Nord User Forum

Hello all!
I read a bit to this forum, but could not find a post/discussion which exactly covered the problem I have. Therefore, I started a new thread.
I just recently got my new NS3 HA88. It is a great instrument (i former owned a NS2 HA76)! What surprised me was the high amount of sample noise (kind of a pink noise) I recognized with most of the piano sounds (e.g. Imperial Grand, Studio Grand, DX-Samples etc.)
- sometimes more, sometimes less. No Compression/Effects/Delay/Reverb - that’s all off.
It's hearable when pressing several keys together softly down (better hearable at high Main-Volume). When switching on
the EQ-Preset to "Bright", the noise gets so loud, that it gets really distractive in my opinion. I am not talking about the noise of the Headphone-Output - this one is totally fine! But the noise that is generated/heard when stroking one or more keys.

My question now is: Could this be a hardware problem? Or is this directly
related to the samples or the adapted velocity curves on the NS3?

My instrument has still warranty, so I would really appreciate If you could
answer this question so that in case I could get in touch with my dealer to
see what we can do.

Has anyone out there faced the same? Or can anyone do a comparison in that case between a NS2 and the new NS3? Answers/Hints are much appreciated!

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing -- but if you use the "Bright" setting, it will indeed make all instruments in the piano section somewhat noisy.

The way I perceive it, it sounds more like the EQ is a bit overdone in the bright setting, amplifying whatever small artefacts or aliasing that is there.

At risk of being off-topic, I have noticed something similar using the distortion effect on the synth. In that case, it's in the low register with a bassy washed out thumping of some sort (poor way of saying it). Although they improved it, I also feel the unison effect is still strange, perhaps too phasy, even after the updated improvement.
I know these aren't exactly sample noise issues per se, but they are noise issues with certain effects other than the bright setting on the piano.

Here the steps to reproduce it:
- Output Gain to maximum, Headphones plugged into headphone output.
- Choose Imperial Grand (2nd Piano in the list). This is the one, where the amount of the noise is remarkable. String resonance on, Pedal noise on, Soft release off
- Press and hold down sustain pedal (I am using the single pedal that was included within the box)
- Repetitively press e.g. Middle C (C4), keeping the sustain Pedal down.

You can hear the background noise increasing the longer you repeat the key strokes. When stopping hitting the key while still having the sustain pedal fully down, you can hear the sound fading out and with it, the noise decrases as well.

Can anybody also reproduce it? Or is it just me and my headphones?
The interesting thing is, that I realized that strange background noise as soon as I started playing the first time right after unboxing. The noise is clearly connected with the key stroke and is cumulated when playing extensively with the sustain pedal down.

Thanks a lot for any replies!

It's just ambient/mic/preamp noise on the sample itself.

I've noticed it too on some of the other pianos.

Makes sense - recordings aren't noiseless, and Nord records actual instruments with minimal processing.

Yes, this is just noise from the recording that builds up as you repeat notes. I think most of the samples (including the EPianos) have this. I only notice it when using the Bright EQ setting in normal playing. I'd rather have a bit of noise than aliased fade out tails where the noise has somehow been "treated".

Thanks #analogika an #baekgaard!

Your explanations make sense. Creating perfect, noiseless samples is technically possible - at the cost of natuarlity, expressivness etc. Let’s quote one well known singer in Switzerland who said: „All we need is more dirt“ . Nevertheless, for a 4000 bucks instrument which also wants to be used for studio recordings... in my opinion, the amount of noise is with some pianos and electrical pianos a bit too disturbing.
Maybe after all, it is not surprising, that the Boesendorfer (Imperial Grand) was not part of the default setup with the NS2 (EX)..?

Did the engineers of Clavia possibly change the hardware and the signal processing on the NS3? E.g. filter, dynamics, etc.? Or in other words: Can/will this effect be reduced by software? At least with the EQ-Setting „Bright“ this would be necessary in my opinion.

IMO, the “bright” setting is only really useful for cutting through a live pop mix, where the noise doesn’t really matter.

The NS2 did not have an equivalent, though I do feel like the NS3 is brighter and more expressive than the 2. (I like it a lot better - the pianos have instantly made me fall in love with this Stage 3 Compact in a way the 2 never did.)

I absolutely adore the character and individuality of the various pianos, including their quirkiness, and would hate to lose any of that for less noise.

Hi there,

This first post by Tastenmann didn't surprise me... It really is an exact description of my first impression, playing my first ever Nord (piano 4) a few days ago. I turned it on, tried the piano sounds first, and I simply couldn't believe what I heard: I was dissapointed in a second...! The heavy amount of noise comming through...I played many digital stage-pianos before (Roland/Yamaha/Korg) and never experienced this before. And as Tastenmann describes: with the filter on 'bright' - mode, the noise becomes simply unbearable! This to me is so exceptional, (but it really is that present) that I also wonder whether my piano is, hardware-wise, ok...
Anyone who experienced more or less the same thing? Or someone with a helpfull thought, please let me know...
Anyway, if I'm still hearing this the next few weeks, I'll be too dissapointed to even keep the piano.
On the other hand, I must say that the uprights seem to suffer less from this heavy noise, and the samples here sound absolutely nice to me!! (But this won't make me keep the Nord, if all the grands keep on sounding this noisy I'm affraid...
(ps: everything is up-to-date, I allready re-installed files, tried different file-sizes...)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this...!

Gr
TeeGee

And the list is continuos growing up...
Tastenmann you are not alone on that. Its really disturbing to me too. As the Low is very dark to be usefull, and the Mids are to loud thats crackles the output.
And TO ME (ok guys???) they have changed the signal processing, or (hope God) programmed it differently from NS2.
Note that if you put the high at max on NS2 you will get the kind of same Bright (or more pleasant) but without the noise. Which make no sense that the noise cames from the non processing recording.