Nord User Forum

I finally got my Electro 2 working with my DAW and soft synths, but I noticed that when I press the Octave Shift on the E2, it does not work with the soft synths or DAW.

Is this something I need to set up in MIDI preferences specifically, or is this just not a sendable MIDI message?

(sorry, I'm not much of MIDI expert!)

Hi Citizen, there is no MIDI CC connected to Octave Shift (neither on the NE2 nor in general in the MIDI standard) because it is a setting of the receiving part i.e. in your case of NE2 internal sound engine, not of the NE2 as a MIDI keyboard (which will always send the "real" notes numbers).

So, following the same principle also for Softsynths/DAW, it is on them that you have to set any octave shift you may need.

maxpiano wrote:So, following the same principle also for Softsynths/DAW, it is on them that you have to set any octave shift you may need.

Thanks for clarifying mate. That was my hunch.

It's not that big of a deal to change it in my DAW/soft synth – but obviously if I could do it from my Nord Electro, that would have been much preferable.

Thanks for answering my question!

maxpiano wrote:Hi Citizen, there is no MIDI CC connected to Octave Shift (neither on the NE2 nor in general in the MIDI standard) because it is a setting of the receiving part i.e. in your case of NE2 internal sound engine, not of the NE2 as a MIDI keyboard (which will always send the "real" notes numbers).

Some boards work differently, where hitting an octave shift button will also change the MIDI. Not by sending any kind of "octave command" (which as you point out is not part of the MIDI standard), but by shifting the individual note numbers as they are transmitted (i.e. the Octave Up button will result in the keyboard adding 12 to each "note number" it subsequently sends out).

I thought I'd seen master keyboards with +/- octave shift buttons. That's probably how it works.

BTW On my Stage 3, I've got octave shift as CC: CC12 for the organ, CC35 for the piano and 44 for the synth engines. Not for the Extern section, though. Plus a setting to decide if you want Transpose to be transmitted/applied, too.

The Electro 6 now has those octave shift CCs, too.

I see the same behavior in my Electro 3 (pressing Octave + or - does not change the octave of notes heard from an external sound module which is MIDI connected to my Electro 3).

anotherscott wrote:

maxpiano wrote:Hi Citizen, there is no MIDI CC connected to Octave Shift (neither on the NE2 nor in general in the MIDI standard) because it is a setting of the receiving part i.e. in your case of NE2 internal sound engine, not of the NE2 as a MIDI keyboard (which will always send the "real" notes numbers).

Some boards work differently, where hitting an octave shift button will also change the MIDI. Not by sending any kind of "octave command" (which as you point out is not part of the MIDI standard), but by shifting the individual note numbers as they are transmitted (i.e. the Octave Up button will result in the keyboard adding 12 to each "note number" it subsequently sends out).

Sure, master keyboards/workstations are a different ball game, but I was focusing on the OP case and Nord keyboards in general, even if some recent models now associate a CC to that function (but still not standard). Nord Stage Extern Section is the exception, because it is the "master keyboard" part of it

maxpiano wrote:

anotherscott wrote:

maxpiano wrote:Hi Citizen, there is no MIDI CC connected to Octave Shift (neither on the NE2 nor in general in the MIDI standard) because it is a setting of the receiving part i.e. in your case of NE2 internal sound engine, not of the NE2 as a MIDI keyboard (which will always send the "real" notes numbers).

Some boards work differently, where hitting an octave shift button will also change the MIDI. Not by sending any kind of "octave command" (which as you point out is not part of the MIDI standard), but by shifting the individual note numbers as they are transmitted (i.e. the Octave Up button will result in the keyboard adding 12 to each "note number" it subsequently sends out).

Sure, master keyboards/workstations are a different ball game, but I was focusing on the OP case and Nord keyboards in general, even if some recent models now associate a CC to that function (but still not standard). Nord Stage Extern Section is the exception, because it is the "master keyboard" part of it

Everything was right with your first post, maxpiano. I just wanted to point out, that the Nords (NS3, NE6) _now_ seem to have it. I didn't test it, just took it from the MIDI specs. Interestingly not for the NS3 Extern section, only for the internal engines - but this is in conjunction with the buttons as there is none for the extern section either.

FZiegler wrote: Everything was right with your first post, maxpiano. I just wanted to point out, that the Nords (NS3, NE6) _now_ seem to have it. I didn't test it, just took it from the MIDI specs. Interestingly not for the NS3 Extern section, only for the internal engines - but this is in conjunction with the buttons as there is none for the extern section either.

Sure FZiegler, I just wanted to clarify that I was not making a generalized point and what you reported for NE6/NS3 is very interesting too, can be very useful when using VSTi (you just need to map those CCs properly so that the VSTi will "follow" a certain section octave)

In any case, ctrl-A and down(or up)-arrow 12 times isn't too much of a hassle. I have it on muscle memory