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Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 13 Mar 2016, 00:39
by benny ray
I have my pianos kicking and sounding really nice after several tweaks

Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 23 Mar 2016, 23:56
by efire1
I used my Electro 5D today first gig... like it a lot had an Electro 3 before... I do like the key pad feel on the 3 better... I know the 5D has a KBD setting that is suppose to change the feel of the keypad... but I tried it and didn't feel much of a difference.. is it just that button.. anyone else use this ... perhaps the Keypad on the Electro 3 was just a better feel....

Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 26 Apr 2016, 09:16
by deesnay
I also have a brand new Electro 5 at home. I'm the happiest man in the world to own one!
However, it's true that I have a strange feeling with piano sounds. They sound great, but not so bright and large, and most of all, I'd say that they all sound mono to me, rather than stereo, especially when using headphones: I clearly get a centered image of the piano sound.
In the factory presets, there seems to be only one XL piano sample (200MB), which is the Italian Grand, but it doesn't sound quite larger than other samples.
When I switch from stereo to mono, from mono to stereo (using the proper button from the piano section on the NE5's board), I'm not even sure I can hear any difference...
Do you think I missed something?
Of course, I can add chorus to give it some more space, but then, it won't quite sound like an acoustic piano anymore.
However, thinking about it, as someone mentioned in this forum, I think that, probably, we are accustomed to hear artificially enhanced piano sounds from electronic keyboards. As I understand, the approach at Nord is rather to provide high quality but raw samples (raw = free from artificial enhancements). Finally, I think that the main thing about actual acoustic pianos, is that they are basically a piece of furniture, and that's what provides a broad sound. So, as long as a virtual piano sound comes out of headphones or speakers, it will probably never sound like a real piano.

Oh well, I'm 100% ashamed: I've been testing my NE5 for all these days with headphones turned to "mono"! I wasn't even aware of this f*** small switch on the left side, and obviously, I had pushed it without noticing (or one of my kids did). :crazy:
At some point, I had come to realize that even Pan and Ping pong effects remained definitely stuck in the middle, and so I thought something had to be wrong...
You know what? I'm re-discovering all the sounds, and wow... I'm twice as happy as before! :lol:
These piano sounds, OMG, they sound so GREAT! It's beyond my imagination...
And I feel so dumb...

Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 02 Aug 2016, 16:04
by StevieP
ONe good thing, at least it shows that your listening skills are good!

Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 04 Aug 2016, 20:03
by medphis
Quick update. Picked up a yamaha mixer and some QSC K10's.

I have no concerns with AP sounds anymore! Sound awesome and very clear. Didn't have the right amplification, it seems.

Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 05 Aug 2016, 15:36
by StevieP
Not a great experience of other boards to make a value comparison, but personally I find the piano sounds amazing and with a huge dynamic range like a real piano. As Jon Lukas has already suggested here, experiment with the dynamic curves - you may find that you get the sound you like when you play hard and you can get that without having to hit the keys so hard.
Another idea, although I've never tried it, is to also use the compressor to limit the dynamic range - any thoughts anyone?

Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 19 Aug 2016, 21:10
by emartin149
The Electro is the Swiss army knife of keyboards. Like you said, the organs are untouchable...incredibly good. The electric pianos - that's an area where a lot of people disagree, but I think they are just fine. Clavs - I never use them.

The acoustic keyboards are the weakest link, but still pretty darn strong. Plus you get a huge, FREE variety from which to choose...they've even modeled the pianos Mozart and Beeethoven used. I'm pretty convinced that the only step up is a dedicated AP board like a Yamaha CP4.

I insist in Large AP samples for serious band playing so I don't use the Silver, since my Electro 4 doesn't have the space. The Bright has been fine, and I have the close Steinway and Black Upright as alternatives. Plus some smaller files for Saloon and Tack, just for laughs. The Bosendorfer is also really good. Some of the older uprights are kind of thin.

The EPs - there are like 8 Rhodes to choose from, pick one of the last three and you'll be fine. The Wurlitzer - whatever, I'm not a Wurli guy. Why play a Wurli when you have a Rhodes?

Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 19 Aug 2016, 21:11
by emartin149
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Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 19 Aug 2016, 23:58
by Arjan P
emartin149 wrote:The Wurlitzer - whatever, I'm not a Wurli guy. Why play a Wurli when you have a Rhodes?
Because it is a very specific sound different from Rhodes with its own merits - try some Supertramp stuff on a Rhodes and you'll know why. 'Why play Rhodes when you have an acoustic piano' would be a similar question, or 'Why play Hammond when you have a church organ?'..

Re: Electro 5d 73 question and 1st impression

Posted: 20 Aug 2016, 01:07
by pablomastodon
emartin149 wrote:The Electro is the Swiss army knife of keyboards. Like you said, the organs are untouchable...incredibly good. The electric pianos - that's an area where a lot of people disagree, but I think they are just fine. Clavs - I never use them.

The acoustic keyboards are the weakest link, but still pretty darn strong. Plus you get a huge, FREE variety from which to choose...they've even modeled the pianos Mozart and Beeethoven used. I'm pretty convinced that the only step up is a dedicated AP board like a Yamaha CP4.

I insist in Large AP samples for serious band playing so I don't use the Silver, since my Electro 4 doesn't have the space. The Bright has been fine, and I have the close Steinway and Black Upright as alternatives. Plus some smaller files for Saloon and Tack, just for laughs. The Bosendorfer is also really good. Some of the older uprights are kind of thin.

The EPs - there are like 8 Rhodes to choose from, pick one of the last three and you'll be fine. The Wurlitzer - whatever, I'm not a Wurli guy. Why play a Wurli when you have a Rhodes?

two minor and friendly corrections of details here:

1) the STAGE is the Swiss Army knife; the Electro is the regular old Boy Scout knife, highly useful, but doesn't do it all ;)

2) the pianos, including Mozart/Beethoven, are not modeled, but sampled.

bless, pablo