NORD STAGE 4 officially announced for February 16th 2023

[sebi_f]

It won’t be the end of Clavia to put the entire external section in a menu. I could live with that.
We could set the external section, set morph, etc. all within a menu.

It’s exactly what I mean !

Okay, assuming that Clavia completely changes their entire approach to interface design, breaking the basic concept of how the Stage works:

How would you suggest they build this menu on this current machine, as a separate entity from the synth, but using the existing interface elements?

Given that there are a total of THREE assignable dials for parameter selection, and NO "Enter" button or other way to confirm selection or switch hierarchies?

Also, keep in mind that there is already a hardware switch to toggle between "Synth", "Sample", and "Extern" modes.

It's certainly not going to happen on any Stage 4 or 4EX machine.

On my old Kawai MP5 (15 years old stage piano other price class than Nord Stage series) I have 4 Zones. For each zone I can choose "intern", "extern" or "both". This gives more flexibility - sometimes you want just to layer internal with external sounds and sometimes you want to use different zones on the keyboard for different sounds.

For the third functionality "both" their is no need for a change of the physical interfaces at the stage 4. Just light up the LED for the modes "Samples" or "Analog" with the "extern" in parallel. Finding a way for the MIDI configuration in this "both"-mode can't be rocket science.

[brane]

Send MIDI Programm Change & External Synths

In addition to the Nord Stage, I use two other synths (Korg) live.
I just need a Send MIDI Programm Change from “Nord Stage 4” to 2 Korg Synths for each song.
Is this possible (maybe via Global MIDI sent) without losing the activity of the 2 (from 3) "Nord Stage 4"s internal synths?

[FZiegler]

Which of the Nord Stage are you talking about? Your 3 or the 4 the thread is about? The Stage 4 has 3 synth engines, but if you want to send PC, you'll loose one of them. So, you'll keep 2 synth layers.

[brane]

Which of the Nord Stage are you talking about? Your 3 or the 4 the thread is about? The Stage 4 has 3 synth engines, but if you want to send PC, you'll loose one of them. So, you'll keep 2 synth layers.

I have “Stage 3” and I am satisfied with the extern section.
For the "Stage 4" extern section, it is clear to me that sending all the midi information to control the external synths is demanding.
But to send only MIDI Program Change information and therefore remain without an internal synth seems unacceptable to me (I just need a Send MIDI Programm Change from “Nord Stage 4” to 2 Korg Synths for each song).
So I thought that I missed something or that it might be possible to work around it with the MIDI Global function... ?

[anotherscott]

I just need a Send MIDI Programm Change from “Nord Stage 4” to 2 Korg Synths for each song

Some possible solutions that might work:

1. If ALL you need to do is send Program Changes (i.e. you are not actually using the Nord keys to play notes on the two external devices), then you can put the two external devices on the same MIDI channel, and re-order the patches on one of them, so that when you send, for example, Program Change 5, it brings up the sound that you need for that song on both the first and second attached devices. Physically, just as you'd typically do to put two external devices on an NS3, use the THRU function on one of those external devices (or an external Thru box) to logically connect both devices' MIDI IN jacks to the Nord.

2. Another approach could be to have your two use the first device's MIDI OUT instead of its MIDI THRU to connect the second device, and program the first device so that, when it received the desired Program Change from your Nord, that Program Change invokes a program on that first external device which, in turn sends the Program Change needed to your second attached device (this assumes your first external device is capable of storing user presets which, in turn, include sendable Program Changes for attached external devices).

3. Another approach would be to go back to using the first device's MIDI THRU, but this time put the two external devices on different MIDI channels ( as you would typically have done when attaching the two devices to to the NS3), and use two of the Nord's Program Locations... invoke one program that sends the first desired Program Change, and place that Program side-by-side with a second Nord Program that has the second desired Program Change (and all the other Nord sounds you want to use). If you use the Num Pad navigation mode, you wouldn't actually even have to put them side by side, they would simply have to be located within the same bank of 11 through 88. (Also, although I'm not sure based on the manual, it's also possible that you wouldn't have to actually use another Program for this, you might be able to just invoke another Synth Preset.)

4.Use the Extern function to attach to an interim MIDI routing device, which in turn connects to your 2 (or more) external devices (this would give you independent key routing to the external devices, as well). That interim device could be an iPhone/iPad or I think a standalone box like the Sipario or Conductive Labs pieces.

https://www.lab4music.it/siparioX.php?lang=EN

https://conductivelabs.com/

[analogika]

On my old Kawai MP5 (15 years old stage piano other price class than Nord Stage series) I have 4 Zones. For each zone I can choose "intern", "extern" or "both". This gives more flexibility - sometimes you want just to layer internal with external sounds and sometimes you want to use different zones on the keyboard for different sounds.

For the third functionality "both" their is no need for a change of the physical interfaces at the stage 4. Just light up the LED for the modes "Samples" or "Analog" with the "extern" in parallel. Finding a way for the MIDI configuration in this "both"-mode can't be rocket science.

I suppose just cycling through the button modes “synth” - “sample” - “extern” - “synth + extern” - “sample + extern” should be easy.

I’m sure somebody would complain then that you can’t assign separate split regions, but for layered sounds, that should suffice.

[brane]

I just need a Send MIDI Programm Change from “Nord Stage 4” to 2 Korg Synths for each song

Some possible solutions that might work:

1. If ALL you need to do is send Program Changes (i.e. you are not actually using the Nord keys to play notes on the two external devices), then you can put the two external devices on the same MIDI channel, and re-order the patches on one of them, so that when you send, for example, Program Change 5, it brings up the sound that you need for that song on both the first and second attached devices. Physically, just as you'd typically do to put two external devices on an NS3, use the THRU function on one of those external devices (or an external Thru box) to logically connect both devices' MIDI IN jacks to the Nord.
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Tnx, Solution 1 looks fine, i have MIDI Thru Box ... ,
but I guess I still have to sacrifice 1 of the 3 NS4 synths or not?
Where does the MIDI Program Change "come" from then - maybe NS4 sends it “globally” every time the program changes to the MIDI output (without turning on extern mode on one of the 3 NS4 synths)?

[Qagan]

On my old Kawai MP5 (15 years old stage piano other price class than Nord Stage series) I have 4 Zones. For each zone I can choose "intern", "extern" or "both". This gives more flexibility - sometimes you want just to layer internal with external sounds and sometimes you want to use different zones on the keyboard for different sounds.

For the third functionality "both" their is no need for a change of the physical interfaces at the stage 4. Just light up the LED for the modes "Samples" or "Analog" with the "extern" in parallel. Finding a way for the MIDI configuration in this "both"-mode can't be rocket science.

I suppose just cycling through the button modes “synth” - “sample” - “extern” - “synth + extern” - “sample + extern” should be easy.

I’m sure somebody would complain then that you can’t assign separate split regions, but for layered sounds, that should suffice.

This would be super simple solution, which would satisfy most. It really leaves a sour taste that nord always decides to take away some sort of functionality. I really hope they read this and implement it.

[analogika]

Which of the Nord Stage are you talking about? Your 3 or the 4 the thread is about? The Stage 4 has 3 synth engines, but if you want to send PC, you'll loose one of them. So, you'll keep 2 synth layers.

I have “Stage 3” and I am satisfied with the extern section.
For the "Stage 4" extern section, it is clear to me that sending all the midi information to control the external synths is demanding.
But to send only MIDI Program Change information and therefore remain without an internal synth seems unacceptable to me (I just need a Send MIDI Programm Change from “Nord Stage 4” to 2 Korg Synths for each song).
So I thought that I missed something or that it might be possible to work around it with the MIDI Global function... ?

I also use the NS3 to send program change information to my NW2. However, sometimes I need to play the sounds of the NW2 from the NS3, and sometimes I need to only play the NW2 from its own keyboard. The NS3 Extern section allows this, as it is easy to turn zones off or on to accomplish this. It appears that the NS4 Extern feature may not be this flexible, plus losing a Synth layer puts me right back at 2Piano, 2Organ and 2Synth which I already have. It would have been ideal for me for the NS4 to have the Extern outs in the Piano and Organ sections instead, as I never use 2 of them.

-dj

[alcools]

It would have been ideal for me for the NS4 to have the Extern outs in the Piano and Organ sections instead, as I never use 2 of them.
-dj

I agree with that ! But it’s not logic in use, and will never be accept for an update.

And for those who think that they could use the Global midi chanel to control other gears (on the NS4 keyboard), they are some issues :
- No zone (but you can use the zone of the piano 2 or organ 2)
- You could not you the Global transpose function like this
- NS4 controlers send midi CC. If one of the other gears respond to this cc, it will be a problem.
- You could not use the a morph group to control a cc on the external gear.