Understand the Nord Piano Library Sizes for your Nord Keyboard

[@andreinastase1932]

you are a blessing for the Nord users!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you Andrei!

[@tastenspieler5078]

These are by far the best Nord Stage 3 tutorials on earth, seriously. Great great work ✌

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@tastenspieler5078 Many thanks for your comments! Keep up the good work...

[@rockgodd62]

Well explained , thanks

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you @rockgodd62 - glad you like it!

[@itsmaistro]

Thank you so much for this video. So by going by your video things like EPs, Brass etc I could just technically run small since I don't need string resonance with Rhodes and pads

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@itsmaistro That is correct. You could go small on songs where you won't hear or appreciate string resonance. The way I think of this is that if you're playing solo piano where the piano sound is the start of the song, consider going with the larger sizes. If, on the other hand, the piano is just part of the song but not the star, go smaller. Also, note that the size only pertains to Piano samples from the Piano Library. For the standard synth samples found in the Nord Sample Library, there are no sizes to choose from.

[@itsmaistro]

@@MyKeysToMusic thank u

[@LuisFlores-xr5bu]

Thanks for the vídeo. I decided to download the entire library with small sizes so I can explore all samples.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Not a bad idea! Gives you the opportunity to hear the library first-hand and then decide what stays, what goes, and what you want to use for a later time.

[@JordanKeyboardin]

thanks a lot for this video! really helped me understand how to hone the piano on my electro 6d

[@MyKeysToMusic]

So glad it helped! Thanks for watching!

[@luisomidi]

Hi Mark, I recently upgraded from my Electro 5 HP to a Nord Stage 3 88 and your Videos helped me a lot while getting used to all the new functions and possibilites, THANK YOU!!! :) Greetings from Germany 👋🏼

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Luis! It’s so great to hear your progression and to know that the videos helped! Thanks for commenting today-it means a lot.

[@thenoisyneighbour3705]

helped me alot

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Glad it helped!

[@albertfabregat9051]

Great video again! I'll try the small and medium again. All those artifacts are pretty good but useless when you're playing rock on a band and try to cut through the mix. Thanks again!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Albert! I couldn't agree more that in a rock band, it feels like the small sizes will be the ticket each and every time.

[@terelldavis]

I’m going thru the same struggle... even 80’s and 90’s country...piano not cutting thru band....have tried everything. It’s as if the Piano engine volume is just not able to compete... Synth and organ engines are fine... very frustrating...

[@dciccantelli]

Good stuff ! Thank you !

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you Dave!

[@NL355]

Great video again Marc. As always perfect and comprehensive. Thanks, from a Dutchman living in Germany.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you Nico. I like that... "A Dutchman living in Germany" - I'm sure there's a story behind that. 😊

[@NL355]

Actually it's a simple story Marc. The air is (much) cleaner in Germany, the cost of living is 50% lower and the German people are very friendly. I can afford a house here that I could only dream of in the Netherlands. And friends and family live only 200 / 250 miles away. I should write a song about that... Heaven just around the corner 😊

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Nico Lochtenbergh That makes sense Nico! Family is a big one... Thanks for sharing

[@NL355]

You're welcome Marc. I learned that people who are interested in music are the more nice people. If everyone would make music instead of war the earth would be a better place...

[@modalmixture]

Great video. I find that the best way to hear the sound of the string resonance is through headphones, with the reverb off, treble and mid eq boosted, and the string resonance turned all the way up in the sound menu. Then hold the sustain pedal and play some kind of cluster with lots of extensions. It’s still very subtle, but you can hear an added depth to the sound with the string resonance turned on.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Great tip modalmixture! Thanks for sharing your experience with that.

[@charlieoaw1307]

@@MyKeysToMusic one question about map of the keyboard between various size: It is know that XL has fully mapped keyboard…but????the true question is if small, medium and large has the SAME mapped keyboard or bigger sizes are related to richer mapped keyboard( obviously with the same velocity level but this is known by descriptions…what have you understood from your experience?)

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@charlieoaw1307 Although I don't have written proof of this, my experience says that for the keys that are mapped, they are of all the same quality. With the larger sizes, there are just more keys being directly mapped, providing less "virtualization" of the keys that are not mapped. In other words, they don't change the input quality of a given key just because it's s smaller size. Rather, they save room by not including as many recorded keys to begin with. Then, the keys that are not directly recorded are brought up (or down) and stretched electronically to match the semitone just like you have when you make your own samples. Additional room is saved by not including the "special effects" such as String Resonance.

[@charlieoaw1307]

@@MyKeysToMusic then In your opinion there is difference between a small and a medium version in the number of note mapped ( and so less note stretched in the bigger of the two)?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@charlieoaw1307 I believe the only difference between small and medium is that the medium includes "String resonance for the middle range" of the keyboard. That's the only difference, according to the manual (Page 22).

[@MRFThorne]

This was a useful explanation, thanks Marc - and the White Grand piano is absolutely amazing!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Mark! Glad you like the explanation. From just about everyone who has mentioned it, they all seem to think the White Grand is the best they've created thus far. Tip: If you listen closely to the higher notes the larger piano size, you can hear some faint background noise on a few of the keys I think. I don't think it gets in the way of any performance (especially live) but it's interesting none the less. Thanks for the comment today!

[@ThisIsMarriage]

Wow, great vid - helps us to understand Nord in the real world

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Juggling piano sizes and what to pick can sometimes be a challenge. I tend to keep a couple of really good ones and then keep the rest smaller from that point forward - especially for gigs with a full band where no one is going to hear the difference. Thanks for watching!

[@ThisIsMarriage]

@@MyKeysToMusic I have a current model mac. However I cannot use version 6 of the sample. How do I get around this?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@ThisIsMarriage Hmm - I'm not able to duplicate this issue. I just tried loading the White Grand on the Nord Stage 3 again and it works. If you can provide a few more details, maybe we can see what's up.

[@lancamelana]

Thanks a lot for another great vid

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Ana Camelo thanks for your comment and for stopping by... 👍

[@teashea1]

well done

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thanks Thomas! Hope all is well.

[@thenoisyneighbour3705]

ty

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thanks @The Noisy Neighbour - great YoutTube channel name by the way 🤣

[@thenoisyneighbour3705]

@@MyKeysToMusic thank you I currently have a Nord electro 2 where I play organ in a reggae band on my channel you will find me playing many different instruments covers I'm considering buying a new Nord now I like the sample library. the piano sound on deepn the electro 2 doesn't sound that good

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@thenoisyneighbour3705 This all sounds good. Nord does a good job in a reggae band having good organ and piano at the ready. Hey, I checked out your channel - you are a talented multi-instrumentalist. You have more videos planned?

[@thenoisyneighbour3705]

@@MyKeysToMusic thank you so much that means a lot coming from you I've watched almost every video on your channel it's been very entertaining and helpful keep it up I do plan to make some with a new Nord once I get one! ☺️

[@MyKeysToMusic]

​@@thenoisyneighbour3705​👍🏼

[@stevefigueroa8350]

This is purely a personal preference, and I'm certainly not suggesting that everyone do this...but for me personally, I don't have a preference or use for upright samples because of the great grand samples available. Even when I'm playing pop or rock music, I would rather use a bright grand than an upright sample. So I downloaded one small upright sample and I linked all of the upright samples in the factory patches to that one upright sample. This way none of the factory patches would have missing upright samples. I then deleted all of the now unused upright samples except for that one small upright sample. I also did the same thing with the harpsichord samples, although there's not nearly as many harpsichord samples in the factory patches. Doing this, I was able to free up like 700MB, and I was able to load XL versions of all the grand pianos and electric pianos that have XL versions.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hello, @Steve Figueroa Thanks for your tips! In fact, this is a really good suggestion and I tend to do something similar. I think I've even suggested the same for students who take my master course. Freeing up 700 MB is huge! Although when playing (in a band), the XL versions may go unnoticed. Then again, having the XL versions when rehearsing through headphones or while playing solo gigs will make an impact. Cheers!

[@stevefigueroa8350]

@@MyKeysToMusic Hello Mark! Thanks for your reply! I totally agree that you can probably tell the difference between XL and large samples only in the most discerning listening environments. But I just thought that it was a good way to be able to load all seven XL grand pianos. That way you have a good range of grand pianos to draw upon, and have them all at the highest quality in case that level of quality is needed or desired. Not that theres anything wrong with using upright samples. They sound great too. But if you don't need or use them, might as well delete them to make room for other samples that you do use. And that's really the beauty of the Nord library system...you can download only what you want or need. By the way, your videos and tutorials are great! I've learned so much watching them. Keep up the good work!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@stevefigueroa8350 Thanks for spelling out the details and advantages of this concept. It just goes to show that you have some flexibility in the approach you take when setting ypu your keyboard (a good thing). Now perhaps what every Nord keyboard owner can possibly agree on is to "give us more memory" so we have even more flexibility! We'll see what the future brings. Based on their track record, they are due for a new Nord Stage 3 EX or Nord Stage 4 and we can possibly sumize that it will have more memory as one of the new features.

[@TheKeyboardGuy-f3c]

Great video, Marc. Do you by any chance have a video which shows what you can do with the synth section? I’m thinking about purchasing an NS3, but I’m not quite sure just yet. Thanks.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Ryan. Thanks for your comment. Check out my playlist if you want to see the full capability of the synth engine step by step. kzbin.info/aero/PLvND2qkkWygqZfI6LnHaHviM_lKDI6ucq I don't have a single video as an overview for the synth engine at this time. Thanks for watching!

[@andreiter]

Thanks for the info! I have a Nord Piano 1, probably about 10 years old. I wonder what memory size it has? It has many different piano, epiano, harpsichord, etc.... sounds. I wonder if there is a way I could delete all and just add one giant piano upload to get the best sound. Now, I have it hooked up to my iPad and use other piano apps, Hammond app, etc....

[@MyKeysToMusic]

The original Nord Piano (which may also be known as the Nord Piano 88) has approximately 500 MB of piano memory. This means you could get a couple of the largest pianos on there if you removed all others. And yes, you should be able to use the Nord Sound Manager application to remove all your existing pianos and put a couple of the newer/bigger ones on there instead. You could also put a few more perhaps if you went down a notch and install the large versions instead of the XL. Best of luck! Use the "substitute" command if you're going to replace your programs with different pianos. I talk about the Nord Sound Manager here in a 3-part series if you've never done this kind of thing before (or recently): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWO4c4Ftec9nf9U

[@andreiter]

Thanks for the information. I went on the website and I see downloads for packs of sounds, but I don’t know where to look for the one individual grand piano sound park that is the best and the largest, perhaps you can post a link with a message that I can just click and download. Thanks

[@andreiter]

I think I found it In one of the packs, is it the white grand XL 6.1? (250 megs) The next biggest one to that is the royal grand 3-D

[@andreiter]

One last question. Is there a way that any keyboard owner can upgrade the memory in their machine by themselves, or is that something a technician has to do? I just figure, with all these wonderful apps for iPad and Mac systems, that people are not too worried about their keyboard not having enough memory. Mine is 10 years old with only 500 megs. I do have some apps from Crudebyte (symphonic, strings, cathedral, oriental, colossus piano)

[@andreiter]

One last question. My Nord Piano 88 never came with a music stand. The distance between the 2 holes is 16 5/8”. This place has one, but only states it fits newer Nords, doesn’t mention my model. Does anyone know if these are ALL standard? www.lamusic.com/products/nord-extra-wide-music-stand-stage-7688-np88-c1c2-hp73nscms-wide?_pos=1&_sid=ec00e4384&_ss=r

[@danielkinney6325]

I love your videos on The Nord Keyboards. I learn so much with my new Nord Stage 3. Hey Mark Question: Do you think there will be a Nord Stage 3 EX any time soon? I was afraid to buy the STAGE 3 because I was hoping if they do make the STAGE 3 EX I would rather have that but I needed a new keyboard now so I went ahead and bought The Nord Stage 3. What's your thoughts?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hey @daniel kinney - great question and one that a lot of people ask about. In fact, there is an entire thread on this topic on the Nord User Forum: www.norduserforum.com/nord-stage-forum-f3/new-nord-stage-in-2020-t18515.html Based on their educated guesses, we are already a little late to have a Stage 3 EX or perhaps it's right around the corner. I suspect the only people that know for sure are the people at Clavia or perhaps their trusted insiders on a need to know basis. I would normally say you could wait until Winter NAMM hits in January, 2021 but there is no show this year as they've posted that the next official NAMM show is actually Jan 20-23, 2022. So now, it's anyones guess as to what Clavia might do in this regard (or when). 🤔

[@Blueguitar007]

On an Electro 5D 61 key - is Large going to cover the keybed for resonance - is XL even needed on a 61 key? And....if I download the newer V6 EPs like the Rhodes, Nefertiti etc... will they sound ok even tho I don't have the "filters" effect on the Electro5? or am I better staying with the V5 Eps I already have? Thanks, great videos, Nord should be paying you (if they aren't) as they don't explain as well on all subjects Nord.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@JJWalker Sorry for the delay in this response. So, it may not be worth having the XL loaded on a 61 key Now, with that said, the feature still works and you can hear a slight difference when String Resonance is on. In addition, if you "octave up/down" you'll get the full range of the piano that way too. But is it worth it? I don't think so personally. It may be worth it if you were recording solo piano. But in a live performance situation with other band members playing, you are not going to notice such things really at all. Regarding your question about the EPs. Here again, I think the original electric pianos work really well but there may be a slight notch up in quality on the latest electric pianos. More over, the new pianos are really just different (more like apples and oranges). And just like in the piano example, if you find yourself in a performance/accompaniment situation, I don't think it would be worth necessarily loading the latest electric pianos when the existing ones will do just fine. If however, you're going after a specific EP sound that requires the new electric pianos, then certainly it's worth having them on there. I think this ultimately boils down to what works best for you. Thanks again for your comment! 🎹

[@Blueguitar007]

@@MyKeysToMusic I loaded the new Nefertiti XL on my NE5D 61 key and I honestly can't tell the difference. I have the old L and new XL samples side by side and one day I think the new one sounds more bright then another I think the old one is brighter. One day the original has more bark then the next day it doesn't. You know that happens... The Nefertiti was modeled after an old Rhodes that had mismatched parts that there would be some keys that sounded different fully mapped in the new sample but I just can't tell the difference. It's the only "enhanced" sample I loaded. I'm wondering if Nord "stretches" samples on the upper and lower parts of the full 88 key spread thus not affecting the 61 key if you use a large sample. BTW I loaded all the new Nefertiti sizes and they sounded dull except for the XL. Without the "Dyno Filters" on the NE5 I'm thinking I probably don't need any and maybe the original is better suited for my parameters on my NE5D. FWIW I've played guitar all my life and I have the Nord to jam on organ and Rhodes mainly; I'm def. not a "piano player". Maybe the acoustic piano samples have more of a distinction. Thanks, if you find out any more let me know. I loaded the "Swing" samples today but still can't get the elusive legato/wavy Les Baxter Orchestra sound I'm looking for to put in my "Exotica" Setlists.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@Blueguitar007 Thanks for the update on your findings here. You bring up a lot of good points and my notes compare with yours. As far as the Swings sound go, I am pretty happy with the acoustic bass which is perhaps one of the best they've distributed to date. The strings are nice too but like you, I don't hear any Lex Baxter call outs! I had to go ahead and listen to Les Baxter a bit after you wrote that. All I could think of was that they sound like the original recording of Star Trek theme. It was that same flavor of sound to my ears. 🙉

[@Blueguitar007]

@@MyKeysToMusic The main attraction to buying the Electro for me was the vibes and Rhodes...plus kalimba, flute etc.. that Exotica uses. Yes the Swing bass is good and maybe the Swing legato ambient orchestra I'll keep. Btw now that I'm looking at my sound Mgr program I noticed I have a bunch of samples not used for anything and I probably won't use, time to clean up some memory. Thanks for responding! Keep up the good work!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@Blueguitar007 Thanks!

[@tendingtropic7778]

is there a video / demo somewhere really showcasing the difference in sound between L and XL? must be difficult....

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hello Trending so the only difference (as you know by now) between L and XL is that the XL has every key sampled individually so the fidelity of each key will be spot on (no virtual notes). But, to answer your question, no, I don't know of a video that demonstrates this anywhere. My guess is that the differences would be hard to hear in any kind of a group setting but perhaps could be distinguished with solo piano recording. If you find something, let me know - perhaps this is a good question for the Nord User Forum?

[@07JaK92]

Curious if anyone has tried / had luck upgrading the internal storage on your Nord? I have an Electro 6, and I'd love to take it apart and tinker but it's my only board right now 😅

[@MyKeysToMusic]

I personally have never heard of this as even a remote possibility, but if you find out more on this possibility, please update us here. Thanks @Jason Kurian

[@Skiroy]

Hello, What would be the best piano for 80s rock music to cut through for Nord stage 2? Does this string Res option only apply to the pianos or does it also apply to the rhodes, Wurly and others?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hello @Skiroy Terrific Questions: 1) For 80s rock I hear a lot of people using the "Bright Grand" and then apply the quick EQ settings (Timber setting) to "bright". This allows the piano to cut through and be heard - especially in a group setting. On my video featuring "Roll with the changes" a song released in 1978, I'm using "Amber. Upright": kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3WaZoCMi9OFgbM Then you can mix two pianos to come up with the "Elton John sound" he used from tunes done in the 80s. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIfEaWmwmpqnf6M. As a general rule, I tend to stick with the upright pianos for live settings with a group. For solos or piano recordings, I tend to stick with Grand. The grands can really wash out in a group setting especially if you are not running the PA in stereo. Be sure to select "mono mode" on your keyboard if you plan to amplify in mono. 2) String Resonance is potentially available for any piano sound from the piano engine where the instrument uses strings. This means any upright or grand pianos (so long as their size is large enough). It does not include electric pianos as they use "tines" and not strings. It also doesn't apply to the wurli or clavs or anything else without strings such as the digital pianos. Incidently, it does apply to harpsichords even though they are classified in the "clavinet" category on the keyboard. Harpsichords use strings and yes, Nord included the effect for the harpsichords. Interesting to say the least, although to my ears, I hardly hear a difference. Then again, the harpsichord is one of the last sounds I enjoy on any keyboard - no offense to the traditionalist out there reading this. 🙈 Great questions! 🤔

[@Skiroy]

@@MyKeysToMusic excellent answers. Thanks a million

[@Skiroy]

I love the Amber upright great call

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@Skiroy Happy to help!

[@spada60]

Hi mark the white grand will not work on a Nord piano 2? Cause that’ll suck

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi spada60. Yes the White Grand should be fully compatible with the Nord Piano 2: www.nordkeyboards.com/sound-libraries/nord-piano-library/information As always, make sure you update your Piano 2 with the latest OS: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJyzcqCNd9N5a8U and also make sure you are using the latest Nord Sound Manager when transferring: www.nordkeyboards.com/software-tools/nord-sound-manager Be warned, however, that the White Grand XL is a huge sample. I would stick with a small or medium as the XL will take about half of all your available memory when it comes to the Nord Piano 2. Unless of course that's going to be your main piano and you can sacrifice others in its place. 🤙🏼

[@olavocampos9898]

Tem diferença o xl do L no ao vivo ?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Eu diria que a diferença seria difícil de notar até que você estivesse tocando piano como um instrumento solo. Obrigado pela sua pergunta! Loosely Translated Q: Would you notice the difference between Large and XL in a live situation? A: I would say that it would be hard to notice this in a live situation unless you were playing the piano as a solo instrument. Thanks for your question!

[@teashea1]

For grand pianos I only have the XL sizes. I would rather only have three since I only play at home.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

I like the idea of having fewer of the XL larges and not worry about the others. I listen through headphones where the XL is more noticeable (versus speakers) in my opinion.

[@teashea1]

@@MyKeysToMusic I like having fewer samples, pianos and programs so that what I want is easier to find. I have edited it down on my new Electro 6D61 to 18 piano section (including actual pianos), 85 samples and 110 programs.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@teashea1 I like that approach "Less is More" - I have a similar philosophy about this.

[@JD-wo3pp]

Are you not in 440 hz?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Jeffery. Apparently, I recorded this video while not being tuned to 440. I accidentally left the keyboard in an untuned state from a previous setup I did. I didn't realize until after the video was recorded (and released) that it wasn't tuned to 440. This is one of those days where I wish I had perfect pitch 😄.

[@JD-wo3pp]

@@MyKeysToMusic i think nobody will notice 😂, but how did u manage to change pitch on the nord

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@JD-wo3pp Ah - so to change the overall pitch on the Nord, you can call upon a setting called "Fine Tune" located under the system settings. Once changed, it will tune the entire instrument and will stay that way until you tune it back. It's great if you were to accompany an instrument that isn't easy to tune (like a harp??) or to play along with an old recording that it already slightly out of tune.

[@OoMrBenoO]

I have a NP4 that I bought a couple of months ago. Out of the box, the NP4 does not have enough space to accommodate the White Grand XL. I've tried taking off patches to make room, even deleting EVERYTHING to just sample the White Grand XL. When I wipe everything off and put the White Grand XL on, I can not locate it? Maybe I'm missing a step, or something?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Ben. In order for you to see the White Grand after you load it on the keyboard,, you have to use the piano selector knob in the piano section because it's likely you loaded it into the keyboard but you didn't assign it to any program/patch. So try this first. Starting with any loaded program/patch, turn the piano selector knob until you find the White Grand. This can be made a little easier if you hold the shift button while turning the knob. That will present all your pianos as a list. You should find the White Grand. From there, you can test it out. The key here is that you have to assign the White Grand Piano to an existing program. You can do this in the Sound manager or by clicking on the "Store button" on an existing Program where you want to use the White Grand from now on. I highly recommend you go through this entire playlist to get an overall orientation with how this works. kzbin.info/aero/PLvND2qkkWygoQCy9WDSx3w6XBM-9e4Lkz A "Program" on a Nord keyboard assigns a Piano and a Synth (in this case). Your pianos and synth/samples exist independently, The program (the main patch you see with a title), is the thing that brings these two other components together. Hard to explain using words but it may be easier after going through the playlist tutorials above. Good luck! Marc

[@roger_rivas]

Great video. Thanks!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you Roger!

[@kevinldaniel]

Thank you for this video!!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

You are so welcome!