NS3 Velocity and General Sound vs NS2

[Streef]

I'm having a deja vu of a deja vu.

This topic will stay hot until Nord improves via OS update, or the 'NS2-crew' (me, aureliopenna, igoragrich, etc. etc.) have given up and sell NS3, and be happy NS2 players

It is a fact that we all love Nord, and can cannot accept our disappointment on one side / cannot accept the criticism on the other side... But it is very nice to see that all contributors are so passionate about this.

[anotherscott]

I used the same settings as always, all acoustic turned on, triple pedal on both, +6db resonance and +6db pedal noise, no fx, no eq.

I wonder, did you try different velocity curve settings to confirm which felt best to you? It's possible that you might play most expressively with the default curve on one, and an alternate curve on the other.

[amgems22]

The mp3s that aureliopenna posted demonstrate to me that the NS3 has less dynamic range than the NS2.
This is the same experience that I've had, owning both and playing them side by side
This is especially noted at loud ff level, where the depth of the NS3 simply disappears.......and the NS 2 provide full bodied piano sounds...........especially in the lower frequencies.

It's a shame that the newer model is inferior (in sound ) compared to the older one. ( I do love the display, though)

Come on Nord. Fix this velocity problem!!

[aureliopenna]

I used the same settings as always, all acoustic turned on, triple pedal on both, +6db resonance and +6db pedal noise, no fx, no eq.

I wonder, did you try different velocity curve settings to confirm which felt best to you? It's possible that you might play most expressively with the default curve on one, and an alternate curve on the other.

Yes I tried!
By the Way velocity curve 1 is cool, I think I can the "bite" on acustic pianos throug it, but unfortunately softs dynamics on it get too loud.
I dream about some velocity that allowed very soft and subtle sound on low velocity and very tining and opened on high velocity!

[aureliopenna]

It seems obvious that you can play better on the Stage 2 compact.

No doubt.

Maybe, because I like the way it sounds my Yamaha NS-10M, I can't lie about it
But I swear I tried to be more expressive and honest with what I intend to play on both !

I disagree.

I haven't heard all the samples, but from what I heard I'd say:

* the difference between NS2 and NS3 is less when played directly than when triggered over MIDI

Totally agree. Much less indeed!

* both sound good, only the player knows which better reproduced his intent, though I'm guessing he wanted (for example) the quieter intro of the NS2 on the "Minor Roll"

* but again in the "Minor Roll" samples, the NS3 version is played cleanly, the NS2 version appears to have missed notes in quiet passages. This is consistent with my experience on the NS2 Compact, that I could not reliably play pianissimo, I'd get dropped notes, as there was too little leeway between the amount of force to trigger any sound whatsoever and the minimum amount of force that would trigger something louder than pianissimo. I could not reliably stay in that range. (The NE5D is much better in this respect, btw.)

I agree with that, but using triple pedal una corda I can get more subtle pianíssimos on NS2 intended to be played.

This is why I disagree that he can play better on the NS2. He may be able to play with more pianissimo expressivity (again, assuming that was his intent), but that also yielded unfortunately inaudible notes. The NS3 version, then, was "better played" to my ears, because even if it didn't mirror his intent (which we don't know for sure), it sounds like a perfectly good performance, whereas the other sounds flawed due to the dropped notes.

That one is trick.. I Could understand that NS3 could sounds "better" for you. But, be carefull, if you are listening to something that I didn't intend to play you are NOT listening to ME my friend, and you are not listening to MY music and to my intentions and feelings. So whats the point to play without playing?

So given the choice between somewhat less dynamic expressivity on the quiet end vs. having notes drop out altogether, I'd pick the former, if that's indeed what the choice is. I presume this difference would not apply to the hammer action versions, though.

I much prefer notes dropped that I can fix with some technic rather than loud notes that I didn't played and I can't fix it playing softly... IMHO.

[aureliopenna]

Also, i forget say about latency. You can feel a big amount of latency, just check out factory patch for example from bank f, patch n 8 named "Evolution Keys''. Latency really an issue in NS3

Totally agree!! Hope they figure it out on next OS!

[aureliopenna]

Yeah, after Nord Stage 3 Lite releases.

[baekgaard]

Maybe something that you will find interesting:

I compared the Bright Grand YaS4 piano LRG and XL. I would have expected minimal differences, but it seems that the difference is quite noticeable, not in favour of the XL version. To test is simple: download both XL and LRG in the Stage, put LRG on bank A and XL on bank B. Select no effects and morph the volumes of bank A and B with mod wheel or pedal. This way you can quickly switch between the two sounds and make a good comparison. (or you can simply press Panel A/B of course)

It seems that the XL version switches to a high velocity sample at lower velocities. The sound gets somewhat thinner this way, but clearly different.

Anyway, it might just shed some light on this discussion. Pls. note I tested with NS2EX88

[aureliopenna]

Maybe something that you will find interesting:

I compared the Bright Grand YaS4 piano LRG and XL. I would have expected minimal differences, but it seems that the difference is quite noticeable, not in favour of the XL version. To test is simple: download both XL and LRG in the Stage, put LRG on bank A and XL on bank B. Select no effects and morph the volumes of bank A and B with mod wheel or pedal. This way you can quickly switch between the two sounds and make a good comparison. (or you can simply press Panel A/B of course)

It seems that the XL version switches to a high velocity sample at lower velocities. The sound gets somewhat thinner this way, but clearly different.

Anyway, it might just shed some light on this discussion. Pls. note I tested with NS2EX88

I already had notice it, and indeed I prefer (at least on NS3) the LRG version. As the "Imperial" by the way.

[stringtapper]

I've generally found that the keyboard is sounding harder, plastered and with a more pronounced annoying medium, almost (almost) like out of phase.

I know there’s been a lot of discussion since this post but I’m just going through the thread now and I wanted to say that this description strikes me as being exactly how I would describe the sound of a double triggered note.