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Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby daz1761 » 09 Oct 2021, 23:22

I’m thinking of purchasing a Roland Ju-06 sound module which is just a module with no keyboard (you can buy a keyboard for it but I don’t want to) and I was hoping I could use a midi cable to control the sound module and split my keyboard so that for example the bottom half will play the Nord sampler and the top half will play the sound module? Or is it something that has to be done with the sound module itself so it only plays on so many octaves (if this is possible)? Thanks.
Last edited by daz1761 on 09 Oct 2021, 23:24, edited 1 time in total.

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Split keyboard with external sound module via midi


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Re: Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby reggoboy » 10 Oct 2021, 01:35

I'm interested in something similar to this, too.
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Re: Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby anotherscott » 10 Oct 2021, 01:46

daz1761 wrote:split my keyboard so that for example the bottom half will play the Nord sampler and the top half will play the sound module?

The Electro 5 had this feature (and the Stage models have it), but unfortunately, it was not implemented on the Electro 6. If you have an iOS device, though, you can create that split using an app like iMidiPatchbay, KeyStage, or Camelot Pro.
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Re: Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby daz1761 » 10 Oct 2021, 19:35

That’s strange how the Electro 5 had it but not the 6 - oh well thanks for letting me know - will probably hang fire on the Roland Ju-06 for now. Another idea was using my laptop as a second synth (Ableton with my plugins) as I imagine there’s a way you could get Ableton to split the keys for you with a soft synth to stop the Nord playing the bottom half going back to my example above - will have to look into it at some point. Cheers.
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Re: Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby harmonizer » 10 Oct 2021, 20:40

Let's assume you want all keys pressed below middle C to create a noise only from your Electro 5, and you want any key middle C or above to create a noise only via an external sound module.

If the external sound module has a split function, you can set up that split so that the external sound module will make no sound for any key below middle C.

And you can use the split function on the Electro 5 so that the Electro itself will not create any noise for middle C and above. One way to make an Electro create no sound on one side of the Electro's split point is to define an organ sound where all the drawbar settings are pulled down to 0. The Electro 5 might allow additional ways to do that as well (I have only an Electro 3).

I have used this method with my Electro 3 and an external Roland XV synth module, for cases where I wanted to hear my Electro's organ sound for one part of the keyboard range. The Electro 3 supports only one organ/organ split mode. The Electro 5 has a "real" split function, where you can use sounds from different sound banks on opposite sides of the split point (piano+organ, piano+sample, or organ+sample).
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Re: Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby daz1761 » 15 Oct 2021, 10:38

Thanks for all the replies, but I’ve decided on a new strategy which involves using my MacBook Pro with Ableton live with various soft synths, like the Tal Juno, Omnisphere etc. What is also handy is that I can plug the laptop output into the monitor in on the Nord so I don’t need a mixer. The way you can map keys is simply using the instrument rack plugin in Ableton which allows you to add a stack of soft synths where you can map the keys for each of them. Here is my post on the Ableton forum if it helps:

https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=243911&e=1&view=unread#unread

What is good also is that some soft synths like Omnisphere work with the expression pedal (mine is the Yamaha fc7) out the box so you can set the levels with the Nord and control both volumes at the same time without the worry of one being louder than the other.

I will try it anyway and see how I get on as I’m not in the market to upgrade to a stage just yet. I’ve attached a pic to show how I’ve set it up so far.
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Re: Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby deenigewouter » 25 Oct 2021, 16:08

The MIDIHUB could work for you but its quite expensive.

If you have some DIY know how and experience with microcontrollers/arduino's you could create a small device with MIDI in/out, a button and a 2way switch.

The microcontroller relays MIDI to the sound module up or below the splitpoint. Set the splitpoint by holding the button and pressing a key. Use the switch to toggle between up or down mode (relay messages above or below the switch point).

This would require some programming but Arduino's have an excellent MIDI library to do the heavy lifting.
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Re: Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby daz1761 » 25 Oct 2021, 17:02

Great will have to check that out, yes very familiar with Arduino as I posses many boards like the Uno, Micro, Nano etc with an array of components, as I’ve done university projects with them. And they did come to mind at some point, but happy with the laptop setup at the mo. I also experimented with a Teensy microcontroller which supports midi nativity - I had it controlling things in Max/msp via usb but that’s another story for another day.
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Re: Split keyboard with external sound module via midi

Postby deenigewouter » 25 Oct 2021, 22:42

daz1761 wrote:Great will have to check that out, yes very familiar with Arduino as I posses many boards like the Uno, Micro, Nano etc with an array of components, as I’ve done university projects with them. And they did come to mind at some point, but happy with the laptop setup at the mo. I also experimented with a Teensy microcontroller which supports midi nativity - I had it controlling things in Max/msp via usb but that’s another story for another day.


If the laptop setup works for you, cool! It looks slick and sure is a lot more versatile.

And awesome that you had experience with building stuff in university, when playing instruments some tech know-how is more than handy. I'm planning on getting a sound module for sweet vintage synth leads, if I do I'm modifying my Teensy-based pitch bender to do splits as well. The thing with a custom built device is that it's a lot quicker to setup than your laptop, and a lot less can go wrong. Turn it on and bang, no boot times, daw tinkering or unplanned updates. The thing I like about Nord keyboards that you can do almost everything with a few button presses. If you're jamming for example and you want to switch from a synth lead on the upper portion to a pad on the lower portion, you have to click around in Ableton and adjust the split range via a touch pad. With your own device you could just flick the switch and adjust the split point. For me, soft synths and complicated MIDI routings in a DAW kinda kill creativity and you might end up using the sound module less due to the setup requirements on the laptop.

But to each their own, if you're happy with the setup power to you!

Edit: If you do build it, add transpose buttons as well
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