Nord Stage 2 EX CompactvsNord Stage 3 Compact
Summary
Nord Stage 2 EX Compact and Nord Stage 3 Compact: 2 Nord stage keyboards compared side by side. They differ on 9 of 17 compared specifications.
Key differences
- Drawbars: LED (buttons) on the Stage 2 EX Compact and Physical on the Stage 3 Compact.
- Released: 2015 on the Stage 2 EX Compact and 2017 on the Stage 3 Compact.
- Sound engine: Piano memory 1 GB and approx. 380 MB of sample memory, plus analogue, FM and wavetable synthesis on the Stage 2 EX Compact and Nord Piano Library (2 GB) and Nord Sample Library 3.0 (480 MB), plus the Nord Lead A1 synth engine on the Stage 3 Compact.
- Organ models: B3 tonewheel, Vox Continental, Farfisa on the Stage 2 EX Compact and Nord C2D B3 tonewheel, Vox Continental, Farfisa, two digital pipe organs on the Stage 3 Compact.
- Polyphony: Piano 40–60 voices, synth 18 voices on the Stage 2 EX Compact and Piano 120 voices, synth 34 voices on the Stage 3 Compact.
- Dimensions (W × D × H): 1070 × 302 × 104 mm on the Stage 2 EX Compact and 1066 × 312 × 106 mm on the Stage 3 Compact.
Both are the same on keys (73), key action (Semi-weighted) and sections (Piano, Electric piano, Organ, Synth, Sample playback).
| 2 items |  Nord Stage 2 EX CompactDiscontinued 2017 |  Nord Stage 3 CompactDiscontinued 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Manufacturer | Nord | Nord |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Keyboard | ||
| Keys | 73 | 73 |
| Key action | Semi-weighted | Semi-weighted |
| Aftertouch | Channel | Channel |
| Keybed | Semi-weighted waterfall | Semi-weighted waterfall |
| Sounds | ||
| Sections | Piano, Electric piano, Organ, Synth, Sample playback | Piano, Electric piano, Organ, Synth, Sample playback |
| Drawbars | LED (buttons) | Physical |
| Sound engine | Piano memory 1 GB and approx. 380 MB of sample memory, plus analogue, FM and wavetable synthesis | Nord Piano Library (2 GB) and Nord Sample Library 3.0 (480 MB), plus the Nord Lead A1 synth engine |
| Organ models | B3 tonewheel, Vox Continental, Farfisa | Nord C2D B3 tonewheel, Vox Continental, Farfisa, two digital pipe organs |
| Polyphony | Piano 40–60 voices, synth 18 voices | Piano 120 voices, synth 34 voices |
| Connections | ||
| Outputs | 1/4-inch unbalanced, Headphones | 1/4-inch unbalanced, Headphones |
| MIDI ports | DIN in, DIN out, USB | DIN in, DIN out, USB |
| Pedal inputs | Sustain, Expression, Rotor speed, Organ swell | Sustain, Expression, Rotor speed, Organ swell, Footswitch |
| Features | ||
| Features | LED drawbar buttons rather than physical drawbars, Two independent slots per section, Three split zones, Arpeggiator, Rotary speaker simulation, Four assignable outputs | Physical drawbars, Three independent sections, Up to three split points with crossfade, OLED display, Arpeggiator, Rotary speaker simulation, Four assignable outputs |
| Size & weight | ||
| Colours | Red | Red |
| Dimensions (W × D × H) | 1070 × 302 × 104 mm | 1066 × 312 × 106 mm |
| Weight | 9.7 kg | 10 kg |