Preset/Program change HELP <<<<<<

[vinicius]

Hey guys,
I just got a nord lead 3 and I am trying to assign multiple programs/presets to different tracks on my DAW ( Studio one ) and be able to edit the settings on my hardware in real time.

Using program change/bank i managed to choose multiple presets routing each of them to different tracks on my timeline , I must assign a midi channel to each track in order to get a different sound to work on each track.

My problem now is that only the preset that is on midi channel 1 is active and responsive in real time on my hardware Nord rack, I change the program on my daw and it changes in real time on the nord hardware, I rotate a knob and i hear the result live, for the other tracks now with other midi channels assigned it only gives me the sound of the preset but the settings/patch doesn't update on my nord therefore i can't edit any setting, all i wanted was to choose a track and i have its settings updated in real time on my NORD just like it happens on preset mapped to midi channel 1.

I really hope you guys can help me, I have no clue how to make this to work. I might end up selling my nord.

Should i try to create a interface using CTRLR and use VST instances on each track ? will that work ?
Thank you !!!
v.

[Marlowes]

Hej Vinicious!

Thanks for the PM, but I have no idea I want to promote ... Sorry! I'm deep, deep into NLA1 now ...

If I was in a tight spot with a NL3 I would contact Ricard (on this forum). He's one of the best; a true engineer, lives in Skåne, we attended the same school.

Good luck!

/Vänligen
Michael i Skåne

[pablomastodon]

Hi Vinicius,

What settings are you using in the Midi Menu? You probably have something amiss there? Where are you located? Do I understand correctly that you have a Nord RACK 3 and not a keyed Nord Lead 3?

No need for extreme measures such as CTRLR, etc. You should have no problems feeding four independent channels on the Nord from your DAW and having each respond independently to any midi command you send it -- IF you have your midi settings correct. Please post the values you are currently using.

Note that the NL3/NR3 has a max of four independent voices, Slots A-D. Note also that there is a software editor program for the NL3 available for download from the Nord website.

Bless,

Pablo

[vinicius]

hi pablo,
I have a nord lead 3 rack.

my final goal is to be able to create a session on my DAW and keep it editable as much as possible. I use Studio one and on the tool inspector i can easily choose a program change number and bank number, it works great, i set the program number, bank and put midi channel to 1, nord responds in real time and changes patches in real time, I rotate a knob and i see on screen it taking effect, when i create a new track I no longer can use midi 1, so if i use midi channel 2 i select a program and bank and them i hear the new sound perfectly however my nord is still showing the song from midi channel 1. i`d like to be able to play with the knobs for all sounds i load, that is the fun part !

going back to your email now... you say nord can only play 4 programs at once, this is bad for edibility no? I was hoping to write full tracks and have them all in midi. if that is the case how do you write songs ? you record midi and them you transform into a audio file and loose your settings when you close the software? how do you save a snapshot of a sound setting you created particularly for a part in a song if you can't have lots of midi patches running ?

I do noticed that on my nord i have to change my midi panel to receive and send program change and i have to set up my midi global channel to off or put it on midi 16, i don't know, i noticed that if i leave on channel 1 it doesn't let me assign the programs per track properly as i described before, maybe there is something there that is not right.

i have never used CTRLR , but i would love to have more than 4 tracks of sound in midi or at least find a workflow that would let me store my programs per track, the NL3 software is easy to use but it simply allows me to save and load patches to my nord, it doesn't let me edit a patch and customize it or route a midi signal. what do you mean by "post the values you are currently using"

thanks so much for trying to help, I am the only person here using external synths and unfortunately i have no one to ask for help.
v.

[pablomastodon]

Hi V,

The Nord Lead 3 is a four-part synth. You may have encountered other synths which can run 16 parts all at once on 16 different midi channels. The NL3 will not do this. Up to four parts at once, max.

How do I write songs? I use more than one instrument and do not try to make one instrument perform all voices simultaneously. Even on synths which can run 16 tracks at once, they usually have a max of 4-6 audio outputs and I want those audio signals to be separate at the mixer for different EQ and effects, etc.

The Global Channel on your NL3 is intended to be used for global functions. For example, changing performances when in Performance Mode. If I understand correctly what it is you wish to do, your ideal setup will be to set the four slots, A, B, C and D, to four different channels, and record your midi tracks to those four channels. You will find that each individual channel will respond to controller movements as expected when you do this, and when you have the Global Channel set to something other than one of the four channels you are using for individual slots.

Note that there is nothing preventing you from "printing" the audio of any midi track for temp backing purposes while you develop other tracks on other midi channels, then printing those newer tracks to audio if/when you wish to return to the first set of tracks for more midi tweaking.

Any self-respecting DAW should have the ability to accept sysex dumps and Studio One should be no exception. Consult your DAW documentation for how to do this. Consult the NL3 documentation for direction on transmitting program dumps.

by "post the values you are currently using" I mean that it would make it easier for the rest of the forum members to assist you if we know what settings you are currently using, in this case in the Midi Menu. What is the setting for Slot A? B? Global? etc... We cannot know where you are going wrong if we don't know what settings you are now using...

Bless,

Pablo

[RedLeo]

My problem now is that only the preset that is on midi channel 1 is active and responsive in real time on my hardware Nord rack, I change the program on my daw and it changes in real time on the nord hardware, I rotate a knob and i hear the result live, for the other tracks now with other midi channels assigned it only gives me the sound of the preset but the settings/patch doesn't update on my nord therefore i can't edit any setting, all i wanted was to choose a track and i have its settings updated in real time on my NORD just like it happens on preset mapped to midi channel 1.

As far as I can see from the manual (I don't actually own a Lead 3), you just press one of the 4 Slot buttons A B C or D to select whichever sound you want to edit from the front panel.

[pablomastodon]

I suspect that Vinicius, the OP, is trying to scroll through programs from computer screen via DAW. This will work just fine, but only on the channel being transmitted by the DAW. If you have slots A-D set to channels 1-4, then sending program change messages on channel 1 will affect slot A only, etc. (assuming that Global is set to something other than 1-4). If you wish to scroll slot A until you find a sound you like, then switch to slot B to do the same thing there, you'll need to switch to channel 2 in your DAW. Best practice will be to create four tracks in the DAW which are also set to channels 1-4. Then switching from track to track in your DAW should be switching from slot to slot accordingly.

Note that the RACK behaves slightly differently than the KEY versions. On the keyed instrument, pressing slot buttons is the method used to select/deselect slots for purposes of audio transmission. Not so on the rack, where slots will always respond to data received on the midi channels to which they are respectively set, regardless of whether the slot LED is lit or not.

Pablo

[RedLeo]

@pablomastodon

I must have misunderstood what he was trying to say. I thought that he wanted to be able to edit each or any of the 4 sounds he was using from the front panel, and couldn't figure out how to "assign" the front panel controls to each of the different sounds.

[vinicius]

Thanks so much !

i checked the 4 slops and it works, i get real live update in sync with the midi channel in Studio One.
Thanks for the help !

I wonder now, since nord rack 3 only gives me 4 sounds to be recorded as midi on my daw, how do you guys usually work ? what is the most efficient way to record a synth ? I can record straight as audio but i like the flexibility that midi gives me, If i only have 4 slots 4 programs, how would i save a project in case I use lets say 7,8 synth sounds ? is there a way to do a snapshot save of the settings on the nord rack hardware somehow somewhere ?? should i record midi and when i am happy i record it again to audio to free up the 4 slops for new midi patches ?? what is the best workflow for recording external synth and perhaps most flexible ??

thanks again !!
v.

[RedLeo]

The most flexible way would be to add another synth or two so that you have enough live synth sounds to play your whole track while keeping it all in MIDI.

But with "only" 4 synth sounds to work with, you would have to do it as Pablo suggested, freezing some tracks to audio to free up your synth for more sounds.

However, you can, as suggested, save your sounds to be used again in case you want to go back and alter them later. You can actually save your synth sounds into some extra MIDI tracks of your DAW, so that all your sounds are kept together with your music, which is a very convenient way of organising things - you'll never have to remember which sounds go with which song or track.