In my opinion = Concert Grand : 1. Yamaha CP4 (CFX Grand) 2. Kurzweil Forte 3. Nord Stage 2 4. Roland RD-800 Concert Grand + Strings : 1. Yamaha CP4 2. Nord Stage 2 3. Kurzweil Forte 4. Roland RD-800 Concert Grand + Pad : 1. Roland RD-800 2. Nord Stage 2 3. Yamaha CP4 4. Kurzweil Forte Stage EP/Suictable EP: 1. Nord Stage 2 2. Kurzweil Forte (A bit distorted) 3. Yamaha CP4 4. Roland RD-800 Electric Piano / DX : 1. Yamaha CP4 2. Nord Stage 2 (Donated) 3. Roland RD-800 4. Kurzweil Forte Concert Strings : 1. Kurzweil Forte 2. Roland RD-800 (Real Strings) 3. Yamaha CP4 4. Nord Stage 2 Drawbar Organ : 1. Nord Stage 2 2. Yamaha CP4 3. Kurzweil Forte 4. Roland RD-800 Ambient Pad/Musicial FX : 1. Kurzweil Forte (Nice FX & litte scary) 2. Roland RD-800 3. Yamaha CP4 4. Nord Stage 2 Lead : 1. Nord Stage 2 2. Kurzweil Forte (Too loud the feedback) 3. Roland RD-800 4. Yamaha CP4
For me the Grand Piano is not the main criteria, it's the only criteria. I have played both the Nord and the Yamaha, but have not laid hands on the Korg or the Roland. I can assure you that the feel of the Yamaha blows the Nord feel away. Maybe it's just familiarity, but I have the Yamaha CP 4. (As I said, I don't care about the synth stuff, some of which is better on the other boards.) From this demo, I would pock the CP 4 as well for the basic GP sound. It's the most realistic of the bunch. (Not like I would suffer playing any of these instruments.)........Yep. For me it's the CP4
Yes I've been doing exactly that with my Roland Jupiter 50 keyboard and I simply love it! Hundreds of gigs by now. It does 99% of all that I need it to
The keyboardist must have gotten dizzy circling around such a great cast of high-end instruments! LOL. Kurzweil has always produced fantastic products. I believe that they were the first to offer a commercially viable sampled piano. It went for about $10k!!! In this comparison, the Kurzweil seems to be the best all-around performer. The Nord has a stunning acoustic grand piano sound but then it should offer something special for it's $4.5k street price. Alas, the Nord Rhodes patch was just flat wrong. Yamaha is great for vintage FM sounds but the sampled stuff, while quality, offers nothing new or different. Roland, at least in this demo, was totally out of it's league. IMO, there are two instruments that were left out of the demo which would have made for a more provocative comparison; the Korg Kronos, because it is an amazing instrument with a great keyboard action, and the Casio Privia PX-5S because it is also an amazing instrument with an exceptional keyboard action and because you can buy 4 of them for the price of one Nord.
Let's be clear: you're not going to suffer with any of these boards. All are excellent stage keyboards. Each have their strengths. The Kurzweil to my ears is best overall for sounds in all areas. Nordic certainly has great piano and EPs, but for that price you'd think it would be better at a wider range of sounds like Kurzweil. The overall champ is Roland RD800 which at that price point, 2400, seems to be well balanced and we'll built. if we're just rating piano I'd say Kurz, Nord, Roland, Yamaha. if we're rating strength of all sounds I'd say Kurz, Roland, Nord, Yamaha. If we're rating band for buck I'd say Roland, Kurzweil, Yamaha, Nord.
Poxa vida, todos tem seu valor, eu particularmente adoro a Kurweill, sou meio suspeito em comparar porém não tem como não falar dos acústicos Yamaha e tão pouco ignorar os elétricos da Roland..... Então galera, vai realmente do gosto pessoal e do que precisamos no momento. Porque com toda certeza teríamos todos. Mas como tenho que deixar uma preferência por conta da pesquisa, então eu desses aí em questão, fico ainda com o Kurweill blz?
Nord - 4499.00, Kurzweil - 3499.00, Roland RD-800 - 2499, Yamaha CP4 - 2299.00. They are all comparable in terms of sound quality. It just becomes what you like best. For years, I was a Yamaha guy but did go with the RD-800. I love the action and sound and felt it was worth a couple hundred bucks more than the CP4. The Nord and Kurzweil were just too out of my price range but they are great choices if money is no object.
The Nord Stage 2 use an edited piano sample set... on high notes the volume level is corrected normalized giving a more realistic sound, but the Roland RD-800 sounds more balanced more real. A piano due the mechanical limitations of hammers and room noises/reverb is very difficult to sample, so on the editing process the normalization of volume levels and eq corrections on each note is crucial. The idea of an unlooped piano sampling session on ultimate models does not means a better piano, because the appearance of room and hammers noises at quiet volume is a problem, I think is better a 3 or 4 strike piano sampling session and loop-fade the sound on the PCM DSP processor eliminating in this way the room and hammer noises of the session, the old way of sampling. Whats matters is the strings sound with a clear and brilliant sound, not the hammers and room noises/reverberations ... anyone decide what to buy.
I doubt too many people will catch this, as the video itself goes back several years. However, for the piano’s... the Nord had the brightest sound, while the Roland and Yamaha sounded very sweet, with a lot of body. But the Kurzweil takes it! It had every bit of body the others had, but slightly more balance, with better (or more natural,) resonance. Also the realism of the strings on the Kurzweil were nothing short of haunting! Regardless, all of them were quite impressive! All I know for sure is if I were that guy I would have packed a good lunch, locked the door behind me, and slid my epitaph under the door!!! 😊
THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Man, it's really hard to figure out what to buy when I can rarely hear more than one of these keyboards at a store in L.A.! Still trying to figure out what will work best, but this is a great help. THANK YOU!
I pick the CP4 not only because I love it but because of what you can create with the modeling software inside the board. The Rhodes that I have created are truly inspiring
At this video we can judge the sound. I don't know tecnics characters, but if I were looking for a the best and realistic sound, I would choose Yamaha CP4. This is my own general opinion. Really I think some sounds are better in Kurzweil or in Roland. Also, Clavia sounds psychodelic, although I mind that is the worst sound at this video. I would buy Yamaha at first and at second option Kurzweil. Has you ear Korg KRONOS 88 and Kawai MP-7? Both sound great.
The mellow Acoustic Grand piano sound of Kurzweil amazes me more than Roland and Nord. But what I wanna ask is, what is the name of the first piano piece?? Thanks 😄
Nice comparison. Its hard to say, all are good stage instruments. Its very difficult to compare by hearing alone, since you can't feel the instrument. Furthermore, Each piano got its sweet spots and the opposite (range where you'd like to avoid or at least not be at while the spot light is pointed on you). I think i'd have to get them all before i could decide. only 3 more to go.
+Yogev Montekyo I totally agree with you. If I really have to give descriptions onto those four, taking piano for instance, I'd say Kurzweil is classic, nord smart/handsome, yamaha stable and roland cute/sweet.
Well I was all excited about the RD800, until I heard the Forte. How's the action of the Kurzweil vs the RD800? I also use Ivory in the studio so sound is not as important to me as authentic feel is. I'm trying to trade up from a Motif ES8.
I'm thinking I like the RD-800 best because it has a smooth and full richness that I like in the Yamaha, but with a cooler tone like the Kurzweil. It gives off a really bold feeling! But for a more gentle and warm sound I think the Yamaha would be better.
I'm biased because I own the CP4 but it is the warmest and most natural. The Kurz. is nice and have had a PC88mx and loved it too. Believe it or not the Nord isn't bad.
+John Alfieri yeah man i have the Cp4 and man believe me this piano is beautiful the wooden keys omg!! The touch of the CP4 is the best!! thinking in the 4 pianos yamaha is the only company in this comparision that produce acoustic pianos and the other 3 emulates other keyboards like stainway. Remember Yamaha is a sound. i want to say the cp4 have CFX good for all king of styles and the CFIII beautiful for jazz and the S6 for more vintage sound and solos i love it!! no matter how far we expend money we gone get yamaha! jejeje!! just like bass every body gets a Ken Smith, Fodera and they finaly return to the Jazz Fender !! hahaha
Id recognize the shitty tinny synthetic flat lifeless sounds of nord and roland acoustic pianos anywhere though. Yamaha and Kawai for me are leading this. Kurzweil and Korg Grandstage are next imo.
All of these are good enough to the point where the player is the limiting factor. That's not to say they sound the same. I am not big on ranking musical instruments but based on this particular video, it will be: 1. CP4 2. Forte 3. RD800 4. S2. Don't be fooled though, these can do way more. There's a reason why they have all those knobs, faders, buttons and the screen.
I think from here on out, I’m gonna stop saying which brand or keyboard is better than the other, they all sound great . I prefer Yamaha & Kurzweil, but the Nord, Roland and Korg , as well as other brands have their strengths & weaknesses ! The best is which ever you like and can afford .
All of these four are the best stage pianos currently and all of them sound great. I wonder which one feels the best? the most similar to a real piano?
Considering the Nord and Forte are double the price of the CP4 and RD800, I'm not sure you are getting double the piano realism. A Ravenscroft 275 VST played with a Kawai VPC1 might sound and feel better for less, but they are all nice pianos for sure.
***** US prices of four keyboards courtesy Sweetwater dot com. Norde Stage 2 88 - $4499 Kurzweil Forte - $3995 Roland RD800 - $2499 Yamaha CP4 - $2299 OK, close to double.
Witam, Panie Grzegorzu co mam wybrac?, musza byc super brzmienia i super klawiatura, ;-). Mam KORGa KRONOSa 88 ale jestem bardzo zalamany kiepska klawiatura, :-( Klawiatura tego instrumentu to najslabsza moim zdaniem strona, badz ja mam pecha, :-( Gram tylko w domu a klawiatura jest zla, co Pan poleci?, podoba mi sie Nord Stage 2 88, ma to byc instrument bardzo nowoczeny i na dlugie lata, pozdrawiam serdecznie, Tomasz Majewski, :-)
It's very interesting how our sense of sight influences our other senses. Just listen without watching, then watch this video - did you get different results? It's been a while since this comparison and even to this day (nov. '17) I feel the Kurz is king. However, that is my opinion based on my tastes and yes I've played them all, and that was my assessment. When I see people argue over the question, it is really absurd! Ultimately it is personal preference. The recent comparison I heard between the Forte and the NP3 still had the Forte coming out on top ( just pianos). But again, it's up to you. Play your pianos, love music, and for goodness sake, love others... ~R
For me, the feel is the number one criteria for a digital piano. Roland makes the most authentic feeling action/keys, so they win. The piano sounds aren't great, but I can MIDI to a Nord for their pianos or to software if I'm recording.
great comparison..thanks for the variety...been looking at Nord for our church, but price is crazy...back and forth on this one...but the Roland might be the one...I think your ears will adjust to what you have....
Yes Mike, The Nord has best Organ by far but the Yamaha and Roland are good too. Probably very good for church sounding organs. I am in a rock band and between the Roland and CP4 { I played both } I chose the CP4 for several reasons. Fantastic and superior action. Ease of use on stage, ability to cut through the mix, having a compression button that boosts volume in a split second which you adjust how much or how little. The AP pianos are great and can be edited to your liking. The user manual can be thrown in the trash because that's where it belongs. My suggestion if you get a CP4 is to call Yamaha { who have good techs but you cannot get them on the phone unless you call and schedule an appointment} which I find pathetic. However. when you get one on the phone, they are very patient and if you have a list of questions, they will walk you through step by step and then it becomes second nature, and you will then realize you made the right choice. I was happy even with the factory presets, but learning to edit took the piano to a whole new level. Good luck with your choice. Like to know how it goes.
Which has the best piano action? I bet its the CP4, but I think sound wise the Kurzweil would offer the broadest range of really good sounds over the others
Yamaha has tge best piano sounds but kurzweill is best for pretty much all the rest. Nord tho that FX sound was amazing 9:50. Personally the only thing that matters to me is acoustic piano sound. Ill always have a synth to play the other sounds with right hand on gigs. Currently thats a korg triton but im looking to upgrade this lol. Piano is a yamaha p90 which served me well but now it just annoys me compared to what you can get
Hola, saludos desde argentina! Creo que en términos generales el Nord tiene una salida más profesional un sonido que se siente de más calidad que los demás. Esto es hablando en términos generales. Tengo un teclado kurzweil, pero no sé mucho de pianos solo es mí opinión en base a mí oído.
This is by far.. the hardest video of comparison! we are listening to the Top of the Top, and yes, Kawai should be present with its flagship.. but what amaze me is.. that, still Roland has, under the sleeve, the V-piano Extreme..which I'd have to admit.. is premium best! :/
Too much programming and hassle lol. Have to get a mac/laptop and connect shit up. Whilst i do agree pc/mac samples are superior i cannot be bithered wuth the hassle and prefer to just switch the on button in a keyboard lol
I dunno... I find it increasingly hard to justify the price of a Nord. The Nord Stage 3 is almost 4000 EUR here in Germany. And honestly, soundwise I think it came in last in this comparison. The CP4 had the best sound to my ears.
Number 1: Yamaha best piano sounds, organ, but worst strings. Number 2: Kurzweil, Im really suprised how good sounds are and how good strings are. Number 3: Nord Stage, good but can be better Number 4: Roland, the worst piano sounds, to much digital/electronic sounds.
heel moeilijk. ieder instrument heeft zijn eigen karakter en dus ook eigenlijk zijn eigen klank. ze klinken alle vier totaal anders en ze zijn alle vier goed. persoonlijk vind ik de pianosound van de roland rd 800 het mooiste maar dat is mijn smaak. de electronische piano's zijn van alle vier gewoon goed maar welke sound prefereer je en wil je hebben voor je muziek. de bell piano van kurzweil vind ik het meest powerful, maar de rhodes geluiden klinken van de roland meer dichter bij het originele instrument, de string geluid vind ik van yamaha het beste klinken, het orgel geluid is van de roland weer het mooiste maar het klinkt 1 octaaf lager dan van de overige instrumenten dus dat is eigenlijk moeilijk te beoordelen, maar nogmaals dit is mijn persoonlijke smaak. ik kan me voorstellen dat anderen een voorkeur hebben voor de andere instrumenten en dus ook een totaal andere mening erover hebben dan ik. maar dat is maar goed ook anders zou alles een eenheidsworst worden en klinken en gelukkig is dat niet zo.
It's always between Yamaha and Roland, the other 2 don't have wooden key. For me personally, the wooden key will give the closest piano playing feeling (since it is a stage piano comparison). Sound is tweak-able also possible to change externally anyway(like sound modules or VST). Not to say none of these on board sound is bad at all. Thanks for the video.
Yamaha makes high quality pianos in the world such as CFX and Bosendofeor(spelling wrong) unlike Nord, Kurzweil and Roland and what you're saying here is a joke. That means you don't know how actually a piano sounds like.
nezkeys79 Direct recording from the 1/4” outputs into an audio interface connected to his computer. So all should be exactly heard as intended by the manufacturers, unless EQ/compression etc was added later.
For me it's between the Nord and the Yamaha.........and the price of the Nord kind of clinches it. I can buy two CP 4s for what one Nord Stage 2 costs. Yamaha has always had the best stage pianos, and they are very tough and dependable. I'll stick with the CP4.
Guys, don't forget, that the Yamaha CP4 has the BEST action out there. It has WOODEN keys. And a real ivory touch, this and it's amazing sound is the winner for sure. Nord Stage has really mediocre Fatar keybed, it feels alright at first, but if you are used to playing acoustic piano's you can't go wrong with Yamaha's expertise in building the best keyboard feel out there.
CP4 has the best action for me and it can sound much better than this video is showing because the sounds are very tweakable. All nice instruments. But Roland is too heavy, Kurzweil too, I don't trust Kurzweil's built quality and it's action is too light for my taste. Nord is way too expensive. JMTC
Colonel Gayfur Ya Captain Obvious but im considering buying one of these. So i was wondering if he had experience with both and what made the CP4 a better buy for him.
+David Garcia dont think so, I think everyone here came because they look into buying one and give their opinion on which one though sound the best. Im here because I look for one too
Colonel Gayfur although, youtube is definitely not the place to be doing sound comparisons for any sort of quality representations. I only watch to get a sense of the features and look of the instrument I was hoping he had tried one. Anyways, I was able to try the Yamaha and Roland side by side and went with the Roland :).
Electronic Angels I appreciate that opinions are unique and I respect that, but I am truly amazed when I hear that a pianist prefers the Nord for anything piano related. To me they’ve done a truly bad job capturing anything close to the real thing. I even bought a Nord Piano and tried it for a month. I returned it after I just could not connect with it as a piano. I bought a CP4 and am happy. Just wish the Yamaha’s Rhodes sounds were half as good as the Nord’s....
Besides the sound, the keyboard action and price are really important. And the Roland has the best action, followed by the Yamaha, with the Kurzweil and then Nord far behind. I also like the richness of the Roland sounds, especially piano, and it's the cheapest after the Yamaha (and includes some features like string resonance that the Yamaha lacks). Some of the Kurzweil and Nord sounds are excellent and the CP4 is a competent stage piano also, but the Roland is the winner for me.
Pianos:All are great but Kurzweil and Nord take the lead for different reasons. Piano and Strings,rhodes:Roland and Yamaha,FM piano: Yamaha Strings:Roland Organ: Nord and Roland ,Lead sounds :i think noone scores great in this area...maybe Nord....definetely not Roland and Yamaha(not really expecting this)
wow, kurzweil has got so nice piano samples! and nord organs! amazing. others are very good as well. but anyways, your fingers are most important tools for making good sound.. there is no such a clear "ranking" 1 - 4 as most of you say. every board is good for a special purpose.. so pls stop making stupid ranks, it's silly..
I don't want to have to choose, i want them ALL ;-)
In my opinion =
Concert Grand :
1. Yamaha CP4 (CFX Grand)
2. Kurzweil Forte
3. Nord Stage 2
4. Roland RD-800
Concert Grand + Strings :
1. Yamaha CP4
2. Nord Stage 2
3. Kurzweil Forte
4. Roland RD-800
Concert Grand + Pad :
1. Roland RD-800
2. Nord Stage 2
3. Yamaha CP4
4. Kurzweil Forte
Stage EP/Suictable EP:
1. Nord Stage 2
2. Kurzweil Forte (A bit distorted)
3. Yamaha CP4
4. Roland RD-800
Electric Piano / DX :
1. Yamaha CP4
2. Nord Stage 2 (Donated)
3. Roland RD-800
4. Kurzweil Forte
Concert Strings :
1. Kurzweil Forte
2. Roland RD-800 (Real Strings)
3. Yamaha CP4
4. Nord Stage 2
Drawbar Organ :
1. Nord Stage 2
2. Yamaha CP4
3. Kurzweil Forte
4. Roland RD-800
Ambient Pad/Musicial FX :
1. Kurzweil Forte (Nice FX & litte scary)
2. Roland RD-800
3. Yamaha CP4
4. Nord Stage 2
Lead :
1. Nord Stage 2
2. Kurzweil Forte (Too loud the feedback)
3. Roland RD-800
4. Yamaha CP4
For me the Grand Piano is not the main criteria, it's the only criteria. I have played both the Nord and the Yamaha, but have not laid hands on the Korg or the Roland. I can assure you that the feel of the Yamaha blows the Nord feel away. Maybe it's just familiarity, but I have the Yamaha CP 4. (As I said, I don't care about the synth stuff, some of which is better on the other boards.) From this demo, I would pock the CP 4 as well for the basic GP sound. It's the most realistic of the bunch. (Not like I would suffer playing any of these instruments.)........Yep. For me it's the CP4
Instead of splitting hairs over sound differences an audience won't notice, put them through three years of bar gigs & see which holds up the best.
Yes I've been doing exactly that with my Roland Jupiter 50 keyboard and I simply love it! Hundreds of gigs by now. It does 99% of all that I need it to
Well some of us might want to use one of these for studio. I dont think any of these are great for it tho.. I want a Kawai MP11SE
The keyboardist must have gotten dizzy circling around such a great cast of high-end instruments! LOL. Kurzweil has always produced fantastic products. I believe that they were the first to offer a commercially viable sampled piano. It went for about $10k!!! In this comparison, the Kurzweil seems to be the best all-around performer. The Nord has a stunning acoustic grand piano sound but then it should offer something special for it's $4.5k street price. Alas, the Nord Rhodes patch was just flat wrong. Yamaha is great for vintage FM sounds but the sampled stuff, while quality, offers nothing new or different. Roland, at least in this demo, was totally out of it's league. IMO, there are two instruments that were left out of the demo which would have made for a more provocative comparison; the Korg Kronos, because it is an amazing instrument with a great keyboard action, and the Casio Privia PX-5S because it is also an amazing instrument with an exceptional keyboard action and because you can buy 4 of them for the price of one Nord.
Let's be clear: you're not going to suffer with any of these boards. All are excellent stage keyboards. Each have their strengths. The Kurzweil to my ears is best overall for sounds in all areas. Nordic certainly has great piano and EPs, but for that price you'd think it would be better at a wider range of sounds like Kurzweil. The overall champ is Roland RD800 which at that price point, 2400, seems to be well balanced and we'll built. if we're just rating piano I'd say Kurz, Nord, Roland, Yamaha. if we're rating strength of all sounds I'd say Kurz, Roland, Nord, Yamaha. If we're rating band for buck I'd say Roland, Kurzweil, Yamaha, Nord.
Jon Willis thk Sir,me too!
Poxa vida, todos tem seu valor, eu particularmente adoro a Kurweill, sou meio suspeito em comparar porém não tem como não falar dos acústicos Yamaha e tão pouco ignorar os elétricos da Roland..... Então galera, vai realmente do gosto pessoal e do que precisamos no momento. Porque com toda certeza teríamos todos.
Mas como tenho que deixar uma preferência por conta da pesquisa, então eu desses aí em questão, fico ainda com o Kurweill blz?
Nord - 4499.00, Kurzweil - 3499.00, Roland RD-800 - 2499, Yamaha CP4 - 2299.00. They are all comparable in terms of sound quality. It just becomes what you like best. For years, I was a Yamaha guy but did go with the RD-800. I love the action and sound and felt it was worth a couple hundred bucks more than the CP4. The Nord and Kurzweil were just too out of my price range but they are great choices if money is no object.
Kurzweil hands down! Already purchased it and “LOVE IT”!!!
My piano sound preference (ascending to descending order):
-Kurzweil
-Yamaha
-Roland
-Nord
The Nord Stage 2 use an edited piano sample set... on high notes the volume level is corrected normalized giving a more realistic sound, but the Roland RD-800 sounds more balanced more real. A piano due the mechanical limitations of hammers and room noises/reverb is very difficult to sample, so on the editing process the normalization of volume levels and eq corrections on each note is crucial. The idea of an unlooped piano sampling session on ultimate models does not means a better piano, because the appearance of room and hammers noises at quiet volume is a problem, I think is better a 3 or 4 strike piano sampling session and loop-fade the sound on the PCM DSP processor eliminating in this way the room and hammer noises of the session, the old way of sampling. Whats matters is the strings sound with a clear and brilliant sound, not the hammers and room noises/reverberations ... anyone decide what to buy.
I doubt too many people will catch this, as the video itself goes back several years. However, for the piano’s... the Nord had the brightest sound, while the Roland and Yamaha sounded very sweet, with a lot of body. But the Kurzweil takes it! It had every bit of body the others had, but slightly more balance, with better (or more natural,) resonance. Also the realism of the strings on the Kurzweil were nothing short of haunting!
Regardless, all of them were quite impressive!
All I know for sure is if I were that guy I would have packed a good lunch, locked the door behind me, and slid my epitaph under the door!!! 😊
THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Man, it's really hard to figure out what to buy when I can rarely hear more than one of these keyboards at a store in L.A.! Still trying to figure out what will work best, but this is a great help. THANK YOU!
The groove on the nord around 8:55 reminded me of being at a baseball game and playing back yard baseball on my computer as a kid.
I pick the CP4 not only because I love it but because of what you can create with the modeling software inside the board. The Rhodes that I have created are truly inspiring
At this video we can judge the sound. I don't know tecnics characters, but if I were looking for a the best and realistic sound, I would choose Yamaha CP4. This is my own general opinion. Really I think some sounds are better in Kurzweil or in Roland. Also, Clavia sounds psychodelic, although I mind that is the worst sound at this video. I would buy Yamaha at first and at second option Kurzweil.
Has you ear Korg KRONOS 88 and Kawai MP-7? Both sound great.
The mellow Acoustic Grand piano sound of Kurzweil amazes me more than Roland and Nord. But what I wanna ask is, what is the name of the first piano piece?? Thanks 😄
Nice comparison. Its hard to say, all are good stage instruments. Its very difficult to compare by hearing alone, since you can't feel the instrument. Furthermore, Each piano got its sweet spots and the opposite (range where you'd like to avoid or at least not be at while the spot light is pointed on you). I think i'd have to get them all before i could decide. only 3 more to go.
+Yogev Montekyo Yes, I too would like them all, lol. Wow, they sound so great. I'm in love right here......
+Tef I like all the tunes he also played. He's good!
+Yogev Montekyo I totally agree with you. If I really have to give descriptions onto those four, taking piano for instance, I'd say Kurzweil is classic, nord smart/handsome, yamaha stable and roland cute/sweet.
Thanks for the comparison. It Really helped.
Well I was all excited about the RD800, until I heard the Forte. How's the action of the Kurzweil vs the RD800? I also use Ivory in the studio so sound is not as important to me as authentic feel is. I'm trying to trade up from a Motif ES8.
wow that kurz is really nice!
I'm thinking I like the RD-800 best because it has a smooth and full richness that I like in the Yamaha, but with a cooler tone like the Kurzweil. It gives off a really bold feeling! But for a more gentle and warm sound I think the Yamaha would be better.
Very useful, thank you. One question, are there some differences as the volume is concerned? It seems to me that the Kurzweil and Nord are louder.
In almost every sound comparison the loudest wins. Just bought a used Cp4.
CP4!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Greats Keyboards!
1. nord
2. Kurzweil
3. Roland
4. Yamaha
vinicius paiva Have to reverse those numbers IMO 1} Yamaha 2} Roland 3}Kutzweil 4/ Nord.... For organs Nord is No.1
I'm biased because I own the CP4 but it is the warmest and most natural. The Kurz. is nice and have had a PC88mx and loved it too. Believe it or not the Nord isn't bad.
***** Cp4 is the best I tried them all and came home with the CP4
+John Alfieri yeah man i have the Cp4 and man believe me this piano is beautiful the wooden keys omg!! The touch of the CP4 is the best!! thinking in the 4 pianos yamaha is the only company in this comparision that produce acoustic pianos and the other 3 emulates other keyboards like stainway. Remember Yamaha is a sound. i want to say the cp4 have CFX good for all king of styles and the CFIII beautiful for jazz and the S6 for more vintage sound and solos i love it!! no matter how far we expend money we gone get yamaha! jejeje!! just like bass every body gets a Ken Smith, Fodera and they finaly return to the Jazz Fender !! hahaha
Which has the nicest action/keybed?
Sounds like more of the Forte !
should do a blind test then show the video in the end to keep from being bias
tlkchew this!
Id recognize the shitty tinny synthetic flat lifeless sounds of nord and roland acoustic pianos anywhere though. Yamaha and Kawai for me are leading this. Kurzweil and Korg Grandstage are next imo.
All of these are good enough to the point where the player is the limiting factor. That's not to say they sound the same. I am not big on ranking musical instruments but based on this particular video, it will be: 1. CP4 2. Forte 3. RD800 4. S2. Don't be fooled though, these can do way more. There's a reason why they have all those knobs, faders, buttons and the screen.
zeebazu Perfect rating,but the Forte's action might have me put it at 3rd
I think from here on out, I’m gonna stop saying which brand or keyboard is better than the other, they all sound great . I prefer Yamaha & Kurzweil, but the Nord, Roland and Korg , as well as other brands have their strengths & weaknesses ! The best is which ever you like and can afford .
All of these four are the best stage pianos currently and all of them sound great. I wonder which one feels the best? the most similar to a real piano?
Nord sounds plastic like the pianos we used in the 90s. People forgot how a real piano really sound. The best sounds were Kurzweil and Yamaha.
Para mí son todos excelentes los amo ,y amigo que esta fuera de cámara con su carita muy buen músico, saludos desde chile 😌❤️
Kurzweil is the best,amazing sound! No 1, Nord Stage 2 No. 2 , Roland RD 800 No3 and Yamaha CP4 No.4 !
Considering the Nord and Forte are double the price of the CP4 and RD800, I'm not sure you are getting double the piano realism. A Ravenscroft 275 VST played with a Kawai VPC1 might sound and feel better for less, but they are all nice pianos for sure.
Double? What. No.
***** US prices of four keyboards courtesy Sweetwater dot com.
Norde Stage 2 88 - $4499
Kurzweil Forte - $3995
Roland RD800 - $2499
Yamaha CP4 - $2299
OK, close to double.
Nice playing like kurzweil
Witam, Panie Grzegorzu co mam wybrac?, musza byc super brzmienia i super klawiatura, ;-). Mam KORGa KRONOSa 88 ale jestem bardzo zalamany kiepska klawiatura, :-( Klawiatura tego instrumentu to najslabsza moim zdaniem strona, badz ja mam pecha, :-( Gram tylko w domu a klawiatura jest zla, co Pan poleci?, podoba mi sie Nord Stage 2 88, ma to byc instrument bardzo nowoczeny i na dlugie lata, pozdrawiam serdecznie, Tomasz Majewski, :-)
It's very interesting how our sense of sight influences our other senses. Just listen without watching, then watch this video - did you get different results? It's been a while since this comparison and even to this day (nov. '17) I feel the Kurz is king. However, that is my opinion based on my tastes and yes I've played them all, and that was my assessment. When I see people argue over the question, it is really absurd! Ultimately it is personal preference. The recent comparison I heard between the Forte and the NP3 still had the Forte coming out on top ( just pianos). But again, it's up to you. Play your pianos, love music, and for goodness sake, love others... ~R
I got a big smile on your last comment! Yes! "We are the flowers of one garden" Baha'u'llah
Need to compare nord piano and not stage. Nord sounds metallic. Yamaha and kurzweil sound best on piano sounds.
Nord all the way for piano in my book. Bright, lush, clear and powerful.
For me, the feel is the number one criteria for a digital piano. Roland makes the most authentic feeling action/keys, so they win. The piano sounds aren't great, but I can MIDI to a Nord for their pianos or to software if I'm recording.
Love the Nord Stage 2!
Thanks for this. Would be nice to know what patches you are using.
Kurzweil FORTE is best in my opinion !
Great Sound praise the Lord
great comparison..thanks for the variety...been looking at Nord for our church, but price is crazy...back and forth on this one...but the Roland might be the one...I think your ears will adjust to what you have....
Mike Stroud Nord's action and Forte's action are not a good piano feel at all. Cp4 wins and sounds great
Thanks
Yes Mike, The Nord has best Organ by far but the Yamaha and Roland are good too. Probably very good for church sounding organs. I am in a rock band and between the Roland and CP4 { I played both } I chose the CP4 for several reasons. Fantastic and superior action. Ease of use on stage, ability to cut through the mix, having a compression button that boosts volume in a split second which you adjust how much or how little. The AP pianos are great and can be edited to your liking. The user manual can be thrown in the trash because that's where it belongs. My suggestion if you get a CP4 is to call Yamaha { who have good techs but you cannot get them on the phone unless you call and schedule an appointment} which I find pathetic. However. when you get one on the phone, they are very patient and if you have a list of questions, they will walk you through step by step and then it becomes second nature, and you will then realize you made the right choice. I was happy even with the factory presets, but learning to edit took the piano to a whole new level. Good luck with your choice. Like to know how it goes.
Kurzeil top power...
Which has the best piano action? I bet its the CP4, but I think sound wise the Kurzweil would offer the broadest range of really good sounds over the others
Very good comparison but should have included the Kawai Mp7...;)
What about the feedback instead of vibrato in the kurzweil lead? \m/
Yamaha has tge best piano sounds but kurzweill is best for pretty much all the rest. Nord tho that FX sound was amazing 9:50. Personally the only thing that matters to me is acoustic piano sound. Ill always have a synth to play the other sounds with right hand on gigs. Currently thats a korg triton but im looking to upgrade this lol. Piano is a yamaha p90 which served me well but now it just annoys me compared to what you can get
Hola, saludos desde argentina! Creo que en términos generales el Nord tiene una salida más profesional un sonido que se siente de más calidad que los demás. Esto es hablando en términos generales. Tengo un teclado kurzweil, pero no sé mucho de pianos solo es mí opinión en base a mí oído.
This is by far.. the hardest video of comparison! we are listening to the Top of the Top, and yes, Kawai should be present with its flagship.. but what amaze me is.. that, still Roland has, under the sleeve, the V-piano Extreme..which I'd have to admit.. is premium best! :/
Nord Stage 2 hands up.But have to say that at 9:27 the Kurzweil sounds amazing.
Nord!
I'd say Forte -> CP4 -> Stage 2 -> RD800
Does anyone know the name of the first song he played?
Scott Smithenstein no😅 but even I want to know
Funny how everyone has a different taste. Now let me tell you how things are for fact:
1: CP4
2: Forget the rest of them
If you read all the comments and normalize it really doesn´t matter which one you buy, but I like the RD-800 best.
Ravenscroft 275 + Kawai VPC1
Perfect combination for live performance :XD
Too much programming and hassle lol. Have to get a mac/laptop and connect shit up. Whilst i do agree pc/mac samples are superior i cannot be bithered wuth the hassle and prefer to just switch the on button in a keyboard lol
thank you so much!
Thank u For this video.....!!!
Todos suenan increíble, pero para un pianista tocando solo, creo que el más expresivo es Yamaha.
I dunno... I find it increasingly hard to justify the price of a Nord. The Nord Stage 3 is almost 4000 EUR here in Germany. And honestly, soundwise I think it came in last in this comparison. The CP4 had the best sound to my ears.
Number 1: Yamaha best piano sounds, organ, but worst strings.
Number 2: Kurzweil, Im really suprised how good sounds are and how good strings are.
Number 3: Nord Stage, good but can be better
Number 4: Roland, the worst piano sounds, to much digital/electronic sounds.
+Jarek Borowiec Nord and no other
What about Casio px560
May I ask what "can be better" means???
Jarek Borowiec "ok"
Kurzweil! Good
heel moeilijk. ieder instrument heeft zijn eigen karakter en dus ook eigenlijk zijn eigen klank. ze klinken alle vier totaal anders en ze zijn alle vier goed. persoonlijk vind ik de pianosound van de roland rd 800 het mooiste maar dat is mijn smaak. de electronische piano's zijn van alle vier gewoon goed maar welke sound prefereer je en wil je hebben voor je muziek. de bell piano van kurzweil vind ik het meest powerful, maar de rhodes geluiden klinken van de roland meer dichter bij het originele instrument, de string geluid vind ik van yamaha het beste klinken, het orgel geluid is van de roland weer het mooiste maar het klinkt 1 octaaf lager dan van de overige instrumenten dus dat is eigenlijk moeilijk te beoordelen, maar nogmaals dit is mijn persoonlijke smaak. ik kan me voorstellen dat anderen een voorkeur hebben voor de andere instrumenten en dus ook een totaal andere mening erover hebben dan ik. maar dat is maar goed ook anders zou alles een eenheidsworst worden en klinken en gelukkig is dat niet zo.
It's always between Yamaha and Roland, the other 2 don't have wooden key. For me personally, the wooden key will give the closest piano playing feeling (since it is a stage piano comparison). Sound is tweak-able also possible to change externally anyway(like sound modules or VST). Not to say none of these on board sound is bad at all. Thanks for the video.
Kurzweil is the best of the best.
Nord is easily better for the Rhodes and for the Organs, even the synth, but the piano just sounds bad. The Kurzweil sounds the best piano wise.
Considering the piano as the most important sound:
1. Nord Stage 2
2. Roland RD-800
3. Kurzweil Forte
4. Yamaha CP4
Haha...
Yamaha makes high quality pianos in the world such as CFX and Bosendofeor(spelling wrong) unlike Nord, Kurzweil and Roland and what you're saying here is a joke. That means you don't know how actually a piano sounds like.
Nord Stage 2 has great resonance, it sounds like two pianos playing at the same time. But I love Roland's sound, it will never let you down.
Since they have no internal speakers what are you playing each keyboard through?
nezkeys79 Direct recording from the 1/4” outputs into an audio interface connected to his computer. So all should be exactly heard as intended by the manufacturers, unless EQ/compression etc was added later.
For me it's between the Nord and the Yamaha.........and the price of the Nord kind of clinches it. I can buy two CP 4s for what one Nord Stage 2 costs. Yamaha has always had the best stage pianos, and they are very tough and dependable. I'll stick with the CP4.
Acoustic piano, I prefer Yamaha CP4.
Wybrałbym Rolanda ze względu na fakt, że ma najlepszą klawiaturę. Z resztą silnik SUPERNatural brzmi niczego sobie! :)
nord stage 2 sicuramente
Piano sound at Roland more detail at a live performance.
I have Kurzweil and Roland. But still, I'm a fan Kurzweil)
Guys, don't forget, that the Yamaha CP4 has the BEST action out there. It has WOODEN keys. And a real ivory touch, this and it's amazing sound is the winner for sure. Nord Stage has really mediocre Fatar keybed, it feels alright at first, but if you are used to playing acoustic piano's you can't go wrong with Yamaha's expertise in building the best keyboard feel out there.
CP4 has the best action for me and it can sound much better than this video is showing because the sounds are very tweakable. All nice instruments. But Roland is too heavy, Kurzweil too, I don't trust Kurzweil's built quality and it's action is too light for my taste. Nord is way too expensive. JMTC
Roland for sure!!
Nord and kurzweil top much
Kurzeil top power...number one KRUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
ali hakan Uzunoğlu Terrible action !
what is the style' name at 4:30? that's very Cooooool!!
Yamaha CP4 stage is the best.
Martínez Piano Worship why do you say have you tried the roland and yamaha?
+David Garcia because this video was a comparison...
Colonel Gayfur Ya Captain Obvious but im considering buying one of these. So i was wondering if he had experience with both and what made the CP4 a better buy for him.
+David Garcia dont think so, I think everyone here came because they look into buying one and give their opinion on which one though sound the best. Im here because I look for one too
Colonel Gayfur although, youtube is definitely not the place to be doing sound comparisons for any sort of quality representations. I only watch to get a sense of the features and look of the instrument I was hoping he had tried one. Anyways, I was able to try the Yamaha and Roland side by side and went with the Roland :).
all that keyboards are good but im a very fan of all yamaha's piano sound
Acoustc , Elétric, samples and others Nord and roland . DX + Yamaha
I'd say Nord and Yamaha in that order. However, I take all four!
O KURZWEIL FORTE É MAIS COMPLETO, MAS AS TECLAS DO ROLAND SÃO MATADORAS
Kurzweil eh fogo mesmo. Tenho um sp76II e nao me deixa na mao. Eh bom mesmo
The best way is compare these dp's in a band situation.
For me as pianist:
Solo piano = 1. Nord , 2. Yamaha
For study piano = Roland ... Great feel
Electronic Angels I appreciate that opinions are unique and I respect that, but I am truly amazed when I hear that a pianist prefers the Nord for anything piano related. To me they’ve done a truly bad job capturing anything close to the real thing. I even bought a Nord Piano and tried it for a month. I returned it after I just could not connect with it as a piano. I bought a CP4 and am happy. Just wish the Yamaha’s Rhodes sounds were half as good as the Nord’s....
Besides the sound, the keyboard action and price are really important. And the Roland has the best action, followed by the Yamaha, with the Kurzweil and then Nord far behind. I also like the richness of the Roland sounds, especially piano, and it's the cheapest after the Yamaha (and includes some features like string resonance that the Yamaha lacks). Some of the Kurzweil and Nord sounds are excellent and the CP4 is a competent stage piano also, but the Roland is the winner for me.
Kurzweil forte!!
Yamaha CP o melhor
I love the Nord sound but action has to factor in somewhere. Roland rd 800 sounds amazing but also feels amazing! And the Kawai mp11 as well!
So what about the Nord...doesn't it sound?
Nord is the best.
Pianos:All are great but Kurzweil and Nord take the lead for different reasons.
Piano and Strings,rhodes:Roland and Yamaha,FM piano: Yamaha
Strings:Roland Organ: Nord and Roland ,Lead sounds :i think noone scores great in this area...maybe Nord....definetely not Roland and Yamaha(not really expecting this)
1> CP4 : very musical !
2> Kurz good
3> NordStage : correct piano - generally, it sounds too much like synths
4> RD : bad compares to the others
kurzweil na cabeça
wow, kurzweil has got so nice piano samples! and nord organs! amazing. others are very good as well. but anyways, your fingers are most important tools for making good sound.. there is no such a clear "ranking" 1 - 4 as most of you say. every board is good for a special purpose.. so pls stop making stupid ranks, it's silly..
He hates Yamaha CP4 however is even the best of these.