Nord User Forum

[yaron]

I've been looking into having a studio setup in which I would have a controller keyboard (Arturia KeyLab 88) under my desk, with just the actual keys sticking out, and then also have a pitch stick (not wheel) as a separate piece of hardware, on the actual desk. I've been a Nord user for many years, and so I would absolutely LOVE for this standalone pitch controller to be a Nord pitch stick. Has anyone had any experience with such a setup, or know whether it would be possible? Can they be bought separately, and is the wiring/programming etc. fairly straightforward?

If anyone has any other ideas, I'm open to alternatives to the actual Nord stick, so long as the setup is essentially similar -- a separate hardware horizontal-axis pitch stick or touch ribbon (but not pitch wheel) that can sit on my desk.

Many thanks!

[Bjosko]

Not exactly like a Nord Pitch stick, but this one are getting good reviews. The video starting out with playing on it, but later on it are also shown as pitchstick or modulation controller.

Watch on youtube.com

[skipgilles]

I was about to post the same question. Next to my lead A1 (or actually alternating with it), I also play a prophet rev2. This is also a very cool synth, but it has a "normal" pitch wheel. I really can't play with that.

The heavy spring-loadedness of the nord pitch stick, as well as the fact that it moves in the intuitive direction for a piano player (lower to the left, not down) makes it sooooo much more useful.

So, this is only a like for the question!

[yaron]

So I had actually heard about the Touché, and it looks incredible, but it's a bit of an overkill in terms of what I'm looking for.

Someone sent me this the other day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExGMMumWFdc
but I'm not sure how comfortable it would be on a desk (it was initially designed to be used with digital harmonicas)

[yaron]

interesting!
I might actually write to them and ask for one.

[maxpiano]

The Nord Pitch Stick is patented and in the patent document here you can see how it is built and how it should be used in a circuit, I guess you could buy one as a spare part (not cheap!) then you need to build the circuit with the electronics to read it and generate MIDI messages (as AdamStage2 also suggested) and of course a small case.

But maybe at the end of the day, for a studio setup which includes a computer, it is easier/cheaper to buy something like a Korg Nanopad and map its XY Touchpad to PB (or a small USB keyboard with ribbon PB/MW).

[shmuelyosef]

it is easier/cheaper to buy something like a Korg Nanopad and map its XY Touchpad to PB (or a small USB keyboard with ribbon PB/MW).

The Arturia Keystep has a nice touch strip as well and you can find these for $100 or less at <reverb.com>...the pitch bend returns to zero when you lift your finger so you can do fast trills by simply tapping it off center, and the mod wheel stays where you leave it (although, like the Touchpad there is no visual feedback on 'where' it currently is), and has both a positive and negative output (up/down)

[wartaler]

(...)then you need to build the circuit with the electronics to read it and generate MIDI messages

the Doepfer 'Wheel Electronic' may be able to do that, not sure if it will work with the Nord stick, but any regular wheel it sure will,