Nord User Forum

[BruceV]

Like probably most live performance keys players, I use patch management software to enable me to change sounds on the fly during performances. I also use, in addition to Stage-2, a Yamaha Motif Rack synthesiser, which has an enormous range of sounds. For years the YMR has been the mainstay of my setup, because the keyboard involved was fairly limited.

With the arrival of the Stage 2 the first thing I tried to do was to use the External functionality on the Stage to connect to the YMR. This seemed by far the most logical thing to do because it would enable all my patches to be handled in the same form, ie. the 4x20x5 program arrangement of the Stage. I write my own management software, so I can make it do whatever I want, and assumed that there would be no problems. However, the further I got into things, the more I realised that the External functionality provided on the Stage is constrained in what it can do. Here are a couple of examples, of many that have come to light…..

Once an external patch is selected generally I need to also issue a song-specific volume command, for example the same piano may need to be soft in one song and loud in another. It makes no sense to have multiple piano programs, with only the preset volume differing, for a number of reasons. Unfortunately, even with an external patch active, volume change messages can’t be passed from MIDI in to the external channel, only NU/ND. So with this approach, the only option seems to be to use the volume knob on the Nord to pass the control change message through to External.

I also send sysex messages to the YMR form time to time, for example if I want to switch to performance mode (for split keyboards and overlays). Once again, the external channel doesn’t support sysex. One more problem is that sometimes the sysex needs to be passed ahead of the bank/program change messages, which means that if I’m switching from a non-external patch, the external channel has to be active to these before the external patch is enabled.

All this hasn’t stalled me, I’m simply changing my approach. Using a multi-midi port adaptor, I’m looping the Nord global MIDI stream back through the management computer, processing it where necessary – such as adding control strings – and sending out to the YMR. That will do what I want, but it would be *so* much neater if the external channel had the functionality to accomplish the same thing somehow.

I really love the Stage 2, and remain overjoyed that I chose it – and I highly recommend it to anyone that is contemplating a new keyboard. But the designers at Nord could maybe think about improving the accessibility to the external channel down the track in my view.

[Gorantovic]

Hi Bruce,

Take a look at this thread also, considering external section and sound module:

nord-stage-forum-f3/external-midi-thread-t2130.html