DIGITAL audio over USB on Nord keyboards?

[cauldron]

The USB port is used for connecting the Nord Grand to a computer. The connection can be used for transferring MIDI, for OS updates and
for connecting to applications such as the Nord Sound Manager or Nord Sample Editor. These applications, and the latest OS version can
always be found for download at http://www.nordkeyboards.com.

Nord keyboards only have analog audio outputs. The USB digital port is used only as a class compliant MIDI, no class compliant audio to live process the sound in the digital domain.

Is there any hope that new OS can support this digital audio feature?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[wartaler]

Hi cauldron,
The Grand is about a year old now, they probably would have implemented this already if they wanted to and if it was possible. I know it took Elektron a couple of years to get 'Overbridge' working as intended (& advertised) and only recently added class compliant audio to their Digitone and Digitakt models, so you never know, but for some reason I don't think Nord will do something similar. Would be a nice surprise though!
Cheers,
Albert

[cauldron]

Hi Albert,
I understand that Nord products are used in live concerts for a critical mission. I appreciate this functional minimalism oriented towards the essential and maximum reliability.

A functionality similar to Elektron's Overbridge or much more simply 2 digital audio output channels through the USB Nord port could be very convenient without invalidating too much the Nord target and the reliability level. For example it might be interesting to use VSL MIR PRO reverberation engine.

Of course you can always use a good AD/DA converter to do this (RME ADI-2 PRO FS) but I was sorry to degrade such a crystal clear and fantastic sound like that of the Royal Grand 3D piano that I tried in a shop with headphones. I also tried some Yamaha and Kawai digital pianos but the level of symbiosis between the touch of the keyboard and the sound of the Nord is unsurpassed, really! Only the new Yamaha CLP-700 line with CFX piano (and binaural sampling) comes close. Kawai sounds are instead blurred.

We look forward with confidence.
Best regards,

[wartaler]

Yep, we'll see...
Albert

[maxpiano]

I would note bet on this, the architecture of Nord keyboards as we know it, based on the various discussions on this forum and analysis of the mainboards, where the DSPs output to the DAC directly while the USB is controlled by the general microprocessor probably prevents it = I don't think it could be implemented just as a SW (OS) change (my assumption), even if Nord wanted.

[dmamfmgm]

I think Max hit the nail on the head.

The DAC is located far away from the microprocessor which handles the USB port, both physically and logically on the Nord's main controller board. No way to get at the digital audio stream from where the USB is sitting.

I've even thought long and hard about picking up a used Nord (even a broken one) just so I could experiment with capturing the digital audio stream on it, but just like Kirsty was saying, the secondhand market has no great deals anywhere.

Of course if I do that, I'll post pics. That's kind of the point!

[anotherscott]

Of course you can always use a good AD/DA converter to do this (RME ADI-2 PRO FS) but I was sorry to degrade such a crystal clear and fantastic sound like that of the Royal Grand 3D piano that I tried in a shop with headphones.

How would having audio over USB make a difference here?

You're not degrading that Royal Grand sound as you heard it in the store by using the Nord's DAC at its quarter inch outputs... you're hearing it through the Nord's DAC when you listened through headphones, too.

If by chance you're comparing an instance of listening to the Royal Grand via headphones vs. listening to them through speakers, keep in mind that Royal Ground ia a binaural sample. By definition, they sound best through headphones, that's really the whole point of binaural recording.

Anyway, as others have said, to answer your exact question of "Is there any hope that new OS can support this," I doubt the feature can be added in software, it probably requires physical electronics/connections that don't exist in the board. Though even if by some chance it COULD be done, I still wouldn't hold out much hope.

[cphollis]

On my personal list of "what's important in a keyboard?" supporting digital audio over USB is very far down the list. Most of my playing is live. I only record once in a while these days, and it's usually in a studio with plenty of gear. Using a quality external audio interface is not a problem. And, BTW, the Nords sound great to my ears when recorded.

I'd be more interested if I was working a lot in a small/personal studio. One less piece of gear, and all that.

[analogika]

I'd be more interested if I was working a lot in a small/personal studio. One less piece of gear, and all that.

I suspect that the number of small/personal studios that would record a Nord directly but have no need at all for an audio interface to record anything else is very, very small.

In that case, the direct digital out of the Nord is in fact one EXTRA piece of gear that needs to be clocked and synced with my other interfaces — with no word clock in…

[anotherscott]

And really, as good as the Nord is, if you're in the studio, and you're fussy enough about sound to wish you could bypass the Nord's DAC, I think there's a good chance you'll want to use a VST for your piano anyway.