Korg Forums

Hi all... newb here, but not a newb to keyboards / synths, just been out of the game for the last decade or so.

I've been looking to get back into electronic music creation, and think I've decided on the Korg R3 as a nice little synth. It seems to pack quite a punch for the price, and seems to be set up to allow one to tweak sounds with the configurable dials very easily. For now I'd be recording tracks off it into Garage Band on my Mac Pro, as well as possibly programming it on the Mac as well. (mostly for ambient / electronic noodling type music).

One other aspect of my music making that I also want to focus more on is piano playing. We have an upright piano in our home, but it is horribly out of tune, and not really in a good location for me to be able to practice regularly on. One thing I've been thinking of doing is splurging (ok, let's call it an "investment" tho!) on one of the Nord 88 key Hammer Action keyboards - either the Piano, or the top of the line Stage 2. I would probably be ok with the Piano, but I have to say, I would really miss having the incredibly detailed and authentic sounding organs that come with the Stage. (just fyi, I would consider the Electro HA 73, but would much rather have a full 88 keys, so that's not really under consideration).

So... on to my question. Is the synthesizer capability built into the Stage on par with the Korg R3? Should I just invest in the Nord, or is there more flexibility / sound creation potential in the R3? It seems that there are a lot of effects, and many, many parameters which can be configured on the R3, and perhaps not as much in the way of tweakability in the Nord. Keep in mind, I don't really want a Nord as a synth, but since I want the 88 keys with the organ patches (and sliders and all that good stuff that comes with the Stage too), it's really only a choice between Piano only, or the whole enchilada.

If you're considering the Nord Stage 2, I think you should take a look to the Kronos which indeed has a great Piano (SGX-1), a great organ (CX3) and several VA synth engines (MOD-7 for FM, AL-1, MS20EX and PolysixEX for substractive synthesis) I only need to advise you to carefully test the 88 keys version, which has the RH3 keybed to make sure it works well for you because some guys have issues with the keybed (notes cutting off because double strike notes)

I think Kronos is better than Nord Stage 2 and R3 and I think you can get it for the combined price of the two if not for even less. Read this for details: A Kronos and a Nord!

Regarding your question, there are not many specifications available for the VA section, but it doesn't feel too powerful. I think it has just one oscillator which is not too powerful IMHO.

I read up more on the Nord's synth section and you are right, it only has the one oscillator vs the two in the R3. The R3 seems to have a very comprehensive amount of routings and parameters which can be tweaked, plus the four assignable knobs makes it a compelling package for sound creation. I also just started looking into the Native Instruments software packages available these days - my last foray into the world of software based synthesis was back in the 90's when Reason was the king. I can see I have a lot more research to do before deciding one way or the other on new gear.

Thanks for the advice!