Everything about the Nord Electro 2, Electro 3, Electro 4, Electro 5, and Nord Electro 6.

How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby clinkmd » 30 Sep 2017, 23:51

I only have a rudimentary understanding of how MIDI works (just slightly more sophisticated than "Um... magic?") but am wondering if a Yamaha P105 can be easily used to play acoustic piano sounds from the NE5.

Please tell me what I need to connect the keyboards and a step by step instructions on how to do it.

Thanks in advance.
clinkmd
 
Posts: 25
Joined: 23 Apr 2017, 19:22
Country: United States of America
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Electro 5

How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?


Sponsor
 

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby anotherscott » 01 Oct 2017, 16:08

clinkmd wrote:I only have a rudimentary understanding of how MIDI works (just slightly more sophisticated than "Um... magic?") but am wondering if a Yamaha P105 can be easily used to play acoustic piano sounds from the NE5.

Please tell me what I need to connect the keyboards and a step by step instructions on how to do it.

It cannot be done easily, because the P105 does not have a 5-pin MIDI jack. Do you already own the P105, or is it something you're thinking about buying? If you don't already have it, choose something else. If you want something similar to the P105, look for a P35, P95, or P85, they'll all work fine. If you're looking at new models, and want something of the same type (i.e. something lightweight with speakers and relatively inexpensive), Yamaha doesn't make one with the proper MIDI connections anymore, but you could get a Kawai ES100/110 or a Casio PX350/360/560 or a Kurzweil KA-90 or Alesis Coda Pro. If you forego lightweight and/or built-in speakers and/or low price, there are plenty of other options.

If you are tied into using the P105, it's more complicated, but it can still be done. You could do it by attaching both keyboards to a computer (or possibly to an i-device like an iPad), or you may be able to do it with this device: http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/ ... host.shtml
anotherscott
 
Posts: 3443
Joined: 07 Jan 2011, 04:50
Has thanked: 38 times
Been thanked: 1079 times

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby clinkmd » 03 Oct 2017, 18:47

I picked up the 105 cheap a few years ago. I just wanted to try it if was simple to do.

Thanks.
clinkmd
 
Posts: 25
Joined: 23 Apr 2017, 19:22
Country: United States of America
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Electro 5

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby Murphy » 12 Oct 2017, 20:01

I use a no-longer-available iConnectivity ICM0101 Midi "bridge" that has worked very well for me when I need to convert a USB type B midi keyboard to a traditional 5-pin Midi input (or output). I've used this unit with Roland and Casio and it's worked well. The nice thing about this unit is that it supplies power to the USB A side of the box. There are a lot of 5-pin to USB hubs or bridges (other terms too) out there, but finding one that exactly fits your needs will take a little research. This particular unit requires AC, which I like because it can supply power to the USB A side of the ICM01010. I've never connected to a Yamaha USB B Midi port, but I would guess this would work fine.
Murphy
 
Posts: 85
Joined: 07 Feb 2017, 23:52
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Country: United States of America
Has thanked: 40 times
Been thanked: 19 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Stage 3
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Electro 5

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby shmuelyosef » 22 Oct 2017, 03:06

The most foolproof solution is to route the MIDI through a computer.
If you have a computer, you will need to acquire:
one additional piece of hardware
- you need a MIDI hub that runs off your computer USB port. I use the MidiMan solutions (the cheapest vary between $30-40 new from Amazon) but you can buy questionable ones at Walmart for >$10 (YMMV).
- software for MIDI Patchbay...I don't have personal experience since the MIDI-OX solution that hasn't been updated since 2011. I use a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) called Cakewalk SONAR, but it is far from free (I use it for recording as well). There is freeware that I don't have personal experience with but is highly regarded (http://en.soundigy.com/midipatchbay.php).
There is also a freeware DAW called Audacity that I have a bit of past experience with, but I don't think they have added MIDI support yet...you might take a look.

Only downside to this solution is that your computer needs to be booted up to play.
User avatar
shmuelyosef
 
Posts: 29
Joined: 22 Oct 2017, 01:48
Country: United States of America
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 4 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Electro 3
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Electro 6

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby nordmusicmaker » 21 Dec 2017, 00:05

Hi clinkmd

Not sure if your question was resolved but indeed the solution proposed by anotherscott works!

I am hooking up a yamaha p105 to a nord electro 3 via the kenton midi usb host and it works perfectly fine.
Look further for the compatibility http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/ ... host.shtml

Tweeking a bit with the velocity settings on the p105 gives a pretty good feel on the acoustics within the NE3 (which I don't really prefer but that's personal ;) , but certainly the touch is perfect for the e piano's!
So it provides a light weight (and reasonably affordable) gig travel combination combining the good sound of the yamaha grand with the NE3 e piano's

I am also combining this with a foot pedal switch (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... footswitch) which allows me to shuttle quickly between the output from yamaha and the nord sounds (as well as layering), that is sending the output via jack to the sound engineers mixer/front of house, without fiddling around with the complicated yamaha p105 midisettings to shut down the internal yamaha sounds and activating the NE3 sounds only and vice versa

good luck
cheers

The author nordmusicmaker was thanked by:
clinkmd
nordmusicmaker
 
Posts: 2
Joined: 20 Dec 2017, 23:47
Country: Belgium
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby clinkmd » 21 Dec 2017, 19:44

nordmusicmaker wrote:Hi clinkmd

Not sure if your question was resolved but indeed the solution proposed by anotherscott works!

I am hooking up a yamaha p105 to a nord electro 3 via the kenton midi usb host and it works perfectly fine.
Look further for the compatibility http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/ ... host.shtml

Tweeking a bit with the velocity settings on the p105 gives a pretty good feel on the acoustics within the NE3 (which I don't really prefer but that's personal ;) , but certainly the touch is perfect for the e piano's!
So it provides a light weight (and reasonably affordable) gig travel combination combining the good sound of the yamaha grand with the NE3 e piano's

I am also combining this with a foot pedal switch (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... footswitch) which allows me to shuttle quickly between the output from yamaha and the nord sounds (as well as layering), that is sending the output via jack to the sound engineers mixer/front of house, without fiddling around with the complicated yamaha p105 midisettings to shut down the internal yamaha sounds and activating the NE3 sounds only and vice versa

good luck
cheers


Thanks. That looks like it could work. I’m not unhappy with the Yamaha piano but was mostly curious. And I’m not sure that I’m $139 curious!
clinkmd
 
Posts: 25
Joined: 23 Apr 2017, 19:22
Country: United States of America
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Electro 5

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby clinkmd » 21 Dec 2017, 19:54

This is going to sound dumb, but if the NE is connected to the Yamaha how does it “know” to use the NE sounds rather than the internal Yamaha sounds? (I already said I really don’t understand this MIDI stuff!)

And would I also be able to play the NE at the same time? There’s no real point in rendering the organ and other sounds unusable just to play APs on a weighted keyboard.

Thanks.
clinkmd
 
Posts: 25
Joined: 23 Apr 2017, 19:22
Country: United States of America
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Electro 5

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby maxpiano » 22 Dec 2017, 09:21

clinkmd wrote:This is going to sound dumb, but if the NE is connected to the Yamaha how does it “know” to use the NE sounds rather than the internal Yamaha sounds? (I already said I really don’t understand this MIDI stuff!)

And would I also be able to play the NE at the same time? There’s no real point in rendering the organ and other sounds unusable just to play APs on a weighted keyboard.

Thanks.


The P105 will not "know" that, you will have to turn its sounds off (set its volume to 0 manually EDIT: or set it to Local OFF, as properly indicated in the next post)

NE5 is bitimbral so if you follow the instructions (on the manual and/or other posts in this forum) to set it up in MIDI Upper mode you will be able to play one sound from the Yamaha and another from the NE5 itself. The possible combinations are the same of the split (see manual)
Last edited by maxpiano on 22 Dec 2017, 17:10, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
maxpiano
Patch Creator
 
Posts: 6188
Joined: 27 Jun 2011, 13:29
Location: Italy
Country: Italy
Has thanked: 441 times
Been thanked: 2178 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Stage 3

Re: How to play NE5 piano sounds on weighted controller?

Postby nordmusicmaker » 22 Dec 2017, 11:46

Also there is an easy p105 midi guide available:
https://jp.yamaha.com/files/download/ot ... _mr_a0.pdf
with indications how to turn of the internal sound engine from the p105
look for local control on/off to shut down the internal p105 voices. Hooking up to the NE5 (via the USB midi USB host e.g Kenton) and leaving the local control on on will allow you to play both sounds together (layering).
And as Maxpiano indicated splitting is also possible (I am not familiar with this)
nordmusicmaker
 
Posts: 2
Joined: 20 Dec 2017, 23:47
Country: Belgium
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Next

Return to Nord Electro Forum



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests