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NS3 Synth questions
I’m relatively new to NS3 and a complete novice with synthesizers. Prior to buying the Nord I only played Piano. I’ve been reading a bit about creating sounds via the synth and everything I’ve read talks about ADSR wave shaping. The NS3 only has ADR/ASR control. Is that an obstacle with crafting tones with the synth? I have no aspirations to becoming a synth maven but would like to understand the basics. Are there any NS3 tutorials available other than MyKeys?
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Re: NS3 Synth questions
Yes, I have. I actually bought his NS3 Course. It's good but doesn't go into too much detail about ADR/ASR vs ADSR wave shaping.
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Re: NS3 Synth questions
Swampfox wrote:I’m relatively new to NS3 and a complete novice with synthesizers. Prior to buying the Nord I only played Piano. I’ve been reading a bit about creating sounds via the synth and everything I’ve read talks about ADSR wave shaping. The NS3 only has ADR/ASR control. Is that an obstacle with crafting tones with the synth? I have no aspirations to becoming a synth maven but would like to understand the basics. Are there any NS3 tutorials available other than MyKeys?
Generally ADSR is Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. Think of it like a flow to manipulate sound beginning from A and then ending with R
In general:
A (attack) refers to the time for the note comes from silence to it's loudest peak
D (Decay) refers to the time for the note to shift from that loud peak to the sustain level (which then leads to)
S (Sustain) refers to the level that the sound maintains when you hold a note (which finally leads to)
R (Release) refers to the time for the note to shift from that sustain level back to silence AFTER releasing a note.
https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploa ... SDR-01.jpg -< a picture explaining ADSR
I'm sure there are TONS of videos out there about ADSR if you look it up.. it's a very general concept.. and I don't think you have to look at NS3 specific.
I think though it would much more better if you just played around with the Amp Env or the Mod Env section on the NS3 by turning on the synth and then just go from there. As an experiment, you could try set everything to 0 first then begin top to bottom, starting with A and so on to hear how the sound is being manipulated (personally I've had more luck playing around in the Amp Env section rather than the Mod Env section), good luck!
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Re: NS3 Synth questions
Personally I can't remember the ADR envelopes ever being a deal breaker. I often get a decay movement from the mod envelope, and a release stage with just the amp envelope (when mod env has already decayed). I use u-he Repro 5 (Prophet 5 emulation, has 2 ADSR envelopes) now a lot, and often just leave both envelope sustains at 0, because I'm so used to that behaviour. Of course an ADSR would have its uses, but the NS3 synth is about covering all more or less useful types of timbres.
If you are new to synthesizers and you own a Stage 3, there is nothing (except from your fear?) stopping you from learning the basics. Seriously, plug in your stage 3, initialise the 5 Live Program slots, initialise the synth engine and dive in. Make the weirdest possible sounds, go to bed, and wake up the next day realising that you learned something. ...Aaaaand repeat
If you are new to synthesizers and you own a Stage 3, there is nothing (except from your fear?) stopping you from learning the basics. Seriously, plug in your stage 3, initialise the 5 Live Program slots, initialise the synth engine and dive in. Make the weirdest possible sounds, go to bed, and wake up the next day realising that you learned something. ...Aaaaand repeat
Last edited by Elias on 25 May 2022, 11:40, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: NS3 Synth questions
Elias wrote:... Seriously, plug in your stage 3, initialise the 5 Live Program slots, initialise the synth engine and dive in. Make the weirdest possible sounds, go to bed, and wake up the next day realising that you learned something. ...Aaaaand repeat
Exactly - you can read about what the MOD ENV and AMP ADR/ASR do, but you'll learn by diving in. Try loading the first program "WannitBBBadSyncW.ns3f" from my post at nord-stage-3-programs-ns3p-ns3pb-files-f32/for-those-new-to-programming-t15748.html and turn a few knobs!
Last edited by WannitBBBad on 25 May 2022, 13:25, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NS3 Synth questions
While ADSR is the most common envelope parameter arrangement, synths can have more or less than that. The Minimoog had ADS, with a switch that changed the D function to an R function, it's still one of the most famous synths of all time. But pretty much every synth is capable of things that other synths are not.Swampfox wrote:I’m relatively new to NS3 and a complete novice with synthesizers. Prior to buying the Nord I only played Piano. I’ve been reading a bit about creating sounds via the synth and everything I’ve read talks about ADSR wave shaping. The NS3 only has ADR/ASR control. Is that an obstacle with crafting tones with the synth?
Getting back to the Nord, turning the Decay knob to its max position ("sustain") is the equivalent of setting the S parameter of an ADSR synth to maximum, and losing the D function. On an ADSR synth, when you set the S parameter to maximum (which is pretty common), the D section doesn't do anything anyway, so losing the D function in that situation doesn't matter. (As mentioned above, the D parameter is the time it takes to decay to the S level, but if the S level is at max, there is nothing for the D section to decay to, so losing it is irrelevant.)
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Re: NS3 Synth questions
Scott is right. It is really not a limitation at all, just a different implementation. I have been programming synths for 35 years and I can't think of a single sound that the ADR envelope prevented me from programming-
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Last edited by DJKeys on 25 May 2022, 15:40, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NS3 Synth questions
And sounds great... but I need more slots
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Re: NS3 Synth questions
DJKeys wrote:Scott is right. It is really not a limitation at all, just a different implementation. I have been programming synths for 35 years and I can't think of a single sound that the ADR envelope prevented me from programming-
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Anything that has a sharp attack and then remains sustained at a soft level („plucked“ pads for example) is impossible without at least ADS.
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