Studio Grand 2 updated to v6.2 with XL version included

[leonardo 1]

Is it just me who has this feeling?

[agcohn]

Is it just me who has this feeling?

I have not compared the Studio Grand 2 XL against the older versions of the Studio Grand 2, but I do think it sounds softer / quieter than the latest versions of White Grand XL, Velvet XL, Imperial Grand XL that I also have loaded. The Studio Grand 2 feels closer in volume to the Grand Upright XL.

I like the sound of the Studio Grand 2 XL for a more neutral / airy piano sound, but I've found KBD Touch 1 seems almost unusably quiet by comparison to the other grands without cranking the volume of my speakers higher that I normally keep them set. And the BRIGHT EQ setting seems pretty necessary.

[Gambold]

>It's also strange that the update wasn't advertised on their website<

Not sure one hand knows what the other is doing. The website front page is consistently updated, mostly with performance links or patches/programs for specific models. The Sound Libraries appear to managed by other parties. They also updated the Wurlitzer samples which now can use the Dyno features and sound considerably better for it...but no mention of that at all on the site. Which is surprising, because it's a very worthy update and answered a big need - the old Wurli samples were pretty weak, and this "free" update is exactly the kind of thing Nord would want to promote.

Releasing an XL version of a very popular old sample also should have promoted. Nord knows it's a good one too, they load the Studio Grand 2 on every new model, see this chart:
general-nord-forum-f29/faulty-new-bambi ... 88-10.html

[Gambold]

>Is it just me who has this feeling?<

I'd like to know how and when they got this XL sample of the Studio Grand 2. Their last release for this piano was in March, 2011. That's over twelve years ago. Is this the same piano? Did they take it out of storage, set it up, and fully map the entire keyboard (which is what makes the XL an XL)? They must have, because if they had a fully-mapped sample from the original release, why keep it back for 12 years?

This would mean someone made the decision to spend the money and time to trundle out the Studio Grand and do this work - and then NOT say anything about it online! It's kinda strange.

>The Studio Grand 2 is a meticulously prepared C7 Conservatory Grand recorded with a close-up microphone positioning and custom modified pre-amps and audio interface. Many hours were spent adjusting this instrument and balancing the sound before the actual recording took place.<

They did this again? Surely the setup would have been slightly different and the technology a lot newer. Maybe that accounts for different presence or airy sound that others have reported.

[Rusty Mike]

I would guess instead that the original samples were recorded at high fidelity and stored on hard drives. At the time, the Nord keyboards didn’t have the capacity to manage higher RAM pianos. I would also guess also that they’ve improved their npno technology over the years (hence the different versions). They most likely ran the original high fidelity samples through their version 6 piano conversion engine to achieve this new rendition.

One more thing: Nord has been known to license third party piano libraries. This could possibly be the same original licensed sample set run through the v6 conversion engine. I cannot imagine them going through that extensive process all over again just to produce the exact same sounding sample albeit at a higher fidelity.

Just a guess.

[Gambold]

>I would guess instead that the original samples were recorded at high fidelity and stored on hard drives. At the time, the Nord keyboards didn’t have the capacity to manage higher RAM pianos.<

I thought about this but unless they didn't change the date on the site, they released an XL version of the Grand Imperial in March, 2011. Maybe someone here has a long memory and can tell us if the Imperial was originally released without an XL option.

>They most likely ran the original high fidelity samples through their version 6 piano conversion engine<

Yes, although is a version 5 XL sample...the Grand Upright. it's an outlier but there it is.

A mystery. And why not run the process for the Black, which continues to be part of their Factory Loads, or the Grand Lady D, which has long been desired by their customer-base here.

[Gambold]

Studio Grands 1 and 2 were licensed from SampleTekk. The ST version has lots of velocity layers and probably every note sampled. I would have thought that in their first incarnation Nord kept these small due to the limited storage space on the original models, but not sure if that lines up with other releases from that time period.

[maxpiano]

Studio Grands 1 and 2 were licensed from SampleTekk. The ST version has lots of velocity layers and probably every note sampled. I would have thought that in their first incarnation Nord kept these small due to the limited storage space on the original models, but not sure if that lines up with other releases from that time period.

+1 (I think the same)

[leonardo 1]

I tried again to use the studio grand 2 lr and xl live....on the NS3 the old studio grand 2 wins over the entire frequency range! Nord is a bit losing the live philosophy and is transforming its keyboards a bit too much into studio ones... don't get me wrong, I love the Nords and will continue to play them, but I have some doubts both about the improvements in the sounds and the increase in the saddles functions....Ns must not become a workstation..It must have the necessary functions to have its three organ, piano and synth sections at the top without many "frills"... in short, few things but which must sound good!!

[maurus]

Surprised to hear that. On my Electro 5, the new Studio Grand 2 wins by a margin. (I prefer the L version to the XL version, though, as I also do with some of the other sounds.) Perhaps the instrument (here E5 vs NS3) does play a larger role than expected? Did you EQ each of the sounds to their optimum?