NS3 Compact with SL73 midi controller [Resolved 1.60]

[Tgc00000]

I recently purchased the NS3 Compact 73 and am using a Studiologic 73 midi controller as the Dual KB primarily for piano parts. When I play the piano patches on the NS3 they sound bright and full, but when I play them using the SL73 controller, everything sounds bass-heavy and muddy. How do I get the identical sounds from the native NSC3 when using a midi controller as the second keyboard?

Is there a better midi controller that faithfully reproduces the native Nord sounds? I’m looking for a hammer/weighted controller, preferably 73 keys.

I installed OS v1.52 and all gear is brand new.

[Mr_-G-]

Hi Welcome to the form. The MIDI controller does not produce any sounds by itself, but probably the MIDI velocity response curve in your controller needs to be adjusted? Does the controller support that?
[Edit]: Yes, you can set all sorts of different "velocity curves". I would try first the soft, and if that does not work for you, you can define your own curves with the editor they provide. I guess that the current curve does not produce the max velocity at the same touch as the Nord keyboard.

[Tgc00000]

Thanks. Yes it is possible to modify the velocity curve on the SL73. I will give that a try. It seems like that might work. Because the NS3 compact 73 has the organ style waterfall keys, it has lightening fast touch response. The SL73 is hammerweighted action, so it makes sense that the Nord velocity response is tuned for the organ style keys. Just hoping I can get them to sync up.

[Tgc00000]

This is promising. I used the StudioLogic editor to change the velocity curve on the SL73 controller from Normal to Soft and the sound is much closer to the Nord now. Just for comparison I also changed it to “Hard” and it was super bassy and muddy.

I can create a custom velocity curve and may try that also. There is a little extra reverb hanging over in the end of each note. Is this the “Aftertouch” feature?

[anotherscott]

There is a little extra reverb hanging over in the end of each note. Is this the “Aftertouch” feature?

No. Aftertouch refers to an effect you introduce after playing a note by way of pressing harder on the key, and the effect stops when you release the key (or merely lift it above the point where the aftertouch kicks in).

[Schorsch]

Is there any sort of recommended setting for an ideal velocity curve for the Nord Stage 3 Pianos, or does anyone know how the velocity curve of a Nord Stage 3 88 does look like, to re-build it on a midi controller?

[Tgc00000]

I've done additional testing and it is a problem with the Dual Keyboard setting. The "Soft" velocity curve gets the sound to be closer to the native Nord but still with the reverb/resonance after key release. When I use the SL73 as a standard midi controller (not Dual KB) on the Nord (channel 1), it sounds fantastic and exactly replicates the sounds I'm hearing when playing the Nord. When I switch to Dual KB on Channel 16 it sounds muddy and has some extra resonance/reverb hanging on the end of every note. I've turned off every possible effect setting on the Nord and the SL73 MIDI settings and I'm still getting this problem.

[Mr_-G-]

After key release there should not be any sound (unless you are playing with reverb/delay on, or playing acoustic piano samples on the upper octaves, which like "real pianos" have no dampers).

[Mr_-G-]

I bet the "muddy" channel 16 is because you are triggering more than one engine at the same time. Please make sure that you are using an exclusive channel to the engine you want to control.

[Tgc00000]

I tried all different channels and settings. Nord says it is a known bug in OS v1.52.