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Pianos on Nord


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Thanks, I'll probably stick with the 10" then for compromise of sound and portability.

 

From a bass player's point of view, speaker size is a very definable part of your sound. There are both subjective and objective differences between 4x10, 2x12, 1x15, 1x18, etc. This is not only for bottom end tightness and fullness, but also, and more importantly imo, the lower to mid range, which defines much of the character or signature of your sound.

I am perfectly content playing my pianos through 8" systems (EV ZXa1, K8.2)... but I have to admit I prefer playing through the JBL PRX625 which has two 15" woofers. But while the low end feels more like playing a real grand than through the 8", the fact is that, even on the 8", I roll off the bass so as to stay out of the way of the bass player.

 

The thing about the different bass amp configs you mention is that, in general, bass amps are not specifically designed to be neutral, they are designed to help the bassist get the sound he wants. Since keyboard players play so many different sounds, we typically don't really want something designed to enhance the sound of a bass guitar (or any particular instrument) in one way or another, we usually want something flat, leaving any desired tone shaping to our other gear.

 

Flat, yes, in theory. But again, speaker and cabinet size matters. They have a defined physical (cubic) volume, and therefore specific resonances. You are compressing and moving air in a restrained cavity, so it's not going to be flat.

 

Of course modern DSP and design can get closer to a flat response.

 

Another way to put it:

 

Same bass head, same settings, will sound and play differently pushed through a 4x10 or 2x12 or a 1x18. This is due to the air the speakers move and the resonant cavity of the box they're in, and how it all interacts.

 

My hunch is that 8" speakers, such as my pair of QSC K8s, favor upper mid resonances (and their harmonics).

 

K12.2s would favor the mid-range resonances, which is my favorite portion of the acoustic piano.

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By the way, I have an actual Nord Stage 2 now! And I'm relieved to say I'm not disappointed. Not exactly super thrilled, but my expectations may have been too high.

 

After the near misses with a Forte 7 and MODX7, I'm glad I can forget now about auditionin a CP73.

 

Initially, auditioning the Nord pianos revealed this upper mid character, without a wide stereo field, and sounding as if not close-mic'd. Everything sounded like there was a cloth over the speakers, and therefore a "distant" sound to the pianos. But I could imagine it fitting well in a loud band context, and doing its dynamic duties well. Still, not as high-fidelity as I'd anticipated.

 

But I'm happy to say on day #2, after tweaking and getting used to the sounds, the sound is growing on me. Stacking slot A and slot B with the same piano, but each panned hard opposite, gets a nicer fullness while minimizing the comb filter sound of stacking the same sample on top of itself. Helps also to set the Dynamics differently on each -- normal on A, 1 on B. Slot detune is too gross and tacky.

 

But layering the Nord stacked pianos with a Kronos Bosendorf compliments nicely, fills out the body and adds air without too much of a chorusing effect. Mix and matching Steinways or Yamahas with Bosendorfers is hit and miss, so there's no formula there. Definitely want to avoid the Frankenpiano. I foresee lots of fine tuning piano timbres to specific cover songs. I like sound shaping almost as much as just playing actual music.

 

And all of that's just been experimenting with the pre-loaded Bosendorfer large and the medium Lady D! I haven't even downloaded and auditioned all the other Nord pianos yet. Fun times ahead...

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My hunch is that 8" speakers, such as my pair of QSC K8s, favor upper mid resonances (and their harmonics).

 

K12.2s would favor the mid-range resonances, which is my favorite portion of the acoustic piano.

The lower mid range is exactly what I cut on my AP played through my original K8s. It's a busy frequency band that competes with a lot of other instruments. Cutting slightly makes the piano sound a little clearer to my ears, with the benefit of letting me push the level more if I need to. Of course this is my own subjective opinion, and it's music, so whatever works for you, etc . but for me, when it comes to low-mids, the difference between flat and even 2db cut is very noticeable.

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By the way, I have an actual Nord Stage 2 now! And I'm relieved to say I'm not disappointed. Not exactly super thrilled, but my expectations may have been too high.

 

After the near misses with a Forte 7 and MODX7, I'm glad I can forget now about auditionin a CP73.

 

...

 

I like sound shaping almost as much as just playing actual music.

Enjoying the sound shaping is exactly where I would most suggest a Nord Stage over a Forte 7 or MODX. (Well, that and better organ.)

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Just got a NS388 & the Power Grand (two stacked APs)is the closest to I've gotten to my RD-2000 so far, APs not doing it for me yet. Still not really sure about the mono vs. stereo, in my band we run the keys mono but maybe its time to step up. RD-2000 still rocks my world in hammer action & AP sound.
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Amplification matters, yes? If you're not digging the Nord thing, my first suggestion is check your amplification. OK, if you're amplification situation is constrained, I can see where you might be into other boards like the RD-2000.

 

The Nord APs are super demanding when it comes to amplification. Figure that out, and prepare to be rewarded. As I have been.

 

The other aspect we might want to re-introduce into this thread is pragmatics. Yes, I've played though JBL 3-ways with 15" speakers, all glorious to be sure.

 

But I sure as heck won't be hauling them to the smaller gigs I play. You're welcome to do so though.

 

I had a pair of QSC KW153s towers that were pretty darn good. Broke my back every time I went out with them. Ditto for the JBL 3-way columns that I used to have. No argument they brought serious sound authority.

 

All gone, due to pragmatism. Just overkill in my humble world.

 

My bread and butter these days? A lame but effective Bose L1 Compact for the acoustic gigs. A pair of QSC K8.2s or RCF TT08-as where I need to bring a bit more volume. Boring, but hey?

 

And then there's an outrageous pair of FA-12ac coax units that sit in my rehearsal space. Serious gear, super clean in an unreal way. Every muso that hears them is amazed.

 

And the odd QSC Ks I use for band monitors, plus a few subs to choose from, depending. Oh yes, and the CPS Spacestation V.3 gets used as well.

 

If you're playing local, modest gigs -- it's all about bring the gear that works for the venue. Showing up with a pair of 3-way towers for my venues would be, well, awkward.

 

Bringing too little is not good, of course. But bringing too much just makes you work harder for scant $$$. And might piss off your audience and the venue manager.

 

Small and tasty wins the day in my world.

 

 

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I see your point & I don't mean this in a bad way... but it seems counter intuitive to have to work so hard to get the right AP sound from the high end Nord where with the RD-2000 you just plug in & play, even the much less expensive PX-5S doesn't need that much massaging.Not that I'm all Roland or nothing but I want to be... inspired. Like I said, not doing it for me... yet. ;-)
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I apologize if this comes across as too negative... I have a Nord 5D 73 and am underwhelmed by its AP's for live band use, even when I Midi them to a weighted board, EQ them, and use higher-end amps. I've tried most of Nord's AP's and they sound detailed, rich, and organic by themselves but IMHO don't play as well and sit as nicely in a band mix as my Yamaha MX88's AP's or even my Kurz SP4-7's much-maligned old Triple Strike PC3 AP's do. The result is that I usually use my SP4-7 for AP's/EP's on the cramped low-end gigs I typically play and stack ether my Nord 5D or Hammond SK1 above for organs and clavs. When the space is available, I use either my MX88 or RD300GX for AP's. For the record, I play live in mono.

 

I would also add that the Kurz SP4-7's SW action is for me more playable for AP's than my Nord 5D's tightly-sprung SW action even when I try the 5D's four different variations of touch response. I'm still considering the option of swapping the Nord's springs out for lower tension springs that can be purchased at Syntaur. My concern is that this "experiment" is potentially costly and time-consuming.

 

Having done all of this nitpicking about Nord AP's, for quick and/or difficult load in-out gigs, where I have to cover AP, EP, B3,and clav, I use my Nord 5d as a one board solution because it's the only portable board that can do an adequate job.

Gigs: Nord 5D 73, Kurz PC4-7 & SP4-7, Hammond SK1, Yamaha MX88 & P121, Numa Compact 2x, Casio CGP700, QSC K12, Yamaha DBR10, JBL515xt(2). Alto TS310(2)

 

 

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I would also add that the Kurz SP4-7's SW action is for me more playable for AP's than my Nord 5D's

I'd say the same.

 

I've tried most of Nord's AP's and they sound detailed, rich, and organic by themselves but IMHO don't play as well and sit as nicely in a band mix as my Yamaha MX88's AP's or even my Kurz SP4-7's much-maligned old Triple Strike PC3 AP's do.

I haven't yet done a thorough eval, but on the Nord, I've been going with the Queen Upright. Have you tried that one?

 

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I haven't yet done a thorough eval, but on the Nord, I've been going with the Queen Upright. Have you tried that one?

I've tried the Queen Upright and for me it's more playable on my NE5D with a better finger-ear connection than many of the other Nord AP's, especially the Grands. But unfortunately IMO the Queen Upright is more mellow, almost muffled sounding, and doesn't cut through a band mix as well as say the Studio Grand 2, Silver Grand, or Bright Grand. These AP's cut through loud band mixes good, but IMO their upper couple of octaves, especially the Bright Grand's, are thin sounding.

 

Gigs: Nord 5D 73, Kurz PC4-7 & SP4-7, Hammond SK1, Yamaha MX88 & P121, Numa Compact 2x, Casio CGP700, QSC K12, Yamaha DBR10, JBL515xt(2). Alto TS310(2)

 

 

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The problem as I see it, is that a lot of us need a good MONO acoustic piano sample and Nord does not provide it. Probably because not many people write to them that they need one.

 

But I did, and maybe you should do it, too:

 

https://www.nordkeyboards.com/about-us/feedback

 

IMHO this would solve the biggest issue that people are having with the Nord APs.

Gear: Nord Electro 4 73SW, Kawai CA67, Yamaha DXR10.
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Well, technically, there is the Mono Electric Grand... j/k

 

The first time I heard my Nord Stage 2 pianos, there was *something* different (phasey? squashed? hollow? messy/muddy?). Strange thing is, it seems to have gone away slowly over time. I've gotten used to it, esp now that I've spent the last few days A/B'ing all the piano types.

 

The same phenomena happened with the Forte I've had for 3 weeks. I've only spent 2 hours at most on it. It's going back partially because I don't like the general sound.

 

The MODX7 I just got didn't have those issues at all.

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Tried one of the pianos from my electro 6d at the gig sat...the "finger to ear" thing was noticeable, it feels like there is a bit of lag honestly between pressing the key and the sound. I switched back and forth on the same song between the kurz pc361 and the nord and the kurzweil just felt a bit snappier. Wondering if it's the waterfall keyboard. I'll try midi-ing the kurz into it and see if the feel is still the same.

 

The few times I've tried the weighted Nord piano and stage keyboards I didn't notice this at all, and it also sounded better. Both cases were in mono (thanks Sam Ash for your wonderful keyboard "setup", it's amazing you sell anything....). I play mono so it's apples to apples.

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Tried one of the pianos from my electro 6d at the gig sat...the "finger to ear" thing was noticeable, it feels like there is a bit of lag honestly between pressing the key and the sound. I switched back and forth on the same song between the kurz pc361 and the nord and the kurzweil just felt a bit snappier. Wondering if it's the waterfall keyboard. I'll try midi-ing the kurz into it and see if the feel is still the same.

 

The few times I've tried the weighted Nord piano and stage keyboards I didn't notice this at all, and it also sounded better. Both cases were in mono (thanks Sam Ash for your wonderful keyboard "setup", it's amazing you sell anything....). I play mono so it's apples to apples.

I've midi'd my NE5D to my Kurz SP4-7 and the Nord AP's finger-ear connection for me improved. The SP4-7's SW action is far less springy than the NE5D's, so I suspect that the finger-ear connection problem with the Nord AP's may in part be due to the NE5D's relatively high-tension springs. My Hammond SK1, which I believe has the same Fatar TP80 action as the NE5D, has lower tension springs and is for me easier to play piano and organ on than the NE5D (although IMHO the SK1's piano sounds are pretty lame).

 

FWIW... I gig in mono as well. I wish Nord would provide a couple of high-quality mono piano samples. IMO the "mono" button on my NE5D isn't as good as dedicated mono samples. But in fairness to Nord, in recent years most manufacturers have focused on developing the most detailed accurate stereo pianos the nuances of which are usually lost in a loud band mix anyway.

Gigs: Nord 5D 73, Kurz PC4-7 & SP4-7, Hammond SK1, Yamaha MX88 & P121, Numa Compact 2x, Casio CGP700, QSC K12, Yamaha DBR10, JBL515xt(2). Alto TS310(2)

 

 

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I just sent 2 emails to Nord support requesting MONO samples.

 

The first one was rather lengthy. I suggested perhaps they could do a proper Mid/Side recording technique, so that the stereo sample could be properly collapsed to MONO. I also included a step by step demonstration of the issue, by layering the same piano in both slots, but panned hard L and hard R, with Mono Output engaged.

 

The 2nd email was direct and to the point. If you engage the Rotary on a piano, you can very clearly hear the phase cancellation.

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I just sent 2 emails to Nord support requesting MONO samples.

 

The first one was rather lengthy. I suggested perhaps they could do a proper Mid/Side recording technique, so that the stereo sample could be properly collapsed to MONO. I also included a step by step demonstration of the issue, by layering the same piano in both slots, but panned hard L and hard R, with Mono Output engaged.

 

The 2nd email was direct and to the point. If you engage the Rotary on a piano, you can very clearly hear the phase cancellation.

 

Thank you!! :-)

Gear: Nord Electro 4 73SW, Kawai CA67, Yamaha DXR10.
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I've had a Stage 3 Compact for the last few months. I was disappointed that the Pianos didn't sound near as good as YouTube demos I'd heard. Yesterday I was playing it and realized I have been running it with the main volume at about half way up. So I turned the main volume all the way up and set the level in the Piano section lower. It made a huge difference. The Pianos now sound much fuller especially in the high notes.
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So I turned the main volume all the way up and set the level in the Piano section lower. It made a huge difference. The Pianos now sound much fuller especially in the high notes.

 

Curious why that would make any difference?

 

aL

Gear: Yamaha MODX8, Mojo 61, NS2 73, C. Bechstein baby grand.

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I've had a Stage 3 Compact for the last few months. I was disappointed that the Pianos didn't sound near as good as YouTube demos I'd heard. Yesterday I was playing it and realized I have been running it with the main volume at about half way up. So I turned the main volume all the way up and set the level in the Piano section lower. It made a huge difference. The Pianos now sound much fuller especially in the high notes.

 

That's very curious, usually for optimal s/n ratio and minimizing hiss in any audio system, the individual volumes are set as needed, and the main volume is set at a unity point (I suspect for ease of use), or as low as possible, being that with the master volume high, it amplifies everything in the system, making for more hiss. I've never heard of anyone doing this with the Nord or any keyboard for that matter, good find! But that means it's trickier/more cumbersome to increase the volume on all sounds.

 

As for cutting thru- another trick I've recently started doing is to use Panel A for a piano that is assigned across the keybed. Panel B piano is the same piano but an octave lower and only triggers from middle C on up. This gives me some body to the upper register, and keeps the lower register from getting muddy, I like sounding fuller without having to bang on the keys.

 

I would like to be able to try the Panel B an octave higher instead of lower, but for some reason on my NS Classic 88 I can only go 1 octave lower than the standard octave range, not higher. I then find organ and/or synth sounds that can be switched on or brought in with MW or pedal, to give the bass more authority and bite as needed. I've set the Dynamics switch to 3 for the standard octave, and off for the lowered octave that only starts at middle C.

 

Having a NS Classic with only 128MB for pianos, I can only have 1 or two pianos. I've selected the Grand Lady D as my fav.

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As a further comment as many have done on the viability of Nord pianos and of the Nord hands on approach in general-

 

I've gotten back to using my NS88 Classic alot since my Casio MZ-X500 was stolen. And it's been a bit like re-discovering the paradise of ease of use and general satisfaction. Instead of auditioning hundreds of sounds, I mostly like all of the sounds (obviously the synth section requires alot of work to have desired sounds at the ready), and I find myself really satisfied with bread and butter sounds.

 

I monitor mostly in stereo and just love my Grand Lady D, and in the jam session I play in I cut thru nicely, though of course I'm not having to deal with FOH and mono considerations.

 

I would love to jump to the NS3, but I have to say, with the Classic I don't have as much ability to while the hours away on sound design, my choices are pretty limited, so more time playing! As Psionic11 said, "I like sound shaping almost as much as just playing actual music". I'm also conflicted- I'd have to get the NS3 Compact because of the weight, and based on reviews of the action on the Electro 5/6, I'm wondering if I'd be alright with the keybed.

 

 

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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I just sent 2 emails to Nord support requesting MONO samples.

 

The first one was rather lengthy. I suggested perhaps they could do a proper Mid/Side recording technique, so that the stereo sample could be properly collapsed to MONO. I also included a step by step demonstration of the issue, by layering the same piano in both slots, but panned hard L and hard R, with Mono Output engaged.

 

The 2nd email was direct and to the point. If you engage the Rotary on a piano, you can very clearly hear the phase cancellation.

Many thanks for taking the bull by the horns. I may follow you and ping Nord about mono samples as well. I understand that my personal issue with the NE5D's tight springy action for AP playing can hopefully be fixed by ordering lower tension springs from Syntaur.

 

OT: FWIW I'm hoping that Nord can perhaps find way, via a software fix, to reduce the overdrive dirt in the NE5D's Leslie sim for a cleaner sound for blues / jazz. Even when using the clean B3 model and dialing the NE5D's Leslie sim drive down to zero, a lot of dirt is still present. I'm able to get a cleaner sound from my Hammond SK1's Leslie sim. I seem to recall that the NE3's and 4D's were able to get a cleaner sound with the Leslie sim drive dialed all the way down. I don't know about the new NE6.

Gigs: Nord 5D 73, Kurz PC4-7 & SP4-7, Hammond SK1, Yamaha MX88 & P121, Numa Compact 2x, Casio CGP700, QSC K12, Yamaha DBR10, JBL515xt(2). Alto TS310(2)

 

 

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I would love to jump to the NS3, but I have to say, with the Classic I don't have as much ability to while the hours away on sound design, my choices are pretty limited, so more time playing! As Psionic11 said, "I like sound shaping almost as much as just playing actual music". I'm also conflicted- I'd have to get the NS3 Compact because of the weight, and based on reviews of the action on the Electro 5/6, I'm wondering if I'd be alright with the keybed.

A recurring theme I found with Nords while doing research was the complaint of the keybed action on several models.

 

I was single-mindedly looking for a *good* 73/76 hammer action keybed first and foremost. The TP40 on the Forte 7 I just got made me play more and better.

 

So my Sweetwater sales rep sounded disappointed I was returning the demo Forte 7 -- too heavy and didn't gel with its sound quality, esp the pianos. I told him I found a Nord Stage 2 HA76 in the Netherlands, including soft case.

 

He asked why not a Stage 3. I reminded him I needed a 73/76, and the NS3 HP76 has that more sluggish TP100 I dislike. Only Nord Stage 2 (not EX) and earlier have the 76 keyboards that have the better TP40 action (HA76).

 

It was very tricky deciding which pianos to use in the Stage 2's limited 500MB of piano memory. Scouring the Nord User forums, I found one very valuable tidbit that was like finding gold:

 

The difference in sound quality from Large to Medium is very small. It's therefore more efficient to only use M samples, which leaves more room for variety.

 

Amazingly, this means I got to have my cake and eat it too. I squeezed 4 grands, 3 uprights, 5 EPs, and the clav all into memory. :cool:

 

 

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The difference in sound quality from Large to Medium is very small. It's therefore more efficient to only use M samples, which leaves more room for variety.

I tend to use only S and XL.

 

S, M, and L use the same samples and sound the same except for string resonances, which I don't think are very important in a live rock band context. XL actually has more sample content and sounds more different, because most or all of the notes are individually sampled, instead of stretching most of them from nearby notes.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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@ Psionic11,

Yeah, I think there are charts that show how far the string resonance extends depending on what size you've loaded in. Imagine only having 128MB!

 

For myself I'm looking at SW both for weight and wanting a low-efforting keybed. I've had a few fantastic SW boards, I know they're out there, but if and when I have the funds, I'd love it to be a NS3 Compact.

 

@ Scott

That's good info about the XL sample set, hadn't heard that before. I suppose it had to be kind of obvious that with pianos that sound good at such small sizes there had to be some compromise there.

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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The difference in sound quality from Large to Medium is very small. It's therefore more efficient to only use M samples, which leaves more room for variety.

I tend to use only S and XL.

 

S, M, and L use the same samples and sound the same except for string resonances, which I don't think are very important in a live rock band context. XL actually has more sample content and sounds more different, because most or all of the notes are individually sampled, instead of stretching most of them from nearby notes.

 

I did choose Small for the uprights, they're already pretty busy sounding, so no string resonance on those is fine.

 

If I did go all small on the Grands, I'd still have to lose one EP in order to get a single XL. My fave is the Bosendorfer.

 

It will probably be a couple gigs yet before I start bringing the NS2 out. I haven't gotten to assigning MIDI channels to the parts and making programs yet to match the Set List combis in the Kronos.

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Everyone goes through their own journey on Nord piano samples. Choices, tradeoffs, etc.

 

Recording gigs or playing nice acoustic stuff at home through great speakers -- those XLs can be engaging. Props for the Bosie, as well as the Italian grand. Dial it in, it can be pretty darn rich. OK, not as good as high-end software pianos, but we're comparing apples and oranges.

 

Quiet acoustic trio music are L size samples as I'm the only instrument and I just can't tell the difference between L and XL given the venue and material.

 

Electric bands -- it really doesn't matter what you choose as no one is going to hear what the heck you're doing anyway. All the subtlety gets absolutely crushed. If it's time to be noticed, it's a synth layered voice, or maybe an augmented B3 patch. Throw some subtle synth in with your organs, and it'll shine. I do more than a few piano solos in my electric bands, and it's easy to make those stand out as well, especially on the NS3.

 

As far as cutting through, simply pressing the "bright" filter button helps a lot. Really want to cut? Layer a second piano over the first, one octave up. You can do this on most Nords (there are ordinary samples which just happen to be pianos) and don't need the NS3 for this trick.

 

I get by just fine with the 1GB on the NP4. Very, very happy with this instrument all around. The 2GB on my NS3C means more pianos, but it doesn't make a big difference in the real world. Nice, but ...

 

The new EP samples and dyno filters are a nice addition, as are the recent batch of guitar samples just released. The acoustic guitars really help on a lot of my acoustic material. I can now do parts most guitarists wouldn't dream of: comping, finger-picking, etc. The Brazilian stuff we do (e.g. Girl From Ipanema) sounds amazing.

 

It's a big deal in my small world.

 

There is something to be said about an instrument that gets better over time -- and without additional cost.

Want to make your band better?  Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band"

 

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Everyone goes through their own journey on Nord piano samples. Choices, tradeoffs, etc.

 

Recording gigs or playing nice acoustic stuff at home through great speakers -- those XLs can be engaging. Props for the Bosie, as well as the Italian grand. Dial it in, it can be pretty darn rich. OK, not as good as high-end software pianos, but we're comparing apples and oranges.

 

The Kronos has Gigabyte sized piano samples, and yet I still connect more with the Nord pianos. It's the dynamic range and engaging sound that win out. The engineers at Nord seem to have grasped *dynamics* better than the sound designers at Korg.

 

There is something to be said about an instrument that gets better over time -- and without additional cost.

 

Fortunately we live in a synth golden era where several manufacturers have offered upgrades that only make the original instruments better over time:

 

- Kronos with hard disk streaming and colored Set Lists,

- Forte with added sequencer and FM capability,

- DSI/Sequential instruments with FM capability.

 

Veering back on topic, at least with regards to Nord, I'm surprised at the immediacy of FM synthesis on the Stage 2. I've got a MODX7 and a Kronos MOD-7 engine, and have been on an FM programming *KICK* lately.

 

But there's something immediately useful and educational with Nord's approach. Having hands-on tweakability with set algorithms and set physical controllers to modulate the most relevant FM parameters is a win/win.

 

FM synthesis on the Nord Stage 2 is not only super easy and immediate, and produces useable patches in seconds, but it's immensely educational as well.

 

I never expected a Nord to be a leader in FM synthesis, but it's even quicker in basics than the Kronos or MODX/Montage, which I realize is no small claim to make.

 

 

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Try the brand new White Grand sample online. I am downloading it right now. Let me know what you think

Try the brand new White Grand sample online. I am downloading it right now. Let me know what you think

 

Best piano sample Nord has ever released!

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