Nord User Forum

New Nord Lead 4 owner here. Using it in Ableton 9.6 on windows 10 x64. I am noticing that the controls will lock up when I am programming the synth. Pressing play and stop on Ableton will usually allow them to work again.

Secondly, using the nord as a master midi keyboard on other vst synths, the controls will not work at all. Keys work fine and play notes perfectly. I noticed this when I went to press the octave shift button to drop my sound down an octave.

Has anybody experienced this? Is it user error? I also have Cubase 8.5 and am going to try the Nord on there to see if it's just an Ableton issue.

Maybe you have created some kind of MIDI loop?

Usually having my NL4 Rack connected to Ableton Live 9.6 and recording controllers all the time, I'd assure you that the Lead 4s controllers -unlike my good old NL1s- generally do not cause any trouble when set up right. I agree with Mr_G that it's most likely looping back. Pretty easy to screw things up with the NL4 due to its global/individual MIDI channel settings and the somewhat incomprehensive way Live deals with MIDI input/output channels. Best thing is to turn the "remote" field of the NL4s output channel off when recording control changes from the instrument (i.e. when you're actually turning knobs on the synth and recording these movements to Abletons MIDI tracks).

agreed that midi locking up is almost certainly being caused by midi loop

octave shift on the NL4 is an internal thing which affects how the Nord's internal voices will respond to played keys, but not outgoing midi data transmission

check out the midi controller chart at the rear of the manual. You should be seeing cc data transmitted to ableton from Nord front panel knob movements on their corresponding cc # assignments.

bless, pablo