nord Electro 3 User Manual page 31


This marker can easily be changed if you prefer to have manual control
of this function . You can manually set the start point by entering a
value in the Start input box, using the slider or by simply clicking in the
waveform graph .
When the Sample Start tab is opened, the Editor will zoom in
closer in the waveform graph to make it easier to distinguish noise
from the actual sound. You can change the zoom settings by us-
ing the buttons below the waveform graph for the horizontal axis,
and the slider or the buttons to the right, for the vertical axis.
Looping
Loops are very useful in order to make a sample play back or sound
beyond its own length . Loops will also reduce a sample's size, since
everything after the loop end marker will be discarded when you down-
load a Sample Instrument to the Nord Electro 3 .
Let's take a closer look at a loop .
A loop is automatically generated when a sample is assigned to a zone .
1
To view or edit the loop settings, just click on the Sample Loop/
Stop tab . The loop is indicated in the waveform graph as a col-
ored area .
To set a new beginning of the loop - the loop Start marker - just click
on the waveform graph . To set the length of the loop, just right-click
anywhere to the right of the indication of the loop start . You can also
enter values for these parameters in the input boxes or use the sliders .
There are three loop options available, Long Loop, Short Loop and No
Loop .
The Long Loop option is useful for various instrument samples and
sounds which contains non-periodic variations . When you select this
option, a loop start marker and a loop end marker are created . These
two loop markers will be separated by the actual loop section which is
indicated as the blue area in the waveform graph .
The long Loop option will also include a crossfade to ensure that the
loop will sound as smooth as possible . The two segments of the cross-
fade are indicated as the light grey area immediately before the loop
start marker, and the darker area before the loop end marker .
Hit the space bar on the computer keyboard to start the playback
and adjust the settings for the crossfade or move the loop mark-
ers by clicking in the waveform graph. What You Do Is What You
Hear, any change you make will be monitored in real time during
playback.
The Short Loop option will create a loop from one single period in the
sample . This option can be successful on sounds where the harmonic
content changes a lot . It can also be very efficient in reducing the size
of a sample . If you have concerns about making as many samples fit in
the Nord Electro 3 as possible, this should be explored .
The Short Loop option uses either a pitch estimate or the Root Key as
the reference for its length, since the length will have consequences on
the pitch of the sound when it is looping .
If you can find a smooth short loop early in a sample, the envelope
generators in the Nord Electro 3 can be used to emulate a natural
decay, and you can save lots of space in the Flash memory.
The No Loop option may seem self explanatory, but the important thing
here is to remember that no sample data after the end marker will be
downloaded to the Flash memory . Click on the waveform graph to
position the end marker .
Please go to page 36 for a detailed description of all the functions in
the Loop/Stop tab .
Generate a Sample Instrument
When you have added all the audio files to the Project and are satisfied
with the sample edits, it is time to create a Sample Instrument and to
download this to the Nord Electro 3 .
1
If you haven't saved your Project, now would be a good time to
do so .
By saving and giving a Project a name, you are also providing the name
for the Sample Instrument when it is downloaded to the Flash memory .
If you change your mind about the current name on the Project,
use Save As... to give it a new one. A Sample Instrument that is
created from an unsaved Project will get the default name "Un-
titled" in the Nord Electro 3.
2
Go to the Instrument Menu and select Generate Only .
A Sample Instrument with all the samples, zones and edits that you
have made in this Project will be generated and automatically saved to
the hard drive as a "Project name" .nsmp file .
8NordsaMplEEditor | 31