Nord User Forum

Hi.. i just received a new piano 5 with a vibrato button exactly under the main volume.. from all the reviews and video clips i nevet seen such button on any piano 5.. is it only me pls?? Ps its not even mentioned in the manual.

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Paulg wrote:Hi.. i just received a new piano 5 with a vibrato button exactly under the main volume.. from all the reviews and video clips i nevet seen such button on any piano 5.. is it only me pls?? Ps its not even mentioned in the manual.

It’s a special edition only made once no, just kidding …. It’s the new version Rev.B, and it’s already shown in the latest release of the English manual on Nords website

I have the original Piano 5 so I looked at the Rev B. panel and the updated User Manual to see what was changed. There are are two added hardware buttons. One new button controls Synth Section's Vibrato function, allowing it to be more easily switched on and off, and there are some related controller configuration parameters. The other new button controls an all new VOICE function for the synth section, adding poly, mono and mono/legato and glide functions.

For P5 Rev A owners, the summary situation appears to be this.

• We may be able to perform the same function as provided by the added Vibrato button, by using the middle pedal of the Triple Pedal, or the Foot/Volume controller (but this prevents the use of the foot controller as a volume control.)

• I suspect there is no way to control the new Voice functions with the Rev A instrument.

Below are some details.

Here is the new user manual's description of the new VIBRATO button under the main volume knob:

VIBRATO
When set to ON the Vibrato is instantly applied to the selected Sample Synth sound when a note is played.

Given the statement above - "...applied to the selected Sample Synth sound..." - this button wouldn't affect any of the piano sounds.

The manual also describes a setting for the new VIBRATO button to control whether that action, "...Vibrato is instantly applied...", is controlled by the new button or by an existing controller. on the Rev A P5 (and the Rev B P5) you can do the same thing using the VIBRATO button in the Synth section of the panel albeit having to operate the button multiple times. Here is the manual's description of this:

When set to BTN/PEDAL the Vibrato is activated either while pressing the VIBRATO button at the left side of
the panel or by using an attached pedal. this could either be the middle pedal of the nord triple pedal or an
attached Control pedal.

That last point "...or an attached Control pedal" leads to a new setting for the Volume/Control pedal, that wasn't mentioned in Rev A user manual. I think this is new functionality and the new software version may enable it on the Rev A P5. Here is the description of it in the Rev B user manual:

CONTROL PEDAL FUNCTION
The Control Pedal is by default used for controlling the volume of any layer where Vol Ped has been turned on and for the Mod 1 effect unit
if its Ctrl Ped function is active. it can also be set to control the sample synth Vibrato, when set to its BTN/PED option, by selecting the Ctrl+vol- ume+vibrato setting.
Range: Ctrl+Volume (Default), Ctrl+Volume+Vibrato

Once I've uploaded the new OS to my Rev A P5 I'll be able to check whether or not the Rev A P5 will control the Vibrato function using a foot controller or the middle pedal of the Triple Pedal. Unfortunately, on both the Rev A and Rev B P5's there is only one foot controller input jack, so I think you'll have to choose either a continuous foot pedal controller for vibrato or volume control pedal for the instrument.

The other added button on the P5 Rev B is the new Voice Button. This is an all-new function affecting the Sample Synth sounds, and appears to provide way to put the synth section into either poly or mono mode, and for the mono mode, either legato or not legato behavior. The button and SHIFT also provides a somewhat controllable glide function for the mono settings. I can't check this on my P5 rev A, of course. Here is the description from the Rev B user manual:

VOICE
With the MONO or LEGATO voice mode active, only one note is played at a time, just like on a traditional monophonic synthesizer. In mono mode the envelope is retriggered with each stroke whereas it is only retriggered with detached (“non-legato”) strokes in legato mode, which produces a smoother and more even sound.
When none of the mono and legato leDs are lit, the Sample Synth section is in its default polyphonic mode.
GlIDE
the GLIDE function makes the pitch “glide” from one note to the next when playing (traditionally referred to as portamento) and is available in legato and mono voice mode only. the 1, 2 and 3 settings provide three different Glide times to choose from.