Some Questions About NS2

I am thinking of purchasing NS2 but I have some questions about features that I could not find answers to in the manual.

-Does the keyboard allow for custom scales? I see a scale button but I would like to know if I can pick and choose my own notes.

-Does the midi editor have notes labeled anywhere? Such as the side of the screen like in Korg Gadget so I can tell exactly which notes I am plugging in without having to count from C?

-Does the midi editor have collapsible scales such as KORG Gadget, so only the notes in the scale show in the editor. If so, does it have an “in use” function so only the notes I have recorded show up?

-Does NS2 support polyphonic aftertouch? If so can it send and receive? Can I edit aftertouch in the automation editor?

-How does it handle mix down of audiounits to save cpu? Say that I am quite content with a track and i would like to mix it down? Do I just have to freeze the track since there are no audio tracks or can I bounce to something individually inside the app without having to mix down and import?

-I read about “Native UI” for Auv3 apps but I was a bit unclear about the language. Do the actual UIs from the app for instance Moog Model D show up inside NS2? Or is it just the NS2 editor?

-How does the pitch envelope work in Slate? From the pictures it looks like it can only pitch down?

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I realize some of these questions may seem a bit silly but I could not find the answers I am seeking on YouTube or inside the manual.

Comments

  • edited December 2018

    @Nomzai said:
    I am thinking of purchasing NS2 but I have some questions about features that I could not find answers to in the manual.

    -Does the keyboard allow for custom scales? I see a scale button but I would like to know if I can pick and choose my own notes.

    No.

    -Does the midi editor have notes labeled anywhere? Such as the side of the screen like in Korg Gadget so I can tell exactly which notes I am plugging in without having to count from C?

    Yes. For Slate drums, the pad name is displayed. For other tracks there is a vertical piano with labeled notes. Touching the vertical pads/keys doesn’t sound notes at this time, but you can enable/disable sounding notes as you place or move them in the timeline.

    -Does the midi editor have collapsible scales such as KORG Gadget, so only the notes in the scale show in the editor. If so, does it have an “in use” function so only the notes I have recorded show up?

    No.

    -Does NS2 support polyphonic aftertouch? If so can it send and receive? Can I edit aftertouch in the automation editor?

    I don’t think so. I could be wrong on this though.

    -How does it handle mix down of audiounits to save cpu? Say that I am quite content with a track and i would like to mix it down? Do I just have to freeze the track since there are no audio tracks or can I bounce to something individually inside the app without having to mix down and import?

    There really isn’t a freeze track workflow. You can solo, mix down to audio, then load into a Slate pad on another, then trigger that sample via a midi note. You would then mute or remove the original track.

    -I read about “Native UI” for Auv3 apps but I was a bit unclear about the language. Do the actual UIs from the app for instance Moog Model D show up inside NS2? Or is it just the NS2 editor?

    Yes, the apps GUI’s show up. Automation of AUv3 parameters is via “macro” knobs, of which there are 10. You assign a parameter to the knob, then can record the automation of the knob. Initial display of some AU FX is a bit awkward, but you can switch to a larger screen view that works.

    -How does the pitch envelope work in Slate? From the pictures it looks like it can only pitch down?

    Values to the left of center on the two smaller level knobs pitch down, to the right of center pitch up.

    Thank you for taking the time to read this. I realize some of these questions may seem a bit silly but I could not find the answers I am seeking on YouTube or inside the manual.

    Nope, those are all good questions.

  • Yep, good questions. And good answers!

    -How does the pitch envelope work in Slate? From the pictures it looks like it can only pitch down?

    Just to add a bit more detail to number37's answer...

    image

    In that image, you can see a little empty space at the 12:00 position on the LEVEL knob. If it's at 12:00, there is no effect. Turning it left will work as an inverted pitch envelope.

    The 12:00 position on the VEL knob means velocity has no effect. If you turn this one left, velocity values will negatively scale the pitch envelopes amount.

    These, of course, interact. So if you had the LEVEL set to 1:00 and the VEL set to 8:00 (so in the negative), high velocities would be as if you'd sett the LEVEL to 9:00.

    FWIW, scale based piano roll is definitely 'on the list' but there's no timeline for release. Also, while there are no custom scales, there are indeed quite a few scales included.

  • Thanks for the replies.

  • I can confirm no polyphonic aftertouch is supported or recorded in the midi. Which is a bit of a shame. Hopefully it’s coming.

  • Custom scales has been discussed, so don’t dismiss this feature quite yet. I also really like your idea too Nomzai. Do you mean as in the Korg Monologue? Or as in allowing Scala and Tun files? Sunrizer can currently do this ease, although being able to search scales isn’t included, so it can get a bit clumsy (I added 3500 scales. Whoops...)

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