I went out to purchase a 88 key Nord Stage 3 as a new gig keyboard and while at the store I tried the Korg and the YC88 too. Your video helped a bit with all this - thank you so much! The feel of the YC88 keys was phenomenal compared to the Nord and Korg and the ease of adjusting the YC88's sound on the fly was impressive and intuitive. The drawbars on the YC88 also sold me for the organ (tapping buttons on the 88 Nord, what were these guys thinking?). After playing each board for about a half our I opted for the YC88; hands down the right choice for me. I did save about $1k USD but again I was prepared to shell out more on the Nord. It just wasn't the best board for gigging for what I do.
@@Purrrelll This vid gets into the feel, mechanics, weight, action, patches, layering, etc of YC88, Nord Stage 3 and the Korg, not just piano sounds.. I wanted only one 88-key board to cover most of what I'm tasked to play as I'm carrying plenty of other equipment to each gig. It also needed to feel like a real keyboard, have several great piano patches and a workable organ. The drawbars for the organ on the Nord (push buttons on the 88-key) didn't do it for me. I found it rather clumsy and unresponsive. Also, several reviews on the Nord (out of the box) found quality issues with non-functioning buttons. Too much hassle for the extra $1k. While I appreciate the Nord's ability to infinitely create custom synth sounds I didn't need all that. I chose the YC88 for the best quality, feel, and how it fit my needs balanced against the price.
@@Purrrelll Bro, I've just bought a Nord Piano 5 and send it straight back, because of the noisy keybed. Liked the feel and the sound of the Nord,but it's unacceptable that Nord still builds their recent keyboards with those faulty Fatar keybeds that have a long history of problems. Is the Nord Piano good? Yes. Is it worth 3000€? Not in the slightest.
Really I do feel like nord keys are pretty bad for the price that they ask. Some people love it but I don't. I think sound wise it's very good if a little cold sometimes. But I think that coldness translates to a nice cutting sound live. Haven't tried Yamaha or korgs but I'd love to Just listening to videos I really like the korg ep and organ sounds. They have alot of Character
True. the tapping buttons on the organ are wth? then there's the asking price 😂 here it's almost double the YC. I don't get why they price em like that.
I like Jack bc he seems like he might be a party boy at first glance but he's actually a synth nerd and absolute savage on the keys. Plus I like that he actually plays music in these videos instead of just moving a filter cutoff knob. Keep up the good work lads.
as an American I never "absolute savage on the keys". love the expression and completely agree..along with the other comments. THIS is how to review a keyboard.
What I love about my sv-2 is that I can dig into setting at home practice with my laptop, but live I don’t have to worry about bumping anything and majorly changing my sound.
I'm a several decades Yamaha fan, many of their boards have come and gone through the years, though I'm still hanging onto a S90ES, a CP4, an old CP33 (mostly for sentimental reasons), a MX49, a P105 and recently bought a P515 for easy studio use and practice. I play left-hand bass in 3 bands, and ever since my old Fender Rhodes Piano Bass days in the 70's, I have always had a dedicated signal and channel for bass running through bass amps and/or D.I.'s, which made it easy working with venue or studio sound engineers accustomed to having a bass guitar feed; it was a seamless setup with them. Before starting to use a Stage 3 88, I commonly had a CP4 or S90ES on the bottom for APs, EPs and pads/strings, a Hammond SK1 on the top for organ (midi'd to the bottom board for right hand to play both boards from the lower keyboard when desired), and a MX49 angled in from the left side for bass - but the Stage 3 88 allowed me to use one board for all three functions (and then some, taking the synth into account) since I could assign the bass (synth on panel B) to output 3 as a dedicated bass out, assign the bass volume to the mod wheel for easy tweaking accessibility, and then have panel A visible and available for stereo organ, piano and synth full time. I could accomplish much of the same thing with the S90ES's assignable outputs, but the organ section wasn't nearly as good as Nord's (I got by installing a few good B's Knees patches) but most of that relied heavily on presets with very little flexibility during performance, and the S90ES additionally is 10 pounds heavier and 6 inches longer than the NS3 88. So now, when I see any excellent new offering, like the YC88, the limited outputs kills it for me immediately - otherwise, I'd be seriously interested in the YC73 for rehearsal and quick on/off stage work. With many folks like myself desiring additional outs for dedicated bass or to have a dedicated organ out to a vent, maybe Yamaha could quickly broaden its market by adding a couple assignable outs to what seems to be a stellar YC lineup. Thanks for your great reviews and insights, always a pleasure to watch and listen!
All quality keyboards but there are considerable price differences Stage 3 £3000, YC88 £2350, SV2 £1650. It’s also likely in future that YC88 & 73 will drop in price to under £2k. One thing regularly overlooked with the YC & CP73/88 is the audio interface which works great with MacBook or iPad. Also almost every control on the front panel outputs midi cc so if you use VSTs the YC/CP is a fantastic option. Have the CP73 and Korg SV2, love em both😊😊
Even though I liked both the Yamaha YC and The Korg SV2 I’m just happy with my Nord Stage 3 because it is was my dream piano for years and Got it last year and I’m not planning on getting another piano anytime soon
Very nice, informative and useful comparison. The best part of the video though is your playing on the outro. I love it! Do you have some ambient stuff on Spotify? If not, maybe you should consider recording/producing something... Cheers from Berlin, Germany.
While there's many things in play when deciding what hardware keyboards are worth buying, i think oneshould always weigh heavily the option to download sounds, weather it be from the makers own library, or from third parties. So often, a keyboard sound will appeal to some but not others. So if you are someone who WANTS three different sounding Rhodes, but a given keyboard only has one that really speaks to you, and you cant download any others, then you are effectively stuck with the one. Nord lets you choose from many, so you WILl find multiple of any given keybaord type that will suit your tastes. All companies should let you choose from any sample sets, and bonus for 3rd party.
They are all perfectly fine. Personally I'd not use a hybrid for organ, I prefer a dedicated device focused on those sounds. But for a 'do all' - any of these will make you happy.
I think the Nord Stage 3 has the edge still due to its ability to load samples and fully editable synth , i do own one! I think the Yamaha has a better action though just a shame they never added more customisable features .... But all great keyboards but i will stick with my Nord ....
I traded up a nord electro for a yc61. Not a bad choice, but the A. pianos on the nord are leagues ahead.... BUT, i now have a slightly better action and built in audio interface so keyscape is king! p.s. the YC61 probably beats the electro on all aspects except for acoustic piano samples! However I can't seem to get a decent bass guitar sound out of the yc61 - nord sample bank was better on that front too.
Excellent comparison. I think its a toss between the Nord and the Yamaha. These are serious keyboards for serious players (i.e keyboard players who are advanced/professional) who need a portable solution. ultimately is about the feel and the sounds/ You just have to pick one (or two). Those synth sounds on the Korg were a revelation.. great programming... Most people will choose either the Nord or Yamaha, based on their personal biases. if I had the spare dosh, I'd have the Yamaha. Glad to see them producing great gear again - a bit expensive compared to their initial outing of the CP88 a while ago. From a sonic point of view what was improved between the CP88 and the new YC88? For someone like me who is not into organ sounds, should I just get a CP88 instead and save quite a bit of money?
Love the outro! Could be a powerful movie soundtrack that would definitely bring tears to me eyes in the moment, on par with Zimmer, Williams and the likes.
I'v played all versions. I owned the Nord 6d. which was great in a lot of ways but the unavoidable factor was the key bed was trash to me. Not much flow, plus im not a big piano guy but more so EP guy, the selection is very big even with the add ons from their site. I used it more for synth than keys. The Yamaha i tested out the smaller version the CP80 and again super small creativity on sonics within the EP section and very limited section. Key bed was nice though. I could care less about organs. The Korg SV2 is right up my alley. Its extremely SPECIFIC, yes no mod wheel but that is intentional as it emulates the vintage Stage Pianos which none of those have mod wheels either. I love the specificity of it. As far as EP...YES!!! BEAUTY! The range of which i can choose different variations and sonics from amp, to eq and more is amazing! It may not have the BEST acoustic piano compared to Nord or Yamaha BUT it still holds its own and i'm not a big acoustic piano guy, but i have Keyscape if i need that LOL! At the end of the day i said all that to say. its about what FEELS RIGHT to YOU! The only true way to tell, is to get in front of the hardware and play for yourself.
Just wanted to say something on the SV2 as it doesn't seem to be getting much love here in the comments. I admit that in comparison to the other two it does come in last. However we're talking about quite a price gap between the three. The SV2 is just a continuation of the SV1 which for 10 plus years has been a winner for them. Korg's main focus has been on their synth line which unless you've been hiding under a rock has been substantial. Bottom line is that it's a great time for keyboard players...so many choices and quality instruments at all price points.
As a long time nord user, there’s a lot I really like about the YC88, but the limited synth section and inability to load custom samples are a deal breaker
Yes this video should really be Nord Electro not Stage Vs the others. I wish Yamaha had priced the YC series more competitively against the Nord Electro. The Electro is still better value, so you're paying an additional £400+ for the Yamaha keybed and lack of sample import facility. This leans heavily in the electros favour
Awesome, down to Earth review as usual Jack and the gang! To reinforce your comment about potential upcoming videos, I'd love to see one about combining two keyboards via MIDI that complement each other (or several configurations). For example: MODX/CP vs Electro/Stage, etc... And plug in there a "low budget" kit: MOXF/Casio Privia for instance!!!!
Regarding action and response is so subjective, and it depends on individual preference. The more simplistic a keyboard is without sorting through menus during a gig would be my personal preference, as long as the board contains some phenomenal sounds. Great presentation...
I think the fact that you had to lean ever so slightly to bend the pitch shows that the benders are too far off in the corner on the YC. I think I'll decide between the 61 or 73.
Man, Yamaha should have come out of the gate with this YC88 opposed to playing around with teasing us with the CP88, which is what I have and purchased before the YC series was a thing. The YC88 is exactly what I wanted but had to settle for my CP88 at the time. Amazing board, but come on Yamaha...Ugggghhh!!!!
For me is exactly the opposite, I can see why some musicians would go over YC88 as a single feature packed instrument, but for me, playing organ and synths using 88 keybed action is far from ideal. I prefer to have a YC61 to get along a CP88, a Montage and a VA synth, so, i could mix and match between gigs depending if I were going to play jazz, rock, pop, latin dance music, etc. And I really like to play with at least two keyboards. Price difference for me is also significant.
If the sticks on the YC are polarity reversible then that would be great. The pitch and mod paddle levers on the original Oberheim synths were great and extremely expressive. Even the sticks on the Korg Monologue are nicely expressive that way.
As for the Rhodes demos....the Korg sounds more like a Rhodes from the 80's, where as the Nord sounds more like a Rhodes from the early to mid 70's Mark I. I like that sound the best.
I think I speak for a lot of subscribers but have you/Andertons thought of doing a Patreon or similar paid keyboard jam. It would bring us great enjoyment to hear you play some tunes on different keyboards like a mini concert.
Great comparison. I have the Stage 1, and the bread and butter sounds, particularly EPs, are very good, but I wish I saved for a Nord Stage 3 tbh. I’m going more digital now and a comparison/shoot-out I’d like to see is between the virtual instruments suites like Roland Cloud, Arturia V Collection, Korg, etc. I know they are super expansive so maybe you’d need to do it from a certain angle to narrow it down. Personally I find so many VST comparisons, and midi controller comparisons too, tend to be from like an EDM type perspective. I would really like to see more on those things from the perspective of someone doing fusion/hip hop/soul/funk/pop. I want to find the best options for playability, dynamics, tweakability, versatility, ease of use, connectivity (for midi controllers), etc. Dig the channel!
Oh and I’m curious how a boutique VST plugin like Pure Synth Platinum 2 by Gospel Musicians stacks up against the more popular virtual instrument soft synths/romplers.
I'm repeatedly seeing that the better comparison to the Korg SV-2 is the probably the Piano line of Nords in terms of hardware and switching options. The only thing, it seems, that keeps it being compared to the Stage version is the inclusion of organ sounds. However, given that you can't edit them on the fly, they don't seem to be all that helpful.
I own a Nord Stage 2 and got to play a YC88 at our local music store. I was blown away by the sounds and the ease of use. I am saving up to by the YC61 so I can have great sounds in a 61 key version. Never played the Korg but listening to it… meh!
nice comparison. I really can't decide between the nord and the yamaha. The Nord is sligly more natural. But i think the Korg Nautilus would be a better match for this trio. I realy would like to hear a comparison between the Nautilus and the YC.
Both the SV2 and YC sound more hi-fi than the Nord to my ears. In terms of naturalness, they are are all only slightly different from each other. I don't think he Nautilus is the right match up against these, not even the SV2. SV2 is a lot cheaper and has less features, then Nautilus is not a dedicated stage piano but a workstation keyboard instead. Nautilus sounds killer for a workstation regardless, but not the right thing to compare. Nautilus' actual competition are the Montage, Fantom, and K2700.
@@0tf850 SV2s exists and it's really nice piece of hardware. And yes - both YC and SV are stage boards but that doesn't mean they can't sit in living room. There's certainly enough space on YC88 to include speakers and I'd be happy to have them.
Love the channel! In Australia the Nord is 1/3 more expensive as the Yamaha 😳, we get ripped off with nord here. Either that or we are getting a stonkin deal with yamaha 😜
I'm a Korg man. Sv1 turned me on to a Rhodes years ago. Now I have my own 73 Rhodes. Great action, vintage sounds, but what stands out is the great price for Korg. Nord is way too expensive for same vintage sounds as rhodes and if not better.
I'm a guitarist so I'm clearly no expert but there's something warm and pleasing about the Nord for me. Wish I could play keys!! Great video once again.
Thanks for checking out the video Mark! Jack has a great "No Theory" playlist on how to learn the piano in case you ever want to give it a try... ruclips.net/p/PLql5qabb8z90hrpGLy8_53JksgzR_elYO
The YC has a built in mid range eq knob, so it can be tailored to achieve necessary warmth for the specific room. I haven't seen this gentleman mention this feature though.
Hi Jack I think you had to replace the Korg with something that maybe surprise people, the Casio px5s. to be clear I'm not related to Casio just own one. I know the brand is not fancy but it has a lot to offer 88 keys 3 sensors drawbars 4 zones A lot of sounds A lot of connectivity The ability to downloads new sounds. and more. Last but not least I LOVE your videos informative and fanny.
You do fantastic work. I really appreciate your honesty and the time you take to show these instruments. Let me just cut to the chase. As a blind musician you could help so many of us out by not ever just pointing to some thing and thing I like this one. If you would verbally specify which one you were talking about that would help a lot. I brought a YC 61 home and kept it for 30 days but it still took a lot of menu scrolling and screen diving to get to a lot of the functions and I didn’t know if I had enough presets that I could access directly with buttons. I would welcome all kinds of feedback from anyone who is interested on whether the Nord or the Yamaha keyboards would work best for a person that is visually impaired in a live performance and being able to edit sounds and save presets and access them quickly. i’m wanting a good 61 key keyboard for playing rock and reggae.
Jack, are you MPEing the YC on the outro? 😂 Yeah that YC really try to go for the jugular! Wish I had one near to compare to my NS3 88. I mean I know Keybed will definitely be better than my board. Awesome video as usual.
I still love my Nord Stage 3 for it`s portability, tweekabilety, ease of use live, generally good sound quality and of course for its red colour....but for heavens sake Clavia, if you are listening to this wonderful RUclips-channel: Its on bloody time to update some sounds on the Nords!! Here is a wishlist for a starter: New XL Rhodes Sound with key-off release sample, New XL FM-Piano sounds ( Yamaha is lightyears ahead here) , New XL Clavinet Sounds with off-key sample, and a new XL Wurlitzer. Time is ticking and the competitors are not sleeping....
+1 on all that! Even just release a mechanical key noise patch that could be layered into the ep's? Also i'd like to see an audio interface and vastly expanded sample ram, or at least a usb port to load them on the fly
Nord always wins for giving immediatly and completely acces to all its parts. Samples, synth part, efx-- everithing sounds more professional to me. Thank you for the video!
I had the 73 note SV1 and it was great but sooo heavy! And the rounded edges made me worry about resting it on its side (in a gig bag of course!) The valve also died after a while and, as I understand, they're a bugger to replace. Not as easy as just popping them out like in a guitar amp. The keybed of the Korg is really really nice. I sold the SV1 to help fund a Moog Grandmother and bought a Korg D1 - simple, fairly budget piano but with the same keybed as the SV1.
Yeah the angle of the pitch bend caught my eye thinking how weird is that? Maybe you'd get used to it. On the YC 61 they haven't put the sticks on the wonk, only on the 73 and 88. Reusing parts from the CP chassis.
I’ve often found that having a dedicated weighted action for piano and Rhodes sounds and another for organ and synth sounds etc works well. Ive had both the Yamaha world and Nord world and it seems the Nord has the edge on the organ, the Yamaha for the weighted action and competitive acoustic piano sound and the Korg Kronos Rhodes (which I assume is the same sample) edges out the rest. I still use my moxf8 and stage 3 compact for most gigs. And my laptop to acess omnisphere, keyscape, and Arturia v collection. Oh yeah and the Hammond/ik multimedia organ VST which is great.
I could be wrong but you sound like a church musician. That's exactly the rig im going for! MODX8 and then Nord Electro 6D for organ and gigs. And of course gotta have those great VSTs too.
The great organ sounds and functionality on the Yamaha combined with the price make it the clear winner although I agree that each keyboard has different strengths. I wonder how these keyboards would compare to the workstation and advanced arranger keyboards. The Korg V2 is a vintage style of a stage piano so it isn't fair to compare it to the other keyboards, although I could only recommend the Korg Kronos 2 workstation as a replacement until a new Triton or Karma comes out. I would take the D sharp and raise you an E flat.
Yamaha just always seems to have the most neutral and most well rounded acoustic piano. The EPs are a toss up at this point. You can NEVER go wrong with Yamaha. After my SV-1 got old (VERY quickly) I vowed no more Korg stage pianos and bought an old Yamaha P-250 to replace it.
It looks like on the Yamaha pitch bend was designed ergonomically to be controlled with the thumb while resting the hand grabbing on the border of the instrument.
As cool at the Nord Stage 3 is it appears it's time for a major upgrade. Drawbars, XLR outputs, save/update from flash drive, etc. In US the price differences are big. The Nord is USD $1500 more than Yamaha. Yamaha is a USD $1000 more than Korg.
Don't do this to me Jack, I just bought a Kronos last year and I was saying to myself, I don't like all this menu diving and screen business, I like to do it like I'm live just hit some sounds, load some sets and put on some effects. I got 6 keyboards already and I'm thinking about replacing my VR-09 with the YC61, seems like a better option for organ than the 730 or something. Keep giving us the sweet stuff to watch and listen too!
'Can I have a key please, Bob?' (one for the 1980's students there!) Back to the keyboards, the recent CP series sounded overly bright to me, even allowing for the fact that real Yammy pianos are known for it, but hopefully this newer board doesn't suffer from the same affliction. I appreciate that you can turn likely down the brightness on the CP, but no reviewer ever did for some reason. Jack, if you haven't filmed your YC vs CP comparison yet, could you comment on that please; show how bright they both are out-of the box, how quick that is to tame, is it an overall treble knob or a fancy equalizer, can each sound remember your preferred tone settings etc? I seem to remember the CP searing my head off in every demo vid that I ever saw of it, on all sounds, and that (harshness or lack of warmth - you decide?) put me off.
I would say that as someone who is a workstation guy and used to fiddly screens, a lot of realtime controls etc I owned the Nord Stage 3 for a brief time and to be honest it's a sea of buttons and knobs which until you're really well aquainted with is to be frank a nightmare to work with. The first gig I did with the thing I was half paralysed worried if I touched the wrong button I'd completely mess up the sound. While I accept that had I given it more of a chance I probably could have got more out of it, it's a flaw which adds a steep learning curve for new users
When they say hammer action, they don't actually mean with hammers right? There is only one keyboard I know of that actually uses hammers, Kawai VPC1 and Ravenworks Digital. But I'm assuming it isn't that style system for the price
@@kaberigomes2117 Thank you. I went to have a look a the Nord thinking, "This will be my only keyboard, it will do everything I want." Then I came away thinking that I would have to continue practising on my Yamaha to keep the strength in my hands. Having a huge collection of keyboards is the last thing I want. Now, I if I was going to buy another keyboard, it would almost certainly be the YC88.
Agreed. Tried the Yamaha and the Nord side by side, the Nord has only slightly better sounds, but the action is almost unplayable. Same is true of the Nord Grand.
@@AndertonsKeyboardDept Hurry up mate! I'm refreshing the channel several times a day waiting for the YC-vs-CP bunfight, it's basically going to choose my next keyboard for me. Hurryyyyyyyy ;)
@@Sam_imman Nord acoustic pianos aren’t as rich and brilliant as Yamaha. Besides, Nord is WAY overpriced. I would consider one just for organ if it weren’t for that.
I went to a local music shop where they had the YC88 and god the action was heavenly
I went out to purchase a 88 key Nord Stage 3 as a new gig keyboard and while at the store I tried the Korg and the YC88 too. Your video helped a bit with all this - thank you so much! The feel of the YC88 keys was phenomenal compared to the Nord and Korg and the ease of adjusting the YC88's sound on the fly was impressive and intuitive. The drawbars on the YC88 also sold me for the organ (tapping buttons on the 88 Nord, what were these guys thinking?). After playing each board for about a half our I opted for the YC88; hands down the right choice for me. I did save about $1k USD but again I was prepared to shell out more on the Nord. It just wasn't the best board for gigging for what I do.
Anyone know here the Yamaha YC88 is manufactured?
@@Purrrelll This vid gets into the feel, mechanics, weight, action, patches, layering, etc of YC88, Nord Stage 3 and the Korg, not just piano sounds.. I wanted only one 88-key board to cover most of what I'm tasked to play as I'm carrying plenty of other equipment to each gig. It also needed to feel like a real keyboard, have several great piano patches and a workable organ. The drawbars for the organ on the Nord (push buttons on the 88-key) didn't do it for me. I found it rather clumsy and unresponsive. Also, several reviews on the Nord (out of the box) found quality issues with non-functioning buttons. Too much hassle for the extra $1k. While I appreciate the Nord's ability to infinitely create custom synth sounds I didn't need all that. I chose the YC88 for the best quality, feel, and how it fit my needs balanced against the price.
@@Purrrelll Bro, I've just bought a Nord Piano 5 and send it straight back, because of the noisy keybed. Liked the feel and the sound of the Nord,but it's unacceptable that Nord still builds their recent keyboards with those faulty Fatar keybeds that have a long history of problems. Is the Nord Piano good? Yes. Is it worth 3000€? Not in the slightest.
Really I do feel like nord keys are pretty bad for the price that they ask. Some people love it but I don't.
I think sound wise it's very good if a little cold sometimes. But I think that coldness translates to a nice cutting sound live. Haven't tried Yamaha or korgs but I'd love to
Just listening to videos I really like the korg ep and organ sounds. They have alot of Character
True. the tapping buttons on the organ are wth? then there's the asking price 😂 here it's almost double the YC. I don't get why they price em like that.
I like Jack bc he seems like he might be a party boy at first glance but he's actually a synth nerd and absolute savage on the keys. Plus I like that he actually plays music in these videos instead of just moving a filter cutoff knob. Keep up the good work lads.
He can be both at the same time!
as an American I never "absolute savage on the keys". love the expression and completely agree..along with the other comments. THIS is how to review a keyboard.
The weighted triple sensor action, and physical drawbars in the YC-88 sold me along with its versatility. Spot on presentation as always. Thanks.
What I love about my sv-2 is that I can dig into setting at home practice with my laptop, but live I don’t have to worry about bumping anything and majorly changing my sound.
This review was choc full of genuine passion for these keyboards. One of your best JD! Tasty playing (as ever) as well.
I'm a several decades Yamaha fan, many of their boards have come and gone through the years, though I'm still hanging onto a S90ES, a CP4, an old CP33 (mostly for sentimental reasons), a MX49, a P105 and recently bought a P515 for easy studio use and practice. I play left-hand bass in 3 bands, and ever since my old Fender Rhodes Piano Bass days in the 70's, I have always had a dedicated signal and channel for bass running through bass amps and/or D.I.'s, which made it easy working with venue or studio sound engineers accustomed to having a bass guitar feed; it was a seamless setup with them. Before starting to use a Stage 3 88, I commonly had a CP4 or S90ES on the bottom for APs, EPs and pads/strings, a Hammond SK1 on the top for organ (midi'd to the bottom board for right hand to play both boards from the lower keyboard when desired), and a MX49 angled in from the left side for bass - but the Stage 3 88 allowed me to use one board for all three functions (and then some, taking the synth into account) since I could assign the bass (synth on panel B) to output 3 as a dedicated bass out, assign the bass volume to the mod wheel for easy tweaking accessibility, and then have panel A visible and available for stereo organ, piano and synth full time. I could accomplish much of the same thing with the S90ES's assignable outputs, but the organ section wasn't nearly as good as Nord's (I got by installing a few good B's Knees patches) but most of that relied heavily on presets with very little flexibility during performance, and the S90ES additionally is 10 pounds heavier and 6 inches longer than the NS3 88. So now, when I see any excellent new offering, like the YC88, the limited outputs kills it for me immediately - otherwise, I'd be seriously interested in the YC73 for rehearsal and quick on/off stage work. With many folks like myself desiring additional outs for dedicated bass or to have a dedicated organ out to a vent, maybe Yamaha could quickly broaden its market by adding a couple assignable outs to what seems to be a stellar YC lineup. Thanks for your great reviews and insights, always a pleasure to watch and listen!
As for Nord, you get the physical drawbars not with the 61 key version (that’s the Electro) but with the Compact, with 73 keys. Great vid!
With the Nord Electro, you get physical drawbars for sure. From the Nord Electro 4 on they had it.
@@1970piano yes indeed, had an electro 4d myself.. think you misread my post 🧐😁
You also have them on the Yc 61 & 73
I’m very very impressed by the YC! I’ve never heard a piano coming so close to the real piano sound!
All quality keyboards but there are considerable price differences Stage 3 £3000, YC88 £2350, SV2 £1650. It’s also likely in future that YC88 & 73 will drop in price to under £2k. One thing regularly overlooked with the YC & CP73/88 is the audio interface which works great with MacBook or iPad. Also almost every control on the front panel outputs midi cc so if you use VSTs the YC/CP is a fantastic option. Have the CP73 and Korg SV2, love em both😊😊
Even though I liked both the Yamaha YC and The Korg SV2 I’m just happy with my Nord Stage 3 because it is was my dream piano for years and Got it last year and I’m not planning on getting another piano anytime soon
This deserves way more views!
The action on the YC88! As well as the warmth and usefullness of the new "Nashville Piano" on the YC. Winner Winner Keyboard Dinner.
Very nice, informative and useful comparison. The best part of the video though is your playing on the outro. I love it! Do you have some ambient stuff on Spotify? If not, maybe you should consider recording/producing something... Cheers from Berlin, Germany.
I come for the review, I stay to the playing and I ALWAYS enjoy the levity !! Well done lads!🇨🇦
It´s ALWAYS a decent fresh , and good VIBE , when Jack is on ! Props to ANDERTONS for having this bloke on ,-
I am such a fanboy of this channel
Thanks for stopping by Derek, we've got loads more to follow!
I'm new to the fanboy club... where do I sit?
samsies
Me five… 👍
While there's many things in play when deciding what hardware keyboards are worth buying, i think oneshould always weigh heavily the option to download sounds, weather it be from the makers own library, or from third parties. So often, a keyboard sound will appeal to some but not others. So if you are someone who WANTS three different sounding Rhodes, but a given keyboard only has one that really speaks to you, and you cant download any others, then you are effectively stuck with the one. Nord lets you choose from many, so you WILl find multiple of any given keybaord type that will suit your tastes. All companies should let you choose from any sample sets, and bonus for 3rd party.
They are all perfectly fine. Personally I'd not use a hybrid for organ, I prefer a dedicated device focused on those sounds. But for a 'do all' - any of these will make you happy.
Thanx for another great video Jack! Your reviews are the best, and I check them all. Greetings from a "Nord-guy" in Sweden :)
I think the Nord Stage 3 has the edge still due to its ability to load samples and fully editable synth , i do own one! I think the Yamaha has a better action though just a shame they never added more customisable features .... But all great keyboards but i will stick with my Nord ....
I traded up a nord electro for a yc61. Not a bad choice, but the A. pianos on the nord are leagues ahead.... BUT, i now have a slightly better action and built in audio interface so keyscape is king! p.s. the YC61 probably beats the electro on all aspects except for acoustic piano samples! However I can't seem to get a decent bass guitar sound out of the yc61 - nord sample bank was better on that front too.
Thanks for that
Excellent comparison. I think its a toss between the Nord and the Yamaha. These are serious keyboards for serious players (i.e keyboard players who are advanced/professional) who need a portable solution. ultimately is about the feel and the sounds/ You just have to pick one (or two). Those synth sounds on the Korg were a revelation.. great programming... Most people will choose either the Nord or Yamaha, based on their personal biases. if I had the spare dosh, I'd have the Yamaha. Glad to see them producing great gear again - a bit expensive compared to their initial outing of the CP88 a while ago. From a sonic point of view what was improved between the CP88 and the new YC88? For someone like me who is not into organ sounds, should I just get a CP88 instead and save quite a bit of money?
Love the outro! Could be a powerful movie soundtrack that would definitely bring tears to me eyes in the moment, on par with Zimmer, Williams and the likes.
My dude, your playing on the outro is really nice... you should develop that.
loveandpeace.
Really appreciate the comment Thom, thanks for tuning in!
Agreed! Awesome. 👍
I'v played all versions.
I owned the Nord 6d. which was great in a lot of ways but the unavoidable factor was the key bed was trash to me. Not much flow, plus im not a big piano guy but more so EP guy, the selection is very big even with the add ons from their site. I used it more for synth than keys.
The Yamaha i tested out the smaller version the CP80 and again super small creativity on sonics within the EP section and very limited section. Key bed was nice though. I could care less about organs.
The Korg SV2 is right up my alley. Its extremely SPECIFIC, yes no mod wheel but that is intentional as it emulates the vintage Stage Pianos which none of those have mod wheels either. I love the specificity of it. As far as EP...YES!!! BEAUTY! The range of which i can choose different variations and sonics from amp, to eq and more is amazing!
It may not have the BEST acoustic piano compared to Nord or Yamaha BUT it still holds its own and i'm not a big acoustic piano guy, but i have Keyscape if i need that LOL!
At the end of the day i said all that to say. its about what FEELS RIGHT to YOU! The only true way to tell, is to get in front of the hardware and play for yourself.
Jack has changed his avatar back to ‘Day Release Jack’.
I jest of course ... lovely video as always ♥️
Just wanted to say something on the SV2 as it doesn't seem to be getting much love here in the comments. I admit that in comparison to the other two it does come in last. However we're talking about quite a price gap between the three. The SV2 is just a continuation of the SV1 which for 10 plus years has been a winner for them. Korg's main focus has been on their synth line which unless you've been hiding under a rock has been substantial. Bottom line is that it's a great time for keyboard players...so many choices and quality instruments at all price points.
I agree. I just purchased the Korg in White. Decision was based on pure sex appeal. Cheers!!
As a long time nord user, there’s a lot I really like about the YC88, but the limited synth section and inability to load custom samples are a deal breaker
Agreed. Why would yamaha do all this and skimp on synth and samples. Instantly makes the yc series only an electro competitor imo.
Maybe they are just releasing a full sized reface every other year and the CS is next?
They make the "Montage" for any and everything you prefer to do on the yc. Thank you and good night lol.
Yes this video should really be Nord Electro not Stage Vs the others. I wish Yamaha had priced the YC series more competitively against the Nord Electro. The Electro is still better value, so you're paying an additional £400+ for the Yamaha keybed and lack of sample import facility. This leans heavily in the electros favour
@@stuartdarling1620 better action, bigger keybed and mod/pitch bend
Great work Jack, very honest and impartial as is should be
Huge thanks for all you do on this channel! I loved the playout - great!
No reason to replace my wonderful Nord Stage 3.
Best board on the market... still loving my Stage 2 also...
I too replace my Nord!
@@M_E_T_R_O__9 What do you think about Yamaha key action against Nord?.
What do you think about Yamaha key action against Nord?.
A thousand dollar less and better sounds is a good reason!
Awesome, down to Earth review as usual Jack and the gang! To reinforce your comment about potential upcoming videos, I'd love to see one about combining two keyboards via MIDI that complement each other (or several configurations). For example: MODX/CP vs Electro/Stage, etc... And plug in there a "low budget" kit: MOXF/Casio Privia for instance!!!!
This would literally be perfect for me right now!! 😭
Regarding action and response is so subjective, and it depends on individual preference. The more simplistic a keyboard is without sorting through menus during a gig would be my personal preference, as long as the board contains some phenomenal sounds. Great presentation...
I think the fact that you had to lean ever so slightly to bend the pitch shows that the benders are too far off in the corner on the YC. I think I'll decide between the 61 or 73.
Just a quick fact correction the Korg SV2 88 is 20.4kg it's the 73 that is 17!
Man, Yamaha should have come out of the gate with this YC88 opposed to playing around with teasing us with the CP88, which is what I have and purchased before the YC series was a thing. The YC88 is exactly what I wanted but had to settle for my CP88 at the time. Amazing board, but come on Yamaha...Ugggghhh!!!!
For me is exactly the opposite, I can see why some musicians would go over YC88 as a single feature packed instrument, but for me, playing organ and synths using 88 keybed action is far from ideal. I prefer to have a YC61 to get along a CP88, a Montage and a VA synth, so, i could mix and match between gigs depending if I were going to play jazz, rock, pop, latin dance music, etc. And I really like to play with at least two keyboards. Price difference for me is also significant.
@@jazzer84 That certainly makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
@@jazzer84 I own a Montage 7 & Yamaha YC88🔥💯
I love your reviews. Nice, honest and informative. Please do a dual manual on the YC video.
Always love your playing brother! Specially the Chaka/Bruce Hornsby riff. Hope you are well. :)
If the sticks on the YC are polarity reversible then that would be great. The pitch and mod paddle levers on the original Oberheim synths were great and extremely expressive. Even the sticks on the Korg Monologue are nicely expressive that way.
They are, you just have to do it seperately for each live set you want to use it on.
As for the Rhodes demos....the Korg sounds more like a Rhodes from the 80's, where as the Nord sounds more like a Rhodes from the early to mid 70's Mark I. I like that sound the best.
Furiously taking notes on the chords & voicings - much easier with those awesome overhead shots, keep it up
17:42 Oh my, the play-out is fantastic!
I think the comparison should be Yamaha YC88 Vs Nord Electro vs Vox Continental which are all Organ based instruments(hence the drawbars)
9:23
Jack: Can I have a key please ?
Some guy: D Sharp !
Jack: *plays in D flat*
That would be pretty cool, to do another video on the keyboard extension!
YC88 Sounds So Much Clearer / Crisper ............. I Love It. I'm a Drummer, BTW.
I think I speak for a lot of subscribers but have you/Andertons thought of doing a Patreon or similar paid keyboard jam. It would bring us great enjoyment to hear you play some tunes on different keyboards like a mini concert.
I love your sound demos. So much to learn.
Love a bit of Chaka Khan. Awesome playing as ever.
Great Shootouts ALSO PEASE ADD KURZWEIL's to these comparisons.
(The Forte seems like it might out-do alot of these)
Actually the Korg SV2 has also an Audio Input und some Organ Patches with Rotary Effect (slow/fast, on/off) !
Great comparison. I have the Stage 1, and the bread and butter sounds, particularly EPs, are very good, but I wish I saved for a Nord Stage 3 tbh.
I’m going more digital now and a comparison/shoot-out I’d like to see is between the virtual instruments suites like Roland Cloud, Arturia V Collection, Korg, etc. I know they are super expansive so maybe you’d need to do it from a certain angle to narrow it down. Personally I find so many VST comparisons, and midi controller comparisons too, tend to be from like an EDM type perspective. I would really like to see more on those things from the perspective of someone doing fusion/hip hop/soul/funk/pop. I want to find the best options for playability, dynamics, tweakability, versatility, ease of use, connectivity (for midi controllers), etc.
Dig the channel!
Oh and I’m curious how a boutique VST plugin like Pure Synth Platinum 2 by Gospel Musicians stacks up against the more popular virtual instrument soft synths/romplers.
I'm repeatedly seeing that the better comparison to the Korg SV-2 is the probably the Piano line of Nords in terms of hardware and switching options. The only thing, it seems, that keeps it being compared to the Stage version is the inclusion of organ sounds. However, given that you can't edit them on the fly, they don't seem to be all that helpful.
haven't seen the whole video yet and gave it an instant like. yeah the boys
I own a Nord Stage 2 and got to play a YC88 at our local music store. I was blown away by the sounds and the ease of use. I am saving up to by the YC61 so I can have great sounds in a 61 key version.
Never played the Korg but listening to it… meh!
nice comparison. I really can't decide between the nord and the yamaha. The Nord is sligly more natural. But i think the Korg Nautilus would be a better match for this trio. I realy would like to hear a comparison between the Nautilus and the YC.
Nautilus Ep1 electric pianos were dated and very underwhelming. The pianos were just ok
Both the SV2 and YC sound more hi-fi than the Nord to my ears. In terms of naturalness, they are are all only slightly different from each other.
I don't think he Nautilus is the right match up against these, not even the SV2. SV2 is a lot cheaper and has less features, then Nautilus is not a dedicated stage piano but a workstation keyboard instead. Nautilus sounds killer for a workstation regardless, but not the right thing to compare. Nautilus' actual competition are the Montage, Fantom, and K2700.
I'll get YC88 as soon as they release YC88-s (with speakers)... Probably never going to happen but.. who knows. I'll start saving just in case
Do you really think built in speakers would do it justice? It strikes me as a pro stage board not a living room practice board.
@@0tf850 SV2s exists and it's really nice piece of hardware. And yes - both YC and SV are stage boards but that doesn't mean they can't sit in living room. There's certainly enough space on YC88 to include speakers and I'd be happy to have them.
here comes the CK88 buddy
Great shoot out Jack. I see the Studio Rats great British Shave off is still going lol.
Love the channel!
In Australia the Nord is 1/3 more expensive as the Yamaha 😳, we get ripped off with nord here. Either that or we are getting a stonkin deal with yamaha 😜
I'm a Korg man. Sv1 turned me on to a Rhodes years ago. Now I have my own 73 Rhodes. Great action, vintage sounds, but what stands out is the great price for Korg. Nord is way too expensive for same vintage sounds as rhodes and if not better.
I'm a guitarist so I'm clearly no expert but there's something warm and pleasing about the Nord for me. Wish I could play keys!!
Great video once again.
Thanks for checking out the video Mark! Jack has a great "No Theory" playlist on how to learn the piano in case you ever want to give it a try... ruclips.net/p/PLql5qabb8z90hrpGLy8_53JksgzR_elYO
The YC has a built in mid range eq knob, so it can be tailored to achieve necessary warmth for the specific room. I haven't seen this gentleman mention this feature though.
Hi Jack
I think you had to replace the Korg with something that maybe surprise people, the Casio px5s.
to be clear I'm not related to Casio just own one.
I know the brand is not fancy but it has a lot to offer
88 keys 3 sensors
drawbars
4 zones
A lot of sounds
A lot of connectivity
The ability to downloads new sounds.
and more.
Last but not least I LOVE your videos informative and fanny.
I own one and agree
You do fantastic work. I really appreciate your honesty and the time you take to show these instruments. Let me just cut to the chase. As a blind musician you could help so many of us out by not ever just pointing to some thing and thing I like this one. If you would verbally specify which one you were talking about that would help a lot. I brought a YC 61 home and kept it for 30 days but it still took a lot of menu scrolling and screen diving to get to a lot of the functions and I didn’t know if I had enough presets that I could access directly with buttons. I would welcome all kinds of feedback from anyone who is interested on whether the Nord or the Yamaha keyboards would work best for a person that is visually impaired in a live performance and being able to edit sounds and save presets and access them quickly. i’m wanting a good 61 key keyboard for playing rock and reggae.
Jack, are you MPEing the YC on the outro? 😂 Yeah that YC really try to go for the jugular! Wish I had one near to compare to my NS3 88. I mean I know Keybed will definitely be better than my board.
Awesome video as usual.
I still love my Nord Stage 3 for it`s portability, tweekabilety, ease of use live, generally good sound quality and of course for its red colour....but for heavens sake Clavia, if you are listening to this wonderful RUclips-channel: Its on bloody time to update some sounds on the Nords!! Here is a wishlist for a starter: New XL Rhodes Sound with key-off release sample, New XL FM-Piano sounds ( Yamaha is lightyears ahead here) , New XL Clavinet Sounds with off-key sample, and a new XL Wurlitzer. Time is ticking and the competitors are not sleeping....
Meanwhile they release a niche swing collection :D
Not to mention a much better keybed
+1 on all that! Even just release a mechanical key noise patch that could be layered into the ep's? Also i'd like to see an audio interface and vastly expanded sample ram, or at least a usb port to load them on the fly
Totally right, man!
man I don't know...that Yamaha YC88 is stealing my heart!
Nord always wins for giving immediatly and completely acces to all its parts. Samples, synth part, efx-- everithing sounds more professional to me. Thank you for the video!
I had the 73 note SV1 and it was great but sooo heavy! And the rounded edges made me worry about resting it on its side (in a gig bag of course!) The valve also died after a while and, as I understand, they're a bugger to replace. Not as easy as just popping them out like in a guitar amp. The keybed of the Korg is really really nice. I sold the SV1 to help fund a Moog Grandmother and bought a Korg D1 - simple, fairly budget piano but with the same keybed as the SV1.
Yeah the angle of the pitch bend caught my eye thinking how weird is that? Maybe you'd get used to it. On the YC 61 they haven't put the sticks on the wonk, only on the 73 and 88. Reusing parts from the CP chassis.
I’ve often found that having a dedicated weighted action for piano and Rhodes sounds and another for organ and synth sounds etc works well. Ive had both the Yamaha world and Nord world and it seems the Nord has the edge on the organ, the Yamaha for the weighted action and competitive acoustic piano sound and the Korg Kronos Rhodes (which I assume is the same sample) edges out the rest. I still use my moxf8 and stage 3 compact for most gigs. And my laptop to acess omnisphere, keyscape, and Arturia v collection. Oh yeah and the Hammond/ik multimedia organ VST which is great.
I could be wrong but you sound like a church musician. That's exactly the rig im going for! MODX8 and then Nord Electro 6D for organ and gigs. And of course gotta have those great VSTs too.
The great organ sounds and functionality on the Yamaha combined with the price make it the clear winner although I agree that each keyboard has different strengths. I wonder how these keyboards would compare to the workstation and advanced arranger keyboards. The Korg V2 is a vintage style of a stage piano so it isn't fair to compare it to the other keyboards, although I could only recommend the Korg Kronos 2 workstation as a replacement until a new Triton or Karma comes out. I would take the D sharp and raise you an E flat.
Nice versus review! I would really like to see a review on ¨smaller¨ brands like Kurzweil or Dexibell.
Great playing on the outro by the baby-faced Duxbury
Yamaha just always seems to have the most neutral and most well rounded acoustic piano. The EPs are a toss up at this point. You can NEVER go wrong with Yamaha. After my SV-1 got old (VERY quickly) I vowed no more Korg stage pianos and bought an old Yamaha P-250 to replace it.
I'm here to hear you play man. I can't afford any of these. But the way you play!? Blessing
Not being able to create layers on the SV2 without a PC is the dumbest design flaw ever.
It looks like on the Yamaha pitch bend was designed ergonomically to be controlled with the thumb while resting the hand grabbing on the border of the instrument.
I Sat here glued to the screen, I didn't want this review to finish...I think I need to get a life 🤣🤣🤣
Yamaha YC👍🏼
As cool at the Nord Stage 3 is it appears it's time for a major upgrade. Drawbars, XLR outputs, save/update from flash drive, etc.
In US the price differences are big. The Nord is USD $1500 more than Yamaha. Yamaha is a USD $1000 more than Korg.
Usb audio in/out so we don't need an audio interface
great video. Did I understand correctly that you can put new sounds on YC88 from usb to device? Is that just firmware update or other sounds?
U didn't mention the tube amp in the Korg. That blows both others away!
Hey, for what's a tube amp good? Just for an organ, but where is it ? : O .. ;)
Where is the beard??? Jack!! Oh my god! What have you done?? Oh my god!! Jack!! Please! Let it grow back!
Awesome playing!
Don't do this to me Jack, I just bought a Kronos last year and I was saying to myself, I don't like all this menu diving and screen business, I like to do it like I'm live just hit some sounds, load some sets and put on some effects. I got 6 keyboards already and I'm thinking about replacing my VR-09 with the YC61, seems like a better option for organ than the 730 or something. Keep giving us the sweet stuff to watch and listen too!
You're blessing my heart man! That Rhodes playing is tooo beautiful
Have you looked up jazzijazzful? Rhodes fanatic that frequently posts performances on his channel.
'Can I have a key please, Bob?' (one for the 1980's students there!) Back to the keyboards, the recent CP series sounded overly bright to me, even allowing for the fact that real Yammy pianos are known for it, but hopefully this newer board doesn't suffer from the same affliction. I appreciate that you can turn likely down the brightness on the CP, but no reviewer ever did for some reason. Jack, if you haven't filmed your YC vs CP comparison yet, could you comment on that please; show how bright they both are out-of the box, how quick that is to tame, is it an overall treble knob or a fancy equalizer, can each sound remember your preferred tone settings etc? I seem to remember the CP searing my head off in every demo vid that I ever saw of it, on all sounds, and that (harshness or lack of warmth - you decide?) put me off.
I'm gonna get the new YC73. It's the perfect keyboard for me :)
Korg SV2? I'd have used Roland RD-2000 instead or as well, it's also a flagship, and not the worst one, in my opinion)
I would say that as someone who is a workstation guy and used to fiddly screens, a lot of realtime controls etc I owned the Nord Stage 3 for a brief time and to be honest it's a sea of buttons and knobs which until you're really well aquainted with is to be frank a nightmare to work with. The first gig I did with the thing I was half paralysed worried if I touched the wrong button I'd completely mess up the sound. While I accept that had I given it more of a chance I probably could have got more out of it, it's a flaw which adds a steep learning curve for new users
Great review!!!
Man! You are such an amazing pianist!!!!👏🏻👌🏻👏🏻👌🏻👏🏻👌🏻
When they say hammer action, they don't actually mean with hammers right? There is only one keyboard I know of that actually uses hammers, Kawai VPC1 and Ravenworks Digital. But I'm assuming it isn't that style system for the price
The SV2 looks and sounds great, especially the Rhodes and e piano sounds. The lack of built in split and layering is just silly, tho.
My favorite channel!
..... bring Mike
He's coming back don't worry... 😉
@@AndertonsKeyboardDept nice! Jack ‘n Mike!
Jack's Back!!!
I tried the Nord Stage 3 88 recently I thought the keyboard was really light and unrealistic. I was quite put off.
Finally someone who had the same experience as me.. You are bang on right, for such high price it shouldn't feel like a toy keys..
@@kaberigomes2117 Thank you. I went to have a look a the Nord thinking, "This will be my only keyboard, it will do everything I want." Then I came away thinking that I would have to continue practising on my Yamaha to keep the strength in my hands. Having a huge collection of keyboards is the last thing I want. Now, I if I was going to buy another keyboard, it would almost certainly be the YC88.
Agreed. Tried the Yamaha and the Nord side by side, the Nord has only slightly better sounds, but the action is almost unplayable. Same is true of the Nord Grand.
Yep!
Fantastic comparison, thank you 🙏
would you count the CP88 in this comparison?
Ahhhh, we already thought about that & have that comparison coming up later this week...
@@AndertonsKeyboardDept Hurry up mate! I'm refreshing the channel several times a day waiting for the YC-vs-CP bunfight, it's basically going to choose my next keyboard for me. Hurryyyyyyyy ;)
Acoustic piano - Yamaha wins by a nose.
Electric Piano - Korg
Organ - Nord.
Guess I need one of each!
Simply get a Nord
@@Sam_imman Nord acoustic pianos aren’t as rich and brilliant as Yamaha. Besides, Nord is WAY overpriced. I would consider one just for organ if it weren’t for that.