From bw@ashbysolutions.com Wed Jan 18 04:55:55 2012
Subject:Re: New Nord drawbar organ glimpse

The Nord sliders don't look like 'real' drawbars, but they accomplish
the necessary purpose. If you look at Clavia's 'essence,' it's always
been, "We can give you the sound and features you want, without the size
and weight." That's been true of every keyboard they've made, back to
the original Nord Electro. Clavia is about compactness. The Nord Piano
is nowhere near the size of any acoustic piano ever built: it sounds
remarkably like a piano, but looks nothing like one. Let's look at the
C2D photo of the complete system with the pedals: there's something
slightly comical about that picture -- at least, if one accepts that a
massive B-3 is the 'reference standard.' Big bench, big pedalboard,
small organ. Putting 'real' drawbars (ones that pulled out on a bar) on
the C2D would significantly enlarge the profile of the organ. The same
is true of 'real' percussion switches, preset keys, etc. Sure, it could
be done, but I don't think Clavia is the one to do it. They like things
compact.

I think a good analogy is the computer keyboard. Every laptop keyboard,
even the 17" ones, is a little smaller than the wonderfully ergonomic
design that IBM designed into their Selectric typewriters and the early
IBM PCs. Some of them are close, but there just isn't enough room to do
every key in every position properly in a laptop. There will always be
a few smaller keys, in unfamiliar places. If you have really large
hands and can't abide by a laptop keyboard, you use a port replicator or
docking station with a 'real' keyboard for the bulk of your work -- but
you don't expect the laptop's own keyboard to magically defy the laws of
mechanics and create the extra room. Laptops lean towards compactness;
desktops lean towards ergonomics.

Maybe an even better analogy would be a 'travel' guitar. They make some
really cool ones these days, with excellent fretboards and pickups. But
the neck, or the body (or both), is always going to be a little smaller
than perfect, because otherwise it becomes a standard guitar!

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As far as the price, I'm going to stick my neck out and say C2 + 25%.
Expecting the C2D to be the same or lower price -- regardless of
competitive offerings -- is unrealistic. It has far more drawbars than
the SK2, and I've never seen Clavia as going after the value end of the
spectrum. This organ is not going to be the answer to everyone's
dreams, but there is a significant market for it, and if they really
improved the Leslie sim then they could give some of the other
dual-manual solutions some competition.

Just my $0.02USD ...

Regards,

-BW

Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions.com^(TM)
bw@ashbysolutions.com
http://music.ashbysolutions.com
877.55.ASHBY (877.552.7429)

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