Product Review: Clavia Nord Stage 4 – Stage Keyboard Series

The new Nord Stage 4 sees improvements in several key areas of the proven Stage keyboard concept. Moreover, it fulfills several wishes of the Nord Stage fan community: Real drawbars on all Stage models, an extensive Synth section, sliders for the sound sections, an improved layer mode, and, and, and…

With the same trio of Stage Compact, Stage 73, and Stage 88, Clavia continues to tailor the Stage keyboard concept to different needs. The Compact – as the name suggests – with its semi-weighted 73 waterfall keys is ideal for organists and anyone who wants to use the Stage as an additional keyboard. It is also extremely practical due to its low weight.

New Piano Keyboard

If you want piano quality, you can choose either the 73-key or 88-key version, both with a hammer action keyboard. What is new here is that the smaller 73 Stage 4 no longer has the lightweight HP keyboard (like the Nord Electro 6 HP), but the same hammer action as the Nord Stage 4-88.

However, the keyboard type generally differs from that of the previous series. While it is still by the Italian manufacturer Fatar, the Nord Stage 4 now has a TP/110 keyboard with hammer action. In direct comparison to the Stage 3, the key action on the TP/110 is more precise. Accordingly, it also plays more accurately, which is certainly also due to the new triple-sensor technology.

Generally speaking, there are stage pianos with better keyboards if you want to concentrate on playing the piano. However, the Nord Stage is a multi-instrument to play acoustic pianos as well as digital pianos, organ, and synthesizer sounds. This also works well with new keyboard of the Nord Stage 4-73 and Nord Stage 4-88, making it a very successful compromise. Nevertheless, the triple-sensor hammer action naturally focuses on piano sounds, all of which convey a high-quality playing feel.

Big Price!

The Nord Stage has always been in the upper price range – and the Nord Stage 4 is no different. You have to let the manufacturer’s recommended retail price sink in:

• Stage 4 Compact – 5,115.81 Euros*
• Stage 4-73 – 5,472.81 Euros*
• Stage 4-88 – 5,829.81 euros*

With these Stage keyboards, you not only get a lot of performance for your money but also a unique and versatile keyboard concept. The list of new features confirms once again that the Nord Stage is the top model in the stage keyboard segment.

*Prices at release date in 2023. Please check the info boxes for the current prices.

Rich Sound!

A major change is the layer concept. Layering and combining different sounds is now integrated into the Piano, Organ, and Synth sections, making it a central feature. Additionally, you can adjust the volume of the layer section directly via sliders. This is a great relief compared to its predecessor and makes the handling much clearer.

You can layer all sound sections with up to seven parts to create really rich sounds. LED strips on each fader let you see the current volume level at all times – important when using programmed patches. But that’s not all: You can individually apply the entire layer effect section to each layer. This means that the Nord Stage 4 has double and triple the effects!

New Synth in the Nord Stage 4

Of course, Clavia has the full Nord repertoire at its disposal and has built the Nord Wave 2 Synth Engine with sample playback capability into the Nord Stage 4. You can fill up to 1GB of memory with high-quality sounds from the Nord Sample Library, including many orchestral sounds, vintage synthesizers, and the sounds of the original Mellotron library.

With up to three layers and a maximum polyphony of 46 Voices, the Synth section alone can create powerful sounds. All this is thanks to analog modeling, FM, and digital waveforms with various filter models. Classic 12/24dB Ladder Filters are available, as well as Band Pass, High Pass, and special combinations of these.

The Synth Section panel looks different than on the predecessor. While you have to get used to the extended functions, it’s amazing how much functionality the Stage 4 packs into a small space. Besides the new layer option, the new Synth section offers much more. But whether sampling or analog modeling engine, the sound quality is top-notch!

Organ Section: Drawbars for Everyone!

Awesome! Until now, real drawbars were reserved for the “organ version”, the Stage Compact. Now, however, everyone gets drawbars! The advantage of drawbars is obvious: You can adjust the pitch positions of the organ intuitively, just like on a vintage organ. All models have LED indicators to show preset drawbar settings – very handy.

Otherwise, the Organ section remains the same: Sensationally authentic vintage organs thanks to the award-winning Nord C2D Combo Organ engine. With all three Nord Stage models, you can enjoy excellent emulations of B3 tonewheels, Vox and Farfisa transistor organs from the ’60s, and even powerful church organs.

Pianos, Pianos, Pianos

This has always been one of the absolute strengths of the Nord Stage series: Proper piano sounds! And the Nord Stage 4 is no different. Even if the 120-Voice polyphony for the Piano section and the 2 GB of memory remain the same, the sounds are truly delightful. The Nord Piano Library has it all: Excellent acoustic grand and upright pianos, electric pianos, and vintage keyboards at their best. What’s new is that you can now use the Piano section as a 2-part multitimbral section.

The functionality remains the same as well: For acoustic pianos, you can turn on and off details such as string resonance and damper noise, as well as timbre settings. These offer special sound shaping options for all instrument groups. You can tweak the damping of a Felt Upright, simulate the pickup/filter on a Clavinet, or pimp a Rhodes sound into a fat Dyno Rhodes. Whatever combination you choose, it will always sound great.

New features include Dynamic Compression and Unison for enriching sounds. The Compression settings have been carefully chosen. They don’t alienate the sound, but add more juice when you need more punch for a solo or more range for an accompaniment. Discreet but effective.

Layer Effects

Perhaps the most subtle, but most significant new feature of the Nord Stage 4: Each layer now has its own effect section. This means that you can combine very complex sounds with effects in a very precise and sophisticated way. The effects include two modulation effects with ring modulation, tremolo, chorus, flanger, or phaser, an amp simulation that you can switch to a rotary effect, delay, compressor, and reverb.

The sound quality of the effects is excellent, and it’s great that you can adjust the modulation speed and intensity of the effects. A lot of experience and good taste has gone into these effects – it is almost impossible to get them wrong.

New to the Mod 1 section is a PUMP effect that can create the typical rhythmic pumping effects of a compressor. This is very useful for adding movement to pad sounds, for example. In addition, the chorale variation of the reverb is also very nice. Here, a chorus-like effect gently modulates the reverb, which is especially effective with longer reverb times. As a result, you get a very spacey, floating reverb sound.

Nord Stage 4 – Comparison

The Clavia Nord Stage was the first stage keyboard with such an accessible control concept. As the Swedish manufacturer has continued to develop this keyboard concept over the years, it is not surprising that the Nord Stage has been the number-one stage piano for years now. However, the competition has caught up and brought interesting competitors to the market.

Nord Stage 4 vs. Nord Stage 3

Naturally, Nord Stage 3 users are wondering if it is worth upgrading to the new model. Additionally, the price has increased significantly from the third generation to the Nord Stage 4. In general, the Nord Stage 3 is still worth the money, and the differences are not worth mentioning, at least in terms of the basic sounds. The sound libraries are identical and the layer sounds are quite similar.

The difference is really how you get to the layer sounds, because the new layer concept makes operation much easier. The difference in sound comes from the layer effects and the new Synth section with up to three layers.

Nord Stage 4 vs. Yamaha YC Series

In contrast to the CP-88/73 stage pianos, Yamaha introduced the YC series in 2021. The Nord Stage seems to be the inspiration for these instruments in many ways. This is evident in the available models, which come with either a 61-key keyboard or in a piano version with a choice of 73 or 88 hammer action keys. At a significantly lower price than the Nord Stage models, all YC instruments offer real drawbars – Clavia followed suit with the Nord Stage 4.

Authentic-sounding vintage organs with chorus/vibrato, percussion, rotary, and drive – the organ section of the YC models is on par with the Nord Stage 4. A matter of taste, however, is the difference in tonality: The Yamaha YC organs produce a more open, clear sound, while the organ sound of the Nord Stage 4 is warmer and smoother.

The two sound sections of the YCs are more in line with the sound categories of the Yamaha workstations: Piano, electric piano, synth, and others. The YCs are also simpler when it comes to the effects. The Nord Stage 3 already had more to offer in this respect, but the new layer concept with a total of seven sound layers, including differentiated assignment of layer effects, is considerably more powerful.

Nord Stage 4 vs. Viscount Legend ’70s

The Viscount Legend does not have a drawbar organ, so this comparison is somewhat misleading. Nevertheless, the Viscount Legend ’70s plays in a very similar league with its “stage piano & vintage sounds” concept.

What makes the Viscount Legend so special is its modular concept, which makes the basic stage piano much more affordable. Moreover, the electric piano module with physical modeling sound generation and up-to-date tablet and smartphone compatibility via USB MIDI/Audio also make the Viscount Legend ’70s a strong competitor.

Nord Stage 4 in Practice

Although the crowded control panel of the Stage 4 takes some getting used to, it is comfortable and flexible to use. Eventually, all the features make sense and you feel like everything is in the right place.

The advantages of the new layer concept are also immediately noticeable: For instance, you now have the volume levels under control without having to switch around too much – and more! The layer-focus principle is excellent: It ensures that all functions in the control panel relate to the layer that is “in focus” (and that you don’t accidentally “twist” another layer). While this could easily happen with the many effects, fortunately, there is the ingenious “Follow Focus” function. This ensures that the effects of the selected layer always remain accessible. It’s a small detail you won’t want to miss when performing live or rehearsing with your band.

Every Light Has Its Shadow

As mentioned above, the new layer concept has many advantages, but there is still room for improvement. For example, if you’re looking for synthesizer sounds, you can easily use a preset library. However, you have to keep in mind that these presets can always consist of up to three layer components, which will then overwrite your current setup. While this is not ideal, it is not a big deal if you know it will happen. What bothered me was that this also overwrites the volume, and replaces it with the maximum volume, regardless of where the faders are currently set. If you’re looking for a softer Pad sound layer, you’ll get it at full volume instead.

Backward Compatibility Criticism: Due to the new structure of the sound engine, user patches from previous models are not upward compatible. Of course, the sampling content and the Nord libraries work as usual, but you have to redo your own programs. A converter program would certainly be helpful, even if it doesn’t make the patches one hundred percent reproducible.

External Storage: As with the previous series, I miss a USB-to-Device connection to manage patches and sample sets on the go without a computer.

Mobile Devices: There is also no support for mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. It would certainly be very handy to manage samples and presets via an app. And you could cross USB-to-Device off the feature wish list as well.

Conclusion: Number One Stage Keyboard

From its robust construction to its ease of use, the Nord Stage 4 is well worth the price – and above all, it’s the sound that wins you over. At first glance, the sound engine of the new generation seems very similar to its predecessor, but we need to take a closer look.

Even if the innovations of the fourth generation are conceptual, you should not underestimate the potential of the new layer functions, the layer effects, and the new Synth section. The sound of the new Stage is much more differentiated than its predecessor. However, there are still a few points of criticism regarding backward compatibility and external sample/preset management: In this price range, this shouldn’t really be an issue.

But you can count on one thing: No matter which version of the Nord Stage 4 you choose – Compact, 4-73, or 4-88 – you will always get the number one among stage keyboards.

Clavia Nord Stage 4 – Overview

Release date: 03/04.2023
Keyboard: 73-key waterfall (Compact), 73-/88-key triple-sensor hammer action
Polyphony: 120 (Piano section) + 46 (Synth section), fully polyphonic Organ section
Manufacturer/Distributor: Clavia/Sound Service

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