As of a few days ago, I didn't know anything about stage synthesizers/keyboards, but I know a lot about sound and electronics. The first keyboard I started looking at is Nord Stage 3, and it looks sweet. It's expensive, so I assume there is something else out there for about half that price that does everything I will need, but I'm starting to be disillusioned. Every time I see a comparison, they focus on quality of sound and quality of action. I take it for granted that high-end keyboards have good enough sound generation, instrument simulations, and action. I'm not looking for a %0.5 increase in quality here where they're using like ACTUAL WOODEN HAMMERS inside the keyboard to make it feel JUST like a Steinway. I don't care about that (plus it must make those keyboards terribly heavy!).
What sets the Nord Stage 3 apart in my mind is that I can layer two completely independent organs, pianos, and synthesizers on top of each other and split the keyboard into four parts. This sounds really useful for putting together a family jam session or performance where one person can play several sounds at the same time. We could even set two of our children at the keyboard for some "piano"-four-hands and get a whole electronic music experience with some planning! This coupled with the "smooth transitions" sounds perfect.
My question is: Are Nord keyboards (especially Stage 3) in a class of their own in this regard? Is there another keyboard with this kind of sound layering? Again, I'm okay with (much) simpler action and less realism physically if I can achieve what I'm wanting musically.
Thank you!
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