Nord User Forum

Hi ND people,

I have a question regarding the potential use of Nord Drum v.1 since I got a second hand one (I have to say I'm really happy with this little box !)

I've been able to trigger it from my computer via MIDI and also with hardware synths and stuffs thanks to the four trigger input but I am wondering if anyone has ever been able to trigger the ND via MIDI without a computer ?

I know it depends on your actual setup, this is why I'm not asking for solution here, but I'd like just know if anyone ever managed to do it.

Example : You have a drum machine with a sequencer from X Y Z brand, and your MIDI output is going in MIDI input of your ND.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the only way to trigger the ND from a MIDI signal is to send to it a choosen note ? Or is there another way ?

Considering that, do you guys have ever been able to program an external drummachine to send specific notes to your ND to be able to trigger it ?

Could have it something to do with Sysex files in the end ? (sorry I'm kind of a newbie regarding MIDI deep stuffs).

Thank you !

Cheers and merry christmas.

Hi, welcome to the forum!

Sure you can use a standalone/hardware sequencer, drumcomputer, as well as MIDI controllers (e.g. with 4 pads) to control your ND, as long as it has a an 'old fashioned' (DIN) MIDI output. Like in your software, you'd then have to match the MIDI channel, the channel set with 'MIDI CH' on the ND should correspond with the channel the sequencer/controller sends on.

To play the ND through MIDI, no SysEx is involved, just standard notes. A MIDI note is just some basic data; which note (Note number 60 ='central' C etc) how hard it is played. In software, or hardware sequencers you can program or record these notes in time, and they are outputted again whenever you want to and press play...

Each of the 4 channels (sounds) of the ND only 'listens' to 1 MIDI note number, these are set per channel in the MIDI NOTE menu of your ND. By default these are set as 60, 62, 64, 65 (correponding to 'central' C, D, E, F). In your sequencer, program your drum pattern, or song, using these 4 notes only..

I hope that answered your questions...

Cheers,
Albert

Hi Albert,

And thank you for your reply.
I do understand that if it's not via the trigger input, you have to send notes to the ND. The confusing part to me is (and I admit it may be not asked on this forum in that case but...) what if I cannot program the sent notes on a drumcomputer.

For example : If I use a Roland TR-909 and a ND... The 909 has a trigger output, and 2 MIDI output, but I see no way to control the sent notes via MIDI... (may be i'm missing something ? )

But if you cannot in fact program the sent notes on your 909 how can you manage to trigger the ND ?

Thank you !

Hi,

If you want to trigger your ND through MIDI, your device needs to send MIDI notes, as far as I can tell from the TR-909 manual, it doesn't send MIDI notes, - [Correction: it does from the external track]

You mentioned you are able to use some of your hardware to trigger the ND through the trigger inputs of the ND, does this include the 909? I once read -somewhere- that this is possible ..?

If you have a device that sends MIDI notes, but you can't adjust which MIDI notes are sent, or which MIDI channel is used, - you will have to adjust these on the ND for it to work.. [Edit: you can use the MIDI learn function for this as Beardy Jack mentions below]

As you said, it very much depends on the specific hardware you want to connect, just read everything you can find about MIDI in the manuals..

Cheers,
Albert

Hey!
You can use individual outputs from the 909 to trigger the ND1, but you will lose the 909 sounds...
Also, check the 909 manual because it can output notes to an external unit (external track) just use the midi learn function on the ND1 to set it up properly.
The external track feature is often overlooked on the 9 and although probably originally intended for sending maybe a baseline to a synth it could be used to trigger the ND, obviously it is monophonic so that is a limitation...

Not sure if I'm helping or not but good luck either way!

Thanks, Beardy for chiming in! That was the thing about the 909 (and in general routing audio out to trigger inputs) I was struggeling to find back on the net*,
- and indeed, I thought it had to be retrofitted with MIDI to be able to send notes, good to know!
interesting machine!

*EDIT sometimes you can't find things that are just in front of your nose, it was on the Nord website..
"The 6 generic inputs can be connected to almost anything you like, electronic drum pads, acoustic drum triggers, a contact microphone, the outputs of an old drum machine and much more."

Hi again,

And thank for taking the time to answers my questions !

The 909 was just an example, I actually do not own it but I chose it since it is a very well used machine in the kind of music I'm doing.

I'm pretty much sure it is possible to trigger the ND via the external output though.

I'm not sure I understand what you meant by mentionning the external track feature... I saw an external sync but to have the 909 as a slave, the only other way around seem to be the Trigger/Rimshot output to me ..

But anyway, in the end it is just about being able to send specific notes to the ND, which is makes me having more and more questions about MIDI possibilities but again it's on a specific setup, with different machines, and it shouldn't be ask there I guess

If someone is very aware about midi technologies and has some free time to loose I'd be glad to be able to ask my questions in private though

Cheers and thanks again for your time !

Perhaps have a look here: http://www.midi.org/aboutmidi/tutorials.php

This is great DB thanks !

I finally figured out that the easiest way to control my ND was to use triggers input, and a modular small sequencer... I was afraid that there won't be enough output on the module but there is some crazy little things out there ! Tiptop, ALM, Grayscale, Encoreelectronics...

Cheers

glad you got it sorted

I'm sorry I didn't ask more explicitly straight away, maybe you have a large collection of units and modules and hadn't decided yet how to integrate the ND,
but now that you have it working as you want, could you share your setup, be more specific about what module you're using and how you managed to trigger your ND with it,
and why you weren't able / didn't want to use MIDI? I'm guessing you're now using audio from a sequencer/module to trigger the ND via the trigger inputs?

I'm interested, and it may perhaps help other people looking for similar solutions & set ups..

Cheers,
Albert