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Studiologic Numa Compact 2x


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The web site still says "Updatable factory and user sounds...with a dedicated application available within Fall 2018" but there has been no further announcement AFAIK.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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The web site still says "Updatable factory and user sounds...with a dedicated application available within Fall 2018" but there has been no further announcement AFAIK.

 

And right under that it says:

 

"Specifications are subject to change without notice."

 

The whole roll-out/support of this product feels like a giant "KickStarter" campaign.

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Sad, because most of us seasoned types wouldnt buy one until we saw support.

Im still using i7 4790ks on my stage PCs and might get a new AMD 3700X in late 2020 only after I see benchmarks and BIOS updates.

 

I like this little controller/Sample playback unit. But I aint buying till they start tryin...

Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic
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I just discovered that the NC2X has a more limited version of "patch remain" or "seamless switching" than the NC2 does, so there is a trade-off in going for the "better" model.

 

On the NC2, you can hold the keys down on a sound, and switch to another sound with the 8 main select buttons (which remember your most recently used sound in each category), and nothing will cut off (even through multiple transitions). That doesn't work on the NC2X.

 

Luckily, though, on a split, the NC2X still lets you choose a new RH sound without glitching the LH sound (even though any remaining sustain/trail of your first RH sound will cut off when you invoke the second).

 

Certain aspects are the same on both boards. Switching from one of your 100 presets to another will always cut off the earlier sound. Switching *within* a product category (different pianos, different EPs, etc.) will not cut off a previously played sound in the same category.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Wish my K4 had the sustain trick.

It will sustain the notes no problem, but I have to go back and send a note off when the chance arises.

Luckily the 4 Scenes makes rapid multi zone set ups a breeze.

 

But if you hit a nice Horn Swell and call up another Scene too quickly you just have to suck it up.

Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic
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Been following this thread for a while. Im currently using the Compact 2, mostly as a controller for Mainstage in conjunction with a Korg NanoKontrol. And 4-5x a month, use it for solo piano or country gigs. Looking at the 2x, I have a few questions that maybe some of you owners can answer pre-purchase:

 

Besides the drawbars, pitch and mod levers, how many buttons/knobs are sending MIDI? Meaning, could I ditch the NanoKontrol entirely ? Or is it the same as the Compact 2?

 

Can this be used as an audio interface, i.e. Mac > Numa > Direct box. I couldnt find any audio specs.

 

How are the drawbars? Not compared to a Hammond, of course, but say compared to using a NanoKontrol? They seem like the throw could be a little short.

 

Is the piano sound the same as the Compact 2 (which I can only describe as adequate, but it works ok)

 

Thanks in advance

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Been following this thread for a while. Im currently using the Compact 2, mostly as a controller for Mainstage in conjunction with a Korg NanoKontrol. And 4-5x a month, use it for solo piano or country gigs. Looking at the 2x, I have a few questions that maybe some of you owners can answer pre-purchase:

 

Besides the drawbars, pitch and mod levers, how many buttons/knobs are sending MIDI? Meaning, could I ditch the NanoKontrol entirely ? Or is it the same as the Compact 2?

 

Can this be used as an audio interface, i.e. Mac > Numa > Direct box. I couldnt find any audio specs.

 

How are the drawbars? Not compared to a Hammond, of course, but say compared to using a NanoKontrol? They seem like the throw could be a little short.

 

Is the piano sound the same as the Compact 2 (which I can only describe as adequate, but it works ok)

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

  • As far as I can figure out, that's it.
  • Yes, it can be used as an Audio Interface, but only outbound signals.
  • Drawbars are adequate. Not a lot of "finesse". More like Cold/Warm/Hot.

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Thanks for the reply. I'll probably get one anyway. For $700, I'm not expecting a Nord but it seems like a great keyboard for a lightweight MainStage controller, especially having better drawbars than using a NanoKontrol. A couple of followup questions:

 

That's too bad about the midi implementation. All those knobs and buttons not sending MIDI seems like a waste. Especially since my NanoKontrol currently fits perfectly in the space on the Compact 2 where the 2x drawbars are.

 

Regarding the audio interface, what I'd want to do is run a USB cable from my MacBook IN to the 2x and then take the Output from the 2x into an amp or DI. I'm not sure what you mean by "only output signals"

 

I may have to order a 2x from Guitar Center or somewhere just so I can try it out.

 

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Rhodes54, yes, you can plug in your Mac and it will output through the left and right outs, and/or the internal speakers. I havent tried it but the phone jack can be used as an auxiliary out.

 

For what its worth, I sold a waterfall 73 key electro 3 to get this and Im happier with this (as a controller). The nord is better at some things, better drawbars and more programmable midi. Hopefully Numa will add more midi control with a firmware update, but theres no guarantee.

 

But the electros in general (waterfall) are just not very good at controlling software acoustic pianos, and their internal pianos are notoriously difficult to amplify, although they seem to excell through larger house systems.

 

But as a controller, the Numa has a bunch of advantages. The keybed is pretty similar to the electro, although I think slightly lighter and less springy which I prefer. I also recommend the 12v battery back mentioned a few pages back. $33 and it will power the 2x for a long time (at least 15-20 hrs).

 

 

 

 

 

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I sold a waterfall 73 key electro 3 to get this and Im happier with this (as a controller). The nord is better at some things, better drawbars and more programmable midi.

I guess you mean that more of the Nord controls send MIDI... but unlike the Numa, you can't control what any of the controls send (all the mapping has to be done on the receiving side). The Numa is more versatile in what its nine siders send, and in the ability to split the board into two MIDI zones (including splitting/layering with the board's internal sounds), and in having pitch/mod controls, and aftertouch, and in being able to program in MIDI Program Changes and octave shifts and volume levels... so yeah, as a controller, it's a much stronger choice. If you wish for some more knobs to send MIDI, you can add something like a Korg NanoKontrol, you could velcro it to the top right of the Numa control surface.

 

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Yes, I meant the number of buttons/knobs that send midi, referring to using it connected directly to a computer. I did notice that the Numa drawbars did not respond to midi learn from my computer the way other controllers do...although Im no midi expert so maybe I did something wrong.

 

I was trying to make the point that the Numa compares pretty well overall to the nord electro 3, which is a more fair comparison than comparing it to a much more expensive electro 5 or 6. I was saying this because of several comments like, well, its a decent keyboard just dont expect a nord.

 

If you just compare internal sounds then the nord probably wins on organ, and has a slight edge on Rhodes and piano. I think the Numa Wurli is better and the Rhodes and piano arent really too far off. But as you said, comparing as a controller the Numa wins in so many ways.

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d directly to a computer. I did notice that the Numa drawbars did not respond to midi learn from my computer the way other controllers do...although Im no midi expert so maybe I did something wrong.

I believe you can program the Numa sliders to send out whatever MIDI CCs you want, and even a different set of CCs for every program. Which also means that, possibly, if you don't program them to send anything, they don't send anything. In which case MIDI learn wouldn't work because the sliders aren't sending MIDI until you tell them what MIDI you want them to send.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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I believe you can program the Numa sliders to send out whatever MIDI CCs you want, and even a different set of CCs for every program. Which also means that, possibly, if you don't program them to send anything, they don't send anything. In which case MIDI learn wouldn't work because the sliders aren't sending MIDI until you tell them what MIDI you want them to send.

So does this mean the the buttons and knobs might behave the same as the drawbars and pedals? Meaning those controllers don't send MIDI until you tell them what MIDI you want them to send?

 

I just sent this to studiologic's support in hopes of a definitive answer:

 

I'm trying to figure out the MIDI output specs of the Compact 2x for use as a MIDI controller. The manual is a little confusing on this point. I know the pedals and drawbars can transmit MIDI data to external instruments, but what about the remaining buttons and knobs? For example, the Sound Banks buttons, Encoder Knob, Split, Effects 1 and 2, Modulation and Percussion {in the organ section}) Can those be programmed to send MIDI?

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I believe you can program the Numa sliders to send out whatever MIDI CCs you want, and even a different set of CCs for every program. Which also means that, possibly, if you don't program them to send anything, they don't send anything. In which case MIDI learn wouldn't work because the sliders aren't sending MIDI until you tell them what MIDI you want them to send.

So does this mean the the buttons and knobs might behave the same as the drawbars and pedals? Meaning those controllers don't send MIDI until you tell them what MIDI you want them to send?

No. There are screens where you define what MIDI you want the sliders to send. There are no such screens for the buttons and knobs.

 

I know the pedals and drawbars can transmit MIDI data to external instruments, but what about the remaining buttons and knobs? For example, the Sound Banks buttons, Encoder Knob, Split, Effects 1 and 2, Modulation and Percussion {in the organ section}) Can those be programmed to send MIDI?

AFAIK, they don't send anything. And you can't define them to send anything.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Does anyone know what MIDI channel(s) and CC# the MIDI message is sent on the MIDI Out (DIN) when a volume/expression pedal is connected to Ped1? I am using my NC2X as a MIDI controller for a couple of E-Mu rack romplers, the B3 and Proteus 2000, and a Roland XV-5050. The Roland is responding to the volume/expression pedal changes but both of the E-Mu's are not. It must be a config setting on the E-Mu's, but I've tried everything I can think of.
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Quick update...

 

I updated my E-Mu Proteus 2000 operating system from v1.04 to the latest v.2.26. I did likewise with the E-Mu B3, all the way from v1.00 to v2.26. Now both units respond properly to CC11 expression pedal messages. That was it.

 

Lesson learned, make sure the OS/firmware is up-to-date before beating your head against a wall!!

 

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in with helpful advice and information.

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Another little update...

 

I've been using mine daily for quite some time now.

 

It's one of my main practice boards, as I try to get my chops up to a usable speed.

 

1) It can be used about anywhere. I have a big comfy chair. The Numa is all wired up nearby, and I grab it once in my chair, let it rest on my knees, and run up and down my scales and chords watching the news or whatever. It's a laptop keyboard for real!

 

2) Don't underestimate onboard speakers. Usually I have them off, and run through my HiFi, etc. But as I was learning the DM 12, I relegated the Numa 2x to my bathroom for a time. The speakers sounded great in there, and got louder than I expected. In any smaller room they are quite clear and just fine for practice. In the bathroom they are flat out awesome, which surprised me. The DM12 now has that spot with some small external speakers, and the Numa is back to snuggling my Hammond or withstanding more banging, either standing or in that big chair. Soft! Like the Russians!!

 

I'm working on it :)

 

If I was playing the organ alot, I would get one of the Leslie pedals. Obviously you want a expression pedal right away. But what I'm starting to miss most is my RT-3's 32 note pedal board. I've been doing Hanon excercises on that in my socks, inspired by Cameron Carpenter LOL. It's pretty fun. And looking at pedal boards available, it's either very small and limited or mucho $$$$.

 

Nobody has those Chinese making a nice portable 2+ octave MIDI pedalboard? That is surprising.....

 

Once you get used to hitting those chord tones on the pedals, either as accent, or to blend accross key changes on the manuals, it's pretty addicting.

 

 

RT-3/U-121/Leslie 21H and 760/Saltarelle Nuage/MOXF6/MIDIhub, 

SL-880/Nektar T4/Numa Cx2/Deepmind12/Virus TI 61/SL61 mk2

Stylophone R8/Behringer RD-8/Proteus 1/MP-7/Zynthian 4

MPC1k/JV1010/Unitor 8/Model D & 2600/WX-5&7/VL70m/DMP-18 Pedals

Natal drums/congas etc & misc bowed/plucked/blown instruments. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

First post on the updated MPN Forum!

 

I just picked up one of these used and I'm getting to learn how to use it.

 

I'm sorry if this has been asked before somewhere in the 21-page thread, but having gone through all menus I don't see a way to toggle rotary speed with a pedal. Is there something I am missing, or is this a functional shortcoming?

Nord Stage 2 Compact, Yamaha MODX8

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Another little update...

 

If I was playing the organ alot, I would get one of the Leslie pedals. Obviously you want a expression pedal right away. But what I'm starting to miss most is my RT-3's 32 note pedal board. I've been doing Hanon excercises on that in my socks, inspired by Cameron Carpenter LOL. It's pretty fun. And looking at pedal boards available, it's either very small and limited or mucho $$$$.

 

Nobody has those Chinese making a nice portable 2+ octave MIDI pedalboard? That is surprising.....

 

Once you get used to hitting those chord tones on the pedals, either as accent, or to blend accross key changes on the manuals, it's pretty addicting.

 

A side note here. I've noticed that when I have full independence of my left and right hands that there's some endorphin that kicks in and I feel kind of exhilirated. I talked to an organ player friend of mine and she said when you achieve independence of the left and right hands AS WELL AS of the pedals, that 'players high' makes you feel like you're flying, even more intensely than just playing keys!

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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First post on the updated MPN Forum!

 

I just picked up one of these used and I'm getting to learn how to use it.

 

I'm sorry if this has been asked before somewhere in the 21-page thread, but having gone through all menus I don't see a way to toggle rotary speed with a pedal. Is there something I am missing, or is this a functional shortcoming?

 

 

Actually this was something I also thought that I would be able to do as well when I first got mine. I bought the SPD-3 pedal hoping that would do the trick, but ...no go. It is a nicely constructed pedal but no ability to control on-board leslie speed, at least not yet. I ended up just buying a Boss RT-20 because I mostly just needed some more 'dirt' in the organ sound onstage, and the leslie tones & distortion are quite adjustable on that unit. I bought & tried a Lester K pedal earlier but something about the ramp up & ramp down times didn't quite work for me so I returned it..

----------------------------------------------------------

 

Gig: Yamaha MODX7, NumaX 73 Piano  Studio: Kawai ES-920; Hammond SK Pro 73; Yamaha Motif ES7 w/DX,VL,VH; Yamaha YC 73; Kawai MP-6; Numa Compact 2x

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I emailed the company about it this week and they confirmed that there is no way to toggle rotary speed by pedal. I asked them to please consider it if they are planning a firmware update as it seems feasible enough to implement it.

Nord Stage 2 Compact, Yamaha MODX8

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I emailed the company about it this week and they confirmed that there is no way to toggle rotary speed by pedal. I asked them to please consider it if they are planning a firmware update as it seems feasible enough to implement it.
Well, in the past week or so the 2X has moved from GAS, to "Huh?", to Deal Breaker. Bummer. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Left Footswitch Leslie Speed Toggler.

 

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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Correction to my earlier post...

 

I know the pedals and drawbars can transmit MIDI data to external instruments, but what about the remaining buttons and knobs? For example, the Sound Banks buttons, Encoder Knob, Split, Effects 1 and 2, Modulation and Percussion {in the organ section}) Can those be programmed to send MIDI?

AFAIK, they don't send anything. And you can't define them to send anything.

Whoops. wrong. You can't define them, but many/most of them DO send MIDI, so you could re-define them on the receiving end, if need be.

 

Actually this was something I also thought that I would be able to do as well...I ended up just buying a Boss RT-20 because I mostly just needed some more 'dirt' in the organ sound... I bought & tried a Lester K pedal earlier but something about the ramp up & ramp down times didn't quite work for me so I returned it..
the 2X has moved from GAS, to "Huh?", to Deal Breaker. Bummer. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Left Footswitch Leslie Speed Toggler.

I also like a footswitch for rotary, but the reason its absence doesn't bother me so much on the NC2X is that it's rotary/overdrive effect is so poor anyway. If you're going to "seriously" use the NC2X as an organ, I think you are likely going to want a Boss/Lester/Vent/whatever rotary pedal anyway, OR the other "fix" is to use the Numa to trigger an organ sound in a tablet/laptop... the Numa still provides the 9 sliders, and the software-based organs should let you use the sustain (or another) pedal to toggle rotary effect. To me, if organ is a small enough part of the gig that you can manage with the Numa's on-board Leslie sim, then it's also probably a small enough part of the gig that you can probably manage with the hand control. ;-)

 

I do wish the Numa let you pan sounds to one side or the other (even if it means disabling other fx) so you could put a rotary pedal on an organ sound even if you were splitting organ and something else over the 88 keys, so you wouldn't be limited to using the rotary pedal only when you were playing organ by itself.

 

 

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Now if the organ isnt that good and theres no further info on that flash memory, why would one still prefer a Numa Compact 2X to its predecessor?

The organ through a Vent or Lester K is well beyond what you can get out of the predecessor, both in sound and real-time control. There's also all the real-time synth control, and the MIDI-definable 9-slider control for addressing external sounds from laptop/tablet/iphone.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Another little update...

 

If I was playing the organ alot, I would get one of the Leslie pedals. Obviously you want a expression pedal right away. But what I'm starting to miss most is my RT-3's 32 note pedal board. I've been doing Hanon excercises on that in my socks, inspired by Cameron Carpenter LOL. It's pretty fun. And looking at pedal boards available, it's either very small and limited or mucho $$$$.

 

Nobody has those Chinese making a nice portable 2+ octave MIDI pedalboard? That is surprising.....

 

Once you get used to hitting those chord tones on the pedals, either as accent, or to blend accross key changes on the manuals, it's pretty addicting.

 

A side note here. I've noticed that when I have full independence of my left and right hands that there's some endorphin that kicks in and I feel kind of exhilirated. I talked to an organ player friend of mine and she said when you achieve independence of the left and right hands AS WELL AS of the pedals, that 'players high' makes you feel like you're flying, even more intensely than just playing keys!

 

Great post, thank you. That feeling has started to appear here and there for me, like some kind of awakening. I'm a lifelong athlete who at 62 is simply no longer capable of excellence in many of my lifetime pursuits, for example, skiing. Of course I can get down the hill, but the fire is gone. Trying to start it back up has become alot more risky. I've been a piano hacker all this time, banging out the American songbook and some simple blues progressions. I know I'll never be the player I might have been, but I believe I really can improve my skills dramatically this decade.

 

As you guys know, few things in life are more humbling than trying to be a decent keyboard player. The upside is actual improvements are very meaningful and rewarding. I feel very lucky to have great gear and so many good resources to help me charge this last windmill.

 

Regarding the leslie footswitch discussion above: the onboard leslie is finicky (I have 3 real leslies in the house now), but it can sound pretty good with some combinations, and you can get than signature "Slow down" feeling as you come in and out of the effect. I'd also note this is a switch: any switch can be moved. Since I aquired my RT3 I have a real soldering station and I watch lots of guys working on old amps on youtube. But as noted, it would be cheaper and probably superior to just use one of the great pedals available. Eventually I'm going to play my Numa thorugh a 760, but already I'm using it with a "Roundsound Machine" over my shoulder as part of the hifi speakers it usually uses now (iloud are also good). I made a footswitch for that. But it's the single rotor styrofoam type, so it does not "sound like a leslie" either, though it's interesting. The onboard leslie effect is actually better, if well tweaked.

 

What I find a bit more annoying is the vibrato/chorus setup. Unlike a real organ there is no simple on/off, so you have to toggle through the options to shut it off (correct me if there is a secret way) You do get artifacts as you change the setting.

 

To improve the CX2 as an organ, the first thing I would do is have working on/off for both vibrato and percussion, independant of their settings, like the real thing. The soul of the Hammond is how many ways you can play one riff. On my RT3 I turn vibrato on and off all the time. On the numa I just leave it off because I feel stuck there if it's on, there is no simple way out, unless you are on the last option, which requires multiple button hits to get to in the first place.

 

It's a nitpick, but I do notice it all the time.

 

 

 

RT-3/U-121/Leslie 21H and 760/Saltarelle Nuage/MOXF6/MIDIhub, 

SL-880/Nektar T4/Numa Cx2/Deepmind12/Virus TI 61/SL61 mk2

Stylophone R8/Behringer RD-8/Proteus 1/MP-7/Zynthian 4

MPC1k/JV1010/Unitor 8/Model D & 2600/WX-5&7/VL70m/DMP-18 Pedals

Natal drums/congas etc & misc bowed/plucked/blown instruments. 

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