Nord User Forum

which piano sample used more '? why? what kind of music do you play?
(if possible also give an example of equalization used)

sorry for my english i am italian

Coming strictly from a songwriter (not someone who plays the piano as a "solo" instrument), I think the Queen Upright is the best acoustic piano sample.

While the Grand samples may be more full or accurate, I find them boring. I really love hammer noise, and the vulnerability of an acoustic instrument. The Queen Upright is great because although it is a "darker" sound, you can crank the treble and get tons of hammers and string resonance.

On the contrary, bumping the treble on ANY of the grand samples gets you an annoyingly brittle top end that drowns out the rest of the sample.

Having that said, if I was doing classical music or pounding out Jazz solos, the thick brightness of the grand pianos at flat EQ might be exactly what I was looking for.

Cheers,
Nick

P.S. Interestingly, taking a touch of treble OUT of the "Bright Grand" is my second recommendation:)

I know I'm going to be in the minority here, but I really like the saloon piano. Just something about it "speaks" to me.

I'm probably weird, as I also like the Studio 1 and 2 Grands just as much as the Steinway Bosendorfer or Fazioli.

The Blue and Black uprights aren't bad either.


SSM

The nice thing about Clavia is that you can reload and change your sounds every once in a while.
Presently I'm digging the Studio Grand 2 again for improvised music - it has a lot of quirks and is rather uneven but has nice dynamics and character, warm in the bass in the p-mf range and harder if you go at it, and quite singing in the treble (although the highest octaves are indeed a little thin and need EQ in the upper mids to emphasize fundamentals).
I also play classical and for this purpose I continue to prefer the Bösendorfer Imperial among the available pianos, with EQ as needed, depending on speakers/phones.
Earlier, I played a lot the Lady D, but I find it lacking in dynamics (especially the p-mf range is not to my taste) and also quite uneven, lacking in the low bass and high treble. The Fazioli is rather even but somehow I still don't really like the certain roughness it has. The Bright Grand is not really useful for my kind of playing, and I could not warm up to any of the uprights - but that's just me.
I am still hoping for an even warmer, very even, and dynamically rich grand piano...

I'm currently using the Faz and the Black Upright. I switch out every so often and have used the Studio 2, Lady D and BlueSwede in the past. They all have great character to them, and it depends on what I'm hearing out of my playing that drives my decisions.

The Faz can be a bit brutal in the upper register, but the EQ helps a lot. It's got some strength in the solo range that the other grands seem weaker in. And I love the uprights; they have a warmth and charm the grands cannot match.

I have just found out that the Bright Grand sounds great in mono on my Roland KC 350. Way better than other pianos. just when I thought I have to get rid of it... So happy!

sudkcoce wrote:I have just found out that the Bright Grand sounds great in mono on my Roland KC 350. Way better than other pianos. just when I thought I have to get rid of it... So happy!

Its amazing how much amps play a difference. When I bought my Nord I didn't have the cash for proper speakers, so I played in stereo through two 25 watt bass amps.

The balance sucked but the Rhodes sounded phenomenal. As others have said: I'm really happy to have so much variation in the samples; what works well for one song or gig might change completely upon switching out equipment.

My current favourite is the Grand Upright! It has a lot of character and blends nicely in a band context.

I will say this -- your preference in piano samples may shift dramatically if you upgrade your amplification.

I had a nice set of piano samples I used regularly for over a year, each dialed in with reverb, etc. They sounded OK, but I thought I could do more.

Went for a big upgrade on amplification (see post in amp section), and -- well -- none of them sounded as good anymore! I also realized that the Nord delivers a ton of fidelity, often lost in amplification (and stage noise!)

After a long afternoon of downloading and uploading, I ended up with a completely different set. I now play them all completely raw: no reverb, chorus, etc. as they sound best that way.

I concur that amplification plays a rather large factor in overall satisfaction. I use two vintage Yamaha KA 20 speakers by day and a mid - priced pair of AKG headphones by night as to not annoy the neighbours.

I have the XL Faz for more classical playing - and also for use when improvising/composing.

The Silver Grand (Medium) i like for its more pop/bright characteristics. Though to be frank, the Lady D, while sitting in my memory bank from factory shipping doesn't overly enthrall me.....though it's not bad. I just haven't decided what to replace it with yet.

Uprights....for a clean intimate sound I like the Queen Upright. And for what it's worth, I have taken quite a liking to the 'Rain Piano" - whose slight detuning is not wildly out but enough to add a warmth that is appealing for some piano based pop ballads (where the detuning is the desired effect)

Sorry to be so long winded but will reiterate: While many wonderful samples available - and with everyone with a right to their valid opinions and taste....I would want to make sure I was listening though some sonically 'flat' speakers - the less clinical sounding the better.

Frankly, I love the clarity I get through my headphones - but that clearly won't equate exactly what will be heard in a live performance!

Cheers,

Sean

Happy Nord Stage 2 owner