NL4R Noob question - all programs sounding at once - why?

[DaveL]

I'm a new user so it's a safe bet that this is 'operator error' but I'm having a problem here, or perhaps I'm not understanding the basic operation of the Nord Lead 4 Rack version.

Two modes - performance and program - I get it. Where I'm falling over is that in program mode I can always hear all four slots at the same time.

Reading from page 10 of the manual:

"The NL4 has four slots A,B,C,D. Each slot represents a complete synth setup, a complete sound if you wish. Slots can be used for layering sounds or quickly switching between programs."

It then goes on to describe how you can quickly switch between programs by selecting a slot at a time, without turning the program dial.

Sounds good…but in program mode all four slots always sound simultaneously for me. For example when just slot A is lit, they all sound. If I hit A and B those two (only) will light up as expected, but all four slots will sound (unexpected!) Furthermore when I try the keyboard split function it has no effect.

What am I doing wrong here? I understand I can isolate the four slots by MIDI channel, but isn't that what performance mode is for - stacking the slots or using them multitimbrally by separate MIDI channels? In any case, isolating the slots by MIDI channel will not allow me to "quickly switch from one program to another, without turning the Program dial" as described in the manual.

It goes on to describe how, in program mode, you can have one slot and stack up slots as you please. This makes sense. But why am I hearing all four all the time?
Again, I'm using the rack version and a controller keyboard via midi over USB.

Somebody please put help me out of my operator error frustration :/ Thank you!!!!!!!!!

[rob_lee]

I'm having this issue also in Logic. I figured part of it out the other day but not sure iv'e done it right.
Anyways i did this.

1 - Connected NL4 via USB to Macbook Pro
2 - On the NL4 i hit Shift + Slot 2
3 - Turn the knob one click to where it says A-D
4 - Set A to 1 B to 2 C to 3 and D to 4 (this is your midi channels set up)
5 - Open Logic and create software instrument and Multitimbral 4 part option
6 - Choose Nord Lead input and select audio interface output
7 - Set synchronisation in Logic for master clock so NL4 syncs

Not sure about other DAWS i am confused about program and performance mode too, i just don't get the way that Clavia work and iv'e been using hardware for 25yrs.
Is there a difference in modes cause both seem to do the same thing. If you set up your NL4 as i did above then you won't here all parts at once. However sometimes when i mute midi channels in Logic i still hear the NL4 sounds doubling on all 4 slots. Trial and error here i'll be on again tonight trying to figure out what i'm doing wrong here.
I thought i could assign fx to all midi parts too but i can't so far. I thought i had sussed it out but it's got something to do with how i first opened up the instruments and selected Multi-timbral i maybe should have selected a new single midi track for each slot. Anyways i'm baffled too and i have to set up 2 Nord Lead 4's hehe.
It's a pain but if anyone else can give us some info on this would be great.

Rob

[DaveL]

Rob,
I believe that's setting up the Nord as a multimbral synth, what I'm sondering is why my Nord doesn't behave as described on page 10 in the manual (in my first post)

[rob_lee]

Rob,
I believe that's setting up the Nord as a multimbral synth, what I'm sondering is why my Nord doesn't behave as described on page 10 in the manual (in my first post)

Yeah i see on page 11 of the manual here it says:

Slot MIDI Channels
By using the individual Slot MIDI Channels in the Nord Lead 4, you have individual control of the Slots, for notes as well as for parameters. This can for example be used as a multitimbral setup, controlling 4 individual sound sources from a sequencer.
A Slot does not have to be active in a Performance, it will always respond to incoming MIDI on its MIDI Channel. This makes it possible to control selected Slots from the keyboard, and other Slots from other external sources.
suitable.

Also:

Sequencing: Slot MIDI Channels
Slot A & B
Program or record the notes to tracks in the sequencer, tracks that are set to the Slot MIDI Channels. Keyboard and panel actions from the Nord Lead 4 will be transmitted on the Global MIDI Channel. Local may be turned Off, to avoid double triggered sounds.verdub tracks to record any parameter changes by making these on the Nord Lead 4 panel, or from other MIDI devices set to control the Nord Lead 4.
Continue with the next track, set to another Slot’s MIDI Channel.


Well i have sort of got mine working in slot mode.. it works in both program and performance mode. Either way you still have to set it up in whichever daw you use as i said previous. I use the program mode for mine.

The thing is.... its just awkward to do stuff. For instance in order to edit the sounds i want on slot B,C and D whilst in my host i have to stop the sequencer in order to edit the slot channel. So if i want to edit slot C midi channel 3 i have to stop Logic, light up slot C and do my edits then press on slot A midi channel 1 (Global Channel) again and hit play. Its a pain but it works.

If you don't press slot A and try editing other parts whilst the sequencer is running then you hear all 4 slots playing at once you have to make sure you hit the slot A button to get back to normal.. Its a pain but its the only way i found to work with these 2 Nord Lead 4's i have here. Not even sure if this helps you but the trick here is always go back to slot A after doing your tweaks..

The USB in slot mode has no midi out (see page 11) only Global Midi has in/out

I'll try and figure some more stuff out today i hope this helps a bit.. for me its about going back to slot A right after iv'e done my tweaks, if i don't then all the slots sound together.

Best

Rob

[DaveL]

Rob, I've cracked it - don't know why I found it so confusing but it works now.

I just set the channels differently. In program mode like you I have Slot A ch1, B ch2 etc.
Now from my DAW I can play, listen to or record multitimbrally by changing the DAWs transmit channel/track giving me a four part multitimbral synth as expected.

Then I set the Global channel to something different (I used 16 but any will do of course) and hey presto - if your DAW is transmitting on the Global channel in program mode now you can play the four parts individually by pressing the slot buttons one the Nord - you don't have have to change transmit channel/track in your sequencer.

The manual is really not clear about this, but it does indeed behave as promised in the manual - you CAN switch between sounds/layer sounds using the slot buttons alone, which in my case means playing with one hand and changing settings on the Nord with the other. That's what I was looking for.

In retrospect, I don't think it was me being a dummy.

In any case, there goes another couple of days from my life I'll never have back. I must remember to try and make some music in-between driving myself nuts with technical problems. That's why I love my guitar he he.

[rob_lee]

Good stuff mate i did it that way except i had forgot to set global midi channel to something other than 1

Have fun

Rob

[ian obrien]

hmm

[DaveL]

You too!
Something about the global channel thing but also the four parts with independent channels + crossover of performance and program mode just made that whole thing counter intuitive, when in fact it was simple. I've been using multitimbral synths since the early 90s, so either Nord's configuration is odd, or I'm just losing it. Who knows

[rob_lee]

Yeah i been doing this since 1987 but these are my first Nords. The basic sound is great but the Unison mode and FX are inferior to that on the Virus TI2 i have here. This synth could really have done with a Phaser FX if nothing else but i'm still getting some great sounds out of it. Gonna release a bank for this next month. I just wanted to make a bank full of EDM sounds for House/Trance/Techno as i never found many in the factory banks. So far i have 76 since last month, only got 23 to go
Will post audio demos soon with video.
glad you got it working.

Rob

[pablomastodon]

Hi All,

Not sure what happened here, but I wrote a long-winded explanation a few nights ago and for some unknown reason the post never appeared. I'll try to repeat it here...

Since the beginning of time Nord Leads and Nord Racks have behaved differently by design. On keyed versions of these synths individual slots are enabled/disabled by hitting the respective slot buttons. Nord apparently assumes that rack units will be mounted in some location remote to the user, somewhere out of arm's reach anyway, and for that reason designed the rack units to work slightly differently. Individual slots on rack units will always respond to incoming midi data on the respective midi channels to which they are assigned. Hitting slot buttons on the front panel of a rack unit will have no effect as to whether or not that respective slot responds to incoming midi data. The LED goes on and off, but that's all it does.

Pablo