Octatrack - Nord Drum 2 MIDI Sync

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi!

I bought an OT recently and tried to hook it up via MIDI to control the Nord Drum 2 but I´m having some trouble to get it to work properly. I seem to have some conflict inbetween the units since the first time a hooked them up it didn´t work, yesterday it worked but today it doesn´t work anymore. I´ve tried with all sorts of different combinations but nothing seems to work. I was hoping someone here could help me.

on the ND2 midi settings

  • Local ON
  • Global channel 10
  • The separate voices are set to midi channels 1-6
  • Using default note numbers 60-69

On the OT

  • DIR AB is set to 127 to hear the incoming ND2 audio (when triggered from the ND2 can be heard properly).
  • Each midi channel is mapped in the midi note setup accordingly to the separate channels of each voice of the ND2 by mapping only the channel number. Bank and program mapping are OFF.
  • On the Function + Project menu /Midi, CTRL CC IN and NOTE IN are checked and AUDIO CC OUT and AUDIO NOTE OUT are set to INT +EXT. In the SYNC menu all unchecked boxes. in the CHANNELS menu AUTO is set to CH 10 and the TRIG CH 1-8.
  • MIDI SEQ - CC DIRECT CONNECT checked.

I´ve tried the midi cables and above settings but changing the AUTO CH to 1 with my NLA1 and it works as it should.

Thanks!
Magnus

#2

So when it did work… you had the OT sending midi note-on messages to the ND2…and it all worked as expected?

#3

This should be sufficient.

Do you see the correct numbers of the MIDI channels in the OT’s display next to each Track button?

Have you set the Note number on each OT MIDI track to be the correct one? (Some instruments name the note numbers differently.)

#4

This should be sufficient.

Do you see the correct numbers of the MIDI channels in the OT’s display next to each Track button?

Have you set the Note number on each OT MIDI track to be the correct one? (Some instruments name the note numbers differently.)

[/quote]
Thanks for your help!
I know. Yes, the numbers are showing in the tabs to the left and right of the main window.
I though that the note number wouldn´t matter since that is used to control the pitch, right?

I restarted the ND2 three times by pulling the power plug. It kept on not reacting the first and second time but now, the third time, it started working all of a sudden. This is really weird.

Thanks again. It is good to know that the setting are wrong at least in case it happens again. I haven´t dared to shut all units down now the it works but have to eventually. We will see tomorrow if it works again.

1 Like
#5

Try removing the midi cable from OT (out) -> ND2 (in) Before turning the ND2 power on.

I discovered that turning the ND2 power on while the midi cable is plugged in…somehow stops the OT being able to send midi notes to the ND2. Makes no sense, I know. But that is what happens to me.

1 Like
#6

Boot the ND2 first, when it has a midi input connection. Then the OT.

Nd2 does not like incoming midi on startup.

Might find a link to that.

1 Like
#7

Thanks again! It works every time now by booting the ND2 first before the OT.

1 Like
#8

Would be very interesting to find out what kind of MIDI messages the ND2 doesn´t like at startup. Anyone knows?

#9

Just to add that monomachine to ND2 works every time consistently regardless of boot order

#10

i had a similar problem with the slim phatty.
midi worked only sometimes when i turned on the phatty after OT.
it always works when i turn on the machines simultanously or OT after
phatty. on the moog forum someone mentioned the slim phatty needs
a kind of wake up call to activate MIDI in, which it does not get when turned on too
late.

#11

Would be very interesting to find out what kind of MIDI messages the ND2 doesn´t like at startup. Anyone knows?[/quote]
Midi clock is the likeliest ‘culprit’. It’s a constant stream of messages, regardless if the OT sequencer is running or not. Experiment: switch ‘midi clock out’ to off in OT, see what happens. (Not at studio right now).

1 Like
#12

Would be very interesting to find out what kind of MIDI messages the ND2 doesn´t like at startup. Anyone knows?[/quote]
Midi clock is the likeliest ‘culprit’. It’s a constant stream of messages, regardless if the OT sequencer is running or not. Experiment: switch ‘midi clock out’ to off in OT, see what happens. (Not at studio right now).[/quote]
Thanks, you might be right. I have no possibility to check since I don´t have an ND2. If it is the midiclock: strange that it hasn´t been taken care of at manufacturers (not only Nord). I mean it would be devastating if the ND2 looses power ie because of you accidently unplugging the power cord and that you then would have to power down/up other units too in a specific order because of this problem. Instead of having the possibility to let the sound continue playing from the other units while re-booting the ND2.

#13

Would be very interesting to find out what kind of MIDI messages the ND2 doesn´t like at startup. Anyone knows?[/quote]
Midi clock is the likeliest ‘culprit’. It’s a constant stream of messages, regardless if the OT sequencer is running or not. Experiment: switch ‘midi clock out’ to off in OT, see what happens. (Not at studio right now).[/quote]
Thanks, you might be right. I have no possibility to check since I don´t have an ND2. If it is the midiclock: strange that it hasn´t been taken care of at manufacturers (not only Nord). I mean it would be devastating if the ND2 looses power ie because of you accidently unplugging the power cord and that you then would have to power down/up other units too in a specific order because of this problem. Instead of having the possibility to let the sound continue playing from the other units while re-booting the ND2. [/quote]
If that happens, you can unplug the midi cable from your nd2, then start it up, like Naboo mentioned earlier. Once its up, plug the cable back in. No need to switch off the other equipment.

1 Like
#14

Would be very interesting to find out what kind of MIDI messages the ND2 doesn´t like at startup. Anyone knows?[/quote]
Midi clock is the likeliest ‘culprit’. It’s a constant stream of messages, regardless if the OT sequencer is running or not. Experiment: switch ‘midi clock out’ to off in OT, see what happens. (Not at studio right now).[/quote]
Thanks, you might be right. I have no possibility to check since I don´t have an ND2. If it is the midiclock: strange that it hasn´t been taken care of at manufacturers (not only Nord). I mean it would be devastating if the ND2 looses power ie because of you accidently unplugging the power cord and that you then would have to power down/up other units too in a specific order because of this problem. Instead of having the possibility to let the sound continue playing from the other units while re-booting the ND2. [/quote]
If that happens, you can unplug the midi cable from your nd2, then start it up, like Naboo mentioned earlier. Once its up, plug the cable back in. No need to switch off the other equipment.

[/quote]
Ah! Ok, sorry, I didn´t think about that fine line of difference. But you are right, it doesn´t have to go as bad as I described if one knows how to deal with this issue. Thanks for the clarification.

So then perhaps, it´s not about the midi messages (if any) themselves but more about the startup procedure itself. Ie, that the ND2 performs some kind of self-check procedure at its inputs/outputs or something. So it doesn´t necessarily have to have any relation to any midi message in its strict sense.

I´m thinking that the midi messages could be streaming from the other units right at the very moment when you are plugging in the cable (when the ND2 already is powered on). But if that procedure in itself doesn´t make ND2 (and perhaps other units/brands) misbehave or non-responsive as OP described, well then it is a bit better at least.

Does it differ in which order all units are powered on (with all cables connected)? Or doesn´t it make any difference whatsoever for the ND2 (and/or other units)?

#15

I have other gear (Sycologic patchbay for example) that is very unhappy when MIDI clock is being pounded into it on startup.

In general it seems a lot of gear doesn’t handle unexpected MIDI clock (whether on startup as cited or during use - Modal 002 tends to get hanging notes if it thinks it is the master and it is receiving MIDI clocks).

1 Like
#16

I have a switch to turn on all my gear at once, so starting up is easy.

With the ND2 (which i love!) it became cumbersome because of this ‘startup issue’, and i allways switched my OT (which is sending master Clock) on after the rest to solve this issue with the ND2.

Yesterday i put my Eventide Space in the Midi chain (as a THRU) just before the ND2 and the problem dissapears!
Now i can switch on everything with one switch again.

The Eventide seems to take some time before it sends Midi THRU, which is this case is realy heplfull in my setup. Maybe there’s more gear with this.

Thought i should mention this, it maybe helpfull to someone.

#17

does the ND2 send clock via midi out that it’s receiving from OT? can’t figure it out in the manual. thanks

#18

No, it’s not a midi Thru port (unfortunately) the midi out is for recording changes made on the front panel…
The midi out does not pass clock through from another unit and the ND2 does not have a clock source itself.
So the ND2 has to be at the end of a chain essentially.

1 Like