Stage 3 controlling external synth

[cvselman]

Hi, I'm a long-time happy stage 3 user. I now want to link my stage 3 to a Nord Lead A1 using the external control section.

I've followed everything in the manual about setting the MIDI channels and making sure both the NS3 and A1 are on the same channels with send/receive channel data enabled.

I'm using a USB cable to link these together but it seems that note info is transmitted but not CC data or MIDI keyboard split info. Is this because some MIDI data doesn't travel through the USB connection? Is the data transfer the same speed through USB or MIDI?

I'm looking forward to using both the NS3 two synth sections (loading sample data) and the A1 4 engines to create some great 6-layer sounds and pads. Ultimately using the NS3 song mode to select the correct patches on the A1 at the same as selecting the set list patch on the NS3 (which I use live all the time - why was it dropped for NS4 - has pushed me to stay with NS3 and buy the A1 instead).

Any thoughts folk?

Carl

[maxpiano]

I'm using a USB cable to link these together but it seems that note info is transmitted but not CC data or MIDI keyboard split info. Is this because some MIDI data doesn't travel through the USB connection? Is the data transfer the same speed through USB or MIDI?

??? this... you cannot link them via USB; only via MIDI DIN, the USB Type B connector is for connecting a device, such a synth, to a computer/tablet = a USB Host, not to another synth/device... how are you exactly connecting them??

[FZiegler]

You cannot use USB to link two clients together. USB is always a client-host connection - so most of the time keyboard-computer/tablet. So I wonder what you mean by 'note info is transmitted' - nothing at all should pass through that connection.

[DJKeys]

Been doing this for years.

Yes, you need to use Midi DIN out from NS3 to Midi DIN in on A1
Set global channel on A1
Turn off global channel on NS3
In Extern section, set Per Program
Set Midi channel to same as A1
Set other settings as desired.

-dj

[cvselman]

Thank you for all the comments.

I'll get a midi cable.

C.

[cookie]

Worth mentioning that the Stage 2 has MIDI reception channel capabilities for global/ per slot/ per engine, via MIDI DIN AND MIDI USB !
Still don't understand why the USB MIDI was removed in the Stage 3 (and most likely Stage 4).

Fred

[maxpiano]

Worth mentioning that the Stage 2 has MIDI reception channel capabilities for global/ per slot/ per engine, via MIDI DIN AND MIDI USB !
Still don't understand why the USB MIDI was removed in the Stage 3 (and most likely Stage 4).

Fred

That' is not the case. USB MIDI is fully supported also on NS3 and 4, the only difference is that in NS2 you could specify separately either MIDIx (MIDI DIN) or USBx (USB MIDI) for a given MIDI parameter while on NS3/4 a MIDIx setting addresses both DIN and USB MIDI at the same time (so DIN and USB MIDI are actually the same logical interface on these synths, while on NS2 they are 2 distinct interfaces).