Three or more synth sounds at once?

[reggoboy]

Hello folks,

NS2 owner here.

Is there any way to have 3 or more Synth sounds going at once?

I have a song that requires one synth sound in the right hand, and a combination of 2 other synth sounds layered together on the left hand. And actually, I should split the keyboard into 3 sections and put a fourth synth sound up high during a different part of the song (but it still has to be played with the 2-sound layer in the left hand).

I know I have slot 1 and 2, one synth each. That's 2 total. But this is really limiting.

Am I missing something? Any suggestions??

Thanks in advance!

[Mr_-G-]

You could sample a two-synth layered sound into a new nsmp file and load it as an oscillator in one of the slots.
Other than that, no, unless you use an external synth controlled by the External section.

[reggoboy]

You could sample a two-synth layered sound into a new nsmp file and load it as an oscillator in one of the slots.

Thanks for the reply.

So I load the first sample into slot A, the second sample into slot B. Then how do I “sample” the combined sound into a single, new sample?

Other than that, no, unless you use an external synth controlled by the External section.

I thought about using Extern but I really don’t want to mess with a laptop. That’s the whole reason I ditched my last rig in favor of Nord. What’s the simplest device I could buy that I could load extra nsmp samples into and plug into Extern to use ? I’m picturing some little box with a USB port and a knob and display to select the sample. That’s it.

[reggoboy]

So I load the first sample into slot A, the second sample into slot B. Then how do I “sample” the combined sound into a single, new sample?

I use a software called SampleRobot to sample sounds from instruments into wave files, then use Nord Sound Editor to create a Nord sample from the wave files.

[FZiegler]

So I load the first sample into slot A, the second sample into slot B. Then how do I “sample” the combined sound into a single, new sample?

Producing a new sample means playing every [second|third] note with the desired sound at an approximately same velocity level and directing it into the Nord Sample Editor 4 software on your computer. You can do this by any specialised software, a simple audio recorder (you need to get a wav file - may have all notes in one wav file with a short pause in-between) or by just streaming it directly into NSE4 (again with a short silence between the tones).

Of course, you can only produce single-layer samples for the Nords - no different velocity samples. Have a look into the online manual for the NSE4 if you are interested! (https://www.nordkeyboards.com/software- ... e-editor-4)

[anotherscott]

I thought about using Extern but I really don’t want to mess with a laptop. That’s the whole reason I ditched my last rig in favor of Nord. What’s the simplest device I could buy that I could load extra nsmp samples into and plug into Extern to use ? I’m picturing some little box with a USB port and a knob and display to select the sample. That’s it.

The simplest/cheapest (yet still quite flexible) device to do this is probably iPod Touch. (You could also use the more expensive iPhone or iPad, if you happen to already have one of those.) These won't play "nsmp" samples per se (nothing but a Nord keyboard can do that), but you can resample those sounds into it, or use other samples.

As for the suggestion of resampling existing samples so you can combine two existing samples into one, remember that, once you have them combined, you will no longer have independent control over them. For example, you won't be able to use sustain pedal on one sound but not the other, etc. Anything you do to one sound will be done to both, once they're combined. YOu can get around this a little by panning one sound hard left and the other hard right when you resample... then, using an external mixer, you'd at least maintain the ability to adjust the volume of one of them without adjusting the volume of the other, or put different (external) EQ or effects on the two sounds within the combined sample.

[cphollis]

Going back to OP's post -- have you explored the Song mode? Each Song has five parts (each its own preset), that you toggle back and forth as you go through a song with an easy button press.

Maybe you don't need all of the sounds at the exact same time, which is my situation.

Each preset is familiar: two panels (A and B), each with piano, organ, synth/sample. Layer and split, etc. so two concurrent synth/sample voices, augmented with organ and piano engine. [BTW, layering the pipe organ engine to your pads brings a whole new dimension, so useful there if you're looking for very thick sounds].

So that's five pairs of synth/sample engines in a song, plus whatever organ/piano fits in with what you're doing. For me, it's usually #1 for the intro, #2 for verses, #3 for chorus, #4 for solo, #5 for big finale. Twist the big knob, and you're on to the next one. It doesn't take long to set up, once you have all of your programs preset.

[Mr_-G-]

In addition to all the suggestions, I will add yet another one.
Get a copy of Audacity (free, multiplatform) and record a few keys along the patch range you will use. You might need less than "every 2 or 3 notes" depending on what range you will play the new sound (so give some thought to that) and how well the sample sounds (less sampled keys means smaller sample size; the shorter the samples of each key also means smaller the sample size). Export the sample as 16bit WAV and use the Sample Editor to load it and assign each recorded sound to the keys you need. The "in between" samples are stretched by the software.
The newest Sample Editor also supports sampling directly, so you might be able to do it directly from there, without Audacity (I haven't tried it yet).
Depending on the sound type, you might want to investigate the "loop" function (so the sample repeats a part of the sound while the keys are pressed, instead of playing just once).

FZiegler is right about single layer samples, but in the NS2 you still can change the volume and filter opening via velocity sensitivity, so the samples are not as static as suggested.
It is worth playing with all this.

[reggoboy]

Going back to OP's post -- have you explored the Song mode? Each Song has five parts (each its own preset), that you toggle back and forth as you go through a song with an easy button press.

Maybe you don't need all of the sounds at the exact same time, which is my situation.

Each preset is familiar: two panels (A and B), each with piano, organ, synth/sample. Layer and split, etc. so two concurrent synth/sample voices, augmented with organ and piano engine. [BTW, layering the pipe organ engine to your pads brings a whole new dimension, so useful there if you're looking for very thick sounds].

So that's five pairs of synth/sample engines in a song, plus whatever organ/piano fits in with what you're doing. For me, it's usually #1 for the intro, #2 for verses, #3 for chorus, #4 for solo, #5 for big finale. Twist the big knob, and you're on to the next one. It doesn't take long to set up, once you have all of your programs preset.

Thanks for this reply!

Song Mode is only available in the NS3, right? I have NS2 :-\

The other thing is that I really do need 3 synth sounds at once, not just pairs at a time. I need to layer samples A and B to get the right blend for the left hand, and I need sample C for the lead that's playing at the same time in the right hand.

But I might play around with replacing the "B" samples with a B-3...

Thanks again!

[reggoboy]

I thought about using Extern but I really don’t want to mess with a laptop. That’s the whole reason I ditched my last rig in favor of Nord. What’s the simplest device I could buy that I could load extra nsmp samples into and plug into Extern to use ? I’m picturing some little box with a USB port and a knob and display to select the sample. That’s it.

The simplest/cheapest (yet still quite flexible) device to do this is probably iPod Touch. (You could also use the more expensive iPhone or iPad, if you happen to already have one of those.) These won't play "nsmp" samples per se (nothing but a Nord keyboard can do that), but you can resample those sounds into it, or use other samples.

Duh, I didn't even think of using an iOS device! Great idea. So using something like Garage Band and its built in sounds? I'm already using an iPad as a PDF music manager; perhaps I could make it do double duty. I guess then I'll need an external mixer to combine that audio back in; a complication I was hoping to avoid. But still better than hauling a laptop. But yea, I have all the samples I want via Nord, so now also having to find 3rd party ones I like just as much is annoying, especially because the flexibility of The Nord, and therefore its simplicity, is what attracted me to it.

As for the suggestion of resampling existing samples so you can combine two existing samples into one, remember that, once you have them combined, you will no longer have independent control over them.

Oh yes, believe me, I get that. Which is one of the reasons I don't like that idea, combined with the fact that it's just a workaround for a feature limitation in the design.

Thanks again.