Nord User Forum

I thought I’d open a (I think) never discussed topic which I think is long overdue...

Since more and more smartphones, laptops and many other electronic products switch to USB-C, I consider Nord has to think about this possibility and get onboard of future-proofing their connection ports...
I’m sure many people use either MacBooks (with USB-C, like me) or smartphones and need to buy various adapters, dongles etc...
It was (and is) a serious headache to get a proper USB-C to USB-B cable, and the good ones don’t exceed the 2m-mark...

I’d love to see USB-C in future Nord products, since it opens lots of possibilities like faster transmission speeds or easier connection...



What do you think?

The USB B is still a very common and standard device connector... even most printers still use this.

The USB C is designed for small devices, fitting what used to be a meaty connector into something compact that can be inserted either way round. This has developed out of a need to make components in smartphones/portable laptops smaller and flatter (this is important stuff in the design priorities of such devices) but when it comes to a Nord keyboard.... well its still a pretty big thing so the need to save space isnt really there and Nord are probably happy just to give a standard/common connector as a way to connect it up.

The square USB B connector is pretty strong and sturdy when inserted. A tiny USB C Stuck out I would be worried about snapping it off or bending it when reaching and fumbling around the back. Ruggedness is probably an important thought for Nord if you think of everything else that is plugged into the back.. all the other connections are pretty meaty.

I get why you are asking the question given modernisation of general connectivity in devices but I think they will stick with what they have for now.

K

Right now, there is no point in faster speeds, because the Flash memory in the machine doesn’t go any faster anyways.

And MIDI support sure as hell doesn’t require it.

I’m not voting in your poll because "obviously it’s going to happen at some point, but there is absolutely no urgency here" is not an option.

Analogika, are you sure that assertion is correct? (Flash memory speed is the limiting factor, not USB?). Whenever I connect the NS2 to USB, it is reported as USB1.1 which has a limit of 12Mbit/s.

Mr_-G- wrote:Analogika, are you sure that assertion is correct? (Flash memory speed is the limiting factor, not USB?). Whenever I connect the NS2 to USB, it is reported as USB1.1 which has a limit of 12Mbit/s.

I'm pretty sure writing to NOR flash is even slower than that.

Mr_-G- wrote:Analogika, are you sure that assertion is correct? (Flash memory speed is the limiting factor, not USB?). Whenever I connect the NS2 to USB, it is reported as USB1.1 which has a limit of 12Mbit/s.

AFAIK, writing to NOR Flash is about half that.

kirsty wrote: The square USB B connector is pretty strong and sturdy when inserted. A tiny USB C Stuck out I would be worried about snapping it off or bending it when reaching and fumbling around the back. Ruggedness is probably an important thought for Nord if you think of everything else that is plugged into the back.. all the other connections are pretty meaty.
K

Well, you’re right - USB-B is pretty much undestroyable, that’s a good point.

analogika wrote:Right now, there is no point in faster speeds, because the Flash memory in the machine doesn’t go any faster anyways.

And MIDI support sure as hell doesn’t require it.

Is the Storage in Nord keyboards really THAT slow??
I mean nowadays there are really no harddrives that are slower than USB 2.0 and 1.1 ...

MartinJ2EX wrote:Is the Storage in Nord keyboards really THAT slow??
I mean nowadays there are really no harddrives that are slower than USB 2.0 and 1.1 ...

It's not a hard drive. It's a special kind of flash that behaves as if it were memory (RAM) rather than behaving like storage (hard drives, USB flash drives, etc.). It is extremely fast for read operations, but it is very slow for write operations. That's simply how that technology works.

A faster connection won't help anyone until the tech industry comes up with a faster version of NOR flash.

Now, being able to use Bluetooth to manage my board without a cable, well -- that's interesting.

I will echo the statements by others that USB C connector would not be as robust.

I did not respond to the poll, because I would want another choice added, something like "I actively oppose the idea of Nord using a USB C connector in a future product". That would get my vote.