Nord User Forum

Hello everyone! I am totally new to NS3 (used to play base and violin). Don’t judge the total greenhorn too harshly, - but when I play simple 3-note minor chords in piano settings (good quality earphones) they sound slightly “out of tune”, “flat”.

I checked Fine Tune & it’s 440 & 0 cents.

I realize it’s hard for you to try and troubleshoot a problem without hearing what I’m referring to, but:
Is there a way to check if my new NS3 (a few months old) is “out of tune” or “in-tune”?

Could anyone suggest any other diagnostic first steps?

Being an ER nurse in my other life, I will also strongly consider hearing/mental health check

Thank you so much!

Hi and welcome to NUF !

I've never read anything here relating to the piano being out of tune...
There was a massive discussion about organs but that's another section entirely

Make sure you're using a single panel (A or B) so piano's aren't 'stacked' (you can do that with the NS3 as you probably know).
Check if the layer-detune function is off.

You could bring in the synth with a pure sine-wave with no filters whatsoever and they should be pitch-perfect.
Try different piano sounds as well; some have more 'character' than others.

I also read a couple of times here that there are bad adapters for headphones which influence the sound.
If you have another set or can try using speakers that might determine something as well.

Otherwise we have loads of experts here on almost anything so if this doesn't help someone else will !

Hi and welcome!

Can you save your settings in a program and upload the program file here, including the exact version of the piano sample which you are using like for example “White Grand Large” or “Amber Medium”? This would be quite helpful, the program can be loaded in a NS3 of a forum member here (like me ) for testing

Thank you guys so so much! You gave me very good, solid leads, let me do exactly what you suggest (me being a newbie, it’ll take a bit) & I’ll report back to you. Cheers, Andrei

Hi Jazzclimber,

a NS3 doesn't allow different temperments - it's always in equal temperment, which means it's always slightly out of tune! As a violonist, you should be used to other temperments. Is that your problem?

There is a detune feature in the piano engine section sound in the NS3. But it should (Edit: NOT) give a flat sound impression: It should enrich the sound.

The only things that make a NS3 be out of tune (equal temperment) is having a piano sample sound base being deliberately out of tune - like the honky tonk piano samples.

Hi Jazzclimber,

Nord tends to leave the piano samples as "live" as possible. Means there maybe single keys slightly out of tune - as they where on the sampled instrument. They also leave mechanical lags on single keys. The goal is to get the sound more living than (boaring) straight.
Especially the XL versions of the samples have souch "liveness" as they have own samples for each key and all keys.
If you have problems with tuning check out another piano sample or try the smaller versions of the samples (L or M).

This is what a heard and read so far - correct me please if I'm wrong.
I my opinion Nord has the best Piano engine on the market so far. And I never had a more inspiring instrument than the S3!

@Jazzclimber,
you are absolutely right! On different pianos different notes are slighty out of tune. Was disturbing me at first, but with time one can feel the "real sound" created by that true sampling.
cheers

You guys are terrific, thank you! I’ll keep practicing while exploring different piano settings. One way or another it’ll get better. Cheers!