Nord User Forum

[iolli]

Hi, I just bought a Nord Electro 5D and I am kind of disappointed. I feel that my NordStage from 7 years ago could do 10 times more things.
In the Midi Settings there is no Channel Lower Split option!! How is that possible? Is the only module people are playing for upper parts? No bass synth?

[maurus]

Of course the Stage can do a lot more things. But what exactly is it that you want to do, and you think you can't? I can't quite figure out your message.

There is indeed one thing you can't do, and that is to control Part Lower with an external keyboard while the Electro's keyboard controls Part Upper. In such a split the external keyboard always controls Part Upper. But that is not a limitation at all: Just interchange the roles of the two parts and there you are.

[iolli]

Yes, I'd like to control an external Bass module with the lower part of the Electro and play the Electro sounds on the upper part (with the Electro)...

[maurus]

I have not tried this MIDI setup yet but here is how I think it can be done (others, please correct me if I'm wrong):

Set KB Split = On, and choose the split point as desired. Then the lower part will transmit on the MIDI channel that is chosen for "Channel Global" in the Electro 5. Select that same MIDI channel for your bass module. The upper part will transmit on the channel that is chosen for "Channel Upper Split" and should be set differently so the bass module doesn't react to any MIDI data transmitted in this channel. Local Control on the NE5 should be on. Then simply turn off Part Lower on the Electro with the corresponding button and select the sound for Part Upper that you want. (Alternatively, use a program which is empty in Part Lower.)

[groovyponens]

Hello,

I'm trying to get the same configuration: use the lower part of the keyboard of my Nord Electro 5 to play an external Moog Slim Phatty.

The solution propossed by maurus is right, but the problem is that Sustain / Expression pedals are also transmitted to "Global Channel", and I cannot avoid to send sustain pedals messages to my moog (what it's unusable) although they are desactivated for the lower part.

It would be great a solution for this configuration.
I'm thinking in 1) If the sustain / expression pedals are desactivated on the lower part, it doesn't send them to global channel...
or 2) enable a new option in the MIDI settings that also allow to set a different channel for the lower part (in the same way it provides for the upper part).

Best,

[anotherscott]

The solution propossed by maurus is right, but the problem is that Sustain / Expression pedals are also transmitted to "Global Channel", and I cannot avoid to send sustain pedals messages to my moog (what it's unusable) although they are desactivated for the lower part.

I believe you can solve this by inserting a MIDI Solutions Event Processor between the Nord's MIDI Out and the Moog's MIDI In, and setting it to filter out sustain pedal messages (MIDI CC #64). It's unfortunate that you have to buy a $129 device to do this, but at least it's a fix that should make your system do what you want.

Alternatively, if you have an iPad/iPhone, you should be able to go Nord MIDI Out into the i-device, then out of the i-device into your Moog, using an app that lets you do that same kind of filtering. I'd look at Midiflow for this. The same developer also does iMidiPatchbay which has a more Nord-like interface, but it's more expensive and does a bunch of other things you don't need, and I'm not sure it's being actively developed anymore. (I saw someone post that, unless it's updated, it might not work on future versions of iOS.) Anyway, if you already own an i-device, this would be cheaper than the $129 box.

[anotherscott]

HThe solution propossed by maurus is right, but the problem is that Sustain / Expression pedals are also transmitted to "Global Channel", and I cannot avoid to send sustain pedals messages to my moog (what it's unusable)

As it happens, I just checked and it looks like the Slim Phatty doesn't recognize CC64 (sustain pedal) anyway, so it should work the way you need it to, no need to filter anything out. Have you tried it?