Functional differences between nmsp3 and previous?

[cphollis]

I've been scouring the internet trying to answer a simple question: what are the functional differences (if any) between the version 3 samples for the Nord Stage 3, and the previous version 2 samples?

It strikes me that Clavia wouldn't go to all the trouble of implementing a new standard (plus conversion tools) unless there was some sort of payoff -- if not today, than down the road at some point?

Facts, rumor and speculation welcome.

[analogika]

The new samples apparently incorporate basic info about preferred envelopes, filter settings and the like. Which will be great for machines like the Electro with its limited editing possibilities.

Beyond that, we simply don’t know.

[cphollis]

Makes sense. Not really true layers, but enough to add some dimensionality, which I think I'm perceiving as layers in some places.

[analogika]

Example?

[anotherscott]

Makes sense. Not really true layers, but enough to add some dimensionality, which I think I'm perceiving as layers in some places.

I don't think that's it. What can provide some sense of velocity layers is the different velocity response settings available in the envelopes (so, for example, a sound can be brighter as you play it harder). The idea of saving envelope and filter settings with the sample solves an entirely different problem. It doesn't add any new characteristics to the sounds, rather it saves you the effort of having to keep making certain settings manually every time you use a sample.

Using my NE5D as an example... Let's say I'm playing a piano part on the left side of the split, and on the fly, I want to select a new right-hand sound, let's say either ensemble strings or mellotron strings. Since I'm using this added sound as part of a split, I can't simply call up a saved ensemble string or mellotron preset, because that would turn off the left hand piano (unless I'd already stored such a combination as a preset in advance). No problem, I just go to the synth/sample section and scroll to either my ensemble string or mellotron sound. But what envelope setting will be used with this sample? Well, whatever the upper-part envelope happens to be set for... which is wrong an awful lot of the time. For mellotron, I generally want virtually instant attack and instant release. For ensemble strings, I often want a little slower attack, and almost always a longer release. So, every time I pick Mellotron or Ensemble Strings in an on-the-fly split or layer, odds are, I also have to tweak the envelope knobs accordingly. Just about every time. Annoying! Wouldn't it be so much better if the Nord "knew" that, when I selected the Mellotron sample, I want the on-off envelope by default, and when I select the ensemble strings samples, I want an easy-in easy-out envelope instead? Then I could just pick the sound on the fly and it would be right, instead of having to always adjust the envelope knobs every time. The sound is no different, it just saves me a whole lot of effort. This was not an issue on the Electro 3 and 4, because they were monotimbral, so you could just call up the saved program for these sounds, with whatever settings you want. But as soon as you can split/layer multiple sounds on the fly, it becomes an issue.

[Fallboard]

Can someone explain how to do the different velocity triggering envelope settings in the Sample Editor? I'm trying to sample my grand piano and have gotten some initial success, but I'd like the harder attack to trigger the sample earlier to go for a brighter sound, simulating dynamics.

[anotherscott]

Can someone explain how to do the different velocity triggering envelope settings in the Sample Editor?

If indeed the new sample format does permit the inclusion of default envelope settings as expected, it is a feature that will not be available for user samples until Nord releases the new Sample Editor for the new format, it does not exist yet.

That said, if you want your samples to sound brighter when you hit them harder, what you probably want to do is apply velocity to the filter envelope, rather than play with the attack time.

[Al_DeKlein]

Anotherscott,
Are you saying nmsp3 samples can be loaded into the NE5? ... and the samples don't default to the current location of the envelope knob?

[anotherscott]

Anotherscott,
Are you saying nmsp3 samples can be loaded into the NE5?

No. I'd love to have that feature for the reasons I explained, and I hope Nord might do a software update to give that compatibility to the NE5, but I have no info saying that they will. I just used the NE5 in my example because it is a limitation I have personally run into on the NE5, which this feature would solve. (I don't have an NS3.) I think it's reasonable to assume that nmsp3 will eventually come to the Electro, but whether it comes to the 5 or doesn't happen until an Electro 6, your guess is as good as mine.

[cphollis]

But in the meantime, lovin' my NS3 Compact. Ain't nothin' better in my little world.