MENNO DE BOER

It’s been here for more than a week already, but I’m loving my Nord Piano more everyday. It has that “more-than-just-the-sum-of-its-parts” thing that characterizes a great instrument.

When the original NordLead came out, I was one of the first people in the Netherlands to buy one. It was my main axe (next to the MPC) and I loved it to bits. One night, after a long session at another studio, I took the train home and fell asleep. Upon reaching my stop, I woke up with a start and made a dash for the door just in the nick of time. Inexplicably, I did not realize I had left my NordLead on the train until the next day, when I needed it for a session at my home studio. I called the railways, only to find out that the train I had left it on was the international train to Paris…

I bought a NordLead 2 as a replacement, but had to sell it when I moved to Kenya in 2002. I always missed it, though, and kind of regretted not having held on to it.

Although I always dug the Rhodes sound of the Electro, I found it waaay too expensive for what it was, and the Stage didn’t change that opinion. But when this particular Nord Piano went up for sale, I decided to give it a try, even if I wasn’t in the market for one.

I originally wanted to get a Yamaha MO-X 8 as it seemed to meet all my requirements (except for aftertouch), but the more I played the more I disliked it. So I decided to pass on it, great value though it was

Although it was far more limited than what I thought I’d need, something about this NordPiano just convinced me to buy it. I don’t think would have pulled the trigger at its original retail price, but the seller gave me a reasonable price, and that sealed the deal.

As it turns out, I’m very happy with it!