Nord User Forum

I'm trying to make this split that needs:
in the lower split, a bass that requires both slots using synth sounds, middle split , any slot, strings, and on the top any slot, organ.
I've tried, but can't figure out how to get the strings, synth, in the middle. Is it possible? Is there a way to work around something here?

No, you can't use 3 synth sounds. What you might be able to do is sample your two-slot two-synth bass sound into your computer to create a single sample with that sound. If it doesn't require different real-time processing for each of its two sounds, that combined dual-synth sound could be sent back into the Nord as a custom sample and played as a single synth sound on one of the slots. Alternately, you could create a single custom sample that includes one bass synth sound over the lower keys and the strings above them, though for processing and sound balancing purposes, it's probably better to combine the two bass synth sounds than to combine one of them with the string sound.

You could actually even create a new single sample set with all three sounds, leaving a synth section free for something else, if you wanted. But the more you combine, the less flexibility you have to deal with the sounds separately afterwards.

One thing that can also be useful, if combining two sounds to create a new sample, is to pan one left and one right, treating them as two mono sounds. Then, depending on what else you're doing and how you route the outputs, you actually may still have separate level controls for the two component sounds, in your mixer.

how do you create the new single sample set with all three sounds? Is it possible with the Nord Sample editor ?

You would need to pre-sample the sounds you want first (containing all the appropriate layers) then map those sound files across the keyboard in the manner you like using the Nord Sample Editor. The Sample Editor allows you to map samples on the keyboard and to loop them. It does not allow recording of samples, that must be done with another application, such as dedicated sample software or hardware, or a DAW like Pro Tools.

Just to add to that... don't be scared off by seeing "pro tools." If you have a high end DAW like that, sure, it will work. But you don't need to buy something like that to bring in a sample from your keyboard. There are plenty of freeware/shareware things that can do simple recording and convert to various formats as needed. Hopefully, though, you have a decent quality audio input on your computer.

A simple free program for recording things is Audacity, I use it often. It finally replaced the older-than-dirt copy of CoolEdit I'd been using for probably more than a decade.

The nice thing about using a DAW for this is that you can have it send MIDI notes, so it is reproducible. I don't think Audacity can send MIDI data, though it works fine for recording and is completely free.

I think Reaper is a very cheap DAW and you can currently get a free version of Ableton Live (my DAW of choice) if you have/create a Soundcloud account.

I may be pushing Live a bit, but I like it and free is not a bad price. I could probably whip up a short how-to on how to do this recording.

mjbrands wrote:The nice thing about using a DAW for this is that you can have it send MIDI notes, so it is reproducible. I don't think Audacity can send MIDI data, though it works fine for recording and is completely free.

And there are also free/shareware apps that can send MIDI notes. But in this case, I'm not sure what advantage that offers over just hitting the keys. We're talking about creating single-velocity samples of, I believe, single velocity sources, so I don't think there's any need to carefully control the note triggering.

anotherscott wrote:And there are also free/shareware apps that can send MIDI notes. But in this case, I'm not sure what advantage that offers over just hitting the keys. We're talking about creating single-velocity samples of, I believe, single velocity sources, so I don't think there's any need to carefully control the note triggering.

The samples are indeed single velocity, but depending on the settings of your keyboard the sound definitely changes with changes in the velocity with which you hit the keys. Examples are some effects and the amplitude/modulation envelopes. And yes, you should probably record dry (no effects) and you can turn off functionality where velocity matters.

Also, if you want to record the release of a sound, the length of the note is important.

Layering 2 synth section sounds at the time is just not good enough...
You can't edit in real time each synth when you create a layered sound allready...

That's the only thing i "hate" on the Nord Stage 2

I hope the NS3 can layer 3 sounds... should be possible easily by adding a C slot