Nord User Forum

So, I've been a Nord keyboard lover since I tried out a Nord Electro 6 D 73 waterfall key at a friend's house in 2021. In 2022, I acquired the fantastic Nord Piano 5 and ended up buying a Nord Electro 6 D 61 keys that I really liked but I was missing keys so I sold everything and bought a Nord electro 6D 73 waterfall keys in 2023. The experience was like at my friend's house: such a special connection with this keyboard, and I say it bluntly: it's quite simply the best electronic instrument I've ever played in my entire life. Even compared to the Nord Piano 5, I noticed that the sounds of the synth library sounded warmer on the Nord Electro 6D 73.

Then came out the Nord Stage 4, and I sold the Nord Electro 6D 73 keys to get the Nord Stage 4 compact, superb machine, but I didn't have the same feeling with the keyboard which was nevertheless very versatile and quieter but with a "connection to the sound" not at the level of my Nord Electro 6D 73 keys waterfall. Nothing dramatic, but still there was a loss.
Finally, I sold my Nord Stage 4 compact and in June 2024, I bought a 73-key Nord Electro 6D again and in October a 61-key Nord electro 6D version, because I wanted to use two Nord Electro 6Ds together to benefit from more possibilities but not living at home, I was only able to play them with these two instruments at the end of December 2024.
And there, something I did not expect at all, an EXTREMELY surprising thing with my two Nord Electro 6 D purchased in 2024: the sound is no longer the same as on all the other Nord Electro 6Ds that I have been able to play before!!! No more connection with the sound, the sound is closed, dull, lifeless, no longer this lively and bright side.
At first, I thought it was coming from my new Zoom L6 mixing console and its converters, but I had exactly the same result using the headphone output of the keyboards. I have the same feeling on both machines so it doesn't come from something defective or something like that, it's the sound of the machine, there's nothing that interferes. In addition, I have an excellent headset, the Seinheiser HD490 pro, which offers excellent sound quality.
I downloaded the same patches that I played with hours before, I know the Nord Electro 6D really well, and the conclusion is clear: it's simply a different sound and it's much less good! I think that my two Nord Electro 6Ds purchased in 2024 simply don't use the same D/A converters as those of previous generations (and there may be another element that would be at fault in this sound rendering?).

It's true that already at the time I had found that on the Nord Stage 4 and also the Nord Wave 2 of my friend, there was a "loss of warmth", of presence compared to the Nord Electro 6D with the same sounds loaded in it, it was quite surprising, but there, the difference seems even stronger to me.

I had to make the decision to part with my two Nord Electro 6D from 2024 and to look for "old" Nord Electro 6D. In the operation, I will lose hundreds of euros, I am very disappointed.

I think there is a real problem concerning this change of D/A converters on the Nord keyboards since the Nord Wave 2, but it's true that on my two Nord Electro 6D from 2024 the difference is really surprising. I don't know what to think about it, but I feel a little betrayed by Nord's choice of this sound change in the end (maybe they couldn't get the old converters anymore) but they should really realize how much of a drop in sound rendering this is.

I thought carefully before posting this message, I have a good experience with Nord sound, I made sound banks for personal use, I used the editor quite a bit, I created presets, I really know what I'm talking about, I assure you of my integrity.

Here's the answer why the new Nord instruments sound bad , they have to change it eventually

the video doesn’t have anything to do with the Nord electro, and I’m unaware of any significant changes to the NE6 across the entire NS6 series.

meaning there is no reason to believe Nord changed D/A converters, and even if they had that would not have the effect you are describing.

hugoka wrote: ↑04 Jan 2025, 16:51 Here's the answer why the new Nord instruments sound bad , they have to change it eventually

From about 9:00 he seems to talk about how the newest Nord instruments have FIXED what he considers a problem (though I'm inclined to believe it's just how the filters work on the synth, and switching to high-pass would completely change what he's seeing).

Well, I must admit that I have to put my words into perspective a bit, the Nord keyboards are still great and the Nord Electro 6, even with the one I have, still offers me good sensations: especially last night, I really enjoyed the Spitfire Quintet, it sounds really good!
Afterwards, everyone will judge according to their criteria, I am not the only one to notice this change in sound, especially those who have the Nord Stage 3 and who have acquired the 4, there is a change in the converters, it is obvious, and some prefer the sound of the Stage 3. There you go.

cgrafx wrote: ↑04 Jan 2025, 20:54 the video doesn’t have anything to do with the Nord electro, and I’m unaware of any significant changes to the NE6 across the entire NS6 series.

meaning there is no reason to believe Nord changed D/A converters, and even if they had that would not have the effect you are describing.

That's exactly what I said to myself when I saw the video at the time. I took the liberty of telling him in the comments with the following message:

@Nicolas_J3869
il y a 7 mois (modifié)
The problem is that I think you haven't taken into account the fact that when you create a sound in the Nord Sample editor, you choose a sound category and automatically a filter that can be modulated by the velocity will be applied to the sound. created. This filter is chosen according to the chosen category. So the result of the loss of high frequencies is logical because the lower the playing velocity, the more the filter closes. As a result, even at a velocity level of 110 (which is high), you will have the filter which closes a little and therefore, as a result, a loss in the high frequencies. Besides, we don't know with what velocity the sounds you recorded on each of your 3 nords were played. There is a table on the unofficial Nord forum that shows what the filter values are for each category (and other interesting data). Sorry but your observation is incorrect.

Nico38 wrote: ↑06 Jan 2025, 10:35 ... there is a table on the unofficial Nord forum that shows what the filter values are for each category (and other interesting data)...

Well - I don´t think that Nord had decreased the Quality of their D/A converters, but I had a 2024-NE6 and a 4 Year old one available and should compare some Sounds. As mostly Live-Playing, I do not take care of such nuances. With the Video Nico38 is right - the refered table can be found here: viewtopic.php?t=23434 ... a great Job by WannitBBBad bytheway...

I remember well, creating Samples for my NE5 and did´nt thought about this Dynamics-Enable-Function as it does not cause any changes. When switching to the NS4 there SUDDENLY ARE unwanted changes and I had to rework most of my stuff with disabled Dynamics. With that some Sounds turned out quite different, but interesting - I´d kept them also. For myself I prefer the full control and no automatic tweaking of my intended Sounds and let the Dynamics mostly disabled, but for a Beginner or for a quick Sound-Creating, this is a great Tool in the Sample-Editor.

Could a changed Dynamic-Setting be a reason with Nico38s Trouble here?

M_a_c wrote: ↑06 Jan 2025, 11:03

Nico38 wrote: ↑06 Jan 2025, 10:35 ... there is a table on the unofficial Nord forum that shows what the filter values are for each category (and other interesting data)...

Well - I don´t think that Nord had decreased the Quality of their D/A converters, but I had a 2024-NE6 and a 4 Year old one available and should compare some Sounds. As mostly Live-Playing, I do not take care of such nuances. With the Video Nico38 is right - the refered table can be found here: viewtopic.php?t=23434 ... a great Job by WannitBBBad bytheway...

I remember well, creating Samples for my NE5 and did´nt thought about this Dynamics-Enable-Function as it does not cause any changes. When switching to the NS4 there SUDDENLY ARE unwanted changes and I had to rework most of my stuff with disabled Dynamics. With that some Sounds turned out quite different, but interesting - I´d kept them also. For myself I prefer the full control and no automatic tweaking of my intended Sounds and let the Dynamics mostly disabled, but for a Beginner or for a quick Sound-Creating, this is a great Tool in the Sample-Editor.

Could a changed Dynamic-Setting be a reason with Nico38s Trouble here?

In fact, over the last two years, I have made myself about 40 presets with sounds that I had created. So I use a global backup that I restore on the two new Nord electro 6. So no problem, I end up with exactly the same sounds that I used on my old Nord electro 6.

Perhaps it's the samples themselves getting changed for the extra dynamics filters?
I have an Elctro 5D 61 and I kept all the 5.x samples instead of loading the 6.x ones because I don't have the extra dynamic stuff on my keyboard and thought it may screw it up - I also noticed they were upping the sample numbers ( I think so i remember the .x changing..you should look into this), so most all of my samples are from years ago ( I bought in 2018 for $1600 new when the 6D came out) and the Stockholm EP is a 6.x sample but the rest of the Eps are 5.x for example.
I think the filters and the samples made for the filters are getting tweaked maybe - I really don't know though.

It could be something as simple as key velocity, resonance being different or set different in the menus.
You sound like an expert on these so I guess compare side by side and don't just sell your boards until you find out if it's just your ears or something else first.

Nord has a support email? I know .... usually some temp answers those kind of things.
Maybe a place like Sweetwater or Kraft music would answer an email since they sell a lot.