Nord User Forum

I have had my Nord Electro 5D for six months now, and still can't get it to produce that warm, rich piano sound you find on the Roland or the Korg. All my piano sounds are thin, not so much 'tinny', but well on the way. I need this keyboard to reproduce the kind of sound I have on my Roland 700NX stage piano - the 700NX's concert grand. Theoretically, the 5D should be able to reproduce just about anything. So where am I going wrong? Anyone got a lead to a patch that will do this? Anyone having the same or a similar problem?

Well you are kind of limited to the piano samples Nord provide - unless you want to get into using your own samples. Of course your own samples will be limited to 16 note polyphony and only 1 layer of samples (I'm sure you know all about this anyway - if not just ask and I can explain further).


I also have the 5D and had the same situation. My solution was to go in a different direction and use a piano sound that was inherently artificial but sounds good. I've been using the DigiGrand 2 sample which I believe is the classic Roland MKS20 module. Sounds good to me, I add a bit of chorus if it's very exposed at the start of a song - but it cuts through the mix nice and cleanly. Might work for you too, worth a try!


All the best - Alex

Keelbolt wrote:Theoretically, the 5D should be able to reproduce just about anything. So where am I going wrong?

Maybe this is the issue. The Electro can NOT "reproduce anything". It can only reproduce Clavia's piano samples, that are real acoustic pianos recorded in a real room.
That is very different from Roland sounds, that are a mixture of sampled and synthetic modeled sounds, or even entirely modeled. And also they are heavily processed with EQ and reverb.

So you cannot change the basic samples, you have to go with what's available in the Nord Piano Library.
That said, there are lots of very different pianos available, have you tried out all of them, including the uprights?

Everyone's tastes are different, but I find that the Silver, Velvet and Royal grands are not thin at all. Also the Mellow and Amber upright sound great.
Try also adjusting EQ and reverb: don't be afraid to use them heavily, ultimately only your ears will be the judge.

Thanks, Spider. I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'll try those out and play with the EQ and reverb a bit....

Keelbolt wrote:Thanks, Spider. I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'll try those out and play with the EQ and reverb a bit....

You're welcome!
Don't worry, it is quite common that people used to Roland or Yamaha pianos are initially underwhelmed by Nord.
The fact is, the others (Roland especially) give you a pre-packaged sound that is great for most situations, but don't give you much freedom to tweak it.

Nord gives you a "raw" sound (well, tens of different raw sounds actually) and encourages experimentation: you are free to play it as it is, or to turn it upside down with EQ, effects etc.
Just don't stop at the factory presets.

If you are running with a single keyboard amp (or a single powered speaker), try the Royal Grand. For me it is the best Nord acoustic piano sound for mono.

What kind of music do you play? Are you looking to emulate a certain kind of piano sound?
It seems more rock style players want a cutting sound without too much bottom end. I play jazz, and keep a very warm sound most of the time. I use the Grand Lady D, Concert Grand 2 and Amber Upright most of the time. Even with those, I find myself attenuating the bass depending on the room. Most of the time I play through a single QSC K8, but will bring two on occasion.

The Royal Grand, Velvet Grand, Queen Upright and Mellow Upright are all warmer, darker piano samples as well. Other piano samples have much stronger overtone emphasis, and are generally too bright for my taste. The Silver Grand is sort of on the border; it can be rather warm when playing soft, but can really bite as well.

What kind of amplification are you running?
The amp you use and how you set it up will have just as much impact on the sound as the piano sample.

Don't be afraid of the EQ. Even the type of reverb you use will impact the sound. The Rooms are bright and will impact the sound regardless of how low you have reverb in the mix. Try the Stage and Hall settings, and adjust to taste.

Also keep in mind that your sound WILL change from room to room. The great thing about the Nord keyboards is they are highly interactive. You do not need to set it and forget it.

I recommend that you set up your rig in your home, using your amp and approximating the placement, distance and (if you can) the volume you play at. Tweak as needed to arrive at voicings you feel sound suitable. Try different pianos, including those you wouldn't think are suitable - you may be surprised. Save those programs and write down your EQ and reverb settings. Become familiar with how those parameters impact the sounds. When you get to the rehearsal or gig, be prepared to spend a few minutes tweaking again, as well as making minor adjustments during the first few tunes.

IM with the original poster. Everything sounds great with the 5d except the pianos. Im using a qsc 12.2 amp through a mixer. Ive tried all kinds of amps, eq's and I jut cant get there. However although not great it does sound some better using head phones

This topic has been discussed on the Accessories and amplification section.

Nord acoustic piano sounds need a hi-fi type full-range amp and speakers. And you definitely need to run it in stereo. Or hi-fi quality headphones.

On the other hand, Nord's organ and electric piano emulations sound good even through a guitar amplifier.

Yamaha and some other big names' acoustic piano sounds are more enhanced from the outset, and therefore more forgiving to whatever sound system you may use.

I have also noticed when you run the Nord through a stereo mixer you must pan the signals hard left and right. Otherwise you will get phasing issues that make the pianos sound thin.