Nord User Forum

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I'm with Kirsty here - I'd always rather take two different L's on board than just one XL - to have more variety available is certainly preferable to the tiny (and ambivalent) difference between an L and its XL, especially in a live setting

Just wondering....has anyone ever compared the Silver XL to the Silver L? I'd be interested to see if the XL is different than the L as it is with the White Piano, and if so, what is the difference?

Rufus8102 wrote:Just wondering....has anyone ever compared the Silver XL to the Silver L? I'd be interested to see if the XL is different than the L as it is with the White Piano, and if so, what is the difference?

It's very likely that it has the same kind of difference as all other XL vs L.

As all XL versions has individual samples per key, each key will have an individual sound and character, whereas the L versions have samples here and there on the keybed which are stretched across the keys.

So the XL will typically be more airy, lush, etc when played solo, but may have a little more trouble pushing through in a mix.
And the L will easier push through in a mix, but will sound a little more sterile solo.

It's not good or bad - it's just what works best for the purpose.
The L is technically "worse" as it's cutting corners on the samples, but that's often what is required to push through in a mix.

Like Kirsty, I did an A-B comparison of some L vs XL samples, loading both of them at the same time and putting them in different slots, so I could morph between one and the other with the control pedal without stopping playing.
I found that the difference was basically non-existent for my intended use, so I decided to only keep L samples. As many have said, for playing live even L may be overkill, and M or even S samples will do the job just fine.

So it just depends on your needs: for detailed recordings of solo piano or small acoustic ensembles, it's probably better to find the piano you like the most, load it in XL format and always use only that one.
For live, the XL is just a waste of memory...but if you only use one or two pianos (typically for jazz or small ensemble work), why not?
For playing live in a loud cover band, where a big variety of sounds is more important than fine sonic details, it's better to fill up the memory with as many different pianos as possible: for that use, lots of L or M samples will do the job perfectly.

In the interest of science and my kids' ears, I decided to explain to them the basics of file sizes, I loaded the L and the XL right next to each other, and asked them (8 and 11 yrs old) which piano sounded better. They both said the XL. (played through two qsc k8's). I agree with my kids.

PM_ME_PATCHES wrote:I didn't have space for the XL version of the White Grand, so I played with the L for a while and really liked it.
Today I wanted to record something, so I decided to make room for the XL and installed it.

The weird thing is, when I compare it to a recording of the L version, the XL sounds worse to my ears, more muddy, and less defined.

Both are recorded dry through the same interface, triggered from the same midi file.

Can you tell me if I'm just imagining things?

• White Grand XL.mp3

• White Grand L.mp3

Are you sure that the 2 files have the same settings? When I compared the L and XL version of white grand I put them both in my nord stage and alternate them. I didn't hear so much difference like in your registration. I heard the same sound. The L version were more uniform, but the differenze were very few.

I need to try out the White Grand L. IMO, the XL does seem to have too much resonance / ringing through my headphones.

The White Grand does have a TON of resonance and overtones, so much that it almost sounds detuned, especially in the bass register.

I will say that after having used the White Grand L for a few weeks now with a little bit of EQ to brighten up the sound, I think this is one of my top Grand Piano sounds now behind maybe just the Imperial Grand XL (also EQ'ed to brighten up the sound). The Imperial XL definitely has a sweeter tone overall, but the White Grand L has a bit more character that helps with certain pieces. The White Grand L definitely sounds a lot cleaner than the the White Grand XL while still giving a good feel of playing a real Grand Piano.