Nord Electro 2 question

[Clifton]

My thinking is once I can afford this S90ES that you all know I keep going on about (which should be in about a month), something to cover organ would be next on my list.

 

The NE73 looks a winner, but I have to ask, how multitimbral is the thing? It features a 'MIDI Split' mode for organ, but does that apply to the piano sounds also?

I'm thinking trigger the Electro's rhodes/wurli sound from the s90es while having an organ or a clav on the Electro itself. Possible?

[Flexby]

Clifton, that is not possible. You can only select one instrument. Only the Nord Stage (Compact) would allow you to do that (6 different instruments max. panel A 3x and panel B 3x)

 

Flexby

[Dave Pierce]

It's not multitimbral at all. If you want to play organ at the same time as clav or EP, you'll have to use the clav or EP patch from your S90es.

 

This is occasionally a drawback for me, but I love my Electro anyway.

 

--Dave

 

[Clifton]

Curses! Lol. I had a feeling only the Stage would be capable of such craziness.

 

But then again, not a huge drawback, as you do say Dave, the s90es can cover the extra bases if I've got the B3 happening on the NE2.

 

Another quick question, how competent is it as a MIDI controller? Could I trigger the s90es's strings/synths/etc. from the Electro? With splits, perhaps? (I doubt if I'd ever, but just asking)

 

Thanks lads.

[RABid]

I'm considering a NE2 61 for just organ. Your S90ES is probably better for everything else. The ep's on the Nord are nice but I would not want to play them from that keyboard. The S90ES should do fine for ep.

[eric]

I have been using an S90 + Nord Electro 61 for 4+ years and have never once needed the Electro to be multitimbral in this setup. I even bought a Stage Compact for a few months and found that it was overkill.

[Trill]

I am pretty close to the S90+Electro setup. I use a P200 with a Motif Rack and Electro 73. A very servicable rig

[Tonysounds]

The Electro is the barest of bones as a midi controller. Note on note off practically. Basically, like any other keyboard, where midi is an afterthought: you can determine Midi Channel Transmit and Receive. That's about it.

[Clifton]

I'm considering a NE2 61 for just organ. Your S90ES is probably better for everything else. The ep's on the Nord are nice but I would not want to play them from that keyboard. The S90ES should do fine for ep.

 

Just to clarify, I'm asking whether I could trigger the Nords EPs from the S90ES. I wouldn't want to use the waterfall action for EPs.

 

That's not to say I wouldn't use the S90ES's EPs at all, but it'd be nice to be able to use either on the S90ES's weighted action.

 

The Electro is the barest of bones as a midi controller. Note on note off practically. Basically, like any other keyboard, where midi is an afterthought: you can determine Midi Channel Transmit and Receive. That's about it.

 

Well, being able to choose the MIDI channel is all I'd really need (I think). So it can MIDI out to a specific channel? Would it send CC/sustain/switch pedal info, or just notes?

[kanker.]

Just do what I did - get a great weighted keyboard (Kawai CA-X) to control a Nord Electro Rack for Pianos and EP's, and an Electro 73 for organ and clav. Spank-a-lanka baby.

[The Captain]

So it can MIDI out to a specific channel?

 

>> No. Everything is global. If you want something more, consider one of those MIDI message mappers. I know some of the guys here use them, I used an old Yamaha MEP4 for that.

Based on a patch change, I can send to a different midi channel and map messages.

 

 

Would it send CC/sustain/switch pedal info, or just notes?

 

>> It does send/recieve CC/sustain/switch info.

For example, I had some of the knobs on the electro controlling the filter on a rack moog module. I needed the MEP4 to compensate the Midi controller numbers.

 

One feature I like is the sustain doubles as an organ leslie switch in organ mode. And the volume pedal doubles as a wah pedal on the clav.

 

Very cool...

[Clifton]

Just do what I did - get a great weighted keyboard (Kawai CA-X) to control a Nord Electro Rack for Pianos and EP's, and an Electro 73 for organ and clav. Spank-a-lanka baby.

 

I'm not sure there's THAT much room in the budget to justify buying both the Rack & Keyboard Electros. Might as well buy a Stage for that money.

[Clifton]

Correction, I couldn't buy a Stage for that money. I could buy a C1 Organ, however. Which isn't an unattractive option...

[eric]

Just to clarify, I'm asking whether I could trigger the Nords EPs from the S90ES. I wouldn't want to use the waterfall action for EPs.

 

That's not to say I wouldn't use the S90ES's EPs at all, but it'd be nice to be able to use either on the S90ES's weighted action.

 

Well, being able to choose the MIDI channel is all I'd really need (I think). So it can MIDI out to a specific channel? Would it send CC/sustain/switch pedal info, or just notes?

 

Yes to both of these questions. You can most certainly use the S90ES as a great controller for Electro EP sounds. Search for some of my prior posts to see some of the more esoteric controller setups I've done with my S90 and Electro. You can zone the sounds, layer them with other S90 sounds, use the sliders to control Electro parameters, patch changes, etc.

 

As for using the Electro as a MIDI controller, you can select the MIDI out channel from the Electro. You just cannot split and send more than one MIDI channel at once from the Electro. All the pedal/CC stuff is transmitted.

[Clifton]

So it can MIDI out to a specific channel?

 

>> No. Everything is global. If you want something more, consider one of those MIDI message mappers. I know some of the guys here use them, I used an old Yamaha MEP4 for that.

Based on a patch change, I can send to a different midi channel and map messages.

 

 

Would it send CC/sustain/switch pedal info, or just notes?

 

>> It does send/recieve CC/sustain/switch info.

For example, I had some of the knobs on the electro controlling the filter on a rack moog module. I needed the MEP4 to compensate the Midi controller numbers.

 

One feature I like is the sustain doubles as an organ leslie switch in organ mode. And the volume pedal doubles as a wah pedal on the clav.

 

Very cool...

 

Thanks for the info, Cap. Forgive my MIDI ineptness, but when you say global, does that mean if I have it MIDIed to the S90ES, and I have a setup that has a piano in one zone and a synth sound I want the electro to trigger in another zone, will it trigger both zones? Or does it just mean it can only ever send to MIDI Channel 1?

 

I'll consider one of those MIDI mappers you mentioned if not.

[The Captain]

Nord will send to channel 1, your S90es will recieve that process it.

 

As long as the synth sound on the S90es zone is on channel 1, it will work.

 

You will have to "sacrifice" a preset on the nord.

You have to modify the preset so the nord internal volume is ZERO.

(otherwise you get Nord sound + yama sound).

 

 

[eric]

Nord will send to channel 1, your S90es will recieve that process it.

 

As long as the synth sound on the S90es zone is on channel 1, it will work.

 

You will have to "sacrifice" a preset on the nord.

You have to modify the preset so the nord internal volume is ZERO.

(otherwise you get Nord sound + yama sound).

 

 

Nord can send on MIDI channels 1-16. It is not stuck on just channel 1. You can set the MIDI channel.

 

Not relevant to the controller aspect, but the Electro's organ can receive on 2 separate channels for upper and lower manuals.

[The Captain]

My mistake - I meant to type "if you set the nord to channel 1 .." in my previous post.

 

Eric (gas) above uses a similar rig - electro over S90(es?).

He's a much better resource than I for interoperability related questions.

 

I think the electro + S90 would be a great rig.

Re-read the Eric's post above about where he tried the nord compact stage with the S90 - he thought it was overkill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Clifton]

Nord can send on MIDI channels 1-16. It is not stuck on just channel 1. You can set the MIDI channel.

 

Not relevant to the controller aspect, but the Electro's organ can receive on 2 separate channels for upper and lower manuals.

 

Ah, goodo, then it does everything I (realistically) hoped it would do. Thanks for that eric. And everyone else too, cheers.

 

I see the GAS seeping into the room...