🎵 JJ's Piano Playing 🎹

Documenting the journey rediscovering my piano hobby.

---

Project maintained by jjvanzon Hosted on GitHub Pages — Theme by mattgraham

✍ Nord Piano 4 Sound Selection Notes

JJ van Zon, 2021-09

back

Introduction

I want to try and perfect the sound selections on my Nord Piano 4 digital piano.

Rough Plan

• Nord Piano Library Selection
• Electric Pianos Etc Selections
• Nord Sample Library 3.0 Categories Selection
  • Redoing it listening on the piano?
• Factory Defaults Selection
• Factory Defaults: Organizing & Exporting
  • Sound previews
  • Publishing
• Ondre J EPs
• Nord Sample Library 3.0 Sound Collections
  • Difficulty fitting in memory.
  • Trying Fairlight sounds again.
  • Syncing program and sample list.
  • Offloading sounds. (Perhaps some String Ensemble ones.)
  • Assigning categories to programs.
  • Intermezzo:
    • Moving new samples to right location / checking sample order with program order.
    • Checking validity of categorization of offloaded sounds folder.
    • Categorizing Rejected Sounds folder.
    • Adding category Synth Brass to loaded sounds.
    • Offloading more sounds.
  • Trying Chamberlin sounds again.
  • Trying Mellotron sounds again.
    • Making programs for each sound.
    • Moving them near categories.
    • Offloading less desired ones.
  • Trying Mellotron Master Tapes again.
  • Trying Chinese orchestra sounds again.
• Combos may be put more near pianos
• ~ Going through Offloaded Sounds folder
  • ~ Document offloaded sounds’ character. (README.MD near the files.)
  • ~ Moving some to Rejected Sounds.
• ~ Going through Rejected Sounds folder
  • ~ Checking categorization
  • ~ Documenting sounds’ character. (README.MD near the files.)
  • ~ Moving some to Offloaded Sounds.

TODO

2021-10-27 TODO Factory Defaults: Organizing & Exporting

• Sound previews in GitHub would be nice, but quite some work.
• Publishing
  • Perhaps be bold and ask Clavia if I can go public (with a sub-license?).

Done

2021-09 Done Nord Piano Library Selection

• Sorted out sounds.
• Listened to online previews.
• Listened on the piano.
• Compared XL to Sml for most.
• Compared XL and Lrg (for more favorite).
• Made several bundles for piano sound selections.
• Rework (2021-10-26):
  • Trying Velvet factory defaults with FX.
  • Recategorizing: avoiding category Favorite, Hollow and Metallic and preferring categories Soft, Mid, Bright.
  • Updating piano bundles after importing factory defaults with FX.

2021-09 Done Electric Pianos Etc Selections

• Sorted out sounds.
• Categories:
  • Electric Pianos
  • Clavinets
  • Harpsichords
  • Miscellaneous
  • Electric Grands
    • Electric Grand Amped
  • Digital Pianos
    • DigiGrand2
    • Ballad EP1
    • Silver EP
• Removed again, to make room for piano sounds.
• Listened to online previews.
• May want to redo it listening on the piano.
• Trying a few again.
• Trying EGrand 3 Mono / Stereo difference > Difference only subtle.
• Trying some Wurlitzer programs on other electric pianos etc.

2021-09 Done Nord Sample Library 3.0 Categories Selection

• Sorted out samples.
• Listened to online previews

2021-09 Done Nord Sample Library 3.0 Sound Collections Selection

• Downloading
• Selecting
• Fairlight
• Chamberlin
• Chinese Orchestra
• Mellotron
• Mellotron Master Tapes

2021-09 Done Factory Defaults Selection

• Factory defaults had some sounds, that do not seem to be in the Nord Sample Library 3.0. And it seems I removed them.
• Restoring backup with many factory sounds still in there.
• Removing less-desired samples.
• Exporting banks.
• Restoring backup with good selections.
• Grouping categories.
• Sorting by instrument type and timbre.
• Importing banks and weeding out.
• Storage space scarce.
• Importing some more factory defaults:
  • Piano Combos
  • Pianos with FX
  • SynthPad2 ~= Axel F.
  • Wurlitzer 2
  • Accordions: Re-adding Orfeo (280k), Koestler (1 MB)
  • Acoustic guitars: Re-adding Overland (880k), Nylon (680k), Parlour (3.5 MB)
  • Big Choir (3 MB)
  • Combos Misc
  • Split
• Importing Royal DX Tines.
• Reconsidering combos.
  • Royal Grand 3D Combos
  • Amber Upright Combos
  • Mellow Upright Combos
  • Velvet Grand Combos
  • Grand Imperial Combos
  • Bambino Upright Combos
  • Black Upright Combos (using Amber Upright as substitute)
  • Wurlitzer 2 Combos
  • Ballad EP1 Combos
  • EP4 MK V Ideal Close Combo
  • EP6 Sparkletop Vintage ‘67 Combos
  • EP8 MK I Nefertiti Combo
  • Hybrid EP Combo
  • DigiGrand 1 Combos
  • Electric Grand 3 Amped Combos
  • Clavinet D6 Combos
  • French Harpsichord Combos
  • Combos Misc
    • Amber Steel
    • Metallic Hammers
    • Duo Lines
    • Innocence
    • Mellow Vibes
    • Mellow Pizz
  • Not sure I need the 12 Strings Guitar. Choose an alternative?

2021-10 Done BUG: Combo / sample / piano link bug:

• The combos have different samples than when I imported them… did the software randomly pick a different sample?
• Obs: when I relink either the piano or sample of a program that had both of them unlinked, the one I do not relink seems to get set to an arbitrary default.
• I seem to have v7.62. I think I see a v7.64 online. Perhaps they fixed it.
• Does not seem so.
• It seems the sample’s settings might also not be yielded over if sample is missing (like its volume). (With Crying Grand the sample volume was -0 dB, while it seems it was supposed to be -25 dB or something.)
• What might happen when importing the missing sample afterwards. Are settings ok? Crying Grand is a bit of a good test case, since the volume of the sample is supposed to be way down if imported correctly.
• It appears I might need to look at my documentation to see what the sample and piano are supposed to be, to get it right.

2021-10-20 Done Factory Defaults: Organizing & Exporting

• So that I can easily load individual factory default sounds.
• Reverting back to factory defaults.
• Grouping programs into categories:
• Processing uncategorized programs.
• Sorting banks internally
• Correcting sounds in wrong category.
  • Might put wrong matches at the end of a bank.
  • And then in the Uncategorized bank.
  • Then redistributing to right category.
  • Moving around banks.
  • Internally ordering banks again.
• Categorizing samples.
  • Sub-categorizing Mellotron sounds.
  • Internally organizing categories.
    • Piano Samples
    • Electric Piano Samples
    • Organs
    • Accordions
    • Tuned Percussion
    • Guitar Plucked
    • Woodwind
    • Brass Solo
    • Brass Ensemble
    • String Solo
    • String Ensemble
    • Choir
    • Bass
    • Synth String
    • Synth Pad
    • Synth Lead
    • Synth Base
    • Edge cases:
      • Making program and sample categories match.
      • Reconsidering separate Mellotron sample categories.
      • Making more precise.
      • Last look
      • I cannot seem to grasp the String Solo subdivision. I give up I guess. This might have to do.
• Backing up.
• Exporting one by one in category folders (programs, samples and pianos).
  • Pianos
  • Pianos Sampled
  • Piano Combos
  • Electric Pianos Etc
  • Electric Pianos Etc Sampled
  • Electric Pianos Etc Combos
  • Organs
  • Accordions
  • Tuned Percussion
  • Guitar Plucked
  • Woodwind
  • Brass Solo
  • Brass Ensemble
  • String Solo
  • String Ensemble
  • Choir
  • Bass
  • Synth String
  • Synth Pad
  • Synth Lead
  • Synth Bass
  • Combos Misc
  • Split
  • Percussion (for Orchestral Mellotron sample)
• Adding a README to the export folder.
• Edge cases:
  • Tidying up the banks / sample lists.
  • Restoring deleted String Solo README.
  • Electric piano program “Silence Mk I” accidentally exported as bundle. Exporting as program instead.
  • Ladder Bass
    • I decided is a Synth Lead.
    • Moved the sample, but not the program.
    • In the “Factory Defaults Organized”.
    • Can do it in the folders.
  • Grouping some shorter README’s into one.
    • Brainstorm:
      • Not so much the folders, the README’s.
      • Perhaps not delete detail readme’s.
      • Perhaps extend main readme’s.
    • Folders:
      • Piano Combos
      • Electric Pianos Etc
      • Electric Pianos Etc > Wurlitzer
      • Electric Pianos Etc > Electric Pianos
      • Electric Pianos Etc > Misc
      • Electric Pianos Etc Combos
• GitHub repository
  • Private, with README’s, a navigable like a web site.
• Testing if it is usable.
  • I used the GitHub to browse.
  • But the local folder for the files.
  • The whole is pretty usable, I think.
  • Rework:
    • Piano with FX to reflect selections in my main banks.
    • Combo references to samples and piano files in README.
      • Piano Combos
      • Electric Piano Etc Combos\
      • Combos Misc
      • Split
      • Elsewhere
    • Moving Ladder Base.
    • Sample and program order consistency.
      • Tuned Percussion
      • Woodwind
      • Brass Ensemble
      • String Ensemble
      • Synth Lead (hard to find order)
  • Formatting links:
    • Clearer what is a program, sample and where is the piano file.
    • Piano link for each combo.
    • Only these categories seem a bit ambiguous about it:
      • Piano Combos
      • Electric Pianos Etc Combos
    • Making piano links more descriptive
      • Added longer name.
      • But left out version number.
    • Sub-folder for each combo?
      • with the file and a readme in it,
      • with links to both sample and piano file.
      • Would that make too many sub-folders?
    • Program links not under title, but separate headed by “Program:” (for clarity)?
    • I do require sometimes when importing a program, to look in a different folder for the sample. I am not sure that makes it of lesser interest.
    • Searching only master branch might be desirable. > Is probably what happens.

2021-10-14 Done Switching to Nord Piano 5

Stopped this. Returning the Nord Piano 5, because it is not compatible with Nord Sample Library 3.0. Also I cannot transfer any sounds from Nord Piano 4 to Nord Piano 5 (incompatible).

• Software for Nord Piano 5 > Already up to date.
• Backing up Nord Piano 5 factory defaults
  • Backing up Nord Piano 5 factory default as bulk backup.
  • Backing up Nord Piano 5 factory default separate programs.
• Backing up customizations:
  • Backing up Nord Piano 4 customized banks (bulk backup).
  • Backing up Nord Piano 4 customized banks (bundles).
  • Backing up Nord Piano 4 customized programs (bundles).
  • Backing up Nord Piano 4 customized sound files.
• Compatibility problem:
  • Cannot seem to import Nord Piano 4 exports into Nord Piano 5.
  • I am guessing more manual work then.
  • Nord Sample Library 3.0 seems not compatible with Nord Piano 5.
  • This might be a deal breaker then.
  • Nord Sample Editor 4
    • Might it be able to convert?
  • No there seems no way.
• Storage space low
  • The bundles folder is getting huge (“Nord Piano 5 Factory Defaults\Programs”).
  • Maybe “Upload Sound” might be a better command to use.
  • Maybe that might allow importing the Nord Piano 4 sounds too.
• Backing up Nord Piano 4 factory defaults:
  • Restoring Nord Piano 4 factory defaults.
  • Backing up Nord Piano 4 factory default separate programs.
• Moving customizations to Nord Piano 5:
  • Organizing sounds of Nord Piano 5 to mimic customizations on Nord Piano 4.
• Sound selections:
  • Selecting Nord Piano 5 factory defaults one by one.
  • Adding Nord Sample Library 3.0 Sound Collections sounds.
  • Upgrading piano sounds.

back