Everything about the Nord Electro 2, Electro 3, Electro 4, Electro 5, and Nord Electro 6.

Electro 5 Sample Library Questions

Postby Blazerunner » 23 Nov 2017, 11:33

Hello,

I'm looking to purchase an Electro 5 soon. I've never owned a Nord but after playing the Kronos and Montage I'd like to go for something offering sounds I don't have really. My questions is I am also looking at a Yamaha Moxf8. Mainly I want a sound with some nice contemporary sounds I have too many synths as it is.

So my question is that the Moxf8 is attractive to me because of how amazing it sounds pushing the Motif engine and I learned you can add sample libraries to it where people have sample instruments to expand the already amazing sounds of it. My interests in Nord is of course it's sound and the cool Nord samples which I like but I think the strings and trumpets I've heard on it are really weak everything else is A+. I know the Nord lets you add in user samples and stuff like that. I was wondering if there are after market libraries or places that sell sample libraries to expand the Nords selection? Does this board let you do that like the MoXF does?

I've also been digging around on the Nord website listening to all the sounds they have which are great (except the strings I don't know whats up with Nord and their strings). I saw the 3.0 but that's for the Stage 3.

Also I've no history of using Nords except for it always being the Red board in the catalog I couldn't afford.
Last edited by Blazerunner on 23 Nov 2017, 11:35, edited 1 time in total.
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Electro 5 Sample Library Questions


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Re: Electro 5 Sample Library Questions

Postby cgrafx » 23 Nov 2017, 13:18

The Electro 5 only deals with samples on a rudimentary level. There is very limited post processing beyond triggering the sample. Its not a synth. No modulation, pitch bend, aftertouch, filter or portamento. The sample engine is still useful for many sounds, but will come up short for anything that really needs a lot more refined control.

I get decent strings and marginal horns. Its still passible for some stuff. For example we do Christina's "aint no other man" and I layer a horn sample on top of the Hammond and get a nice punchy combination. I'm able to do a lot of "Uptown Funk" (Dohs, siren, hand claps), but I play the horn parts on my Alesis QS rather than the Nord. A lot will really depend on what your expectations are.

Im currently looking at the Stage 3 because of the full synth and expanded layers and splits. Actually I purchased and than cancelled my stage 3 order due to delays in the sample editor and firmware bugs, but will revisit when Nord gets these resolved.

I had an electro 2 and 3 prior to my NE5. The 5 is a nice step up in many ways. Biggest drawback is lack of program/bank buttons. I've had to adapt an iPad mini to add that functionality.
Last edited by cgrafx on 23 Nov 2017, 13:24, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Electro 5 Sample Library Questions

Postby anotherscott » 23 Nov 2017, 15:29

Blazerunner wrote:I think the strings and trumpets I've heard on it are really weak everything else is A+. I know the Nord lets you add in user samples and stuff like that. I was wondering if there are after market libraries or places that sell sample libraries to expand the Nords selection? Does this board let you do that like the MoXF does?

There are some non-Nord sources for additional samples. One is right here at
nord_sample_collection.php
(It says it's for Nord Wave, Nord Electro 3, and Nord Stage 2 but AFAIK they would work for Electro 4/5 and NS3 as well)
and there's also the ones at http://sc-sounds.com/clavia-nord.html
(with similar caveat but also, their audio demos are done with a Nord Wave or Stage 2, and may be taking advantage of those boards' synth features so you may not be able to get the same results out of those sounds on an Electro).

Blazerunner wrote:I've also been digging around on the Nord website listening to all the sounds they have which are great (except the strings I don't know whats up with Nord and their strings).

The reason many Nord sampled instruments are not as good as Yamaha's is not merely one of fewer developers or only because of what cgrafx said about how much less user processing is available, but there are also other fundamental limitations in the basic design. One of the most obvious differences is that the Yamaha can trigger different samples at different velocities, Nord cannot (except in its piano section). So for example, a Yamaha flute sound gives you an overblown effect when you hit the key hard, something you can't duplicate on the Nord. On the MOXF, a single note of a strings sample can consist of up to 8 "elements" that can be individually programmed to kick in at different velocities and/or be processed differently in terms of envelopes, filters, levels, etc., Nord doesn't do anything nearly as sophisticated as that with its samples, the Nord sample playback functionality is much more rudimentary. With each board having such different strengths, a Nord (especially a Stage, but even an Electro) and a MOXF make for a great combination, with the Nord being much stronger in organ and some of the real-time control.

Blazerunner wrote:I saw the 3.0 but that's for the Stage 3.

At least so far, AFAIK, all the samples in the 3.0 section are adapted from things that already existed in the 2.0 section, I don't think it has any new/additional sounds in it, they are just modified for use in the newer board.
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Re: Electro 5 Sample Library Questions

Postby Blazerunner » 23 Nov 2017, 23:03

WoW, I dunno hearing all that honestly kind of turned me off from purchasing a Nord.

Seems like all I'd be doing is just playing samples with no expressiveness... like hitting a pad on an MPC. I like the Piano sounds and the mellotrons. The other sounds on their sample list sounded good but 2.5K is a lot for something with weak brass and strings. Is the Stage 3 more expressive even though it's using the same samples? It has after touch and bends and the like. I just thought for what the Nord lacked in features it would make up in the sound department but I'm starting to slowly realize that this is a PIANO board more so than a keyboard loaded with contemporary sounds.
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Re: Electro 5 Sample Library Questions

Postby Arjan P » 24 Nov 2017, 01:59

The whole idea of the Nord Electro range is to emulate organs, first and foremost. Electro's strongpoints are therefor Hammond, Farfisa and Vox organs. Then the sampled pianos are pretty good as well, getting better as you go through the models, with the 5 being the best. Then sample play is also there for convenience. Anyway, that's my take on it. If you're looking for a synth, get the Nord synth: Wave or Stage.
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Re: Electro 5 Sample Library Questions

Postby anotherscott » 24 Nov 2017, 15:43

Blazerunner wrote: Seems like all I'd be doing is just playing samples with no expressiveness... like hitting a pad on an MPC

Not quite that limited. They provide options for a filter to be applied based on velocity (along with volume), there's an Attack envelope control, and another envelope control for Decay/Release, and you can layer/balance two of them, use sustain pedal, apply effects.

Blazerunner wrote:The other sounds on their sample list sounded good but 2.5K is a lot for something with weak brass and strings.

It was not really designed for things like brass and strings. The fact that it does them at all is kind of a "bonus" which provides enough for lots of people to get by.

Blazerunner wrote:Is the Stage 3 more expressive even though it's using the same samples? It has after touch and bends and the like.

You can definitely do more with them, as the samples can be processed through all the controls of the synth section.

Blazerunner wrote: I'm starting to slowly realize that this is a PIANO board more so than a keyboard loaded with contemporary sounds.

Nord Electro started as primarily an ORGAN/EP board (where EP included Rhodes, Wurli, Clav, Electric Grand).

The Electro 3 added high quality PIANO and a sample library focussed largely on other vintage keyboard sounds like Mellotrons. And while they expanded the sample library, its foundation is still a library of "classic" sounds. One of the other nice things is that you can use your own samples. They have the same kinds of limitations I mentioned (only a single sample per key), but importing and creating sounds with your custom samples is much easier than doing the same thing on a MOXF or a Kronos (albeit less flexible). If you're interested in doing this on the MOXF, you would purchase something like theJohn Melas Waveform Editor http://www.jmelas.gr/motif/wave.php
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Re: Electro 5 Sample Library Questions

Postby Blazerunner » 25 Nov 2017, 10:55

Thanks for taking the time to address my questions. I like the Nord piano's and organs sound good. I had also been looking at the Vox Continental that just debuted recently. Have any of you seen that one? I've only caught one demo of the sounds but it was in Japanese but it sounded good. The Vox sound engines are new but the rest or Kronos sounds put on it by Korg. Didn't have as many samples as the Nord and no options to upgrade sounds or download new ones and no editor. They want 2G for it but that seems really limited for the 153 sounds it offers when you can't upgrade or add in new ones. I think that's a good selling point for the Nord. That Vox engine and tube they have in it though has some really amazing sounding organs but the other sounds like the Piano's it comes with sound good not sure if it's better than the Nord Piano's but they sound really good. Only thing I really like about what I've seen with the VOX is the ability to get some really warm sounds out of it with the tube they installed in there to make it sound vintage. Sorry for all my questions I just wish there was a music store around that had one of these boards in stock. I've been to them all including the illustrious Guitar Center... no Nords :( Sorry if I sound critical of the Nord. I'm pretty much critical of any gear before I buy it. I like to know the pro's and cons about it but there's always lots to love about a good keyboard.
Last edited by Blazerunner on 25 Nov 2017, 10:57, edited 1 time in total.
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