New Nord Stage 3 user... and some concerns

[Will_Gould]

Welcome! I imagine it's a challenge to try to re-create your go-to sound (which appears to be a preset, processed sound) on a completely different instrument. The sample was helpful in understanding what you are looking for. Here are a few ideas:

1. Turn off String Resonance.
2. Try layering an Electric Grand with your chosen AP. I'm hearing an EG quality in your example. An upright may give you more punch than a grand as a starting sound and base.
3. Go easy on the reverb.
4. If one of the preset piano EQs doesn't work for you, then try the EQ in the Effects section and sweep the mid-EQ to determine where you want to boost or cut the correct frequency.
5. The Compressor will give the sound some punch.
5. Do some menu diving on the Yamaha to see what effects/processing are on the Rock Grand patch and try to recreate on the Nord.

As for the synth, the "My Keys to Music" YouTube channel has some terrific instructional videos on the synth section and the NS3 as a whole.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_xKuR ... BvAc63Y9qw

Good luck!

[modalmixture]

The way I like to think of it... Yamaha and others are giving you a pre-cooked meal that is already seasoned (some might say over-seasoned) and tastes good enough right out of the box. Nord is giving you a box of very high-quality raw ingredients and spices, premium samples and good effects, but you have to cook it yourself.

[cphollis]

On the Nord piano (first), it was awfully muddy and poorly defined in the midrange. Not sure what you were playing it through, but it didn't sound nearly as good as it could. The Yamaha handled it much better, to be sure.

I'd start with a "smiley EQ" and see if that clears up some of the mud as a start. Or bypass the mono function entirely, and use a small mixer to get a mono out, which seems to work better for me. Many of the samples pan from L to R as you work up the keyboard. This also helps if you want to emphasize one side of the keybed or another -- you can bring up the right hand by simply panning differently into a mono channel.

I haven't tried any of this in a long while which shows you how long it's been since I've had to play in mono

Nord for some reason never spent much time on getting a great mono AP sound, so there's that. But they do sound glorious in stereo.

[Kaffimusic]

Well,
Nord pianos are what they are. Usually people buy the Nords exactly for that. Yamaha Pianos usually are quite pushed and therefore not "natural". They are pretty bright and that is what makes them so obvious in a mix. It can be difficult to get used to a less excited sound, that recreates natural pianosounds better once you have been used to those bright Yamahapianos for years. I guess I completely understand what you mean.
Well, you have EQing options on the Nord, both in the piano engine (where it´s not called EQ), and the FX seciton. With enough understanding what you have to do, you can come closer to what you are used on a Yamaha. It will never be exactly the same, you have to decide if that is desirable or not. Nord users prefer the sound of "their" piano. Since Nord only provides the pianos that they give you, you have to choose one and get along with that. Maybe you will start to like it at one point. If not, maybe the Nord is not what you want. Pianosounds are very, very dependent of personal taste, forums fill with discussions about that.
About the synth sounds: I my opinion, the synth sounds Nord gives you by factory are pretty much uninteresting and well, I try not to say "crap" (oops, did I say that?). The synth engine has quite limited options, but the basic sound and what you can do with it sounds remakeable good. The filters and resonance are creamy and so well balanced, obviously they knew what they were doing there. For anaolg style synthstuff on stage, this does the job well. I tend to say soundwise you can safely retire your Korg with that, as long you know how to program the Nord synth - and if one keyboard is enough. If you work with Arps and stuff, this might be different, but the soundengine itself is really good.
And finally, you have to decide wether you get enough instrument for your money, when you buy a Nord Stage. Like the pianosounds, this is very personal.

[Will_Gould]

The way I like to think of it... Yamaha and others are giving you a pre-cooked meal that is already seasoned (some might say over-seasoned) and tastes good enough right out of the box. Nord is giving you a box of very high-quality raw ingredients and spices, premium samples and good effects, but you have to cook it yourself.

Exactly right! Sadly, the folk at Yamaha are (not surprisingly) better cooks than me

[Schorsch]

Sadly, the folk at Yamaha are (not surprisingly) better cooks than me

... which is a matter of taste

[Will_Gould]

Thank you everyone for this really good advice. Last night at our band practice I used it in stereo and that really helped. I think the sort of extra 'mid' quality in The Nord is also there to help push it through the mix, and so what we are listening to in isolation is not always a good guide of what will work.

[Will_Gould]

Just a further update on the piano experience on Nord: As I suspected, part of the problem was my ear getting used to the Yamaha. Having played The Nord a lot more, I am increasingly liking it. I am particularly happy with the solidity and tightness of the lower register, which was sometimes muddy on the Yamaha. I guess there is a strange lack of resonance thing going on in the upper register, even in stereo, on some of the pianos, but this is of course only ever an approximation of an acoustic piano - you will never fully achieve the sound and feel of a real instrument... but it is certainly a very pleasing experience in its own way and I think will fit really well in live contexts.

I am also REALLY loving the organ sounds, which have made me realise how limited other 'boards were that I have used in the past. I really feel like doing glissandos on this (even though it is hammer action!).

[Kaffimusic]

Well... obviously you have not tried much - or at least everything
Yamaha is quite limited in some aspects. Organ is/was real crap. And did not become better with the Montage. Finally with the CY series they have a good receration.

[cphollis]

The other thing i'd suggest is to check out the "Layer" piano voices. I never paid much attention them -- preferring the real thing -- but found they can be very useful in a mix, either alone or layered with other voices. They stand out nicely without being too pushy.