Noire Color Range - what are the original samples?

diekunstderfuge

Trying to figure out how to phrase this - when they originally sampled the Frahm's CFX for the Noire library, where did those unaltered samples end up in the "color" knob? Are they all in the 0% setting and then all other color knob settings are digital manipulations? Or are the original samples dispersed throughout the entire color knob? And if it's the latter, shouldn't there be an option to determine how much of that range is used while using the VST?

Sunborn

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/50162/noire-color-range-what-are-the-original-samples

When you’re dealing with a library as meticulously recorded as Noire, the "Color" knob feels like magic. But as you suspected, it’s actually a mix of high-end sampling and clever scripting.

Here is how Nils Frahm’s CFX was captured and how those samples are mapped to that knob.

The short answer is: The original, unaltered samples live at the 50% (Center) position.

In the world of Kontakt scripting, the "Color" knob in Noire doesn't just apply a digital EQ filter; it actually shifts which sample sets are being triggered.

• 0% to 49% (Mellow/Dark): Moving toward the left typically introduces samples recorded with different microphone placements or specific physical dampening. As you go further toward 0, digital low-pass filtering and "spectral softening" are blended in to push the sound into that felt-like, sub-basement territory.
• 50% (Default/Pure): This is the "Pure" state. This represents the natural, unaltered recordings of the CFX in Saal 3 at Funkhaus Berlin. No extra EQ or spectral shifting is applied here.
• 51% to 100% (Bright/Hard): Moving to the right utilizes "sample offset" and spectral enhancements. It makes the attack more "pingy" and brittle. While some of this is achieved by using the higher-velocity samples at lower volumes, a good portion of the 70%–100% range is digital manipulation to give it that crystalline pop sheen.

Are the samples "dispersed"?

Yes, but not in a random way. The library uses multi-sampling across the dynamic range. The Color knob acts as a "Macro" that tilts the entire instrument's profile. Instead of thinking of the Color knob as a selection of different recordings, think of it as a Global Character Offset.

Is there an option to limit the range?

Native Instruments didn't provide a "Range Limiter" for the Color knob itself, but you can achieve the same result (and more control) using these two areas of the interface:

1. The Dynamic Range Slider: Under the "Piano" tab, you can adjust the Dynamic setting. If you feel the "Color" is getting too aggressive because it's pulling in hard-strike samples, lowering the Dynamic percentage will narrow the velocity response, keeping the tone more consistent.
2. The Anatomy Tab: This is where the real "unfiltered" control lives. You can adjust the Sub (low end), Body, and Air independently. If you want the pure samples but just a little more brightness without using the digital "Color" algorithm, you are better off boosting the Air dial in the Anatomy section.

Bottom line is that, If you want the most authentic "Nils Frahm" experience, set the Color to 50%, turn off all Reverb/Delay, and head to the Anatomy page to dial in the Mechanical Noises (pedal, keys, and dampers). That is where the "unaltered" soul of that piano truly lives. 😉