Nord User Forum

Hi, my name's Max and I play organ and bass in a local Doors tribute band using two midi controllers and a laptop. I'm considering buying a Nord Electro 5D 61 to play it with my 37-key midi controller and, in split mode, play the Nord organ sound in the Electro and receive midi data from the controller for the bass sound. That way I'd get rid off the laptop and one of the midi controllers. I appreciate if you guys can help me with these questions:

1. Is it doable? I read that it can't be done with the Electro 6d.
2. Can I assign the sustain and the expression/volume pedal just for the organ or piano engine and not for the bass engine? Since I need to change the volume while soloing.
3. Can I assign the bass sound to the left output and the organ or piano to the right output? That way, I can connect the left channel to a bass amplifier.
4. Can I power my midi controller with the USB port of the Electro?

Thank you very much for all your help

terramax wrote:Hi, my name's Max and I play organ and bass in a local Doors tribute band using two midi controllers and a laptop. I'm considering buying a Nord Electro 5D 61 to play it with my 37-key midi controller and, in split mode, play the Nord organ sound in the Electro and receive midi data from the controller for the bass sound. That way I'd get rid off the laptop and one of the midi controllers. I appreciate if you guys can help me with these questions:

1. Is it doable? I read that it can't be done with the Electro 6d.
2. Can I assign the sustain and the expression/volume pedal just for the organ or piano engine and not for the bass engine? Since I need to change the volume while soloing.
3. Can I assign the bass sound to the left output and the organ or piano to the right output? That way, I can connect the left channel to a bass amplifier.
4. Can I power my midi controller with the USB port of the Electro?

Thank you very much for all your help

Hi Max

and a very warm welcome to this wonderful forum or nord enthusiasts.

As your points are concerned:

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes. Make PART LOWER the synth section with the bass sample selected and PART UPPER the organ or the piano with both SUSTPED and CTRLPED activated.
4. I don‘t think so. Have never tried but have in mind that only the MIDI sockets supply energy, and here only 3.3 V instead of the 5 V specified by the MIDI rules.

Good luck, and cheers from sunny Italy

Tasten-Bert wrote:

terramax wrote: 3. Can I assign the bass sound to the left output and the organ or piano to the right output? That way, I can connect the left channel to a bass amplifier.

4. Can I power my midi controller with the USB port of the Electro?

3. Yes. Make PART LOWER the synth section with the bass sample selected and PART UPPER the organ or the piano with both SUSTPED and CTRLPED activated.

4. I don‘t think so. Have never tried but have in mind that only the MIDI sockets supply energy, and here only 3.3 V instead of the 5 V specified by the MIDI rules.

3. unfortunately that's not what terramax asked, since Output routing on NE5 does not allow to separate piano from synth, only organ from piano+synth the answer is: no

4. confirmed, of course not, NE has only a "device" (type B) USB port and a USB "device" can only receive power, not provide it; only type A (USB Host) ports can provide power.

terramax wrote:Hi, my name's Max and I play organ and bass in a local Doors tribute band using two midi controllers and a laptop. I'm considering buying a Nord Electro 5D 61 to play it with my 37-key midi controller and, in split mode, play the Nord organ sound in the Electro and receive midi data from the controller for the bass sound. That way I'd get rid off the laptop and one of the midi controllers. I appreciate if you guys can help me with these questions:

1. Is it doable? I read that it can't be done with the Electro 6d.
2. Can I assign the sustain and the expression/volume pedal just for the organ or piano engine and not for the bass engine? Since I need to change the volume while soloing.
3. Can I assign the bass sound to the left output and the organ or piano to the right output? That way, I can connect the left channel to a bass amplifier.
4. Can I power my midi controller with the USB port of the Electro?

Thank you very much for all your help

Hi Max
I know you have asked about an Electro 5 but i was sure it was also posible with a 6D.
So i have just set up my 6D to see if its posible.

1. Yes 6D works great with an ext KB for the lower part. I set up a bass.
2. Yes 6d each seperate control and sustain on/off.
3, Yes. After reading Berts post, I re read the manual 2.6, and still did not find any mention of output routing, So i checked and there is.
Its sytem menu page 16. main to left and organ to the right. actually this appears to be lower to the left, upper to the right.
So Bass to left and piano and/or organ to the right Is possible.
4. No
Cheers Norm

Heres a guide to setting up an ext kb.

maxpiano wrote:

Tasten-Bert wrote:

terramax wrote: 3. Can I assign the bass sound to the left output and the organ or piano to the right output? That way, I can connect the left channel to a bass amplifier.

4. Can I power my midi controller with the USB port of the Electro?

3. Yes. Make PART LOWER the synth section with the bass sample selected and PART UPPER the organ or the piano with both SUSTPED and CTRLPED activated.

4. I don‘t think so. Have never tried but have in mind that only the MIDI sockets supply energy, and here only 3.3 V instead of the 5 V specified by the MIDI rules.

3. unfortunately that's not what terramax asked, since Output routing on NE5 does not allow to separate piano from synth, only organ from piano+synth the answer is: no

4. confirmed, of course not, NE has only a "device" (type B) USB port and a USB "device" can only receive power, not provide it; only type A (USB Host) ports can provide power.

Thanks for your help. Can i replicate output routing with some sort of panning option?

Unfortunately not, there is no panning control on NE (you would have seen it mentioned in its manual, otherwise)

maxpiano wrote:

Tasten-Bert wrote:

terramax wrote: 3. Can I assign the bass sound to the left output and the organ or piano to the right output? That way, I can connect the left channel to a bass amplifier.

4. Can I power my midi controller with the USB port of the Electro?

3. Yes. Make PART LOWER the synth section with the bass sample selected and PART UPPER the organ or the piano with both SUSTPED and CTRLPED activated.

4. I don‘t think so. Have never tried but have in mind that only the MIDI sockets supply energy, and here only 3.3 V instead of the 5 V specified by the MIDI rules.

3. unfortunately that's not what terramax asked, since Output routing on NE5 does not allow to separate piano from synth, only organ from piano+synth the answer is: no

4. confirmed, of course not, NE has only a "device" (type B) USB port and a USB "device" can only receive power, not provide it; only type A (USB Host) ports can provide power.

Back to point 3 again:
My answer „Yes“ was indeed given to what the OP asked, and my amendment was an additional info about how to organize the sound sections to achieve his goal. I should have added that in SYSTEM MENU on page 11 the output routing has to be set to LOWER = LEFT, UPPER = RIGHT, but I thought that everybody has already read the manual!

You need to know that NE5 has an output routing option different from NE6 - based on lower/upper instead of sound sections.

So, terramax, don‘t feel irritated, it will work.

Cheers from rainy Italy

As nord electro 5 owner, I confirm what Tasten-Bert said: the output routing works exactly as terramax asked.

Tasten-Bert wrote:
Back to point 3 again:
My answer „Yes“ was indeed given to what the OP asked, and my amendment was an additional info about how to organize the sound sections to achieve his goal. I should have added that in SYSTEM MENU on page 11 the output routing has to be set to LOWER = LEFT, UPPER = RIGHT, but I thought that everybody has already read the manual!

You need to know that NE5 has an output routing option different from NE6 - based on lower/upper instead of sound sections.

So, terramax, don‘t feel irritated, it will work.

Cheers from rainy Italy

Ouch... I stand corrected!

A shame then that on NE6 Output Routing was reverted back to the old "per Section" logic, NE5 is much more flexible in this way.

PS: yes we have a rainy May here

maxpiano wrote: A shame then that on NE6 Output Routing was reverted back to the old "per Section" logic, NE5 is much more flexible in this way.

Yes I agree. Add to that certain MIDI capabilities and a slightly different sound in the output stage. Perhaps we should establish a NE5 fan club here - count me in

(Just joking, of course. But after I had NE5 and NE6 side by side for a while, I kept NE5 and sold NE6 again, since I did not need the things the 6 can do better than the 5.)