Nord Stage 4: Function of Low Note and High Note Priority

[jonilikeskeys]

Hey everyone,

I am a big fan of the "Trade It All" (Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles) Nick Semrad synth sound in the background, which is also discussed here for the NS3 nord-stage-3-programs-ns3p-files-f32/fi ... 16159.html.

Once you see this, you'll understand the magic (the sound in the background!): https://youtu.be/B6cdrO2dMUk?t=2957

I own a Prophet REV2 and I have Nicks "original" preset. He uses (like it is also described in the threat above) the High-Note Priority of the REV2 to combine a pad and a lead, all played without a split, only two sounds layered (the polyphonic and the monophonic). @WannitBBBad (who programmed an awesome sound!) used a split due to the restrictions of NS3.

Key Modes and Unison Mode
Key Mode (sometimes called note priority) determines what note has priority when more than one note is played on the keyboard or via MIDI. This is particularly important when using Unison Mode:

• Low-Note Priority is most common in vintage synths and is often used for playing trills by holding a note and repeatedly tapping a lower note.
• Low Retrigger causes the envelopes to be retriggered with each keystroke.
• High Note and High Retrigger are similar to the low note settings, except that the highest note is given priority.
• Last Note and Last Retrigger give priority to the last note played.

So when the NS4 was released, I was hyped about the, let's also call it Key Modes of the Synth Section (for MONO / LEGATO sounds you can set it.)

LO AND HI PRIORITY MODES

• With the LO note priority setting active, notes above the lowest key being held or sustained will not be played at all. this can be used for playing layered chords, while keeping a monophonic bass sound at the bottom end of the range.
• Inversely, with note priority set to HI, active notes below the highest key currently being held or sustained will not produce sound. this can be used for playing a monophonic melody using the top note of a layered chord.

However, compared to my REV2, there is one MAJOR difference, and I wonder if it's a bug or supposed to be that way.

On my Stage 4, I switch on High Priority Mode, hit one note, play a lower note (sounds doesn't jump, as it should), but once I leave the first (higher) note, I want the sound to jump down, to the next highest note. Same thing if I'm in Low Priority Mode, just the other way around. The Prophet does that. NS4 just cuts the sound completely!

For sounds like "Trade It All" that is kind of an issue, because you can't play that descending line, ONLY if you let go of the higher note quick enough, to play the lower note and then you have no glide (in LEGATO).

I also made a short and I think very explaining video.

What do you guys think?

[jonilikeskeys]

I believe that's a bug. If you play a "C" chord and play the notes in the order of C E G and hold them, I assume with high trigger the top note moves in that pattern. If you lift your finger off the G, does it drop to the E, or does the problem only occur for lower notes played after the high note was played like in your video?

[jonilikeskeys]

I believe that's a bug. If you play a "C" chord and play the notes in the order of C E G and hold them, I assume with high trigger the top note moves in that pattern. If you lift your finger off the G, does it drop to the E, or does the problem only occur for lower notes played after the high note was played like in your video?

You get it right, the note RISES but does not fall again.
See the video. This is weird.

See video attached.

[jonilikeskeys]

Thanks, I was just trying to narrow down the bug. I'd suggest submitting it to Nord Support; hopefully it's an easy fix for them. It might be worth testing the low priority as well.

[jonilikeskeys]

It's the same with low priority, just the other way around.

[jonilikeskeys]

Sorry everyone, for basically replying to myself. But it is now clear to me and easy to sum up:

• In HI Priority Mode you can not play a falling legato.
• In LO Priority Mode you can not play a rising legato.

There's one exeption: The falling legato kind of works somewhere between the (triple sensor) levels. I show that in the video attached here. It took me around 20 tries to actually nail it, so sorry for the cutting.

This is so confusing!

Looking at it like that, this is definitely a bug.
Can somebody else (with a NS4) please try that and tell me I'm getting this right?

[WannitBBBad]

Nice work, when you report it I'm sure the additional information will help Nord figure out the problem. The coding appears to be there for the function to work but how it's managed with a triple sensor keyboard (new to the NS4) seems to be the problem.

[StuartR]

Sorry everyone, for basically replying to myself. But it is now clear to me and easy to sum up:

• In HI Priority Mode you can not play a falling legato.
• In LO Priority Mode you can not play a rising legato.

There's one exeption: The falling legato kind of works somewhere between the (triple sensor) levels. I show that in the video attached here. It took me around 20 tries to actually nail it, so sorry for the cutting.

This is so confusing!

Looking at it like that, this is definitely a bug.
Can somebody else (with a NS4) please try that and tell me I'm getting this right?

Please file a bug report with Clavia support. They don’t follow this forum.

[cguerson]

does the ns3 have top note priority too? for example I want to layer a synth pad on panel A and a lead on B and when playing a chord have the lead on the top...

Thanks in advance!

[WannitBBBad]

does the ns3 have top note priority too? for example I want to layer a synth pad on panel A and a lead on B and when playing a chord have the lead on the top...

Thanks in advance!

Unfortunately no. The only, but inconvenient, workaround is choosing a split point where your right hand can overlap the top split for the mono sound - very restrictive I know.