Nord User Forum

MEL868, I am sorry that I was SUPER SLOW on helping you with finding those original samples...I had supplied you with the NS2 Program and samples several years ago and sent you my NS3 version recently. I simply didn't have a moment to go digging for the original samples that are somewhere in one of my home laptops or on a USB drive...many thanks to the forum members for the assist here!

No problem at all, ericL - I didn't realize from converting from NS2 to NS3 that bundles can be unbundled. I'm caught up having difficulties with my iMAC and MacBook Air doing this. Someone emailed me a .zip and I am able to just click on the file in the email and BOOM, it works, the zip opens to the files enclosed. Seems when I download a bundle file from Nord Forum (i.e., *.ns2pb), and try to work magic via .zip - the only result I get is another copy of the original bundle file.
this is frustrating to me and I used your song/file to troubleshoot. the forum dudes above have been most helpful and did the work for me to unzip and reveal the files, but I'm still trying to figure out how I can email the files to myself in lieu of whatever's happening when I download from the forum. Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but not seeing the same results when I work with zipping these Nord bundles. ughh.

it's real weird what's happening here. Whether I rename the file to extension .zip or compress it, the zip file will not 'uncompress' and open the bundle, instead it recreates or duplicates another copy of the bundle file. I can create any other zip files and uncompress them no problem. it's the Nord bundles which appear to be giving me the hang up. I wish someone could see my screen, then think I'm nuts. I tried clearing my browser history and downloads. I tried 'Unarchiver' app but did the same thing so uninstalled. Called Apple and they couldn't get it to work either, referred me to Nord.

MEL868 wrote:Whether I rename the file to extension .zip or compress it,

These are 2 different things. Maybe you have double compressed it now because you got an ns2pb out of the zip (after renaming) file.
Don't compress it but uncompress the file! Otherwise you are boxing another box into a new box (if this makes sense)

Hi Mel,

I renamed the bundle file from the initial post to .zip and it got unpacked without problems on my computer, here it is - save it on your Mac and see if you can unpack it by double-clicking on it from finder:

Yes - the zip you sent works fine. I downloaded it, dragged it to my desktop and double clicked and the files are there, neatly in there appropriate folders. how nice is this. now I have to figure out how I manage to break the bundles. Thanks, for testing this with me, it's not a fix, but possibly a step in diagnosing.

I wonder if my 'Archive Utility' is corrupted.

I wonder why you think your 'Archive Utility' (whatever that is) might be corrupted - directly after reporting that it worked like a charm to open a ZIP file as a folder.

It seems that ZIP file handling is fully integrated into your computer. Whereas of course ns2pb file handling isn't. 1) ns2pb files aren't as widely spread as ZIP files, and your computer won't know that this is a special sort of ZIP file; 2) ns2pb files aren't meant to be opened as a container for different parts. They can be, but they aren't really meant to be opened by anybody.

So, it will never work with simple clicking - you will always have to know the trick. And the trick is to rename the ending of the file name: change *.ns2pb into *.zip to be able to extract things. And remember having renamed it - as you will always have to re-rename it in order to use it as a Nord sound bundle with the Sound Manager software.

The ns2pb isn't the only file format that's a zip container which can be opened while renaming it. The epub format (for ebooks) is the same thing. The LibreOffice file format, too. There are some examples. But you will alway need to use that trick. And if you extract something out of that ZIP file, always use the copy feature, not move parts out: Those special formats always consist of a certain number of specifically named files. And will be needed to work together as meant.

OK I'm starting to get the gist - I see, the *ns2pb files are a different banana. I came close with a work around (can unzip them using Terminal but I just can't figure out where they get extracted to). Another work around for now will be to ask a 'friend' to zip them for me. seems like there's no problem when I get zips from others. I am unable to zip the bundles by double clicking, instead I have to open them via 'get info' - so this is where I thought something's up with my Archive Utility, in that I am confused and unaware of what app or utility should be selected. Many trials and errors, but I will keep on trying things. Thanks so much for all the info provided.

@MEL868

Would you check your Finder preferences, under the Advanced Tab and see if they look something like this? The first two options should be checked (or the equivalent options for your version of MacOS - I'm still running Mojave, don't ask).