For discussion about setting up your studio and advice on the gear and equipment within it.
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By MattMatiks PG Sat Mar 27, 2004 6:04 am
Anybody have or used a Nord Electro 2... What I wanna know is... Is it worth the cash... I mean I've heard it is really good... and the way I see it I'm gettin a Hammond B-3 and a Fender Rhodes plus tons of other sounds in one package... I just want some really funky sounds and I been lookin into buying actual Rhodes pianos, which I still may do down the line, but the way I see it is that this has got it all...

Basically I'm tryin to add more funk and soul sounds to my beats as well as add original components to the sample I use. For realistic sounds you can go to a Triton or Motif, but I mean that shit is gettin played out... Everybody and their mother has the Triton soundsets... With this I figure I can get sounds that are more specific to what I want plus I've heard they mimic the nuances of these classics quite well... Anybody got anything to say on this topic... For or Against?
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By ieism Sat Mar 27, 2004 2:21 pm
I went to a concert (Amp Fiddler, used to play with G. Clinton) a while ago and he played one. sounded really funky to me. He also played keys for hyrogliphics i think. It's also a rock solid design so it should last you for a long time. If i had cash, i'd buy one myself. Check out
http://www.ampfiddler.com/
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By MattMatiks PG Sat Mar 27, 2004 10:45 pm
I ain't got the money either, but I'll start saving if it's worth it... cause right now I'm makin due with some soft synths.
By Mindtravel Sat Mar 27, 2004 10:54 pm
I have not used the Nord Electro but I use a Nord Modular and have loved every minute of it....IMO Nords sound great and are real instruments as oposed to toys like the Triton you mentioned....this isnt saying that there arent alternatives as well because there are...but Nord makes a great product I must say....
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By MattMatiks PG Sun Mar 28, 2004 5:55 am
Yea thats what I figured... I'm just gonna save up and get one... Triton's are trash as far as I'm concerned... Too many people have them and it ends up limiting your production cause as I said before... Everyone and their mother has the Triton soundsets. I'm looking for something more original that has a more funk styled soundset... The Electro 2 sounds like it... Thanks for your help guys.

By average Sun Mar 28, 2004 6:41 am
I have the nord electro, and it is definitely the shiznit! I use it basically everyday. It has the dopest organs you'll ever hear.
2 words... Get it.
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By MattMatiks PG Mon Mar 29, 2004 5:32 am
Alright average... Let me ask you... What sounds does it have stock... I know it has a Rhodes and a Hammond B-3, but does it have any non-key sounds... Meaning does it have any Bass Sounds or anything... Cause the way I'm seein it now is if it doesn't (which I don't get the impression it does) Then I may have to hold off and get a Synthesizer with some bass sounds with some funk... Like maybe the E-Mu Mo' Phatt... As it is I have no synth... I've been makin due with FruityLoops and my Squire P-Bass... Let me know man.
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By ieism Mon Mar 29, 2004 6:36 am
There's no such thing as "some funk". It's either funky or it's not. and the mo'phatt is not (just an opinion). If you want wack basssounds like the mo'phatt you might as well use software.
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By MattMatiks PG Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:10 am
Iight then... What do your recommend ieism... Cause I'm lost
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By ieism Tue Mar 30, 2004 6:27 am
Sorry :lol: Bass is a whole different problem. I don't like the mo'phatt basses at all, so i use some proper multisampled basses with a software sampler.
My advice: save for the Nord. I've seen too many soundmodules that never get touched at friends studio's.
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By MattMatiks PG Tue Mar 30, 2004 2:58 pm
Name some multi-sampled bass packages then... I mean do you know of any good ones besides the ones on MPC-Tutor... For real, I listened to the the sounds on MPC-Tutor and I was less than blown away... I mean they seem like a **** to program... I like to be able to just jam on a synth over one of my samples and then just see what comes out... Then take the best stuff and re-record it in time... With a multi sampled program it sounds like everything has to be way too preset... Like my basslines are gonna come out programmed and robotic... So does anyone have any suggestions for a good synthesizer with nice realistic and "funky" basslines.

By jontakiff Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:19 pm
Ah well, I hate to rain on the Nord parade but anyway...I got the Nord Lead 2 and a good friend of mine has the electro. Needless to say I sold the lead and when I heard the electro I was like, eh. The nord stuff is kind of impressive at first, however I found that in actual use they have a sharp quality...kind of piercing. You're always like damn, I gotta eq out this high end. If you are truly out for the funk and you got some space you should be able to pick up a real rhodes and probably even a wurlitzer electric piano (do not sleep on these) for similar cost to the electro. For B3, the native instruments B4 is the best damn hammond replica I ever heard. If you are going the workstation route, I agree, I think the triton and motif and all that are very played out and I tried demoing them all tons of times and everytime I had the same opinion - these things suck donkey balls. It's a bit expensive but the kurzweil 2500/2600 series to me, is the only one that actually really sounds good.

On the other side though, my friend is a real professional funkster who pays his bills playing keyboards, and he likes the electro. BUT - he gets a good sound out of it because he runs it into a nice 15" amplifier. Big difference. Now this guy records audio not midi, but the guy is like a friggin metronome so it works for him. How tight is your keyboard playing? Alright here's my advice - if you can play keyboards tight get some real stuff, if you need a lot of sequencing flexibility then the electro might be cool. For a good compromise you could record midi then record the audio by miking a cabinet if you got one. Jesus there really is nothing to do at my job...
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By ieism Tue Mar 30, 2004 7:56 pm
I feel you on the funky bass problem Mattmatiks. I've considered taking bassguitar lessons just for this reason.
I use some proper multisampled bass, and i don't load them into the mpc but into a softsampler. One kit is something like 50mb, so it sounds pretty good to me. Also you can use proper filters with a sofware sampler and ajust things like release/sustain &cutoff.
I also have two soundmodules just for bass, but never use them.

@jontakiff: I use b4 as well, try using just the filter on a frettless bass or something. In fact for Rhodes and Wurlitzer there's a plugin called Lounge Lizzard that's really good. Then again, I'm not a keyboard player so i don't need a fancy keyboard with proper keys.

Like i said, i heard the Electro at a concert, so i don't know if the sound was processed or not.
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By MattMatiks PG Wed Mar 31, 2004 12:37 am
Yea Jontakiff... I'm not that good at the keys... That's why I was figuring on usin something with MIDI instead of a real Rhodes... I was plannin on doin just what you said... MIDI sequence everything and then mike the amp to give it a vintage and live feel... Then filter the audio on my comp... Thanks for all the advice people...

O yea and ieism... check your PMs

By elmacaco Wed Mar 31, 2004 1:19 am
Jontakiff hit it on the nord sound.

I never got one, but my ear fatigued really quick at the store.

I really don't get why people sweat them.