Kurzweil Artis vs Nord Stage vs Yamaha Motif XF8 vs Korg Kronos 

Kurzweil looks having the best strings

I really appreciate you taking the time to make this comparative demo. Good playing, cogent musical ideas, and fair selection of samples.

EX-CEL-LENT demo!! And awesome playing, too! Thank you so much for taking the effort and sharing this video. Interesting to hear that a voice can sounds great when playing one style, but can sound totally different when playing in another style (like staccato). I think it all boils down to what you want to accomplish with an instrument, to make a choice.

I personally have a Yamaha MOX8 and I like the piano sounds on that as well as the synth sounds. I will also say that after hearing the Kronos, especially the New Kronos, I am impressed by it's synthesizer, particularly the big sound it gives forth. It's pianos are also not bad. I like Jordan Ruddess and his work with Dream Theater and he uses the Kronos and ever since I have heard what he has done with it, I want a Kronos because I find the sounds compelling. Of course, true keyboardists find and bring out the best out of any keyboard they set their fingers to. Jordan Ruddess of Dream Theater and David Bryan of Bon Jovi have an extensive keyboard collection.

the best way to know is watching this video with your eyes closed and opening them when you hear the right sound you like. look its crazy but yours ears and eyes have different opinions

The Kurzweil Artis is the real winner here. May not be as fancy as the others, and the piano sounds may not be necessarily better. But the point is that it's comparable, and for its price, that is amazing. I'm about to by a used but mint condition one for just $1000. For an easy to use but effective stage piano, it's the obvious choice for me. Oh, and its string patches SMOKE the other three by a mile. Kurzweil has always had fantastic string patches.

All voices beung considered each one each one takes a different position but these are the final stands 1-Nord Stage 2 2-Korg 3-Yamaha motif 4-kurzweil artis For most sounds even when I wasn't looking the NS2 just sounds great

Thank you for a very helpful, well-done comparison.

I play classical piano, not Yamaha fan, but the Motif sounds more nature, warm.

I own the kurzweil K2000 and is a battleship. Can’t imagine the fun & joy that must be felt playing with other Kurzweil models. Those synths are 10/10.

Kurzweil and Nord Stage the best

I used to work in a music store in Ottawa - selling and doing demo on all of these keys, and more. People, People - BY FAR the Yamaha XF-series (6,7, and 8) are the BEST keyboards in the world - hands down. That's why Stevie Wonder, and a long list of millionairres choose the Motif over far more expensive keyboards. I now own a Motif, and it's been a year, and I'm still exploring the over 5000 instruments in it - with awe. The Motif XF-8 has only one limitation, and that is the polyphony - if I play a huge rolling appegiation, and sustain the fist notes, they will disappear as I have play the upper keys - it is not "fully polyphonic" but pretty darn good-enough. (neither are any of the others) On a real piano of course, you can sustain all notes endlessly)

Can you test the new Kurzweil Forte? I've tried it and just love the sound and touch.

Kurzweil ARTIS - the winner and new champion - sounded the most natural.

Amazing how far all these keyboards have come. . . Thanks much for this illuminating multi-test!

It amazes me how everyone's opinion is so different. I own a Korg Kronos and am selling it due to its complexity. I am a pianist and find the pianos are to clean. From listening to this video it is clear the Nord stage 2 has a more rich, realistic piano sound. I would recommend you try a keyboard before you buy, biggest mistake I made.

This is a smart way to comparie the 4 different keyboards. For piano sound, Kurzweil Artis sounds the most natural and is close to real.

YAmaha sounds very warm, I like it. Thank you for the test

Thank u so much for making this, comparing kbs is important

man the set on the kronos is super clean

Love this video! I watched severals times now. Probably the best comparison video I've seen as far as sound quality for video, selection of instruments and pieces played and the hands making it happened. Wish I'd see this first before making my purchase I own a Nord electro 2 73 and a Yamaha xf7. Shoulda bout the xf8. Anyway I regret the fact the yamaha learning curse is a good solid year. Options. Tooooo many. Not user friendly. Very technical. But here's my take on what I've seen and I believe the ARTIS to be the overall winner Piano ARTIS, NORD, KORG YAMAHA ELECTRIC (Rhodes) NORD, ARTIS, YAMAHA, KORG STRINGS YAMAHA, ARTIS, KORG, NORD PERCUSSION/ DRUMS KORG, ARTIS, YAMAHA See I should've said Yamaha but I do have ears and an honest thought process.

First of all , many thanks for your job!. I prefer the yamaha, more natural and complete in all the freq.

No clear winner I think. For piano, rhodes, etc I prefer the Nord. For Strings, sometimes the Kurz, or any of em. Horns I like best on the Korg and the Yam. Also noted that sound levels are not always the same; That does give a distorted image. Overall, great test and very nice someone bothered sharing this. Thank you so much for this.

Good comparison. Thanks nicely did.

You simply can't go wrong with either. They are all great sounding machines.

Great way to demo these keys! THANKS MAN! I own a MOX8 and LOVE it ...I also own a Nord electro 4 and love it too! ...It's of course subjective but I personally like my MOX acoustic pianos better...Now the Hammonds on the NORD .....just AWESOME!

love the Kronos and Motif but must say the Nord and Kurzweil really Shocked me. They sound amazing also.

Nord is clear, yet sterile. I love the Yamaha's slightly warmer and more pleasing tone. There is a well known artist I've been following around who used to play on a Motif XF8, now he uses a Nord. In my opinion the Motif sounded much more connected and congealed to the band. Now the Nord kinda stands out but something seems sterile I am not down with. I've played both and own an XF8 for that reason.

Great comparison - thanks! :)

Korg Kronos has an amazing organ sound, sounds pretty natural to me, the other ones are kind of agressive in the midrange and synthetic as well.

Kronos ~ One thing that videos never show the buyer is something that can't be seen, but felt. With all the different libraries, vst's, etc, out there, I've learned to never (ever) pick a board based on a gimmick, particular sound, ribbon, knob layout, lights, etc. Feel is what matters most to me. I also need a quiet board. I can't stand loud, clicking keys. Piano sound is always more important to me than any synth sounds these days. Not just the sound but how the sound is produced. All that said, I spent nearly a year choosing my last set of keys. I played every board here as well as some that aren't. Some I played for seconds before I walked away cringing. My intention isn't to bash any of these, but now a very proud owner of the Kronos 2 for the last couple of years and being that I still occasionally play the latest and greatest competition boards, I wanted to give my reasons why the Kronos blows these away (mind you, I refer to the latest Kronos compared to all the current flagships out there and not just those in this video). The Kronos's 9 engines are incredible. The synth sounds are amazing, but even though I play an average of 15 - 20 hours a week, I play mainly piano sounds and am not experienced enough in them all for judging the synth comparisons. The Kronos 2 was love at first touch, but it was also one of the first I laid my fingers on. I played others while I saved my coin for just over a year. My last few trip to the music store was solely to play the Kronos. I may never have the room for a full sized piano and the Kronos is the very first keyboard I have ever owned to where I can go without touching a grand piano for a year and be able to sit and play with very little feel difference and no time (other than pedaling) getting used to the piano again. Of course I am only talking about the 88 weighted version. The only one close to a quality feel to the Kronos was the later, Roland RD800. I need a board I can play and keep my finger strength and dexterity should I play someone's piano at an event (wedding, country club, etc). I play many Steinway's and Yamaha greats with zero transition from the feel of the Kronos. The Kronos also blew away the rest and continues to do so in silence of key strikes. If you play with headphones even some of these boards key clacking will be heard. Very distracting to the point who cares what they can do if they can't get feel and noise right. If you're new to Korg boards there will be a slight learning curve, but the OS hasn't changed much in terms of layout and how to get to where you need if you've played Korg boards 10+ years ago. If you want 'only' piano and a board with great feel as well as the easiest board out there, it's Roland. Last but not least, the Nord is high on my list for next boards to get. I loved it but not at all in the reasons I needed in a great 88. More so in everything else. I have a few videos on my channel with my Kronos and a few in the making. Again though, a video should help you 1%. Don't ever make a choice based on what you hear in a video. Go somewhere and try them out. Some keys must be pressed further down than others. Making it tougher for small handed players. Some keys have sluggish action on the return, so if you think you're picking a great board but love to play Chopin, you won't come close because the keys are that slow to bounce back. We are all unique and have our own tastes, but what you see and hear in a video is 1/10th of it at the most. It's like someone buying a powerhouse of a computer and then only buy a 15" monitor.

You can always tell the Motif piano. Very distinctive.

NORD Stage is the best, because have sound of smooth. Amazing !!!

Very helpful and well done!!!

I am utterly and thoroughly confused

Yamaha Motif XF8 has warmer piano sounds.. and others seem brighter and a bit flat.

Great Demo. Well Done!

The Kronos was clearly rocking and rolling the most!! Literally!

What song did you play at 6.14? It sounds familiar. I need to learn it ! Nord stage takes it for me with the motif at a close 2nd. The other two sounded cheap.

Yamaha and its subtle touches yet full body sound!

All of them a great..but the Kurzzy to me seems to have sharper tembre with more resonance. But what it truly boils down to is what action and foot pedal control each player prefers. The layman couldn't care less about the argument of sound. Durabilty and how well they hold up and continue to operate is also a major factor.

The four of them are really good gears. Speaking the real grand piano sound, I take Kronos.

Plzzzz, tell which external sound card are you using? Need to buy such one. Sound is great.

I like the sound of Yamaha and korg. Yamaha convinced me much.

Great sample pieces.

thank you ! Very useful video !

Tom Glander has summarised it all. All these machines sound great

Would have liked a little reverb on them all so they don't sound so electronically dampened. Overall a great comparison - much appreciated! I like the Yamaha the best for piano - it simply sounds the most 'real' to me. Don't forget, even if you were buying a real Steinway 'B' you could go to the factory showroom and hear 10 subtly different Steinway 'B's. This is how unique pianos are. Therefore, when compared to just about any real piano, the Yamaha in this comparison comes closest. But then my Synthogy Italian Grand blows them all away. I currently have a Kurzweil P3CA8 in my studio which has the Artis' grand piano, but I find I'm even more productive with the Yamaha products in general. I suspect I may be getting a Motif XF8 in the near future. Thanks again for the vid!

The Nord Stage Piano,the best

Thanks for sharing .. For me Nord Stage about the acoustic pianos is the winner .. I would like a review of Roland RD 700NX vs NEW Roland RD800

This is a Very well done comparison regardless of price point and functionality of each instrument respectively. Technology is to the point now that the electronic version is only as good as the source instrument. Never before has subjectivity or opinion played a bigger role in choosing an electronic instrument. Also, Not every "source" Steinway D, Hammond B, Rhodes, Wurly etc.. sound .the same.. Sampling and modeling synthesis is how electronic instruments "synthetically" recreate the sound of their acoustic counterparts. This video does an excellent job of demonstrating what each instrument sounds like so You can chose which sounds best to You.. Thats the best one! BTW, The Kurzweil Forte smokes em' all! :D

Muchas gracias por mostrarlos uno por uno

I owned a Korg Triton studio, Lee, and x50, they sound good for 90's and 00's music, keeping in mind that technology was not as advanced, many people can't hear the difference on a good vs great sample till they play a real piano. I also love my Yamaha ES90S and logic Main Stage, but last weekend I was offered to play a nord, had a comparison of keyboards on stage, ended up falling in a deep love with a Nord stage 2 I played it during practice and live it was amazing! too bad I can't afford one yet!

I'm liking the Nord.

Personally, I'm leaning towards Korg and Nord x) but kurzweil best string sound I ever heard

Aahah!! good vid!!it depend sometimes i like the sound of one ,after the other! Hard to say!

Why did thy compare using the Kurzweil Artis (a stage piano), when the Kurzweil PC3K8 (Kurzweil's flagship workstation) is sitting in the rack above the Kronos?

the strings on the Nord sound absolutely hideous.

The Nord has a really warm tonal quality. The Kronos has the brightest tone quality. Kurzweil & Yamaha both possess a mixture of warmth and brightness.

which one sounds the best out of all 4 Workstations? Pianos and other acoustic instruments on which? Electric pianos on which? Drums on which? Bass on which? Synths on which?

I love kurzweil

All different, but all exceptional. I own a Kronos but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be equally happy with any of the other offerings, once familiar with them.

KRONOS all the way .. Can't wait to get mine BUT i also did like the MOTIF sounds which is why im getting an MOXF8 as well

wwooowww!!!! good demostration is perfect

But most of all did you play, hear and feel them. 😁. Very important. And through what sound system.

Kurzweil sounds very special. it's only for the real professionals.

i got a korg kronos ,but honestly speaking nord piano is the best

Thank you.🍻

I'm fortunate to have owned a K2600 XS for a few years(been sold for a while now). Anyways, Kurzweil hasn't done enough to get me to buy into their newest line. I now own both a Kronos & a Motif XF. I feel they compliment each other. The Nord is just too expensive so I never really tried it out to the full. Sound wise, I'll stick to Korg & Yamaha.

I feel the best is nord, but so sad cause' it not have Drum :( that keyboards so cool!

Nord all the way. I could talk about the patches and sounds all day, but the thing that pushes nord over the top and pushes it beyond these other competitors, is it's simplistic form of using the keyboard to its fullest potential. There's no needing to learn a computer to get the keyboard to do what you want. Everything is nobs, sliders, and found right before your eyes. Simplistic, beautiful, diverse, and organic.

I generall liked the Nord Stage sounds best, then Korg Kronos, then Kurzweil Artis, then Yamaha Motif. I would expect the two stage pianos to have better piano, electric piano and organ sounds than the all-round workstations, but what surprised me the most was the lackluster quality of the yamaha. If you gave me a choice of one of these boards I'd still go with the Kronos for it's workstation capabilities.

I own Yamaha Motif XF8, Roland Jupiter 80, Roland Fantom X8, and Korg Kronos. The truth, once you play Yamaha and feel the real piano keys with that amazing sound, everything else becomes an obvious electronic.... Just being honest. I love my Jupiter 80 for Flute, Trumpet, Bells, etc.. If you are a true piano player, don't waste your time, go straight for the Yamaha Motif, if you are a 2 finger producer, then you can't go wrong with any of them..

ac piano: 1) Kurzweil 2) Nord

At this level it mainly depends on preference. Though, I do have a slight favouritism towards Kurzweil.

Anyone can tell me what those second sounds were? The ones right after the piano

para mi fue... 1-nord 2-korg 3-yamaha 4-kurzweil

Very nice "Review"! I'd prefer the Nord for my kind of music, but the Yamaha is definitely the best of all four. It seems as if it has much more (intelligent) "touch" than the other ones. It just seems to know what you wish to play. Don't know how to describe it better. Oh,wait.... the Nord doesn't have any drumsets or what?

The best pianosound is very hard to choose. There a lot of acoustic grands and uprights with their own character.

The piano sounds on the MOTIF XF especially on the low end sound a little thin or dark (don't know how to explain it), compared to the other ones. If I was to pick though it would have to be Kronos. The piano's (as well as other sounds) on the Kronos are physically modeled compared to sampled on the other ones. I have been wrong before though

That Yamaha sounds good and so does the nord. I may have to rethink this.

I'm old enough to buy whatever I want. Sound quality comes in dead last when considering flagships as they are all outstanding.

Kurweill and Nord have the best piano, although the attack on the Nord seems over processed. Korg still leads with strings as always. This is how you test instruments before you buy them. Go into a store and play everything and drive the sales manager crazy.

What about a comparison of features and what each of these keyboards is capable of?

Sonorités plus réalistes en général pour le keyboard Nord.Bonne continuation musicale.

Kurzweil прекрасен!!!! Piano & strings

Thanks for the comparison. It's all personal preference, but for me the Kurzweil and the Nord were on top. Loved the strings and drums on the Kurzweil; Nord and Kurz for horns. Korg didn't do it for me.

Nord has the most clear sounds Motif xf8 88 is the Best workstation with fat & rich sounds love these two boards!

thans for a review! nice work! try Nord Stage 3

kronos and nord has some pretty good pianos. great actually

i love motif xf8

Im still confused. Cant differentiate which 1 is the best...

While I personally like the Nord sounds above the other 3 keyboards, there's a lot of variables that need to be considered when comparing sounds, especially stock sounds. The sounds will only be as good as the person editing them. For those who like to edit their sounds, and are good at it, it's not just about how good the sounds are, but how good you can make them.

Grand Piano- Yamaha E-Piano- Nord Strings- Yamaha & Nord Hammond Organ- Nord & Korg Drums- Yamaha Brass- Yamaha Yamaha and Nord have a very clean and realistic sounds. But Yamaha is the best!

They all have their own strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference. For me, overall it's a toss up between the Yamaha and the Korg, although I thought the Nord had the best piano sounds. The Kurzweil organ was also nice. If I was forced to pick 1 i'd go with the Kronos.

I don't know the speaker settings but the Nord does sound the best. When you play and feel the tones you're either gonna be inspired emotionally or not. Players know what I'm saying from top to bottom you Always know what's better when you play. Sometimes we just make adjustments to compensate and get a decent sound with editing tweaking and Equalization. I love the kronos but nord sounds better on the video, but that's just one sound and probably not the best one now. Overall kronos wins?

Nord, Yamaha, Korg & Kurzweil.

Nord Stage, Kursweil, Korg, Yamaha

How many kilometers did u walk ? x)

appreciate the basic idea - however this is a little simplistic. each synthesizer has numerous patches which sound different - so how does one pick a single one per unit to compare? For example single piano can be dark, bright, lively more stage like or not depending on the programming. Fact though is that a few of these are more programmable than others - more samples × FX per patch.