of now, especially for the grittier Leslie simulation issue, there isn’t really a good reason to choose an Electro 5 or 6 over the 4, aside for the more piano memory (unless you use to play with just one keyboard on stage, but it’s not that common). Either Nord is preparing something big for the Electro 7 (new libraries?) or the new updates will follow this trend until a new engine and new samples (significantly better ones) are ready.
Haha lol
I played the NS3 yesterday and loved it. I’ve played the NE5, and liked the sound but it was still too limited for what I’d like to do, especially for the price. The Stage is great but at 5 grand Cdn, I just can’t bring myself to do it. This, on the other hand, looks like it offers just enough features for the money that it could be the move, even if it’s just an incremental upgrade from the 5.
Was expecting a new Nord Lead and Drum
Don’t need more keys. Take out the drawbars and make a rackable (desktop) version.Then will buy. Can always add drawbars and keys of of liking by an external controller and CC slider box.
I find Nord keyboard touch quite dodgy for what is quite excellent sound albeit a little over priced.