About to buy a new S4, but afraid.

[NiCoX]

Well, for me it’s not an issue that would stop me buying a NS4 since the positives outweigh it a lot. However, it’s annoying

I guess I am in the minority, but once I have the sounds programmed on my Wave 2, I almost never need to adjust a layer with the slider. If I must, I use the mod wheel morph.

-dj

I was about to write a similar comment...
Personally, either mod wheel or expression pedal for live changes... but yeah, sliders only for editing/programming...

[DJKeys]

Yes, I as well do all volume changes of entire programs with a pedal. The relationship between individual layers never changes once I have it programmed the way I want it.

-dj

[Valpurgis]

Yes, I as well do all volume changes of entire programs with a pedal. The relationship between individual layers never changes once I have it programmed the way I want it.

-dj

Just curious: If you morph the volume of a individual layer with the control pedal or mod wheel isn’t the level catch issue just as relevant as with the faders?

[Schorsch]

Yes, I as well do all volume changes of entire programs with a pedal. The relationship between individual layers never changes once I have it programmed the way I want it.

-dj

Well, this is not just about volumes. Imagine you saved a program with a certain setting of the synth filter knobs, like frequency nearly closed (nearly full left) and need to change it while playing a song. If you changed the frequency to fully open (full right) settings while playing a different song before, then pull up the other program and during the song need to open that filter it will jump right to the open position if you touch the knob - that's not what you want at all I think

[analogika]

Well, this is not just about volumes. Imagine you saved a program with a certain setting of the synth filter knobs, like frequency nearly closed (nearly full left) and need to change it while playing a song. If you changed the frequency to fully open (full right) settings while playing a different song before, then pull up the other program and during the song need to open that filter it will jump right to the open position if you touch the knob - that's not what you want at all I think

It can be. „Pick-up“ vs. „Jump“ for faders or pots has its own issues. If I need a value to be a certain place (say, I play a passage as programmed and then, after a short break, need the filter fully open for the chorus), I need to make sure I’ve actually passed the programmed value for the control to actually pick up the value. So I need to turn it the opposite way, further than I want, in order for it to work. If I don’t, the control will simply do nothing at all.

Another option is relative value — having the pot‘s current position be whatever is programmed and work from there. This is obviously a problem with faders and pots that have fixed end-points, as they probably won’t have the needed range for major adjustments in both directions.

The only real solution is endless encoders with LED indicators for position.

[DJKeys]

Yes, I as well do all volume changes of entire programs with a pedal. The relationship between individual layers never changes once I have it programmed the way I want it.

-dj

Just curious: If you morph the volume of a individual layer with the control pedal or mod wheel isn’t the level catch issue just as relevant as with the faders?

You know, that is interesting. The few times I have needed to do that, I have not noticed any "jump" at all. I also think that unless the volume of the layer is zero or full, the "jump" (especially with other layers active) is not something anyone in the audience would notice, as it only lasts a second.

-dj

[Evans The Song]

The only real solution is endless encoders with LED indicators for position.

My Nord Stage 2EX has endless encoders for the most important performance parameters, which work so well - it seems like a real backwards step to me that Nord stopped using them on their more recent instruments. As you say, 'The Nord giveth, the Nord taketh away'!

[redisred]

+1 to this! I loved the led filter frequency knob, that was really helpful. I wish they'd bring that back.

[Quai34]

Heu ok, so, New Stage 4 versus Stage 2 has NO led around encoders? And from my Stage 2, I control most of the time, 3 or 4 different synths, like using the 2 EX sections to 2 other synths per section with same Midi channel, I can’t do that with Stage 4?

[Quai34]

Heu ok, so, New Stage 4 versus Stage 2 has NO led around encoders? And from my Stage 2, I control most of the time, 3 or 4 different synths, like using the 2 EX sections to 2 other synths per section with same Midi channel, I can’t do that with Stage 4?

The S4 has two encoders per EXTERN layer (CCVAL1 and CCVAL2) which can be assigned to any MIDI CC number. The value of the encoder CC can be preset and recalled with the program, using SEND ON LOAD. This means that whenever it is adjusted, there is no pick-up or offset, as it always starts with the correct value, which is shown on the OLED display. All 3 EXTERN devices are independent.