What is multitimbrality?

[mitya33]

Hi all

I'm new to this game and currently trying to choose between the Korg Kronos and Nord Stage 3.

One thing I've read is that the Stage had two-part multitimbrality. Now, I've looked up a definition of this but I'm still not sure what the implications are. Can anyone tell a total noob, in layman's terms, what these would be?

Thanks!

[gs]

Hi all

I'm new to this game and currently trying to choose between the Korg Kronos and Nord Stage 3.

One thing I've read is that the Stage had two-part multitimbrality. Now, I've looked up a definition of this but I'm still not sure what the implications are. Can anyone tell a total noob, in layman's terms, what these would be?

Thanks!

It has a technical explanation which you should have found online while researching... But for you, the keyboard player, the implication is that, with a Multitimbral keyboard... you can play more than one sound at the same time, either by splitting or layering.

So, for instance, you can have Bass in the left section of the keybed and Piano in the right section of the keybed... with you deciding where the split point will be. You can also play its internal sounds from another MIDI keyboard if you run out of keybed real estate.

Mono-timbral = can only play 1 sound at the same time
Bi-timbral = can play 2 sounds at the same time
Multi-timbral = can play 2 OR MORE sounds at the same time

Hope that helps.

[mitya33]

It does! Thank you.

So the Nord Stage 3 having "two-part multitimbrality" presumably means two different voices at once, right?

Presumably this has restrictive implications for its use as a sound design tool vs something g like the Kronos? (I realise they're totally different boards with different aims, but they're presently my top two I'm trying to choose between.)

Secondly, I notice you have the PC3. Hard to get in the UK. What's your thoughts on it as both a piano and a synth? The Sound on Sound review said it was great except its synth engine was quite dated, or something...

Thanks!

[Rasputin]

So the Nord Stage 3 having "two-part multitimbrality" presumably means two different voices at once, right?

I just thought I should point out not to confuse polyphonic with multi-timbral, as the terminology "voices" is fairly ambiguous.

Multitimbral is the ability to sound two or more different sounding patches/instruments at once. Polyphonic is the ability to play the same patch/instrument at two or more notes at the same time. That is to say, if you have a piano patch and you can play a bass chord and a lead line at the same time without any of the voices cutting out then you'd be dealing with polyphony (probably 6+ notes sounding simultaneously) whereas you could have two-part multitimbral and be playing that same piano lead with a tuba note down low. But that piano lead could perhaps be cutting itself off every single note, so it would be monophonic.

Pretty much anything multi-timbral would also be highly polyphonic, but hopefully you get the idea.