Nord Piano layer external sound

[danschneider]

Hello everyone,

I found out, that you can control an external sound (for example from the computer/laptop) with the nord piano.
I maybe want to buy the nord piano and I need most but sometimes i want to use with an acoustic pad layered with an acoustic piano.

My question is, can I put a USB cable to my laptop running a pad sound from the laptop and both of the sounds will come through the audio outputs of the nord piano?
Can I play also a sound (maybe organ) from the laptop through the nord piano (audio outputs), without having the piano sound on it? And how can I switch between them?

Thanks a lot,
Dan

[pablomastodon]

Hi Dan,

The USB cable (or midi cable if you use that instead) will transmit only control data, not audio data. Play a note on the Nord and a Note On message is sent via USB/Midi to the other device, whether hardware or software. The audio from that external device, however, will not magically appear back at the Nord's outputs. The external device must have its own independent audio output path. In your example of using computer, that will be on the computer's built-in audio output ports, unless you connect an external audio interface to your computer in which case that device's audio output ports will deliver the sound.

You will then need a mixer to combine the two audio signals, either a small personal mixer just for your keyboard sounds (which can then act as a submixer going to the band's main mixer), or separate channels on the band's main mixer.

Pablo

[danschneider]

Thank you very much.
Can I Put the Output of the Computer or iPad into the Monitor in of the nord piano and have both sounds on the output of the nord piano?
Does anyone tried this, maybe with an ipad?
I am looking forward to have less stuff on the stage and do not have to carry many things and have two separate outputs, it should be very simple.

[pablomastodon]

The Monitor input signal is not available at the main audio outputs by design; it's a keyboard, not a mixer. The Monito INput signal is only available at the headphone output. It is possible to use the headphone output to feed amplifier, but this is not recommended because it will degrade the sound quality.

Pablo

[zephonic]

Well, in my book it is a design flaw, and an inexplicable one. It would have been great to be able to route the minijack input to the main outs for solo gigs. Backing tracks on your iPhone and done. Or background music for intermission.

I can't think of any logical reason not to include this functionality, unless its cost was a prohibitive one. I find that hard to believe, though.