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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby danrv » 28 Nov 2017, 19:01

analogika wrote:Then you should play a Motif or a Kronos.


Yes you’re right for the sound but I chose the Nord primarily for it’s portability and weighted keys. This is more important than differences in sound.
A Motif XF8 would be nice if I had a roady but possibly a bit large for some stages. MOXF8 I think would give me the piano sound I’m after plus it’s pretty light for an 88.
Or maybe get a Roland FA06 as a top board to replace my Triton Extreme and play it’s pianos from the Stage 2.

This is my first Nord and when trying it in the store, the piano’s were really good through their studio monitors.
It’s not a big problem and I hope to find a Nord piano sample that suits my playing and gigs. It’s just the time it’s taken to learn how to best amplify Nords. This info is really only acquired through experience and helpful user forums such as here.
I bought 2 DXR10’s from the same store soon after trying my the Stage 2 through my Roland KC350.
Big improvement but over time now learn that these are ok for Nord pianos but you need to spend a lot more to get them sounding their best on stage.

I use the same Silver Grand sample that’s being used here. Sounds great because it’s recorded directly.
https://youtu.be/p8cZiTgmY7E

Achieving that quality on stage I think requires In ear monitors or very high quality and very expensive sound reinforcement.

I didn’t do a huge amount of research before buying the Stage 2 but did check the spec and user reviews. The price and their popularity helped me decide too.
For pianos, I think a portable 76 weighted key rompler maybe more suitable if one existed.
Have gone off topic a bit but will load in the 3D to replace the Silver. I’ve read it’s good in mono too.
Last edited by danrv on 02 Dec 2017, 17:56, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano


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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby FILTERSWEEP7 » 07 Oct 2018, 04:40

I was just wondering whatever happened to the other 'multi mic'd' version of the Royal Grand that they mentioned a while back on the Nord site. It never materialized and seems that it's not going to happen at this point, but I'm looking forward to more XL pianos in the future (hopefully Steinway or Ravenscroft perhaps).
Last edited by FILTERSWEEP7 on 07 Oct 2018, 04:46, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby Quai34 » 07 Oct 2018, 09:58

Hi Gambold,
Ok, I didn't know that you weren't anymore a Nord User, that's why I was not seeing you around here lately compared to 1/2 years ago....Maybe we will see you back with the next grand that will come for sure...
Best wishes with your other boards...
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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby hector space » 07 Oct 2018, 13:04

Gambold wrote:The wait has been really long. I'm not sure who decides what gets sampled, but for the past few years, Clavia has dumped a lot of stuff on us that has limited, if any, appeal. Chris Maene pianos? Digital layers? Baby upright? The Royal Grand is a specialist sample that was designed for headphones. Yes, they promised a standard sample and no they didn't deliver it.

The last good grand was the Silver and that came out over three years ago. The call on the forums for XL samples of some of the older grands has gone on for years, and has been ignored. The Nord piano library has ossified. I'm not a Nord customer anymore, partially for this reason. Regular new samples in the piano library is part of the high cost of the boards. Nord has backed off on that promise/expectation, to my way of thinking.


Yes I agree entirely.

In fact it's worse than that because you are tied to whatever Nord chooses to produce. Their closed system doesn't provide the user the option to import their own piano sample sets from other libraries etc or edit the piano libraries themselves. So you're stuck with what they 'give' you! Yes you can create multi samples but they're limited to a single velocity layer - great for 1986!!!!

On my Kurzweil Forte (That I bought having given up on my Stage 2 HA88!) you have total freedom to import any library or sample and to edit every detail of the existing libraries. Evening replacing individual samples if you don't like the sound of a particular note at a particular velocity.
Consequently the Forte is capable of producing the exact instrument you want. And it is totally under your control.
Because of this the last 3 years have been probably the best in my rig's 40year history!
Last edited by hector space on 07 Oct 2018, 13:07, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby patrickno6 » 09 Oct 2018, 05:40

Well, I for one miss reading your posts, Gambold. You have always explained the reasons for whatever opinions you may have shared = good posts!
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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby criss » 09 Oct 2018, 10:04

I found your posts good as well, Gambold. I'm never offending by other opinions.
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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby lvercaut » 10 Oct 2018, 17:20

I'm 100 % with you Gambold.
I just bought a Nord piano 4 with the hope Nord soon will release a German Steinway D .
I would already be very happy with a 128 mb German D sample like in the Kurzweil Artis for example.
I also don't need Chris Maene and other character piano's etc...
For now i gonna load in the Yamaha Bright Grand L or XL...
I think you have very good ears Gambold !
:clap: :yourock:
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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby cphollis » 10 Oct 2018, 19:16

Well, a new sampled grand would certainly be appreciated, but ...

I think our ears get bored with our piano sounds. Just like the guitarist who's always looking for that new pedal, we're always looking for something new, different and hopefully better.

Case in point? I've been playing Nord piano samples for many years. I know which ones work in which settings. All very familiar to me.

I just started up with this acoustic trio that plays what I'd charitably refer to as "cocktail music". My Nords through some decent amplification. Both of the new musos completely lost it over the rich, detailed piano sounds. They couldn't believe their ears. They wondered what strange juju I had, as they had auditioned tons of other keyboard types, none of which sounded half as good, they said.

My answer was simple: good boards through good gear.

My point is simple: just because you're not routinely blown away by your familiar piano sounds doesn't mean that other people won't be :)
I think I have gear issues ....

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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby daniel70 » 10 Oct 2018, 23:18

Gambold wrote:That's why your guitarist's thirty-year old Les Paul is a collector's item
... as is your keyboarders 40-year old Fender Rhodes or Wurlitzer Piano ! ;-)
Last edited by daniel70 on 10 Oct 2018, 23:20, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: New - Royal Grand 3D Piano

Postby cphollis » 11 Oct 2018, 15:56

Gambold wrote:That's a good point, and yes we are spoiled with an embarrassment of riches that is the Nord's library. But I feel that a continuous updating of that library is part of the price of the Nord, which is quite high and not competitive with some other brands. Clavia seems to have forgotten about that.

As for acoustic pianos, the only advantage of using a Nord or any other digital board as an acoustic piano is that you can carry it in from your car. There is no other benefit, period. We continuously battle the sound system, and find we must spend thousands to get something we can call decent. We moan about action, resonance, key length, digital sustain - all of it never as good as what we'd get from a "real" piano. When we walk on stage, if there's a well-tuned, nicely-miked grand or upright sitting there we would shout with glee and leave our Nords in the carry bags.

That can't be said for any other instrumentalist - when it comes to playing acoustic, we are the guys playing the second-best option. The imitation. That's why your guitarist's thirty-year old Les Paul is a collector's item, while your 30-year old digital piano is electronic junk.


All good points. And, yes, playing a well-miked, well-maintained grand piano at a gig would be a rare joy. I'll let you know when it happens. If ever.

Counterpoint? In this acoustic gig I'm doing, I can bring all sorts of interesting colors and textures to each and every song. Different acoustic and electric pianos. Layers with strings, vox and woodwinds. Harpsichord and clavinet parts. Subtle horn and string solos. And change it up for every verse/chorus if I want. When it works well, it's super tasty.

The Nords are very capable instruments. Rather than focus on the inherent differences with an acoustic grand (which I can't change), I work to exploit what they're really good at, and that's sonic variety.
I think I have gear issues ....

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