With each member of the Production Expert team narrowing down the product that makes their working life better, Julian talks about 2022’s contribution to his studio - The Nord Electro 6D.
What is the Nord Electro 6D?
The Electro 6D is the most recent incarnation of Swedish keyboard maestros Nord’s Electro, which focuses on electromechanical keyboard instruments. If you need tonewheel organs and electric pianos then this is the instrument for you.
Compact, available in 61 and 73 key variants, the Electro is usually supplied with an organ style waterfall keybed, meaning that the front edge of the unweighted keys is rounded perfect for organ palm glisses, or a 73 key hammer action piano keybed. All models feature the same simple three sound engine layout with the signature grey and black tic tac buttons and the distinctive red metal casework.
The Nord range is slightly different to most as rather than offering a good, better, best hierarchy of products, all Nord products are of equal quality, they differ in facilities and the facilities are tailored to a specific use. If you want a synth, buy a Nord Wave, if you want a no-compromise piano buy a Nord Grand, If you need ultimate flexibility get a Nord Stage. The Nord Electro seemed to fit my needs best, playing keys in a band which would be 90% organ, Rhodes and piano.
The three sound engines are Organ, which is modelled and includes Nord’s wonderful sounding rotary effect, Piano, which covers acoustic, electric, and clavs, a selection of instruments is available from the Nord sound library and you can download your personal choice of pianos to your instrument, and Sample Synth, which can host any of a wide variety of sounds from the Nord website, or using the Nord Sample Editor software you can upload your own to the instrument, something I do with brass licks and sampled loops.
My model is a 73 key with waterfall keybed. The sounds are great, the build quality second to none and the instrument is so quick to drive from the front panel that I can set up a sound in seconds.
Why Do I Like It?
I bought the Electro 6D after incorrectly assuming that a laptop and a MIDI controller could give me something more powerful and far cheaper (I already had the gear) for playing gigs. That route works but having a dedicated instrument is so much better, even if it comes with significant restrictions compared to the software route. The Nord is light, this is why I chose the waterfall keybed, I’m used to a weighted keybed but you adapt quickly, and weighted keybeds are heavy and glisses and smears really hurt on a piano!
It’s a great solution for playing gigs, which is why I bought it. But the benefits to me in my studio life are unexpected but very real. Firstly, being in a gigging band for the first time in nearly a decade has re-engaged me with my musician-self. Appreciating how it feels to be the one being mixed or recorded, to be receiving rather than producing a monitor mix, and of course actually creating music, which at the end of the day is pretty important.
How Does It Help My Work?
In the studio the Nord has replaced my other MIDI controllers, including my weighted 88 note controller which I thought I needed but actually keyboard feel isn’t as important as I thought. What’s actually important is keyboard familiarity - I’ve had to commit to the waterfall keybed for practical reasons. Finally, I’ve had to concentrate on getting as much as possible out of a fundamentally limited set of choices. That feels a lot like the creativity we so often say is impeded by the option-paralysis of limitless choices in our DAWs and plugins. Would you choose a restaurant with a short menu or one with 50 dishes? A few good choices is better than hundreds of OK choices. That’s the value.