Nord User Forum

[Mooser]

Thanks for the information, Pablo. Thanks for the reminder about summing the channels and Leslie sim. As a matter of fact, I was doing that with an early Hammond-Suzuki (SM2000) I use at practice (it was $20) because it seemed to cut down on noise and hum. No wonder the Leslie sim sounds so wierd! I mean, it was an early version, but still...
I use the high-level 1/4 to feed my Leslie 145, which is equipped with a 1/4 jack and powered by its own cord.
The regular output of the C2 is hot enough, I would think, and better still, dead silent.

Pablo, could I ask one more question? Well, I'm gonna. Is the "master level" control on the C2 a digital or analog control? On a digital control (I hope I got this right) below a certain point (usually about %40-50) the number of digital bits skipped (to lower volume) starts to affect the analog output sound, making it thinner. Therefore, it's best to set the amplifier gain controls so the "master level" control on the organ can be open at least to 50% for normal volume range.

Also, does the volume controller circuit on the Nord organ (worked by the swell pedal) control both volume and tone in emulation of the Hammond variable-capacitor swell pedal? If so, this will effect how one sets both the master level and the volume pedal.

Any light you could shed on these aspects would help me in getting the best out of my C2.

[flmc59]

The swell pedal cuts harder in the mids than the highs and lows.
So if you turn up the master and backs of on the swell you get more highs and lows.

[pablomastodon]

The High Level output is intended to feed a popular brand of rotary speaker. The Motionsound, having been designed to replicate this function may be equivalent -- I don't know the detail of the MotionSound unit. "Normal" amps are not designed for that high level input however. I know of at least one instance where someone with a Roland KB amp (the 60?) experienced serious distortion problems from having used the high level output. When repatched to the regular outs, the amp's bad behavior persisted. Because the instrument performed flawlessly via headphones, it was assumed in that case that the amp had sustained damage from the high level output. The whole thing could have been a coincidence arising from a lemon amp, but...

[Mooser]

As far as I know, (and I've got the instructions right here in front of me) the Motion Sound Pro3x has a "Input design range" of "1 volt to 4 volts P-P (5 volts maximum) However, the "Input Impedance" is "100k ohms". To me, this looks like a line level device, but it can stand quite a hot input signal. I don't think it's designed to be driven by a low-impedance speaker source, but it may be possible.

If am using my Pro-3x with my A-100, I take a balanced line from the pre-amp (BOTH "G"s and ground) and send it through a DI box (a "REAMP" in this case) which converts it to an unbalanced signal. I have never had any luck using "One G and ground" but that's supposed to work. For my C-2 I use the regular Left or Right output, and I think, whatever the final volume, the organ sounds best if the master level control is set at least %50. And there is no background noise, nada! at any volume setting from the Nord. Dead silent! Never heard anything like it, actually. Wish I could say the same for the Pro-3X, but who would I say it to? They's gone.

[pablomastodon]

Hi Mooser,

Sometimes us tech-heads can get a little lost/wrapped up in tech specs and manuals and lost sight of what it's all about...and no, the Hokey Pokey is NOT what it's all about.

You did mention it in your post though: your ears. The high level input is designed precisely for such units as your 145, yet your ears tell you (if I read you correctly) that you prefer the sound of the C2's "regular" output going to your 145. I don't think you're wrong to trust your ears in almost all cases.

Yes, the swell pedal circuit operates as a swell pedal and not a simple volume pedal, just as it does on that original tonewheel organ which it is modeling. Surely you would expect no less from Nord and your C2.

The Master Level control is an analog one. The "dead give-away" is that fact that there is no midi cc # associated with it. If it were dig, there almost certainly would be.

[Mooser]

Thanks for all your responses Pablo. I guess I wasn't clear: I use one of the the regular outputs for my Motion Sound and the hi-energy 1/4 out-put feeds the Leslie, and is very convenient for that. I've never tried using the hi-energy plug to feed a line level device like the Motion Sound, but if those specs are right, it could take it. The regular output is more than adequate to provoke overdrive in the Pro-3x.

However, the regular output of the Nord won't drive the amp in my Leslie very hard at all. Nor did I expect it to, that's what the high-output is for. One thing that never fails to impress is how dead-silent the background noise level is. There simply isn't any, at any volume, which makes the entire output volume range usable.

[hpage3]

Pablo,you seem quite knowledgeable I was trying out the pip organ mode of my c2d and ended up plugging in the left and right outputs into separate powered speakers,but the upper manual really required concentration to hear it above the lore manual with more than one lower drawbar pulled out. Do you know of any way to make it louder? It was worse when I plugged it into a motion sound pro 145. Thanks Howard

[hpage3]

I've also used it to feed my Pro-145 with no problems.

[flmc59]

Hi Howard.
The upper manual in pipe mode is a softer set of pipes. This is quite common for the type organ that was used.
The swell pesal only affects the upper manual (Swell) and controls a set of horisontal wooden "Blinders" that open or shut when the swell pedal is pressed. This is volume is controlled for the swell on a pipe.
As you add voices in the lower manual you need to press the swell pedal to max in order for the softer pipes to have any chance at all.
If you pull all the great they will dominate compared to all swells

[hardbop200]

I know I'm digging up an old thread, but I hope this information is useful to someone:

As others have already said, when the Leslie sim is engaged you no longer have the same information on both channels. When I went from playing stereo to mono recently due to space considerations, I found that going out of only one channel didn't work - when the "Leslie" would spin away from whatever side I was using, I would lose the sound. (Obviously I mean the Leslie sim, and spinning away from the virtual mics. Anywho...) I needed a way to properly sum these two channels so I could get 100% of the sound information, even if it was compromised by not being run in stereo.

I own a Mackie 1202-VLZ mixer, so I sent an email to Mackie to see what they would do; they told me to run the Nord's R and L outputs into channels 1 and 2 (NOT the stereo channels, but I'm not sure why) and turn the pan controls straight up on each channel. I think of it this way: The mixer is treating each output of the Nord as a separate instrument, much like if I had run a guitar and a bass on those channels.

At this point, you just take your pick as to which mixer output you wish to use - both R and L are exactly the same. I've found this is really awesome, as I can run a line elsewhere that is an exact copy of what I'm listening to should the need arise. And for the mad scientists out there, one could have some fun with Aux effects, although that all should happen prior to the Leslie effect...but I digress.

Summary:

• Run Nord R output into mixer channel 1
• Run Nord L output into mixer channel 2
• Set mixer channel 1 and 2 pans straight up 12 o'clock
• Now mixer R and L outputs have a mirrored copy of your audio; pick one and use it.
• Play Giant Steps, amaze your friends.

Disclaimer: This may be common knowledge to others, so my apologies if I'm spouting stuff that everyone else knows. I sure didn't!

Thanks,

Josh