Nord Keyboards - As used by the Rag 'n' Bone Man band
Posted on Wed 30 August 2017 in entries
You might not know the name Ben Jackson-Cook but he is the Musical Director of one of the year's hottest stars, Rag 'n' Bone Man, and he is a big fan of Nord Keyboards. In this interview with soundtech.co.uk he spills the beans on his favourite gear.
This summer Ben will play 52 festivals, including dates across Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada and the US. He will also be performing on TV with Jools Holland and his orchestra for the annual 'Hootenanny', the Ellen Degeneres show, Jimmy Fallon, Graham Norton and James Cordon's shows. Ben began playing for Rory Graham (aka Rag'n'Bone Man) 3 years ago after the release of the Wolves E.P and has seen Rag’n’Bone Man become a double-platinum selling artist with no.1’s in 43 countries.
How were you first introduced to the Nord brand?
A friend of mine (Cameron Gower-Poole) working at Sarm Studios convinced me to seriously think about them after he consistently was blown away by what they could achieve in sessions.
Which Nord keyboard(s) do you use?
What are your favourite features?
The compression knob. So useful for keeping the piano a sitting in the mix perfectly for different songs.
How do you integrate your Nord in your day-to-day work?
My Nord is rarely at home anymore. I think I only have 3 days back at my flat in London before mid August, so all of my work is Live and I use the Stage 2 EX Compact sat on top of my 1973 Fender Rhodes, plugged into my old Leslie cabinet kept off-stage.
Do you customise your Nord with new sounds/samples?
I do. I switch between two piano sounds. The Velvet Grand and the Silver Grand
What one feature would you like to see added to your Nord?
A 120v to 240v switch on the outside of the casing please!
The Nord Stage 2 EX Compact - The weapon of choice for Ben Jackson-Cook
What would you say to anyone else considering buying a Nord?
I’d say DO IT! For me it was the most useful keyboard for working with more than one artist and working quickly to create the right sounding instruments for each artist. I’m only really working with one right now but it’s so brilliant to be able to easily recreate any sound within seconds.
What do you feel separates a Nord Keyboard from other brands out there?
It’s the only keyboard that doesn’t at all get in the way of my creative process. I can recreate anything so quickly and easily.
If you could sum up Nord Keyboards in one sentence what would it be?
Keyboards that sound and play fantastic, that are lightweight and have the easiest user interface.
Where can we see/hear your Nord keyboard(s) in action?
You can hear my Nord on every Rag’n’Bone Man show or session in the last 2 years and also going forward.
This interview is an excerpt from an article by SoundTech, to read the full interview, click here.