Been playing with it for a bit now and as much as I love it, I'm almost regretting not going with the 88 key version. I played the 88 at the local shop and fell in love with the weighted keys. Went back and played the 61 to see if I could do the synth action and decided it would be more than acceptable. Now I'm having second thought because those weighted keys felt so awesome to me!
I'll mainly be playing piano, organ, strings, etc and won't be using it to do drum sounds typically. What would you guys do???!!
Just took delivery on the M3 73!
Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
Well, it depends... Back then I tested both 73 and 88-key versions, and I finally went for 73 keys. I really liked the 88-key version also, but since I'm not a pianist, I found it a bit awkward when playing anything else than the piano. IMHO it feels quite kinky when playing for example drums on the weighted piano-like keyboard. Or Hammond organ sounds with palm glissandos, or some fast(-ish) synth leads... no, sorry, no can do. 
I must say that I've been more than happy with that 73-key version, IMHO it's just plain excellency in it's category - and it's much more portable also. (Notice this if you're going to take it on the road with you.) Some places where I've played live were so small that it would have been impossible for that M3-88 to fit inside the walls...
But, then again, I'm not a pianist; you may find the 88-keys more suitable for you.
You can also buy a good, weighted MIDI keyboard later on if you're not happy with the 73-key version, and plug it into M3-module. And the other way around: if you find 88-key version too heavy/etc, you can buy a smaller MIDI keyboard, and go on-the-road with it and the M3-module.
I must say that I've been more than happy with that 73-key version, IMHO it's just plain excellency in it's category - and it's much more portable also. (Notice this if you're going to take it on the road with you.) Some places where I've played live were so small that it would have been impossible for that M3-88 to fit inside the walls...
But, then again, I'm not a pianist; you may find the 88-keys more suitable for you.
You can also buy a good, weighted MIDI keyboard later on if you're not happy with the 73-key version, and plug it into M3-module. And the other way around: if you find 88-key version too heavy/etc, you can buy a smaller MIDI keyboard, and go on-the-road with it and the M3-module.
If you ARE having second thoughts, you may want to go ahead and do a sway out while you still can. It's probably much better to be on the safe side rather than always "wishing" especially with this kind of purchase. (expensive)
My m3-88 should be here on Friday sometime, and I will mainly use it as my main piano instrument (ac. piano, electric piano, etc...) I'll have it connected to my Roland p330 (MKS-20) and trigger piano samples from there, while layering it with the awesome synths, brass, & strings of the m3.
I also like the way the keys felt on the m3-88 AND I already have a Fantom g7. The m3-88 was tons cheaper than the Fantom g8 and I've heard good things about both keybeds, so I went with the cheaper option (as far as a weighted board)
If your MAIN situation is piano playing, but you still want some synth action keys, maybe that suggestion about buying a weighted controller (that doesn't weight too much) would be a great suggestion.
My m3-88 should be here on Friday sometime, and I will mainly use it as my main piano instrument (ac. piano, electric piano, etc...) I'll have it connected to my Roland p330 (MKS-20) and trigger piano samples from there, while layering it with the awesome synths, brass, & strings of the m3.
I also like the way the keys felt on the m3-88 AND I already have a Fantom g7. The m3-88 was tons cheaper than the Fantom g8 and I've heard good things about both keybeds, so I went with the cheaper option (as far as a weighted board)
If your MAIN situation is piano playing, but you still want some synth action keys, maybe that suggestion about buying a weighted controller (that doesn't weight too much) would be a great suggestion.
All good points made here (as usual on this forum!) and a lot to consider.
Sina, I'm not really a piano 'player'. It was the first instrument I learned on and played from about ages 5-10, but I've played guitar ever since then without so much as hardly touching a piano except maybe a couple times a year (I'm 35 now). I mainly bought the board to do recording stuff and I've also been playing drums and bass for the past 4 years too. Here's a pic of my small little 'jam' room with my old Yamaha MM6 just for kicks:
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
J.Q., I have to say, after reading your post I'm feeling pretty satisfied with my decision. I LOVE the 88 keys but the organ glissandos and such would be tricky with those weighted keys. The reason I post on these forums is to get contrasting opinions and I'd say you guys have been great in that regard!
Apex, I'd say buyer's remorse is always a major possibility with this kind of purchase and I probably will wonder 'what if' if I stick with the 73...
So I guess I'll think long and hard about it over the next few days and make a decision sooner than later
Sina, I'm not really a piano 'player'. It was the first instrument I learned on and played from about ages 5-10, but I've played guitar ever since then without so much as hardly touching a piano except maybe a couple times a year (I'm 35 now). I mainly bought the board to do recording stuff and I've also been playing drums and bass for the past 4 years too. Here's a pic of my small little 'jam' room with my old Yamaha MM6 just for kicks:
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
J.Q., I have to say, after reading your post I'm feeling pretty satisfied with my decision. I LOVE the 88 keys but the organ glissandos and such would be tricky with those weighted keys. The reason I post on these forums is to get contrasting opinions and I'd say you guys have been great in that regard!
Apex, I'd say buyer's remorse is always a major possibility with this kind of purchase and I probably will wonder 'what if' if I stick with the 73...
So I guess I'll think long and hard about it over the next few days and make a decision sooner than later
Jeffery,
I also took piano lessons around the same age (7-12), and had a MM-6 for awhile!
Most of my adult life I’ve been using semi-weighted keys (right now I have a Korg M3-61, a Motif XS-7), which I figured was easier to play, not as tiring. Recently I went to a party and was pleasantly surprised at how much I LOVED playing a beautiful Steinway grand! So I started looking for a weighted keyboard.
My personal criteria is that it can’t weigh more than 50 pounds (if it’s too heavy I’ll be dis-inclined to gig with it), and it has to have an action and piano sound I really like. Most of the boards out there that weigh less than 50 pounds are the stage pianos, and Guitar Center had a floor model that was a little worn: the Nord Stage 88.
Wow wow wow- if you have the funds, the Nord Stage 88 is AWESOME (IMHO). I really like the action, it’s somewhere between weighted and semi-weighted, and don’t know how else to say this except to repeat what a guitar player said on one of the forums: “This feels like a real instrument”. Reading the Harmony Central reviews of the many pro players who buy this board, it’s a common sentiment.
Doesn’t sound like you want to gig with your board necessarily- but if you do, the Nord Stage 88 only weighs 41 pounds (as compared to almost 60 for the M3-88), and because the mod wheels are above the keyboard, it’s not monstrously long (it’ll fit into most 76 key gig bags). And it’s really simple: 3 sound engines, each with their own front panel controls, almost no menu diving or learning curve, and the velocity curve for the B3 clone can be setup for quick response, which makes playing organ on a lightly weighted keyboard doable.
And the sounds- there are relatively few compared to modern workstations, but they are REAL. Killer Rhodes and wurlis that make you dig into the sound, wonderful B3 organs with dedicated swell volume jack for a floor pedal and switch for the excellent rotary speaker, and a really decent virtual analog synth. And the pianos- Clavia has a library of piano and Rhodes sounds that you can download for free and load as desired, so you can choose the best of their library for your own needs, and all of that is super straightforward to do.
Don’t get me wrong- I love my M3, and will definitely keep it- I find many many of the sounds sparkly and very satisfying, and it’s a fantastic complement to the Nord Stage. But with this board I'm finding myself playing A LOT- it's fantastic to play a good sounding piano /el. Piano / etc. with a full 88 notes.
And something that I encountered first with the Motif XS7, and then the M3, is that all that promising technology gets in the way (esp with the Motif). Which is why, if you like the kinds of sounds the Nord gives you and their basic interface on a front panel, then you can get lost in playing and not the technology. The M3-88 does 20-50 times more things than the Nord Stage, but you pay for that with complexity and a constant learning curve. At least for me, the golden combo is the Nord Stage 88 together with the M3-61! Time to sell the Motif!
I also took piano lessons around the same age (7-12), and had a MM-6 for awhile!
Most of my adult life I’ve been using semi-weighted keys (right now I have a Korg M3-61, a Motif XS-7), which I figured was easier to play, not as tiring. Recently I went to a party and was pleasantly surprised at how much I LOVED playing a beautiful Steinway grand! So I started looking for a weighted keyboard.
My personal criteria is that it can’t weigh more than 50 pounds (if it’s too heavy I’ll be dis-inclined to gig with it), and it has to have an action and piano sound I really like. Most of the boards out there that weigh less than 50 pounds are the stage pianos, and Guitar Center had a floor model that was a little worn: the Nord Stage 88.
Wow wow wow- if you have the funds, the Nord Stage 88 is AWESOME (IMHO). I really like the action, it’s somewhere between weighted and semi-weighted, and don’t know how else to say this except to repeat what a guitar player said on one of the forums: “This feels like a real instrument”. Reading the Harmony Central reviews of the many pro players who buy this board, it’s a common sentiment.
Doesn’t sound like you want to gig with your board necessarily- but if you do, the Nord Stage 88 only weighs 41 pounds (as compared to almost 60 for the M3-88), and because the mod wheels are above the keyboard, it’s not monstrously long (it’ll fit into most 76 key gig bags). And it’s really simple: 3 sound engines, each with their own front panel controls, almost no menu diving or learning curve, and the velocity curve for the B3 clone can be setup for quick response, which makes playing organ on a lightly weighted keyboard doable.
And the sounds- there are relatively few compared to modern workstations, but they are REAL. Killer Rhodes and wurlis that make you dig into the sound, wonderful B3 organs with dedicated swell volume jack for a floor pedal and switch for the excellent rotary speaker, and a really decent virtual analog synth. And the pianos- Clavia has a library of piano and Rhodes sounds that you can download for free and load as desired, so you can choose the best of their library for your own needs, and all of that is super straightforward to do.
Don’t get me wrong- I love my M3, and will definitely keep it- I find many many of the sounds sparkly and very satisfying, and it’s a fantastic complement to the Nord Stage. But with this board I'm finding myself playing A LOT- it's fantastic to play a good sounding piano /el. Piano / etc. with a full 88 notes.
And something that I encountered first with the Motif XS7, and then the M3, is that all that promising technology gets in the way (esp with the Motif). Which is why, if you like the kinds of sounds the Nord gives you and their basic interface on a front panel, then you can get lost in playing and not the technology. The M3-88 does 20-50 times more things than the Nord Stage, but you pay for that with complexity and a constant learning curve. At least for me, the golden combo is the Nord Stage 88 together with the M3-61! Time to sell the Motif!
Randelph, I certainly won't be gigging with the board as I'm not nearly good enough to even consider that! I've looked at those Nords for a few years now and they look REALLY tempting...but the price is a bit steep for me and it lacks some of the features I crave (like strings and brass). If and when I win the lotto, I WILL be getting one though And you're right, the size and weight would be a bit much in my smallish room I think (that fisheye pic makes the 10x12 room look bigger than it is). If only they offered weighted keys in the smaller versions...
Off to go tinker with the M3 73 now and learn more about its 273,476 features...!
And you're right, the size and weight would be a bit much in my smallish room I think (that fisheye pic makes the 10x12 room look bigger than it is). If only they offered weighted keys in the smaller versions...Off to go tinker with the M3 73 now and learn more about its 273,476 features...!