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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby tsss27 » 07 May 2022, 21:46

MarkJames wrote:I’ve heard mixed results about the 8Dio sample library. Any thoughts there? If I could get the PX for $2K I’d consider it as an addition to my gear, but I’m probably just feeding my GAS over a real need.


There is a video where some guy goes through every single sample on the PX. It is at least an hour long I believe...maybe 1.5 hours... In any case, the 8Dio library is, in my opinion, not very good despite it taking 150gb of space. Nord has some great single velocity samples and many of them sound more realistic than the 8Dio ones.
One reason for this is that while many of the 8Dio samples have multiple velocity layers or alternate samples, they are not consistent from note to note and do not give a smooth velocity transition.
Here's an example (albeit maybe a subtle one.) Listen to the guitar here, and notice that low F sample has a buzz in it. Almost every single time that key is hit, you can hear that buzz, it's the exact same sample over and over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRGZyQ1qRAg
If I load a similar-sounding Nord guitar, the samples are all clean and consistent across the keyboard.
Now, if the 8Dio sample had more layers and RR's that buzz would actually be very realistic as it would only happen occasionally...but there is not enough variation. This carries throughout the PX soundset...the underlying samples in their bare bones form are fine in terms of audio quality...but there aren't enough of them per instrument to sound like anything other than, well, playing samples...if that makes sense.
While I've not encountered this personally I've also read reports of loop points in some samples not being smooth (some strings, choirs...) This can be tweaked but one would think that from the factory this should be dialed in.

In my opinion, the PX would be better off had the entire 200GB drive been open to customization, rather than just the (still admittedly large) 50GB provided for user data. However the overall workflow is much more like a conventional synth, things are essentially where you expect them to be whereas the Nord required a learning adjustment for me. I'd still take a standard synth layout over the Nord's streamlined one any day of the week as I can dial up the sounds I want much faster. You also have a lot more control over the samples on the PX, so if the goal is experimentation then that machine even with its factory library would give you more sonic opportunities. I also prefer the analog filter on the PX, and the mod matrix is more adjustable than Nord's morphing system (and is still quite easy to use; you really don't need to go deep into menus to set things up at all...just press some buttons and move the knobs/controls you want to assign.) You get extra performance controls (ribbons and a second expression pedal input,) and more options for how the synth responds to your playing (poly glide, glide types, key priority, single/multi triggering options, adjustable unison etc.) Now many of these options are available on the Nord in some way but they are linked to each other.

I would say to sum up the Nord would probably cover more ground; the PX would allow you to dial in things more specifically within the areas that it does cover. Whether you would have a use for both depends on what your plans are for each unit. But I would absolutely not buy the PX for the 8Dio samples.

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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?


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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby DJKeys » 07 May 2022, 22:25

Interesting. I never understood the Sequential feature of having 500 factory presets permanently in the machine. In this instrument, they did that with the 150 GB of samples as well. I think all instruments should have all presets editable. It is, however a nice looking and good sounding synth, but having just two sounds at once is too limiting for the songs I cover. That is one of the reasons I got the Wave 2, as it can play four sounds each with separate arp, effects, etc. With the NS3, that gives me six slots of synths, which is great.

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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby tsss27 » 07 May 2022, 22:35

DJKeys wrote:Interesting. I never understood the Sequential feature of having 500 factory presets permanently in the machine. In this instrument, they did that with the 150 GB of samples as well. I think all instruments should have all presets editable. It is, however a nice looking and good sounding synth, but having just two sounds at once is too limiting for the songs I cover. That is one of the reasons I got the Wave 2, as it can play four sounds each with separate arp, effects, etc. With the NS3, that gives me six slots of synths, which is great.

-dj


I wish all synth manufacturers would adopt the Nord philosophy of allowing users to overwrite everything. The Sequential preset banks are actually overwriteable with a secret key combination (I forget what it is now though.) It lets you copy the user bank to the factory bank, so if your user bank is full of your own patches, you can just overwrite the factory set and then make a second user bank. Not as simple as the Nord by any means but at least the option is there whereas for most companies it's impossible.

Yeah, for doing covers I don't think the PX would be my first choice unless you had a larger rig with more boards. And the Nord has more polyphony as well. You could technically get more than 2 sounds at once on the PX if you layered samples, but they would not be splits and their settings would share the same signal path (although you can bypass the filters if needed.) It's all about application.
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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby MarkJames » 07 May 2022, 22:47

Thanks - a great summary. As I have a NW2 and a Rev 2 desktop I really don’t think I’m missing anything.
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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby tsss27 » 07 May 2022, 22:59

MarkJames wrote:Thanks - a great summary. As I have a NW2 and a Rev 2 desktop I really don’t think I’m missing anything.


I think you will be just fine with those two models. The filter in the PX is different than the Rev2 but I would certainly not spend $2000+ just for that!

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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby DJKeys » 07 May 2022, 23:23

tsss27 wrote:
DJKeys wrote:Interesting. I never understood the Sequential feature of having 500 factory presets permanently in the machine. In this instrument, they did that with the 150 GB of samples as well. I think all instruments should have all presets editable. It is, however a nice looking and good sounding synth, but having just two sounds at once is too limiting for the songs I cover. That is one of the reasons I got the Wave 2, as it can play four sounds each with separate arp, effects, etc. With the NS3, that gives me six slots of synths, which is great.

-dj


I wish all synth manufacturers would adopt the Nord philosophy of allowing users to overwrite everything. The Sequential preset banks are actually overwriteable with a secret key combination (I forget what it is now though.) It lets you copy the user bank to the factory bank, so if your user bank is full of your own patches, you can just overwrite the factory set and then make a second user bank. Not as simple as the Nord by any means but at least the option is there whereas for most companies it's impossible.

Yeah, for doing covers I don't think the PX would be my first choice unless you had a larger rig with more boards. And the Nord has more polyphony as well. You could technically get more than 2 sounds at once on the PX if you layered samples, but they would not be splits and their settings would share the same signal path (although you can bypass the filters if needed.) It's all about application.


I believe all of the Korg insturments I owned had all RAM spaces.

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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby Rcmusic » 09 May 2022, 18:54

MarkJames wrote:
I’ve heard mixed results about the 8Dio sample library. Any thoughts there? If I could get the PX for $2K I’d consider it as an addition to my gear, but I’m probably just feeding my GAS over a real need.


The first thing: big number (150go) surely does not mean quality or even quantity. It's 150go but "only" about 800 instruments. The problem is that most instruments (multisamples) have a lot of variations (near, far etc : microphone caption), so 800 but when you forget about variations, it's really not a big library in terms of diversity. Quality is unequal. Some are very good, other not. I was disappointed by guitars as a exemple. Voices are nice. A lot of patches are using sample as is. I'm using them blended in the engine with VA osc, filters etc etc and i'm very happy of the results, excellent sounds. I found the NW2 library as equal in term of quality or even better for some with less memory, by far. I think the big thing about PX is to load your own sample (you have 50go of spare memory available). Im not there for now, i'm using the factory samples and use them maybe not as intended (changing loops, etc..) and again what comes out is pleasing, and very different from my NW2; which was the purpose.

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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby MarkJames » 09 May 2022, 19:32

Rcmusic wrote:
MarkJames wrote:
I’ve heard mixed results about the 8Dio sample library. Any thoughts there? If I could get the PX for $2K I’d consider it as an addition to my gear, but I’m probably just feeding my GAS over a real need.


The first thing: big number (150go) surely does not mean quality or even quantity. It's 150go but "only" about 800 instruments. The problem is that most instruments (multisamples) have a lot of variations (near, far etc : microphone caption), so 800 but when you forget about variations, it's really not a big library in terms of diversity. Quality is unequal. Some are very good, other not. I was disappointed by guitars as a exemple. Voices are nice. A lot of patches are using sample as is. I'm using them blended in the engine with VA osc, filters etc etc and i'm very happy of the results, excellent sounds. I found the NW2 library as equal in term of quality or even better for some with less memory, by far. I think the big thing about PX is to load your own sample (you have 50go of spare memory available). Im not there for now, i'm using the factory samples and use them maybe not as intended (changing loops, etc..) and again what comes out is pleasing, and very different from my NW2; which was the purpose.


Great feedback thanks. Sounds like between all the gear I already have I’m more than covered.
Nord Piano 4
Nord Stage 3 Compact
Nord Wave 2
Sequential Prophet Rev 2
Mac Mini rack w/Gig Performer
Roland Integra-7
Yamaha Motif Rack XS
Behringer XR-18
MioXL

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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby 7thheaven » 28 Jun 2022, 12:58

They need to fix the keybed.. and realize, for a WAVE synth, it SHOULD have synth action, and NOT organ action... different vibes/feels.
Also, they need someone to make better presets.
Hope this all gets addressed in Wave 3. I'm willing to give it another chance in V3.
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Re: Anyone also disappointed by the W2?

Postby FZiegler » 28 Jun 2022, 15:28

The only thing I'm worried about is that Clavia might 'discover' home users as their principal customers. Which would be a sad thing considering that expertise in live use.

Besides, I don't care what sort of music is being played for marketing purpose. But that's perhaps because I'm pop/jazz centered, too. And I'm not one of the younger customers.
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