Layering & Sounds Stage vs Piano vs Electro

[Quai34]

Ho my god, again, Max is faster than Lucky Luke...

[W57PP2]

Ok thanks everyone.
My reference is the Yamaha S90XS. What I want is the same - or better functionality with an improved piano.
There S90XS I can have 4 layers at once, each with their individually defined note range.
Eg I have piano full range, one pad not playing at the upper ranges, another paying mainly at the upper ranges and some strings mostly full range.

So although it's like a workstation in concept perhaps it's for live performances....

I'm actually surprised that the Nords are limited here!

[anotherscott]

1: the Nord Stage has 3 x 2 Sections (2 Organs, 2 Synths, 2 Piano) , do the math and you have your answers

That would be 6 sounds, but it's also worth noting that each of the two slots ("sections" as you put it) also has an EXT function... which means that each slot can split/layer up to 4 sounds... an organ, a synth/sampled sound, a piano, and an externally generated sound (say, from an iPhone or iPad), still leaving all the split/layer and sound recall control within the Nord itself.

[anotherscott]

My reference is the Yamaha S90XS. What I want is the same - or better functionality with an improved piano.

S90XS and Stage each have capabilities the other does not. Though it sounds like you may not care about many of the things that Nord brings to the table, if all you're looking for is an improved piano (like full tonewheel organ emulation, VA synth, custom sample loading).

There S90XS I can have 4 layers at once, each with their individually defined note range.
Eg I have piano full range, one pad not playing at the upper ranges, another paying mainly at the upper ranges and some strings mostly full range.

That sounds like just three sounds to me, not four... piano, pad, and strings. An area where a sound does NOT play is not a layer, it is merely a key range or zone. Anyway, the Stage would allow you to put piano full range in one slot; put a pad (from its synth/sample section) over a smaller key range within that same slot; and then (since you can only have one synth/sample sound in a slot) you would layer the second slot and get your string sound there, specifying which key range you wanted it to play over. The only other thing to be aware of there is that the you have to choose from fixed key range split points (i.e. they always have to occur between a B and a C, or between an E and an F, although the NS3 also features a crossfade feature so that splits transition in and out if you want, instead of cutting hard at the split point).

I'm actually surprised that the Nords are limited here!

Each board has its own limitations, its own strengths.

If the ONLY thing you want from a Nord (that you don't already have in your S90XS) is its piano sounds, then you might consider adding a lightweight Nord Electro to your Yamaha, and connecting them with a MIDI cable so you can play the Nord sounds from your S90XS when desired. Then you wouldn't be losing any of your Yamaha sounds/capabilities, and it could save you money, too.

[W57PP2]

My reference is the Yamaha S90XS. What I want is the same - or better functionality with an improved piano.

S90XS and Stage each have capabilities the other does not. Though it sounds like you may not care about many of the things that Nord brings to the table, if all you're looking for is an improved piano (like full tonewheel organ emulation, VA synth, custom sample loading).

Yes that's right - I would probably not use a ton of stuff that the Stage is excellent at...

There S90XS I can have 4 layers at once, each with their individually defined note range.
Eg I have piano full range, one pad not playing at the upper ranges, another paying mainly at the upper ranges and some strings mostly full range.

That sounds like just three sounds to me, not four... piano, pad, and strings. An area where a sound does NOT play is not a layer, it is merely a key range or zone. Anyway, the Stage would allow you to put piano full range in one slot; put a pad (from its synth/sample section) over a smaller key range within that same slot; and then (since you can only have one synth/sample sound in a slot) you would layer the second slot and get your string sound there, specifying which key range you wanted it to play over. The only other thing to be aware of there is that the you have to choose from fixed key range split points (i.e. they always have to occur between a B and a C, or between an E and an F, although the NS3 also features a crossfade feature so that splits transition in and out if you want, instead of cutting hard at the split point).

It is four (Piano, 2 x pad + strings) and the key ranges are not split, but overlap. However, I think what you describe actually near enough gets me what I want, so

I'm actually surprised that the Nords are limited here!

Each board has its own limitations, its own strengths.

If the ONLY thing you want from a Nord (that you don't already have in your S90XS) is its piano sounds, then you might consider adding a lightweight Nord Electro to your Yamaha, and connecting them with a MIDI cable so you can play the Nord sounds from your S90XS when desired. Then you wouldn't be losing any of your Yamaha sounds/capabilities, and it could save you money, too.

Yes good point.... but that means two boards to haul around, and the associated cabling. Now the other thing that would be useful on the Nord is a Mic input...but that's a whole other story... I am prepared to trade that facility for a better paino...! (Currently I don't even have a mixer, Just Mic into S90XS then stereo out to 2 x Bose Compacts)

[anotherscott]

It is four (Piano, 2 x pad + strings)

Are you talking about two different pad sounds? If so, the Nord can't do it (with internal sounds alone), since the Nord is limited to 2 simultaneous non-piano non-organ sounds. If you have two different pads plus strings, that's 3 non-piano non-organ sounds, and you can only have 2.

and the key ranges are not split, but overlap.

Even if a sound overlaps another, it is still using a split function, unless it is playing across the entire keyboard from top to bottom.

[Mr_-G-]

Let's not forget that the new NS3 has a 'layered' piano category, so we could have 2 fixed sounds in the npno sample. That could mean 2x(piano+something) + 2x synth + 2x organ. Hopefully those layered npno samples will also work in other models too, but who knows.

[maxpiano]

Let's not forget that the new NS3 has a 'layered' piano category, so we could have 2 fixed sounds in the npno sample. That could mean 2x(piano+something) + 2x synth + 2x organ. Hopefully those layered npno samples will also work in other models too, but who knows.

True, that will cover many practical cases, although of course for those pre-layered sounds you cannot indipendently assign a zone for each of the layers nor control their relative volume, it is a very welcome improvement.

[W57PP2]

Ok thanks again everyone I think I understand everything I need to now!