Clavia Nord Piano 5 73 Stage Piano

General

You could view stage pianos as a kind of niche commodity that's more likely to appear on a stage rather than in the corner of a living room. Of course, they can also be spotted in more purist recording studios, where software-based piano emulations or MIDI-focussed keyboards tend to win out, but if we're talking Nord stage pianos - these elegant beasts were definitely built for the stage. And if we're talking the Clavia Nord Piano 5, then we're talking about the fifth generation of the holy grail of stage pianos.

The Many Features of the Clavia Nord Pianos 5

Still bearing the iconic red housing, the Clavia Nord Piano 5 brings the same high-grade performance along with fresh features and even further refined sound. The keyboard still feels as natural as ever - some would even say it feels like a real upright or even a grand - either way, in keyboard-land, it's the best you can find. Of course, the sound also matches up. Even the basic piano sound is immense, and eats up a considerable amount of memory; the synth-sounds are just as breathtaking and can be layered up with one of the lush piano sounds for that classic, almost traditional vibe, and everything can be wetted up using the extensive bank of high quality effects. Basically, everything you would only expect from a professional-grade Nord.

What's New with Version 5?

One of the many welcome additions is that fresh option of layering two pianos and two sample/synth layers, which, combined with the split and layer functions, stacks up an extreme level of rich, sound-shaping potential. A second has to be the Tru-Vibrato. Countering the usual approach of applying a standardised vibrato, no matter the instrument, and the resulting, slightly fake feel of the result, this smart effect applies a unique vibrato pattern depending on the selected instrument. While this might sound like a small detail - its literal effect is insanely dramatic, and it's exactly these kinds of details that make each and every incarnation of the Nord Piano able to improve on perfection.