Nord User Forum

[mtier0067]

I'm wondering if there has been any update to the stage 3 midi implementation over the past 2 years. I'd like to upgrade to the NS3 73 compact but i'm worried that I can't use my rig as I've been doing for 10 years or so with a NS273 and controller keyboard. I believe the set up below was impossible when I was thinking of upgrading last. Hopefully firmware updates and midi functionality has improved in the past few years.

Hardware:
I currently have the NS2 73 compact on top of a 73weighted keyboard (studio logic acuna73). The two boards are positioned in a custom stage enclosure such that the only controls I have access to are the NS2 controls. I like it this way. The weighted keyboard below is only for midi in to the NS2. Midi out of weighted controller on 3 different midi channels (see below) into the stage 2. It winds up looking like a dual manual organ or a rhodes mark 1 on stage in my custom enclosure stand and I don't want to give up that rig. It's amazingly compact, looks amazing, and is capable of doing any song I throw at it but I want physical drawbars and the "live" setting for the draw bars and the other sounds/functionality/synth of the NS373C.

Midi/Panel set up:
(I have both panels active on almost all patches)
I control panel A pianos with the weighted keyboard on Midi ch 3 and with it assigned to no zones on the NS2 but still on/active
I play the panel A organ directly from the NS2 keybed and it is usually assigned to all zones
I play the panel A synth directly from the NS2 keybed and it is either split or assigned to all zones
I play the panel B pianos directly from the NS2 keybed (usually clav so I can have the semi weighted action or with layered pianos and synth stuff while still allowing straight ahead grand/rhodes on the bottom weighted keybed)
I control the panel B organ from the weighted keyboard (often layered with a piano sound on the bottom board) on Midi Channel 5 with it assigned to no zones on the NS2 but still on/active
I control the panel B synth from the weighted keyboard  (often layered with a piano sound on the bottom board) on Midi Channel 7 with it assigned to no zones on the NS2 but still on/active
I control an external synth module with the extern section from the NS2 keybed on various songs and with various zones assigned

Is this possible on the NS3? Or is that still impossible to pull off. Basically I want a organ weighted keyboard with all of my controls on top and just a weighted keyboard controller on the bottom that sends midi on different channels.

Hopefully you have some good news for me! Thanks in advance for your help.
-Mookie

[DJKeys]

Hi-

Not sure this is good news, but here is the answer to your first question:

https://www.nordkeyboards.com/products/ ... te-history

-dj

[mtier0067]

Thanks for that update list. I don't see specific firmware updates that relate exactly to my situation or shortcomings of the stage 3 midi implementation when I tried it. I was informed by the mastodon himself that this would be on Nord's list of things to do with the NS3 but I haven't seen anything. I will spend some time digging through the update list but maybe someone in the crowd here could test out a set up like this and let me know if it works? It would be amazing to know! I would also highly, highly recommend this set up to anyone looking to have a compact and super capable rig.

Basically, I just need to know if Midi is only assignable via panel A or B (i.e. Panel A = Midi Channel 1, Panel B = Midi Channel 3) vs per panel, per instrument as it was in the NS2 (Panel A Piano = Midi Channel 1, Panel A Organ = Midi Channel 3, Panel A Synth = Midi Channel 5

[DJKeys]

Sure-

That was my feeling as well, that nothing in the update list pertained to your setup. Perhaps another member has the equipment and time to test it and/or find a workaround.

-dj

[mtier0067]

It would be incredible to have someone who has the latest firmware update to verify if the Midi is only assignable to the panel, not the instrument. Shouldn't take too long!

[ericL]

I was just skimming through the latest v2.6x of the online manual and I don't believe the NS3 has gained the same MIDI flexibility as the NS2 (I own both and can do some checking later when I have time to set up the NS3). If you read starting on page 50 of the manual here, there are a few mentions of each panel being able to be set to separate MIDI channels, and the Dual KB feature where one engine on panel B can be accessed separately. I don't see that each individual engine can be assigned to separate MIDI channels.

https://www.nordkeyboards.com/sites/def ... on%20N.pdf

PANEL A/B
The Panel MIDI channels only receive MIDI, allowing for control of an
entire Panel and its active sound engines from an external device. Panel
A and Panel B can be assigned individual MIDI channels in the Nord
Stage 3 MIDI Menu.

CONTROLLING THE NORD STAGE 3 USING MIDI
There are several options available if you wish to use a second keyboard
or other MIDI device to control the Nord Stage 3. Let’s have a look at
the Dual KB feature first.
DUAL KB
With this function it is possible to use an external keyboard for playing
the sound set up on Panel B, or only one of the Panel B sound engines.
Dual KB settings are stored per program which makes it an ideal feature
for live usage.
A more complete overview of Dual KB is found in the Program chapter,
on page 28 but here is a basic example of how to set it up, in this
case controlling the Panel B Organ section:
1 Press down on DUAL KB (Shift + Panel B button) and select Organ.
Letting go of the buttons will leave Dual KB turned on.
2 Connect an external MIDI keyboard to the MIDI In jack of the Nord
Stage 3.
3 Set the Dual KB MIDI channel to that of the transmitting MIDI device, from the Nord Stage 3 MIDI menu. The default setting is MIDI
channel 16.
4 Activate the Organ on Panel B of the Nord Stage 3. All other sound
engines within both Panel A and B are controlled as usual from the
Nord Stage 3

PANEL MIDI CONTROL
A second option for controlling parts of the Stage 3 from a external device would be to use its Panel MIDI capabilities, allowing for addressing
each panel (A and B) on different MIDI channels. Both Panels can still be
controlled “locally” from the Nord Stage 3 keyboard if desired.
To set this up, assign Panel A and B one MIDI channel each within the
MIDI menu, accessed by pressing MIDI (Shift + Program 3 button).

[mtier0067]

Thanks for this digging! I was reading the manual today and after realizing that it is the same language and the same pitfalls that I found when I bought a NS3 without checking on Midi Functionality in the manual. One thing that I've been wondering is... would Nord make some firmware improvements that altered their user manual? Maybe that is part of the deal with this not being done from a logistical side of things. Would they need to create and distribute a whole new section on the Midi functionality of the NS3 if they made a change that made the NS3 as capable midi-wise as the NS2? Money and time that they don't want to spend for a relatively small amount of the community that loved the extremely simple but robust midi functionality of the NS2?

Comon! I would love for this to work. It is literally the best, compact, easiest, grin inducing 2 keyboard set up in the world to have a NS2 SW73 C over a 73 key weighted controller... when set up like I like to run things. Simple dashboard, good action on both sets of manuals for both piano and organ playing.

[mtier0067]

I did some more digging and looking in the manual to try to sort a few questions... Can anyone tell me if this will work!?!?

Nord Stage 3 SW on top, Weighted Midi Keyboard (Studiologic Acuna 73) on the bottom. Midi out of Acuna to Midi In of Stage 3 on channel 3, Dual KB mode on, panel mode, and on channel 3 as well.

Play Panel A organ from NS3 keybed with live drawbar setting. Play panel A synth from NS3 keybed, Play panel A Piano from NS3 keybed.
Use mod wheel and control pedal to control various parameters on Panel A sections, use pitch stick to control pitch on Synth/piano sections.

Play Panel B organ from Midi controller, play panel B piano from midi controller, play panel b synth from midi controller
Use mod wheel and control pedal to control various parameters on panel b sections (instrument section volume, drawbars in/out, filter cutoff, delay amt, etc)
No need for pitch bend stick to control notes played from midi controller.

I know the playing of sounds like this will work, however, I'm wondering if I can still morph the panel b sections, effects, volume, etc from the NS3 while in dual KB mode. Any help would be much appreciated!. The manual says the following but it doesn't really answer my question.

DUaL KB
The DUAL KB feature allows for playing and controlling Panel B from an external mIDI keyboard, connected to the mIDI Input of the Nord Stage 3.
The Stage 3 keyboard now controls Panel a while the external keyboard controls Panel B. Note that the sounds on Panel B are not accessible from the Stage 3 keyboard while in Dual KB mode. This feature is very handy in live situations, where a secondary keyboard can be used as a controller for Panel B of the Nord Stage 3, on a per-program basis.
another advantage with the Dual KB mode is that all parameter controls for either panel are accessible from the Nord Stage 3. as an example, the drawbar settings on Panel B - played from the external keyboard - can be adjusted simultaneously as the sound on Panel a is being played from the Stage 3 keyboard.
The Dual KB setting is stored with a Program, along with all other Panel settings.
M The MIDI Channel for the Dual KB feature is set in the MIDI Menu on the Stage 3. Read more on this on page 54.

[ericL]

I did some more digging and looking in the manual to try to sort a few questions... Can anyone tell me if this will work!?!?

I know the playing of sounds like this will work, however, I'm wondering if I can still morph the panel b sections, effects, volume, etc from the NS3 while in dual KB mode. Any help would be much appreciated!. The manual says the following but it doesn't really answer my question.

DUaL KB
The DUAL KB feature allows for playing and controlling Panel B from an external mIDI keyboard, connected to the mIDI Input of the Nord Stage 3.
The Stage 3 keyboard now controls Panel a while the external keyboard controls Panel B. Note that the sounds on Panel B are not accessible from the Stage 3 keyboard while in Dual KB mode. This feature is very handy in live situations, where a secondary keyboard can be used as a controller for Panel B of the Nord Stage 3, on a per-program basis.
another advantage with the Dual KB mode is that all parameter controls for either panel are accessible from the Nord Stage 3. as an example, the drawbar settings on Panel B - played from the external keyboard - can be adjusted simultaneously as the sound on Panel a is being played from the Stage 3 keyboard.
The Dual KB setting is stored with a Program, along with all other Panel settings.
M The MIDI Channel for the Dual KB feature is set in the MIDI Menu on the Stage 3. Read more on this on page 54.

Can you give it a try and see what happens? My expectation is that you will not be able to do anything with the Panel B sections from the NS3 in this situation. The statement from the manual "Note that the sounds on Panel B are not accessible from the Stage 3 keyboard while in Dual KB mode" seems to answer this.

[FZiegler]

As far as DualKB mode is concerned, there are two possibilities: Use one out of the three sound engines from remote and benefit from all Stage 3 controls and pedals (including morphs). Or use full Panel B from remote, but don't have any effect from Stage 3 controls or pedals (need MIDI control commands, even for morphs - haven't checked for drawbars working with Panel B or not).