NS4 problems with external gear

[Ecaroh]

Hi,

Now when luckily some NS4 MIDI issues have been fixed I went to test external MIDI control again.

Let's say you put synth A to AUX KB mode and morph its volume to react to CTRLPED. Is it still like this: Synth A volume do not respond to external CC#11 (on Aux KB Ch) but responds to pedal connected NS4 itself? I can't believe this. Can someone please explain any good reason to this behavior or is this just a Major bug still out there after release on February.


*) reason I have not been digging into this lately is that MIDI clock timing issue prevented me to use NS4 at all with external gear. Now this obstacle seems to be gone at least....

[Ecaroh]

Wow… reading the bug sheet confirms this (id #11 still open). After 9 months of release you still cannot properly use external midi keyboard with NS4. I am out of words…

[Valpurgis]

Why do you think it’s a bug? The manual p.15 states clearly that the source are one of the «physical» controllers mod wheel, control pedal or aftertouch. Several of the listings in the bug list should be in the wish list.
« the modulation wheel, a control pedal or the keyboard aftertouch can be used to alter one or more parameters while playing. this is achieved by selecting a morph source (the physical controller) a destination parameter and the parameter range to include in the morph.»

[Ecaroh]

If it’s not a bug it’s very strange way or should I say stupid. Think about it: you put a Midi controller with Wheel, Aftertouch and Expression pedal on top of NS4 you cannot use them with NS4. Wtf? In NS3 it is obviously working in appropriate way: NS3 controllers (wheel, exp, bender) are controlling active parts of NS3 and if you put something to Dual KB mode wheel/exp/bender are also handled externally. Those of us coming from NS3 and using it with external MIDI gear NS4 has been kind of a nightmare.
More and more I think about this and other problems with NS4 I begin to feel that something went very wrong with development of it.

[Ecaroh]

Because same stuff is talked on another thread I changed a bit this title.

Here I try to summarize the main problems what are there when you use NS4 with external gear:

1. MIDI clock sync issues (hopefully) now fixed with 1.20

2. external control: wheel, exp pedal, aftertouch do not work externally. Especially in Aux KB mode this is very annoying: MIDI controller with mod.wheel, aftertouch and exp.pedal simply cannot use those to control NS4!

3. local off: you cannot put individual parts to local off mode (for giving them for external control)

4. EXTERN mode of synths. This shuts off corresponding synth. In my opinion this is waste of power of NS4. (In NS3 extern panel was independent of other panels and thus much more convenient and effective)

[Ecaroh]

5. EXTERN Midi Channels . If I am right you can only set those channels on global level. Again this is a setback if you compare NS4 to NS3. In NS3 you can set those ext channels on program level which is much more useful if you work with for example full 16 ch multimbral sound module or synth.


Btw I am a bit surprised that all these extern problems does not seem bother more people. In my opinion this is the most problematic area of NS4 and unfortunately things went backwards from NS3... At least if Clavia does not fix these.

[Renard33]

Hi,

I relate with you on everything you said.

I'm using my NS4 to send program changes and CC messages (morph with pedal or mod wheel) to my synths.

For exemple, I like to modulate the filter of my prophet 6 with the NS4 control pedal (Morphing CC#1 - 102). Then I save the patch (patch A). Then I go to another patch (patch B) that I didn't program any CC message, and sometimes, the pedal will continue sending the same CC message I had just program on patch A. Sometimes Patch B will work properly too. It's intermittent!!! &%$*$*&

I made sure that the "send control pedal" is OFF for the 3 sections in the extern menu.

This is so frustrating.. I use to do that easily with my NS2 8 years ago!

I reported this 5 or 6 monts ago.

[Ecaroh]

I can’t help repeating myself: It’s amazing that we have 4k euros flagship instrument which released over year ago and still we cannot properly use it with external gear. NS4 cannot fully control external gear and external gear cannot fully control NS4. How muh longer must we wait? At the moment I have a bit expensive decorative element in my cellar…

[Satomy]

I can’t help repeating myself: It’s amazing that we have 4k euros flagship instrument which released over year ago and still we cannot properly use it with external gear. External midi gear cannot fully control NS4 and external controller cannot fully control NS4. How muh longer must we wait? At the moment I have a bit expensive decorative element in my cellar…

I sent many reports on the official website, but I received no response. We should continue to report in the hope that they can pay attention and solve all the problems on the midi.

[GpKey]

I have had Nord Electro, Nord Wave 1, Nord Wave 2, Nord Stage 2, Nord Stage 3 and now Nord Stage 4.
It is always thought that a keyboard upgrade always brings something extra, but this is not always the case. This at least with Nord. The Nord Stage 2 had MIDI management, which the NS3 and NS4 only dream of. The list of bugs on the NS4 is endless, and I don't think that with the next updates, Nord Stage 4 will become, as Nord itself says, "The new Standard". In my humble opinion, those who work on the software have no idea what a keyboard player who plays live really needs, and furthermore, again in my opinion, they don't give keyboards in the prototype phase to musicians who could report corrections of bugs and management. I think the Nord Stage 4 is the last keyboard I will buy from Nord. Too much disappointment.
Sorry for my bad English.