List of Nord Stage 2 known issues/bugs

[Mr_-G-]

The filter release button only makes sense if the time is SHORTER than the amp release time. Can you please check that? Otherwise the sound will finish before you hear the effect of the modulation release.

[maxpiano]

What you mean "HW"?

HW = Hardware: the release potentiometer or the circuit reading it may have hardware problems.

[Mr_-G-]

The sudden change might be due to a difference between the stored value and the inherited pot position. If once the values start changing they move according to the pot position, I would think that the pot is OK. If it carries on jumping unexpectedly then maxpiano might be right and the pot might be damaged. But I insist that the pot might appear not to do anything because the amp release is set to a very short time (or the filter env modulation is set too low, or the filter is completely open).

[ericL]

I've just started using my NS2 as a controller for a Yamaha Motif XS Rack and I've stumbled onto what I believe is a bug in how the NS2 should be transmitting note off messages upon program changes. It does not appear to be doing this as I'd expect, which results in hung MIDI messages on sustained notes when changing programs. This seems to only happen when changing from a program sending MIDI out via External to a new program that is not sending MIDI or is focused on a slot with a different MIDI channel.

I am on version 1.72. I have turned off MIDI for each section and only plan to use MIDI out via the External section.

For example, I have a simple program using Slot A sending MIDI on channel 3 to the XS Rack. If I am holding a note on the keyboard (or with sustain pedal) and I switch to my next program, a simple program using Slot A, but no MIDI, only internal NS2 sound...the MIDI from the first program will hang after I make the program change. The Panic button does not fix the problem if my new program is not sending out MIDI, but the hung note will disappear if I move back to the first program that was sending out MIDI.

I need to do some further testing on it, but I ran across several scenarios similar to the above upon my first try at configuring a small number of my programs to send out MIDI via External. It seems like the NS2 is simply not sending a note off message upon program change, which is what I'd expect.

It does seem that one way to work around this (a bit of effort involved) is to program EACH and EVERY program I use to have the External section enabled with MIDI out on the same channels (I am using channel 3 for Slot A and channel 4 for Slot B). Even if I don't actually send any program or cc changes and I have the External MIDI volume turned to zero, having each program configured like this seems like it would solve my problem of hung notes. It will be time-consuming to do all this programming, unless I can find a quick cut and paste way to do it (not sure if the editor software has this, I need to check).

Essentially, the hung notes are occurring when the MIDI stream is clipped by program change, unless the new program is also transmitting on the same MIDI stream. I hope this makes sense - I am curious if anyone else has encountered this and has any solutions. Also, would Nord consider adding this to their list of bugs to try and fix in the next OS update?

[Mr_-G-]

Puzzling... Can you check if the midi channels in the motif remain the same across both patches? If not, then that could be the reason of the hanging notes. I wonder if it would be possible to be in some multitimbral mode where different parts are set to different channels?
Also not sure why the MIDI Note On/Off should affect PrgChng? But if so, how come in the Kronos and others (but not the Nords, though) you can change a patch and the engine does not mute? If there was a MIDI Note Off sent you would expect the sound to mute, yet they can sustain the sound.
The best thing to do in this situation would be to use a MIDI monitor program so you can see exactly what is being sent by the Nord. Maybe it is the motif that is currently set in a particular way.

Edit: atrocious grammar

[NightSkyStudio]

It sounds like both synths are doing exactly what you're telling them to do. You hit a key using the first program and the Nord sends a Note On event. The receiving synth starts playing that note. You switch to a program that you designed that doesn't send MIDI. You let go of the key. The program doesn't send a Note Off event. The receiving synth therefore never gets the Note Off event and keeps playing. It's not hung; it's simply waiting for a Note Off event. When you switch back to the program that sends MIDI data and hit they key again, the program sends a MIDI Note On event (which has no audible effect because that note is already playing) and then you let go of the key and the program sends a MIDI Note Off event. The receiving synth gets the Note Off event and stops playing the note. Again, that sounds like what should happen.

Your workaround, if you can call it that, will avoid the problem, since the Note Off events will always be sent from every program on the Nord.

If I've misunderstood your post, please disregard everything I said!

[ericL]

Thanks, guys. I will check the Motif, but I have my doubts it will lead me anywhere. I am using it in multi mode with only a single program in use, serving as a shell for me to send program changes to grab sounds on MIDI channels 3 and 4.

The main question here is whether I should expect the NS2 to send note off automatically upon program change. That seems like it would be a standard, unless the keyboard actually has "patch remain," a feature seen in a small number of keyboards. In my application, I am trying to take baby steps and just add in MIDI to a handful of sounds out of probably 50 that I use each gig. Because of the note hanging issue I've encountered, it appears that I'll need to carefully program each and every one of my programs to send MIDI (muted in many cases) and then very carefully test many permutations of playing while patch changing to be sure I have fixed the hung notes.

[Mr_-G-]

And how do you set the nord to send Prg Chng in 2 channels at the same time? I bet that this is a mismatch of channels.

[ericL]

I don't always do it, but I use the External section of Slot A to communicate via MIDI channel 3, while External for Slot B is on MIDI channel 4. So I can have two different Motif voices on separate channels, split or layered as I desire within each slot. Some of my programs only call for one Motif voice, while others use both panels.

[art507]

Hey Everybody,

I stumbled upon something here, namely the Long Release button is behaving opposite of what it should be doing. can someone verify that?


edit: maybe on second thoughts, its right after all: long release= NO release sample, long release turned off = release sample?

Hello!
I have NS2 and when I play e-piano (Mark I, Mark V, Mark VII) with the LONG RELEASE button there is not much difference if to compare playing without LONG RELEASE. I can hear only hardly noticeable difference at the end of the sound, where the rhodes sound without LONG RELEASE breaks a little faster.
But if I use the piano sounds with LONG RELEASE the diference is much more audible.
I don't know if is it normal.