Using Nord Electro 2 as MIDI

[kevirre]

Hi. I have a Nord Electro 2 that I'm trying to add piano tracks into Logic Pro X. I purchased a MIO USB to MIDI connector thinking it should be plug and play but nothing happens and Logic Pro doesn't indicate audio is being received. Is there something I'm missing? I'm thinking that I need to press some buttons on the Nord to indicate it's sending audio out through the MIDI connectors. Any suggestions?

[maxpiano]

Hi and welcome,

MIDI does not transfer audio, by definition, it only manages information on played notes, pedals and other controls... you need an audio interface to record the NE2 sound from its outputs, or use it asa silent master keyboard with VSTs running on the computer (which will be your sound generators).

Read here too https://www.roland.com/uk/blog/midi-vs-audio/ to understand better when to use MIDI and for which purpose.

[kevirre]

Thanks for the reply. Do I need to change any settings on the Nord to "change" it to MIDI instead of using it as an instrument? I've used both a MIO MIDI/USB and a Scarlett Solo with no success.

[maxpiano]

The 2 functions live together, NE2 always transmits MIDI provided you have set a MIDI channel different than "off", see NE2 manual, page 34 https://www.nordkeyboards.com/sites/def ... on%20A.pdf

In that same page you can see the "Local" parameter that enables you to disconnect the internal sound engine and use NE2 only as a MIDI master keyboard.

[kevirre]

Got it to work. Thanks so much!

[FZiegler]

So the MIDI part of your options should be sorted out.

The other way would be to take audio from Main-Out to the Scarlett and record it in your computer.

MIDI: Allows for later correcting what you played, but needs a piano engine in the software to be heard (as it's only commands, no sounds).
Audio: records the highly praised Nord piano sounds directly but hardly allows for any correction.

[Berretje]

As mentioned in the FAQ - How can I record my Nord into any/a daw?

FAQ - How can I record my Nord into any/a daw?

This depends what you would like to record:

Midi
MIDI has nothing to do with audio. It is ONLY the information about what is played and when, but there is no sound transfer. It is to audio as Sheet music is to a CD. Sheet music contains all the information about what’s on the CD, but it doesn’t contain any sound itself (as said by Analogika).
When recording midi (notes) you will need to connect your Nord to your Mac/PC with an USB cable or MIDI interface using the MIDI DIN connection. Depending on the Nord model, it's supporting MIDI over USB (or not). In the DAW (of your choice) you have to create a MIDI channel strip and configure it to listen for MIDI data on the configured MIDI port.

Audio
Audio can be recorded on your Mac/PC using the onboard microphone connection (not recommended) or an audio interface (external audio card). You have to connect the L/R audio output of your Nord device to this audio interface. In the DAW (of your choice) you have to create a AUDIO channel strip and configure this to the configured audio input on your audio interface where you Nord instrument is connected to.