NE5 Split Demos

[vcfvca]

UPDATE!!! New demo.

Here's an extended demo of using the splits with a Korg SV1 as the second keyboard. Also includes a look at the MIDI menu and some other stuff. The first minute is just video of the back of the Nord and SV1 then it gets more interesting so keep watching - cheers.

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Here is the first of the Split demos for NE5. This is a short demo of Organ split mode. Notice you can always see the upper/lower registration on the display so you always know the drawbar settings - on the NE4D I was never sure what drawbar reg I had stored in a preset. You also get visual feedback of every parameter you change and you see your drawbar settings in traditional registrations as well e.g. 888800088.

In this demo the external keyboard is controlling the Upper Manual by default which isn't great for the organ split. But most people with the waterfall NE5 will be using the split to play piano from a weighted keyboard and organ on the NE5. If you have the NE5 HP73 then you would be playing the organ with your second keyboard which probably won't be weighted. Note: when you are just using one organ engine this is the same as the upper on an NE4 with 2 presets and percussion (like a Hammond).

I'll post more demos in this thread. Sorry for the loud clicks etc. I'm using an iPad so I don't have any control over what the camera picks up. I will have to change this when I want to show the NE5 controlling iPad synths. The NE5 now sends MIDI over USB and MIDI at the same time which is a big plus if like me you use it as a controller keyboard with something like iMidiPatchbay.


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[sh4wn]

Great video, thank you for doing these while I'm waiting for my NE5 61

I don't get why Nord decided to have the external keyboard control the upper part (and manual). Why not go for controlling the lower part? Or even give us the choice, I won't be using my 61 below another keyboard...

[Valpurgis]

As discussed in another thread (Nord Electro 5) I also think that many will use a NE5 61 on top of a hammer action controller for the pianos. In that case it would be nice if the external controller could control the lower manual organ while the upper manual (with percussion and V/C) could be played by the NE5. Ideally the external controller shold be able to play piano or sample synth at the same time as lower manual organ. Seems this is not the plan from the Nord people, probably could weaken the market for the Nord Stage 2. Hoped to sell the HS SK1 and buy a NE5 instead, but as the split funictionality seems to be implemented the NE5 will not be able to substitute the SK1.

[maxpiano]

Maybe a too simple question: in the NE5 can you assign the percussion (the only actual difference between the 2 Organ manuals) to the Lower?

In the NS2 you can, assigning the percussion either on Slot A or B (Organ's Lower and Upper, respectively or...viceversa) so I wonder if also on NE5 you could, has any possessor tried? (@vcfvca?)

Edit: it was too simple... I just double checked on mine and on NS2 you can only do that if you don't use the DualKeyb but rely on Slot A/B and pilot them via dedicated MIDI channels, so I guess this is only possible on the NS2
For NE5 users Nord should address this at OS level, definitely, giving the user the choice to use the External on either Lower or Upper part.

[vcfvca]

Great video, thank you for doing these while I'm waiting for my NE5 61

I don't get why Nord decided to have the external keyboard control the upper part (and manual). Why not go for controlling the lower part? Or even give us the choice, I won't be using my 61 below another keyboard...

No you will not need to place your E5 below another keyboard - have a look at the photos. This shows my NE5 above my Korg SV-1.

Typical setup

IMG_0204.jpg (1017.49 KiB) Viewed 3686 times

NE5 - lower part = Organ
SV-1 - upper part = Piano

Nord Panel

IMG_0205.jpg (1 MiB) Viewed 3686 times

But it would great to set the lower manual in the same way.

MIDI Upper Receive

IMG_0206.jpg (972 KiB) Viewed 3686 times

I think Nord could add this function easily with a firmware update. The KB Split menu would look like this when you turned the Dial to the left:

MIDI Lower Receive
Turn dial to set


The more you think about it the more obvious it seems. Think I'll contact Nord
Cheers

[vcfvca]

Maybe a too simple question: in the NE5 can you assign the percussion (the only actual difference between the 2 Organ manuals) to the Lower?

In the NS2 you can, assigning the percussion either on Slot A or B (Organ's Lower and Upper, respectively or...viceversa) so I wonder if also on NE5 you could, has any possessor tried? (@vcfvca?)

Edit: it was too simple... I just double checked on mine and on NS2 you can only do that if you don't use the DualKeyb but rely on Slot A/B and pilot them via dedicated MIDI channels, so I guess this is only possible on the NS2
For NE5 users Nord should address this at OS level, definitely, giving the user the choice to use the External on either Lower or Upper part.

Have a look at this table. When in organ split mode percussion is upper only like NE4 and original B3.

Organ Splits

Screen Shot 2015-05-05 at 13.05.47.png (85.14 KiB) Viewed 3657 times

Cheers

[Graspieper]

What happens if you set 'Channel Lower RCV' to the midi channel of your external controller,
while leaving the 'KB split' setting to 'off' (see manual page 15)?

Are you then able to control the lower program/sound with the external controller,
and the upper program/sound with the Electro itself?
Or will you always hav layering or splitting on the Electro?

[sh4wn]

No you will not need to place your E5 below another keyboard - have a look at the photos. This shows my NE5 above my Korg SV-1.

The reason I said this is because it's kind of strange to control the upper manual (organ-organ mode) with the lower keyboard, especially as there is no percussion for the lower manual, in which case it wouldn't matter.

[vcfvca]

No you will not need to place your E5 below another keyboard - have a look at the photos. This shows my NE5 above my Korg SV-1.

The reason I said this is because it's kind of strange to control the upper manual (organ-organ mode) with the lower keyboard, especially as there is no percussion for the lower manual, in which case it wouldn't matter.

Yes I agree it is illogical but there is a work around:

Set the lower receive channel to match your external keyboard -
Set the Split point to the lowest point C3
You can then play the Upper Manual on the Nord from C3 to E7 more than 4 octaves
You can play the Lower Manual on the external keyboard and from F1 to B2 on the Nord

But it would be easier if Nord just added MIDI Lower Receive to the Split menu - I think it would be simple for their programmers to implement.

Cheers

[Valpurgis]

Honestly I find this type of dual manual organ implementation clumsy. Already from the Nord Electro 2 it was possible to play upper manual organ from an Electro on top of an external controller which played the lower manual. Currently this is not possible to full extent, neither will a dual manual organ player benefit from the bitimbrality of the NE5. The NE5 seem to handle two manuals of organ as two timbres.