Interesting questions — and you’re right that a lot of JRPGs lean toward that slightly dated, characterful orchestral sound. The Hero Emblem OST definitely feels closer to mid-2000s sample libraries, and the Edirol Orchestra or older E-MU modules would get you surprisingly close.

I’m with you on this — multitimbrality is one of those terms that sounds far more complicated than it actually is. You’re absolutely right to ask. In plain terms, it just means the keyboard can play more than one sound engine at the same time, each on its own “part”. On the Nord Stage 3 that usually...