Nord Micro: set up for wind controller

Below are some instructions for setting up the Clavia Nord Micro to be played by the Yamaha WX series of wind control instruments. Since I have a WX7 that is what I will use in these examples. You should be able to make the WX5 or 11 apply with these examples - but I probably won't know the answer if something is set up too differently from the WX7.

Ok here goes:

Fire up the Nord editor, make sure everything is hooked up right between your computer, your Nord, and your WX.

Start a new patch, I think "Port 1 Micro Slot" is the default. Click OK.

1. Set up Breath Pressure as a source for a Morph control. Right click on the red Morph knob #1; choose Midi Controller: choose Other.

Click on Breath, then click OK.

2. Add an Oscillator A, Filter C, and a 2 Outputs mixer to your blank patch.

3. Hook them up as shown below. After this you should hear a steady sine wave sounding. You'll be able to play different notes with the WX but they won't be much fun because you won't be able to turn them off.

4. Assign Morph to Filter Frequency:

Turn the Freq knob fully to the left (10 Hz). (The sound should go off.)

Right click on the Freq knob, choose Morph/Group 1.

Double click on the Freq knob to activate the morph range. On the last double click, HOLD DOWN the mouse, then rotate the knob to the right. The dark red area should expand as in the image below. You now should have wind control of the filter frequency, and be able to play this in a musical fashion, if still plainly because of the sine wave.

In the image below, I've set the OscA1 to a pulse wave, modified the pulse width somewhat, and set the filter to 18dB/oct instead of the default 24 (this will enable easier playing, not as stiff-feeling as 24 dB/oct). Now this is getting to be musically interesting and playable as an instrument. You can download the completed patch at the link below.

recording sample under construction

I leave it as an exercise to you to see what happens if you have the pulse width knob adjustable by breath control. Note that you can rotate the control to a certain point first, then set the morph range up a little or down a little from there.

Lesson 2, using the ADSR envelope for breath control rather than filter frequency, is coming up sometime in the near future. I use the first method shown above in probably 70% of the patches I make.

Thanks and let me know if you have any questions! Ken saxscape@gmail.com