Nord User Forum

[mazs123]

Hi everyone,
I’m very close to purchasing a Nord Electro 6D 73 but I first want to know whether Mainstage is compatible with the electro. I’ve used Mainstage with my Yamaha (with a recent Mac) but I’m really keen to jump ship to the Nord. Does anyone on here successfully run mainstage on their electro?
Are there any complications?
I’d really appreciate any feedback/advice!
Thanks

[anotherscott]

There is no Mainstage-specific functionality in an Electro, but you can certainly connect the Electro to a Mac and use it to play the Mainstage sounds, or have Mainstage projects include Electro sounds. http://mainstage.skydocu.com/en/work-in ... mainstage/

Which Yamaha do you have? Some Yamahas support external MIDI zones which allow direct selection/splitting/layering of Mainstage sounds from within the board's own patch changes, and some Yamahas have built-in audio interfaces and will bring the audio in from Mainstage over USB, the Electro cannot do these things.

[FZiegler]

There are some problems with your question.
- compatible in what way? Of course, an Electro can send and receive MIDI. But it's not a dedicated MIDI controller - it's a performance keyboard for Organ/EP/AP
- "I’ve used Mainstage on my Yamaha with a recent Mac" - this is not a very precise description of your scenario you want to use the Electro for: What do you want to do with it? Or what have you done with your Yamaha (which?) so far?
- I find it a pretty unusual description to "run Mainstage on an Electro"; it will always run on a computer and be linked to an instrument in my eyes: Who do you want to answer your question? Somebody who already used Mainstage along with an Electro?

What I first think is: Why would one want to buy an instrument with an awsome sound zoo if he wants the sounds come from a computer? And why an Electro and not a Stage which at least has the "extern engine" - still not being a dedicated MIDI controller?

[mazs123]

Thanks for your replies so far.
To clarify, I want to use mainstage because I’m playing in a show that has very specific patches I need to move back and forth between throughout the show and don’t want to have to search for them, but rather just be able to use a foot pedal to change sounds that have been pre-programmed in a certain order.
The Nord appeals for several reasons, including the fact that it is lighter/smaller than my Yamaha.
I want a Nord for other reasons, but it would be a bonus if I could easily use Mainstage with it.
I hope that makes more sense.

[anotherscott]

So have all your questions about this been answered now? Or is there still anything you're unclear about?

[Tasten-Bert]

Hi mazs,
a very warm welcome to this great forum with lots of nord enthusiasts. What I can say is - and it breaks my heart - that the electro series is not quite convenient in controlling external sound machines, particularly when you need sounds in more than two zones or over more than two midi channels. A very pity, but even cheap korg kross‘ or Roland fantoms or Yamahas whatsoever are more flexible with that. But - as soon as you play it, you‘ll love it for itself. As long as you need all your sounds sequencially, one after another, it will work. Otherwise you‘ll suffer from time to time. Sunny regards from Germany

[JayDee]

No help here, but greetings from up over to down under, Mazs

[mazs123]

Thank you all for your replies. I apologise if I’m not suing the correct terminology - I’m still not clear on the compatibility.

But - as soon as you play it, you‘ll love it for itself. As long as you need all your sounds sequencially, one after another, it will work. Otherwise you‘ll suffer from time to time. Sunny regards from Germany

Just to clarify: so you’re saying it would work only if changes are sequential as opposed to oscillating between using dials on the Nord and triggering Mainstage? Or have I misunderstood?

I basically require a pre-programmed number of patches to occur sequentially (in a very specific order) from the start to finish of the show. In the past I’ve used mainstage for this (with a Yamaha keyboard and a Mac). Ideally I’d like to be able to do the same on the Nord (and obviously I’d like to know whether this is possible before I buy one) so that I can just tap a foot pedal to trigger each patch change throughout the show. This saves me having to search/fiddle for sounds/patches on the actual keyboard itself (which is crucial because some of the changes are incredibly quick, within songs from one crotchet time the next (without leaving time or option to take my hands off the keys), hence why I want to use Mainstage and not the dials/buttons on the Nord to change sounds.
If that is generally easily done on the Nord bia hooking up Mainstage on Mac then I’ll feel more confident about purchasing one.
Thanks again!

[FZiegler]

Hey masz123,

it still would be easier if you explain more in detail. What Yamaha board have you used? Where did you have the pedal connected to change programs? What do you mean by "pre-programmed patches" - for the sound generation in Mainstage or on the Yamaha? It's still not clear if you want to control Mainstage with a keyboard or control a keyboard with Mainstage. Sounds a bit as if it were the latter (triggering internal sounds in the Electro via the computer as a controller only).

If you please have a short look into the Electro manual, too: https://www.nordkeyboards.com/sites/def ... on%20F.pdf

[anotherscott]

Nord Electro does not itself have foot pedal control of program switching, but you can use a MIDI Mouse to move up or down through Programs: http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/effects/midi-mouse/

If you have footswitch patch control of Mainstage, and you set it so that Mainstage in turn sends Program Changes to the Nord, that would work too.

In either case, the Nord does not have (nor need) any special functionality for these things to work.