General Discussion of the Nord Stage (EX), Nord Stage 2 (EX), Nord Stage 3, and Nord Stage 4 Synths, FAQ, Troubleshooting etc.

Mainstage and Nord Stage 2

Postby bpmmaestro » 20 Feb 2017, 06:33

I have been looking all over the internet and I can't seem to find the right answer for my problem...

I am playing keyboard for a musical and i am running Mainstage. I am using Mainstage for most of the orchestral instruments and my nord for all the pianos and organs. I am fine with sorting out all of the sounds and such, my problem is with the program changes.

As I go to the next patch in Mainstage I would like my keyboard program to change as well. That way I can pre-program all of my nord patches but I wont have to search for them on the fly.

I have figured out a way to use my LPD8 to change the patches in mainstage but I cant figure out how to map it to the Program knob on the nord. Is there any way around this?

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Re: Mainstage and Nord Stage 2

Postby bpmmaestro » 20 Feb 2017, 07:59

as a bit of a follow up, I was looking at the Tech 21 Midi Mouse for patch changes on the nord. I have my Nord connected to mainstage via USB but if I had a footpedal to make patch changes I wonder if I could send that information to Mainstage as well to change the mainstage patch.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Re: Mainstage and Nord Stage 2

Postby maxpiano » 20 Feb 2017, 10:10

You need to use an External Instrument (type) Channel Strip in Mainstage to send Program Changes to the NS2 (check Mainstage Manual for details about External Instruments channel strip and its parameters)
Last edited by maxpiano on 20 Feb 2017, 10:15, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Mainstage and Nord Stage 2

Postby christianjwagner » 20 Feb 2017, 10:43

Yes, it's quite easy. To be precise: in whichever Patch you are, select an "External Instrument" as Channel Strip, which will be added to your mixer. Select your NS2 as your input (and/or output). Then wenn you click it, you should see in the "Mapping" area on the bottom of the screen, where you usually set mappings, layers etc ... a Section regarding external midi. You click it and you'll see checkboxes, where one of it will say "send Program Change" - you check it and select your program, the same you do with the bank numbers. You have to experiment a little - i guess for Bank A you have to select 0-0, for Bank B 0-1 and so forth.
Once you are in performance or again edit mode and switch between patches, your Nord Stage changes automatically.
This is enabled by default. If not, you might need to check your Nord Stage 2 Midi settings - if you changed things there, this might be a different story.

I have my Nord Stage 2 since last week - and this nice&easy combination with MainStage gives you the whole package that makes me throw all my other equipment out on eBay...

PS: So this means that what you were trying (Pads to trigger NS2 programs) etc sounds way more complicated than what you need in reality. The easy workflow ist (1) Whichever Control you assign to switch patches in Maintage (=easily done with anything) ==> (2) Mainstage switches Patches ==> (3) when described as above, your NS2 changes Programs. No need to try the direct link "Controller Pad --> NS2".
Last edited by christianjwagner on 20 Feb 2017, 10:56, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Mainstage and Nord Stage 2

Postby maxpiano » 20 Feb 2017, 12:40

christianjwagner wrote:Yes, it's quite easy. To be precise: in whichever Patch you are, select an "External Instrument" as Channel Strip, which will be added to your mixer. Select your NS2 as your input (and/or output).


If you want Mainstage to only send Program changes and/or unless you have set the NS2 to Local Off, you should select NS2 only as Output (Input)

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Re: Mainstage and Nord Stage 2

Postby christianjwagner » 22 Feb 2017, 22:29

As this topic is solved, I have another issue myself with MainStage: I'd like to use one of the knobs to control my other instruments generated by the computer. Key triggering works fine. However I'd like to control stuff (e.g. volume of the computer parts, cutoff whatever) from my NS2 without needing an additional MIDI controller.
Oddly, every 360° knob works except the External Level Send knob. That's funny. When I try to assign a screen controller to my NS2, I can turn whichever knob without any problems - it's recognised and assigned. My issue is that all of these knobs I use for controlling my NS2 stuff and so I don't like to fix them to a screen controller. The ONLY knob that I don't use at all is this External Section knob that I wouldn't use for anything.
Isn't it weird that the "external" knob is the only one that cannot control the "external" section? I also checked the user manual, there is no CC assigned to the knob.
Or do I have a logical error in my head and there is a workaround?

PS: I now partly take back my question, it seems to have been already addressed in this thread:
https://www.norduserforum.com/nord-stage-forum-f3/nord-with-mainstage-help-t12422.html
Lets see if it works...
Last edited by christianjwagner on 22 Feb 2017, 22:41, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Mainstage and Nord Stage 2

Postby tiagbbt » 06 Sep 2017, 14:39

You can also reverse your logic by using the Nord to Map to a MainStage Patch by using the Program Change Control
Extern Settings for the Bank that is using Extern
MIDI=Global
Extern MIDI A Channel=USB 6 (or whatever channel you are sending to MainStage from your Nord)
Extern MIDI A Volume: to what ever value you want stored
Extern MIDI A Prog Change = must match MainStage Program Change Number
BankSel cc00=Off
BankSel cc32=Off
CC Number=0
CC Value=0
Send on Load=On

If you do this right, when you turn the dial to whatever program in the Nord you want to use, it sill send the Program Change Number to MainStage and change to that patch.

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Re: Mainstage and Nord Stage 2

Postby fuztec25 » 10 Nov 2020, 21:08

Thanks for your suggestion Tiagbbt... It was detailed and helpful to me as well :)
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