DMI Nord Stage 4 User manual
USER MANUAL
Nord Stage 4
English
OS version: 1.0x
Edition: D
Part number: 50522 Copyright Clavia DMI AB
Edition: D
CAUTION - ATTENTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE SHOCK ELECTRIQUE
NE PAS OUVRIR
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).
NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
ATTENTION:POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE, NE
PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE.
AUCUN ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L´USAGER.
CONFIER L´ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFE.
AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D´INCIDENTE OU D´ELECTROCUTION,
N´EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE A LA PLUIE OU L´HUMIDITET.
1) Read these instructions.
2) Keep these instructions.
3) Heed all warnings.
4) Follow all instructions.
5) Do not use this apparatus near water.
6) Clean only with dry cloth.
7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance
with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat
registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliers) that
produce heat.
9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or
grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one
wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades
and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong
are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not t
into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.
10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched
particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the apparatus.
11) Only use attachments/accessories specied by the manu-
facturer.
12) Use only with the cart, stand,
tripod, bracket, or table specied by the
manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus.
When a cart is used, use caution when
moving the cart/apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
13) Unplug this apparatus during lightning
storms or when unused for long periods of time.
14) Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Servicing
is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus
has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate nor-
mally, or has been dropped.
The lightning ash with the arrowhead symbol within
an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated voltage within the products en-
closure that may be of sufcient magnitude to constitute
a risk of electric shock to persons.
Le symbole éclair avec le point de èche à l´intérieur d´un triangle
équilatéral est utilisé pour alerter l´utilisateur de la presence à
l´intérieur du coffret de ”voltage dangereux” non isolé d´ampleur
sufsante pour constituer un risque d`éléctrocution.
The exclamation mark within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the product.
Le point d´exclamation à l´intérieur d´un triangle équilatéral est
employé pour alerter l´utilisateur de la présence d´instructions
importantes pour le fonctionnement et l´entretien (service) dans le
livret d´instructions accompagnant l´appareil.
Instructions pertaining to a risk of re, electric shock or injury to persons.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Trademarks: The Nord logo is a trademark of Clavia DMI AB. All other trademarks
mentioned in this publication are the properties of their respective holders.
Specications and appearances are subject to change without notice.
Copyright © Clavia DMI AB
No naked ame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on
the apparatus;
Do not use the apparatus in tropical climates.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of re or electric shock, do not expose
this apparatus to rain or moisture.
The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and that
no objects lled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the
apparatus.
The maims plug is used as the disconnect device and shall remain
readily operable.
Il convient de ne pas placer sur l´appareil de sources de ammes nues,
telles que des bougies allumées;
L´appareil n’est pas destiné á étre utilisé sous un climat tropical.
L´appareil ne doit pas étre exposé á des égouttements d´eau ou des
éclaboussures et de plus qu´aucun objet rempli de liquide tel que des
vases ne doit étre placé sur l´appareil.
Lorsque la prise du résau d’alimentation est utilisée comme dispositif
de déconnexion, ce dispositif doit demeuré aisément accessible.
Warning - When using electric products, basic precautions should always be followed, including the following:
Additional Safety Information
IT
INFORMATION ON RECYCLING OF PACKAGING MATERIALS
Outer box and internal cardboard protecon should be recycled as paper.
Internal plasc foam protecon and plasc bags should be recycled as plascs.
INFORMATIONS SUR LE RECYCLAGE DES MATÉRIAUX D’EMBALLAGE
La boîte extérieure et la protecon interne en carton doivent être recyclées comme du papier.
La protecon interne en mousse plasque et les sacs en plasque doivent être recyclés en tant que plasques.
INFORMATIONEN ZUM RECYCLING VON VERPACKUNGSMATERIALIEN
Der äußere Karton und der innere Kartonschutz sollten als Papier recycelt werden.
Interner Kunststoschaumschutz und Plasktüten sollten als Kunststoe recycelt werden.
INFORMACIÓN SOBRE RECICLAJE DE MATERIALES DE EMBALAJE
La caja exterior y la protección interna de cartón deben reciclarse como papel.
La protección interna de espuma de plásco y las bolsas de plásco deben reciclarse como pláscos.
INFORMAÇÕES SOBRE A RECICLAGEM DE MATERIAIS DE EMBALAGEM
A caixa externa e a proteção interna de papelão devem ser recicladas como papel.
A proteção interna de espuma plásca e os sacos pláscos devem ser reciclados como pláscos.
INFORMAZIONI SUL RICICLAGGIO DEI MATERIALI DI IMBALLAGGIO
La scatola esterna e la protezione interna in cartone devono essere riciclate come carta.
La protezione interna in schiuma di plasca e i sacche di plasca devono essere ricicla come plasca.
EN
FR
DE
ES
PT
IT
1. INTRODUCTION | 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 8
Thank you! ........................................................................................................8
Features .............................................................................................................8
Nord Online ......................................................................................................8
About the User Manual ..............................................................................8
Reading the manual in PDF Format ...................................................................8
Free sounds ......................................................................................................8
Custom samples ...............................................................................................8
Restoring the factory presets.............................................................................9
OS upgrades.....................................................................................................9
Disclaimer..........................................................................................................9
2OVERVIEW........................................................................................10
Organ section................................................................................................10
Piano section.................................................................................................10
Nord Piano Library...........................................................................................10
String Resonance............................................................................................10
Nord Triple Pedal.............................................................................................10
Piano and Clav Timbre ....................................................................................11
Dynamic Compression ....................................................................................11
Program section ..........................................................................................11
Synth section.................................................................................................11
External MIDI...................................................................................................11
Layer Effects section .................................................................................11
3GETTING STARTED................................................................12
Hooking it up.................................................................................................12
Programs.........................................................................................................12
Select a program.............................................................................................12
Panel controls ...............................................................................................12
Dials and knobs...............................................................................................12
Faders.............................................................................................................12
Buttons ...........................................................................................................13
The Shift button..............................................................................................13
Button Hold and double tap functions .............................................................13
List view ...........................................................................................................13
Program View modes................................................................................13
Edit a program..............................................................................................13
Select a new piano sound ...............................................................................13
Turn off Memory Protection....................................................................14
Store a program...........................................................................................14
Live Mode .......................................................................................................14
Sections and Layers..................................................................................14
Turning Layers On and Off ...............................................................................14
Layer Effects..................................................................................................15
Activate an effect.............................................................................................15
Load a preset................................................................................................15
Load a Single Layer Preset..............................................................................15
Create a split ...................................................................................................15
Add an Organ Layer ........................................................................................16
Layer Scene II ...............................................................................................16
Morphs .............................................................................................................16
The Synthesizer............................................................................................17
Loading and adjusting a Sample......................................................................17
The Arpeggiator/Gate ...............................................................................18
4ORGAN SECTION.....................................................................19
About the Organ Section ........................................................................19
On/Off and Level .............................................................................................19
Layer Buttons and FX Focus............................................................................19
Octave Shift and KB Zone ...............................................................................19
Sustped and Pstick .........................................................................................19
Selecting an Organ model ...............................................................................19
Organ Presets...............................................................................................20
Drawbars and LED Graphs....................................................................20
The B3 model................................................................................................20
B3 drawbars....................................................................................................20
Percussion ......................................................................................................21
Key click control ..............................................................................................21
The Vox model..............................................................................................21
Vox drawbars ..................................................................................................21
Vibrato ............................................................................................................21
The Farf model..............................................................................................21
Farf registers ...................................................................................................21
Vibrato ............................................................................................................22
Pipe Organ......................................................................................................22
Pipe 1..............................................................................................................22
Pipe 2..............................................................................................................22
Pipe Vibrato/Chorus ........................................................................................22
Pipe 1&2 registers ...........................................................................................22
B3 Bass............................................................................................................22
Preset and Drawbar Live.........................................................................22
Sync................................................................................................................22
Swell pedal .....................................................................................................22
Rotary Speaker ............................................................................................22
5PIANO SECTION ........................................................................23
On/Off and Level .............................................................................................23
Layer Buttons and FX Focus............................................................................23
Octave Shift and KB Zone ...............................................................................23
Sustped and PStick.........................................................................................23
About the Piano sounds..........................................................................23
About Piano size .............................................................................................24
Piano Presets ................................................................................................24
Piano Select...................................................................................................24
Type and model...............................................................................................24
List view ..........................................................................................................25
KB Touch .......................................................................................................25
Dynamic Compression .............................................................................25
Acoustics.........................................................................................................25
Soft Release....................................................................................................25
String Resonance............................................................................................25
Ped Noise (Pedal Noise) ..................................................................................25
Nord Triple Pedal.........................................................................................26
Sustain and half pedaling.................................................................................26
Sostenuto........................................................................................................26
Soft pedal........................................................................................................26
Timbre...............................................................................................................26
Acoustic Piano Timbre settings........................................................................26
Electric Piano Timbre settings..........................................................................26
Clav Settings ...................................................................................................26
Unison...............................................................................................................26
6SYNTH SECTION.......................................................................27
About the Synth Section .........................................................................27
On/Off and Level .............................................................................................27
Layer Buttons and FX Focus............................................................................27
Octave Shift and KB Zone ...............................................................................27
Sustped and Pstick .........................................................................................28
Synth Section Modes................................................................................28
Synth Presets................................................................................................28
Samples...........................................................................................................28
6 | NORD STAGE 4 USER MANUAL OS V1.0X
Sample Presets ...............................................................................................28
Analog...............................................................................................................28
Osc Ctrl...........................................................................................................28
Waveform Selection.........................................................................................28
Analog.............................................................................................................29
Wave...............................................................................................................30
FM...................................................................................................................30
Filter Section ...................................................................................................30
Filter Type........................................................................................................31
LP 24 & LP 12.................................................................................................31
LP M ...............................................................................................................31
LP+HP ............................................................................................................31
High Pass - HP................................................................................................31
Band Pass - BP...............................................................................................31
Keyboard Tracking...........................................................................................31
Filter Drive .......................................................................................................32
Filter Frequency...............................................................................................32
Filter Resonance..............................................................................................32
Env Amt (Envelope AMount) ............................................................................32
The Envelopes ..............................................................................................32
Attack, Decay and Release times ....................................................................33
Oscillator Envelope .........................................................................................33
Filter Envelope.................................................................................................33
LFO.....................................................................................................................33
Mst Clk............................................................................................................33
Voice ..................................................................................................................34
Mono and Legato ..........................................................................................34
Glide................................................................................................................34
Unison...............................................................................................................34
Unison and Samples .......................................................................................34
Arpeggiator/Gate.........................................................................................35
Arp (Arpeggiator) .............................................................................................35
Poly (Polyphonic Arpeggiator)..........................................................................35
Gate (Rhythmic Gate) ......................................................................................35
Range / Env ....................................................................................................35
Arpeggiator Menu............................................................................................35
Arpeggiator Rate/Time ....................................................................................36
Arpeggiator Master Clock................................................................................36
KB Hold............................................................................................................36
Vibrato...............................................................................................................36
Vibrato Menu...................................................................................................36
Vibrato and Samples .......................................................................................36
KB Sync...........................................................................................................36
Sound Init........................................................................................................36
7 PROGRAM........................................................................................37
What is a program?.........................................................................................37
Morph Assign................................................................................................37
Morph indicators .............................................................................................38
Split ....................................................................................................................38
Keyboard Split settings ..................................................................................38
Mst Clk .............................................................................................................38
External sync...................................................................................................39
(KBS) Keyboard Sync......................................................................................39
Pedal Tap ........................................................................................................39
Transpose On/Set.......................................................................................39
Panic...............................................................................................................39
Store ..................................................................................................................39
Storing a program ...........................................................................................39
Program dial...................................................................................................40
List options......................................................................................................40
Page buttons.................................................................................................40
MIDI and Extern indicators .....................................................................40
Preset Library ................................................................................................40
Browsing and loading Presets .........................................................................40
Storing Presets to the Preset Library................................................................41
Prog View........................................................................................................41
Preset Name ...................................................................................................41
Solo....................................................................................................................41
Undo...............................................................................................................41
Section Edit....................................................................................................41
Layer Init..........................................................................................................42
Layer Scene II ...............................................................................................42
Setting up Layer Scenes..................................................................................42
Layer Scenes and Presets...............................................................................42
Monitor / Copy / Paste.............................................................................42
Aux KB............................................................................................................42
Shift / Exit buttons ......................................................................................43
Live Mode .......................................................................................................43
Program Buttons.............................................................................................43
Num Pad (Numeric Pad)..................................................................................43
Menus ...............................................................................................................43
Organize...........................................................................................................43
Program Levels ............................................................................................44
8EXTERN.............................................................................................. 45
Extern Mode .................................................................................................45
Setting up........................................................................................................45
Using the Extern section..........................................................................45
Activating ........................................................................................................45
Octave Shift.....................................................................................................45
Keyboard Zones..............................................................................................45
Pitch Stick and Sustain Pedal messages .........................................................45
Extern Parameters......................................................................................46
MIDI CC ..........................................................................................................46
Program ..........................................................................................................46
Send On Load.................................................................................................46
Volume ............................................................................................................46
Arpeggiator .....................................................................................................46
Extern Section and MIDI Soft Thru...................................................................46
9LAYER EFFECTS........................................................................47
Overview..........................................................................................................47
FX Focus (Effects Focus) .................................................................................47
Section Mode..................................................................................................47
Activating effects and Global mode .................................................................47
Mod 1................................................................................................................48
A-Pan (Auto Pan).............................................................................................48
Trem (Tremolo).................................................................................................48
RM (Ring Modulation) ......................................................................................48
A-Wah.............................................................................................................48
Wah.................................................................................................................48
Pump ..............................................................................................................48
Master Clock...................................................................................................48
Mod 2................................................................................................................49
Phaser.............................................................................................................49
Flanger ............................................................................................................49
Vibe.................................................................................................................49
Chorus ............................................................................................................49
Ensemble ........................................................................................................49
Spin.................................................................................................................49
Delay..................................................................................................................49
Tap Tempo ......................................................................................................49
Effects.............................................................................................................49
Filters ..............................................................................................................50
Analog Mode...................................................................................................50
Master Clock...................................................................................................50
Amp Sim/EQ..................................................................................................50
Drive................................................................................................................50
EQ section.......................................................................................................50
Amp model......................................................................................................50
To Rotary.........................................................................................................51
LP 24 Filter......................................................................................................51
HP 24 Filter .....................................................................................................51
Compressor ...................................................................................................51
Fast mode.......................................................................................................51
Reverb ..............................................................................................................51
1. INTRODUCTION | 7
Reverb Types...................................................................................................51
Rotary Speaker ............................................................................................52
Rotary Speaker and Reverb.............................................................................52
Rotary menu settings.......................................................................................52
10 MIDI ...................................................................................................... 53
Using MIDI ......................................................................................................53
Global Channel................................................................................................53
Layer Channels................................................................................................53
Extern................................................................................................................53
Controlling external gear from the Nord Stage 4 ..............................................53
Controlling the Nord Stage 4 using MIDI.........................................54
Aux KB (Auxilliary Keyboard)............................................................................54
Layer MIDI control ...........................................................................................54
Global MIDI .....................................................................................................54
External Sync ..................................................................................................54
Extern Section and MIDI re-routing..................................................................54
Recording a Stage 4 performance to a MIDI sequencer ........54
Messages........................................................................................................55
Program Change operations.................................................................55
Local Control On/Off..................................................................................55
Panic..................................................................................................................55
11 MENUS ............................................................................................. 56
Soft buttons ....................................................................................................56
System Menu ................................................................................................56
1 - Memory Protect .........................................................................................56
2 - Global Transpose .......................................................................................56
3 - Fine Tune ...................................................................................................56
4 - Version and model info...............................................................................56
Sound Menu..................................................................................................56
1 - Program Levels..........................................................................................56
2 - Piano Pedal Noise Level.............................................................................57
3 - Piano String Res Level ...............................................................................57
4 - Organ Keyboard Trigger Point ....................................................................57
5 - B3 Organ Tonewheel Mode........................................................................57
6 - B3 Organ Click Level..................................................................................57
7 - Rotary Speaker Type..................................................................................57
8 - Rotary Rotor Speed ...................................................................................57
9 - Rotary Rotor Acceleration ..........................................................................57
10 - Rotary Horn Speed ..................................................................................57
11 - Rotary Horn Acc (Acceleration).................................................................57
Aux KB..............................................................................................................57
1 - Aux KBD Enable ........................................................................................57
2 - Aux KBD Organ / PIANO / SYNTH.............................................................57
3 - Keyboard Velocity ......................................................................................57
Output Menu .................................................................................................57
1 - Output Bus Channels.................................................................................57
2 - Organ/Rotary Output Bus ..........................................................................58
3 - Piano Output Bus.......................................................................................58
4 - Synth Output Bus ......................................................................................58
Pedal Menu....................................................................................................58
1 - Control Pedal .............................................................................................58
2 - Swell Pedal ................................................................................................58
3 - Sustain Pedal.............................................................................................59
4 - Triple Pedal Function ..................................................................................59
5 - Rotor Pedal................................................................................................59
6 - Foot Switch................................................................................................59
MIDI Menu ......................................................................................................59
1 - Local Control..............................................................................................59
2 - Channel Global / Aux Kb............................................................................60
3 - Channel Organ...........................................................................................60
4 - Channel Piano............................................................................................60
5 - Channel Synth............................................................................................60
6 - Channel Extern ..........................................................................................60
7 - Control / Prog Change / Device Mode........................................................60
8 - Transpose MIDI At......................................................................................60
Extern Menu...................................................................................................61
1 - Keyb Velocity A/B/C...................................................................................61
2 - Device MIDI A/B/C .....................................................................................61
3 - Pedal MIDI Panel A/B/C .............................................................................61
4 - Bank Select Settings A/B/C .......................................................................61
5 - Control Change Numbers A/B/C................................................................61
6 - Send on Load ............................................................................................61
12 NORD SOUND MANAGER ..........................................62
About Nord Sound Manager.................................................................62
System requirements ................................................................................62
13 NORD SAMPLE EDITOR 4.......................................... 63
About Nord Sample Editor 4.................................................................63
System requirements ................................................................................63
IAPPENDIX: CONNECTIONS........................................... 64
Audio connections......................................................................................64
Headphones....................................................................................................64
OUT 1&2, OUT 3&4.........................................................................................64
Monitor In........................................................................................................64
MIDI connections ........................................................................................64
MIDI In.............................................................................................................64
MIDI Out..........................................................................................................64
USB connection...........................................................................................64
Pedal connections......................................................................................64
Triple Pedal......................................................................................................64
Sustain Pedal ..................................................................................................64
Control Pedal ..................................................................................................64
Organ Swell.....................................................................................................64
Foot Switch.....................................................................................................64
II APPENDIX: MIDI CONTROLLER LIST................ 65
III INDEX ................................................................................................... 66
8 | NORD STAGE 4 USER MANUAL OS V1.0X
1
INTRODUCTION
THANK YOU!
Thank you for choosing the Nord Stage 4!
Representing our vision of the ultimate stage keyboard, our new flagship
instrument features award-winning technologies such as the Nord Wave
2 Synth engine with Sample playback, the acclaimed Nord C2D Organ
engine, an enhanced Piano section and extensive hands-on Effects – all
in one exceptional performance keyboard.
FEATURES
The Nord Stage 4 has the following main features:
Organ section with faithful reproductions of three classic organ
models: B3 with a dedicated B3 Bass mode, Vox and Farf (Farfisa).
There are also two Pipe organ models, each with its own distinct
character.
Physical Organ drawbars with LED graphs.
Physical volume faders with LED graphs for each Organ, Piano and
Synth Layer.
Piano section with two independent Layers. Acoustic Grand and
Upright pianos, tine and reed based Electric pianos, Clavinet and
Harpsichord sounds and a Digital category including rich sounding
piano layers. The Misc category provides a selection of expressive
mallet sounds such as a Marimba and a Vibraphone.
Synth section with three independent Layers based on the Nord
Wave 2 synthesizer with dedicated OLED display, Sample playback,
Analog style waveforms, a variety of FM algorithms, digital Waves
and massive Super Waves.
Comprehensive and independent Effects section for each Piano and
Synth Layer and a shared Effects section for both Organ Layers.
Organ, Piano and Synth Preset banks with a large selection of
sounds – including effects – for each section.
Seamless transitions: Sustaining notes are maintained when
changing programs.
Extern mode in the Synth section for controlling external MIDI
instruments.
Powerful Morph features for changing multiple parameters using
physical controls.
Four keyboard zones with user adjustable split cross-fade allowing
sounds to smoothly transition over split points.
Two Layer Scenes, allowing different Layer configurations within the
same Program.
Extensive pedal functionality including support for the new Nord
Triple Pedal 2 and Nord Sustain Pedal 2.
Nord Stage 4 HA88 and HA73 models with fully weighted triple
sensor keybeds. NordStage 4Compact with a 73-note semi
weighted triple sensor “waterfall” keybed(E-E).
NORD ONLINE
On the nordkeyboards.com website you will find:
»Information about the Nord Stage 4 and other Nord instruments
»Latest Operating System for download
»Free software: Nord Sound Manager, Nord Sample Editor 4 and
drivers
»Nord Piano Library sounds for free download
»Nord Sample Library sounds for free download
»Nord World: Nord releated news stories and videos
»User Manuals for download
»Tutorials can be found at nordkeyboards.com/tutorials
Follow Nord Keyboards on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Feel free to tag your content with our official hashtag #iseenord.
ABOUT THE USER MANUAL
The manual is arranged mainly as a reference manual. In many cases
you’ll also get tips on how to practically use the different features in a
musical context.
READING THE MANUAL IN PDF FORMAT
This manual is available as a digital PDF file which can be downloaded
from the Nord Stage 4 section on our website.
FREE SOUNDS
Since the Nord Stage 4 is designed as an open system, each and
every piano and sample in the Nord Stage 4 can be replaced with
sounds from the continuously expanding Nord Piano Library and the
Nord Sample Library. These free sound libraries are found at www.
nordkeyboards.com where you will also find the free Nord Sound
Manager application which is used for downloading and organizing
content on the Nord Stage 4.
CUSTOM SAMPLES
Use the Nord Sample Editor 4 for quick and easy creation of custom
sample instruments for the Nord Stage 4. Whether creating a fully
mapped instrument, a simple FX sound or assigning a sampled
song intro to a single key, the Nord Sample Editor 4 opens up many
possibilities together with the Nord Stage 4.
The Nord Sample Editor 4 can be downloaded from the Software
section at www.nordkeyboards.com.
1. INTRODUCTION | 9
RESTORING THE FACTORY PRESETS
The factory programs, presets, samples and pianos are available as
individual Nord Sound Manager backup files for download from our
website. There is also a complete backup of the entire instrument and its
factory content, in case it needs to be restored to its original state.
OS UPGRADES
The latest OS (Operating System) version for the Nord Stage 4 is always
available for download from our website. There is also an Update History
page on the website, which specifies what has been updated with each
new version. Please check our website from time to time, to make sure
you have the latest version in your unit.
DISCLAIMER
Any trademarks and brand names mentioned in this manual are the
property of their respective owners and are not affiliated or associated
with Clavia. These trademarks and brand names are only mentioned to
describe certain sound qualities reproduced by the Nord Stage 4.
10 | NORD STAGE 4 USER MANUAL OS V1.0X
2 OVERVIEW
ORGAN SECTION
The dedicated Organ section, with its two independent Layers, features
physical drawbars accompanied by LED graphs for hands-on control
and ease of use.
The B3 model is based on the analysis of the signals generated by
each of the 91 spinning discs inside several original instruments,
and painstaking work on understanding exactly how all the original
components interact with each other. The virtual circuitry reacts not only
to the settings on the panel but also in response to your playing. The
Stage 4 faithfully reproduces the important foldback and energy robbing
characteristics; the latter will produce the gentle compression effect that
makes those lovely smears a joy to play. The three tonewheel modes
allow for switching from a clean, factory new instrument to a worn and
battered workhorse. The B3 Bass mode allows for split or dual keyboard
setups with the dedicated bass drawbars for the left hand or pedals.
We have also created carefully modelled emulations of two of the most
famous transistor organs from the 1960’s; the Vox Continental and the
Farf (Farfisa) Compact. Alongside the organ’s themselves, the Nord
Stage 4 features a rotary speaker simulation derived from the Nord
C2D. Incorporating the acoustic variations that occur as a physical
rotating speaker spreads the sound around in a room, they bring the
organ sounds to life with remarkable realism. All Nord Stage 4 models
feature physical drawbars coupled with LED graphs.
Finally, there are two distinct Pipe Organ models including a “Principal”
Pipe model with two variations, delivering a wide range of versatile
pipe/church organ sounds.
This section is described in detail in the Organ chapter, beginning on
page 19.
PIANO SECTION
The Nord Stage 4 Piano section, with its two independent Layers,
delivers a stunning range of piano and keyboard sounds. Piano sounds
are divided into six different types including both classic Grand, Upright
and Electric pianos as well as Clavinet, Harpsichords, Digital pianos and
Miscellaneous keyboard sounds.
NORD PIANO LIBRARY
The Nord Stage 4 benefits from the sounds found in the ever-growing
Nord Piano Library. We spend a lot of time and effort on expanding the
palette of available sounds, ranging from state-of-the-art concert grand
pianos to characterful uprights, historical instruments, electric pianos
and more.
New sounds are regularly made available free of charge on the
www.nordkeyboards.com website.
STRING RESONANCE
String resonance is a physical phenomenon which occurs inside every
acoustic piano when strings, or parts of strings, resonate at their
fundamental or harmonic frequencies as other strings are being played.
When String Resonance is turned on, played notes will affect each other
to reproduce the acoustic interactions that occur inside an acoustic
grand or upright piano.
NORD TRIPLE PEDAL
The Nord Stage 4 is compatible with the Nord Triple Pedals which
unlock additional functionality within the Piano section.
The right pedal is the sustain pedal. When operated, all notes being
played will sustain until the pedal is released again. It also adds dynamic
control of the mechanical “pedal noise” and enables dynamic “half-
pedaling” techniques.
ORGAN SECTION PIANO SECTION PROGRAM SYNTH/EXTERN SECTION LAYER EFFECTS
Pearl Upright L
Melody Pad
2:53
B3 Flute 2
1:27
E:26
Sweet Layers
Multi Saw x2
WAVE
1(5)
MULTI
4.5
ANALOG
DETUNE:
TYPE CAT
OSC WAVEFORM
2. OVERVIEW | 11
The left pedal is the soft pedal, also known as the Una Corda. When
applied, all notes will be slightly lower in volume and have a softer, more
subdued, tone quality.
In the middle is the Sostenuto pedal. Notes that are held when the pedal
is pressed down will “have their dampers raised” and keep sustaining,
while subsequent notes will not be sustained.
PEDAL NOISE
When the sustain pedal is operated on an acoustic grand or upright
piano, many different sounds are produced by the mechanical com-
ponents of that instrument’s pedal mechanism. Your Nord Stage 4
reproduces many of these natural sounds. When the sustain pedal is
pressed down, lifting the dampers from the strings, a beautiful sizzle
can be heard.
When the pedal is released, the dampers are returned to the strings,
which creates a different, muted type of sound.
PIANO AND CLAV TIMBRE
A quick method for altering the character of the current piano sound
is to use the Piano and Clav Timbre settings. The Clav settings are
designed to emulate those of the original instrument, while the Piano
settings are designed specifically with piano players in mind - instantly
making a sound softer, brighter or more mid-focused, depending on
what the song calls for.
DYNAMIC COMPRESSION
The Dynamic Compression feature raises the sound level for softer
strokes, enabling an even and audible performance at all times, even
with very dynamic playing.
This section is further described in the Piano chapter, beginning on
page 23.
PROGRAM SECTION
A program on the Nord Stage 4 contains settings for the sound engines
of all Layers and their effects. The center area of the instrument - the
Program section - is where programs are navigated and stored, and
various performance features and settings menus are accessed.
Additionally, this is also where the Organ, Piano and Synth Preset banks
are found, allowing for complete presets – including effects! – to be
loaded into any Layer or Section of your program.
This section is described in detail in the Program chapter, beginning on
page 37.
SYNTH SECTION
The Synth section contains three independent Layers and is based on
the acclaimed Nord Wave 2. In addition to Analog style waveforms and
digital Waves and FM algorithms, the Stage 4 Synth can be used for all
sorts of Sample based sounds. It also features a Super (Super Wave)
category suitable for those massive, multi-oscillator, sounds that can
not be created by other means. The large number of oscillator types
allows for a multitude of single or dual oscillator setups, waveshaping,
frequency modulation and more.
The OLED display dedicated to the Synth Section assists with Filter,
Envelope and other Synth settings, and provides excellent overview of
Waveform or Sample selection.
The Nord Sample Library 4 gives Stage 4 owners access to a huge free
library of world-class sounds, including the famous vintage Mellotron
and Chamberlin samples. Custom user samples can also be loaded into
the instrument, opening up a whole new creative world of sound.
In addition to the versatile 12 and 24 dB low-pass filters and the 12 dB
high- and band-pass filters, the Stage 4 provides an emulated transis-
tor low pass filter and a powerful combined low-pass/high-pass filter.
The advanced Arpeggiator, with its Poly, Gate and Pattern modes
makes possible all kinds of rhythmic programming across multiple
Layers.
With dedicated Amp, Filter and Oscillator envelopes, an LFO and Uni-
son control, the Stage 4’s synth capabilities are powerful, and provide
virtually limitless possibilites in terms of stunning on-stage sounds.
There is an in-depth description of this section in the Synth chapter,
beginning on page 27.
EXTERNAL MIDI
The Nord Stage 4 delivers powerful capabilities as a MIDI controller,
especially when using the Extern mode feature of the Synth Section.
Extern can be assigned to keyboard zones just like the internal sound
engines, but specializes in controlling external gear – computers, synth
modules etc. – over MIDI.
The Extern mode is described in detail in the Extern chapter, beginning
on page 45.
LAYER EFFECTS SECTION
A wide array of classic effects are independently available for each Piano
and Synth Layer and for the Organ Section:
The Mod 1 and 2 units provide all essential modulation effects such as
Tremolo, Chorus and Phaser, modeled after legendary stomp boxes
and effects units. With a Variation setting for each effect the number of
available sounds is now greater than ever.
The Delay effect can go anywhere from distinctly vintage to modern and
atmospheric sounding - with its Analog mode and dedicated feedback
Effects with Variations and Filters.
Classic amplifier simulations with Variations, a versatile EQ and
powerful, resonant filters are available in the Amp Sim/EQ section. The
punchy Compressor with an extra tight “fast mode” helps keep your
performance in control. Finally, the lush Reverb – also independently
available per Layer – provides an array of room simulations, from the
small Booth model to an expansive Cathedral, as well as a Spring
reverb. The Reverb Variations, and the characterful Chorale mode for
larger room types, provide plenty of room for experimentation.
lMany of the effect parameters can be “morph” controlled, which
means they can be addressed by the modulation wheel, pedals
or aftertouch. This opens up for all kinds of creative, real-time
interaction with both the sound engines and their effects.
This section – and the Rotary Speaker – is described in detail in the
Layer Effects chapter, beginning on page 47.
12 | NORD STAGE 4 USER MANUAL OS V1.0X
3 GETTING STARTED
Let’s spend a few minutes getting acquainted with the most funda-
mental features of the Nord Stage 4. In this chapter the most common
scenarios and tasks will be described in a step-wise fashion, hopefully
serving as a good starting point for further editing and sound creation.
HOOKING IT UP
1 Connect the Nord Stage 4 power cord to the unit and a mains
power supply, connect a sustain pedal and a set of headphones or
a sound system.
2 Make sure to turn on the Nord Stage 4 first, before the sound
system. Please be careful with the output volume.
For more information on all the connections on the Stage 4, have a look
in the Connections section on page 64.
PROGRAMS
The Program area is located at the center of the panel and has an OLED
display in the middle. Complete settings of every parameter on the panel
are stored in the program memory of the Nord Stage 4, with room for
512 programs.
Programs are organized into 8 banks, labeled A-H. All programs can be
edited and replaced freely as desired.
iA complete set of the factory programs is available on the www.
nordkeyboards.com web site. This means that the program
memory can always be restored to its original state.
SELECT A PROGRAM
1 Programs are selected by pressing any of the eight PROGRAM
buttons, located below the display. The PAGE 3/4buttons are
used to navigate program pages – a page being a group of 8
programs. A Program bank on the Nord Stage 4 can contain up to
64 programs divided into 8 program pages.
lSome of the factory programs are labeled with Whl or AT. This
indicates that the Mod Wheel or Aftertouch has an active part in the
sound and invites you to use these performance features.
2 Programs can also be navigated by turning the PROGRAM dial.
PANEL CONTROLS
DIALS AND KNOBS
The dials on the Nord Stage 4 are knobs without any
lHold the MONITOR button – found in the Program section – and
turn a knob to view the stored setting of a parameter in the display
without changing it.
FADERS
Layer A /B / C faders consist of a physical slider and an LED graph
which provides a visual indication of the current volume level of a Layer.
fixed start and stop positions, used for navigating
parameters and settings in a step-wise fashion. In
this manual dials are sometimes also referred to as
encoders.
Potentiometer-type knobs are used for most
parameters on the Nord Stage 4. When a program is
loaded the physical positions of these knobs will in
most cases not correspond to the actual parameter
values. As soon as a knob is turned however, its
associated parameter value will “snap” to the knob’s
position.
Knobs that can serve as a Morph destination are
equipped with green Morph LEDs. These are located
at the bottom left of the knob, and will light up if a
Morph is targeting that parameter. Read more about
Morphs on page 37.
3. GETTING STARTED | 13
BUTTONS
Selector buttons are used for selecting a setting in
an array. They have a set of round or triangular LEDs
to indicate its current setting. Press the button
several times to cycle through the possible options.
ON buttons are used for activating a function or a
group of functions such as effects and have a LED
close to them to indicate the on/off status.
Synth Function buttons – indicated with a red
frame – such as those for all envelopes, utilize the
Synth Section display and its three dials for making
settings.
THE SHIFT BUTTON
Many panel controls on the Nord Stage 4 have a secondary
function, which is printed immediately below it. These
additional functions are accessed by pressing and holding
SHIFT while operating the control.
The Shift button is also used to EXIT a menu or to cancel an
ongoing Store operation.
BUTTON HOLD AND DOUBLE TAP FUNCTIONS
Some buttons, such as that for the Master Clock, can be
held down in order to access a function or make
additional settings, indicated by the text being accompa-
nied by a down arrow ( ).
Button texts with double arrows ( ), such as those for
Section Edit and Morph Assign, can be double tapped in
order to keep the function in its active state, without
having to keep the button pressed down manually. This
is sometimes referred to as “latch” or “sticky” mode, which can be
exited by either pressing again on the button or on Shift/Exit.
LIST VIEW
Any dial that has LIST written below it - such as the Program dial - can
be used to access a useful list view.
1 Press SHIFT and turn the PROGRAM dial to enter a list view of all
the Programs.
2 Browse to a Program in any of the 8 banks, using the PROGRAM
dial.
3 Press SHIFT again to EXIT the List view.
lList views for the Piano, Preset Library and Waveform dials function
in just the same way.
PROGRAM VIEW MODES
The PROG VIEW (Program View) button lets you select between three
distinct modes for what is shown in the Program display, providing more
or less information as needed or desired.
Press the Prog View button to try out each of the modes:
1 The first view mode shows only the Bank letter and Program
number, as well as the Program name. The lower half of the display
is reserved for parameter hints, shown when operating a panel
control.
2 The second view mode shows the same info as the first mode,
but adds rows for the Organ, Piano and Synth Sections where
information about what is loaded in the currently focused Layers is
shown.
3 The third view mode shows information about all Layers, with the
Program name and location in smaller print at the top of the display.
EDIT A PROGRAM
Editing a program is as easy as turning a knob or pressing a button, to
change an existing setting. Let’s give it a quick try:
1 Select Program A:21 (a piano based program) for this exercise.
The controls for the Piano Section are located immediately to the left
of the Program area on the panel. Depending on Prog View mode (see
above) the Program area display shows the name of the selected piano
sound, and the six-way PIANO SELECT indicator is set to Grand.
SELECT A NEW PIANO SOUND
2 Turn the PIANO SELECT dial to browse the piano sounds. To switch
between sounds of different type (Grand, Upright, Electric Piano
etc.) use the TYPE button.
3 Try selecting a piano sound from the LIST view, accessed by
pressing SHIFT and turning the PIANO SELECT dial. Use Shift again
to EXIT the list view.
Note that changing any parameter on the Nord Stage 4 panel causes
an “E” to appear next to the current program number in the display.
This indicates that the program has been edited but not yet saved
into memory. If a new program is selected prior to performing a Store
operation any edits will be lost and the program will have its original
settings the next time it is loaded.
Program Piano
CatAbc
Num
A:13 Horizon Whl
A:14 Felt Upright
A:15 Oo Pad Whl
A:16 Silk Pad
A:21
White Grand
EP3 Shallow Close L
E
14 | NORD STAGE 4 USER MANUAL OS V1.0X
TURN OFF MEMORY PROTECTION
When the Nord Stage 4 is shipped from factory its memory is protected
to prevent accidental overwriting of original programs. Memory
protection can be turned off by toggling a setting located in the System
menu.
1 Hold SHIFT and press the SYSTEM (Program 1) button below the
display.
2 Memory Protection is the first setting of the System menu. If the
display shows a different setting, use the Page3button to navigate
to the Memory Protection setting.
3 Change this setting to Off by turning the PROGRAM dial.
4 Press EXIT (Shift button) to exit the System menu.
iThis setting, like all other System settings, will be permanently
stored until it is changed again.
Read more about menu settings, starting on page 53.
STORE A PROGRAM
1 Press the STORE button to the left of the display once, to begin the
process of storing the current program.
2 The STORE LED will begin to flash and the display will ask you for
the location to where you want to store the program.
iSome Programs, such as A:21 White Grand in this example, are
named after a specific sound in the Piano section. Note that this
name does not change if you store the Program with a different
Piano selected, but needs to be manually set through a Store As
operation, or by using the Nord Sound Manager
3 If you want to store the edited version to the current location,
replacing the original, simply press STORE again. If not, use the dial
and/or PAGE 3/4buttons to select a different location.
lThe program in the selected location becomes active on the
keyboard, allowing it to be auditioned before it is replaced by the
program being stored.
4 When you have found a suitable location for your program, press
STORE again to confirm the store operation.
iPress Shift/Exit once to abort an ongoing Store process if you
change your mind.
Read more about Store and how to name a program in the Program
chapter, on page 27.
LIVE MODE
The eight LIVE programs differ from other programs in
that all edits made to them are instantly stored - without
the need for a manual Store operation.
1 Press LIVE MODE and use the PROGRAM buttons to navigate the
eight Live programs.
2 Make an edit, such as activating one of the effects sections, to one
of the programs.
3 Select a different Live program and then return to the one that was
edited. Note that the edit was automatically stored.
If Live Mode is active and you decide to store the settings permanently
as a program in one of the Program banks, you can do so using the
standard Store methods (see above).
You can also store programs into any of the eight Live Mode memory
locations, in which case the program settings will replace that current
Live Mode memory setting.
Press the Live Mode button again to exit Live Mode and return to the
Program banks.
iWhen the Nord Stage 4 is shipped the eight Live Mode Programs
are simply copies of the first eight Programs in Bank A of the
Program banks.
SECTIONS AND LAYERS
A Section on the Nord Stage 4 refers to the ORGAN, PIANO and SYNTH
areas of the panel respectively, including their individual Layers. The
Organ and Piano Sections contain two Layers each, labeled Aand B,
while the Synth Section contains three Layers; A, Band C.
Entire Sections can be turned On or Off by pressing the Section ON
button.
TURNING LAYERS ON AND OFF
Within a Section, Layers are turned On by simultaneously pressing the
ON/OFF buttons for Layers that should be active. As an example, to add
Piano Bwhen Piano Ais already turned On, press down both buttons.
To toggle between two Layers, press the non-active Layer button.
Pressing the button for an active Layer gives it focus on the panel,
making all parameter controls for that Layer available for editing.
Layers are turned OFF by holding down a Layer button for a short
moment, as indicated by the “ “ symbol.
STORE PROGRAM TO
A:21
White Grand
3. GETTING STARTED | 15
LAYER EFFECTS
The Nord Stage 4 has a dedicated LAYER EFFECTS section, with a large
selection of different effects that can be applied to sound sources on
a per-Layer basis. Both PIANO Layers (A and B) and all three SYNTH
Layers (A, B and C) have their own complete sets of effects. The two
ORGAN Layers, A and B, share one effects chain.
The Layer Effects Section can be turned on or off, which bypasses all
effects, by pressing its ON button.
The ORGAN, PIANO and SYNTH buttons in the FX
FOCUS area are used for selecting which Section or
Layer has focus for effects editing.
The effects for each Section can either be used indi-
vidually per Layer, or be grouped together by pressing
SECTION (Shift+Organ/Piano/Synth). In Section mode,
all Layers share the same settings for all effects. The
settings for the Layer which has focus will be applied to
all Layers, when entering Section mode.
When exiting Section mode, by again pressing Section
(Shift+Organ/Piano/Synth), all Layers within that
Section will have the same effect settings until these are
adjusted manually.
With FOLLOW FOCUS active, the FX Focus automatically
follows the focus of Layer buttons in the Organ, Piano
and Synth sections, as they are pressed.
The current effect focus is indicated both by a yellow FX FOCUS LED
next to each Section’s On button, as well as by the LEDs in the FX
Focus area.
ACTIVATE AN EFFECT
With Program A:21 still selected, try out these steps to add effects to
the clean Piano sound:
1 Make sure that Piano Ahas focus in the FX Focus area. If not,
press the FX Focus PIANO button so that it does.
2 Activate the reverb by pressing the Reverb ON button.
3 Adjust the DRY / WET balance with the knob in the Reverb area.
4 Turn on the Delay effect by pressing its ON/OFF button once.
5 Try the RATE, FEEDBACK,FILTER,EFFECTS and DRY WET controls,
to alter the character and intensity of the Delay effect.
LOAD A PRESET
The Nord Stage 4 PRESET LIBRARY comes with a large number of
Preset sounds for the Organ, Piano and Synth sections, making it quick
and easy to load ready-to-use sounds, including effects, into existing
Programs. With Program A:21 still selected, let’s try adding a Synth
sound from the Preset Library:
1 Press the SYNTH button of the Preset Library section. This
automatically turns the Synth section On and opens the Preset
browse screen.
2 Use the dial to find a suitable sound to layer with the Piano sound,
perhaps a Synth Pad sound. Use the faders for the active Layers to
adjust the sound levels appropriately.
lPresets can be browsed by Category if desired. This is done by
entering List View (Shift+dial), pressing the Cat soft button and
selecting the desired Category from the List.
3 Once you have found your desired sound, press the Preset Library
Synth button again, or Shift/Exit, to confirm and exit the Preset
browse screen.
All the synthesizer parameters on the panel can be adjusted, even when
using a preset as a starting point. An in-depth description of these
parameters can be found in the Synth reference chapter, starting on
page 27.
LOAD A SINGLE LAYER PRESET
Apart from loading Presets for the entire Section, as in the previous
example, you can also load Presets for single Layers. This is useful
whenever you want to keep sounds in other Layers within that Section
intact, for example when blending new sounds with existing Layers,
or for having access to a number of different sounds within the same
Program – using Layer faders or Layer Scene functionality (see further
down) to switch between them.
Let’s add a Single Layer Preset to Piano B, for layering with the grand
piano sound:
1 Press the Piano Aand Bbuttons simultaneously to turn both
Layers On and make sure that Layer B has focus, indicated by the
blinking LED.
2 Press SHIFT + PIANO in the PRESET LIBRARY area to open the
SINGLE LAYER screen.
3 Turn the Program dial to select a Layer Preset for Piano B, perhaps
an electric piano sound. Use the Piano A and B faders to adjust the
balance of the two sounds.
4 Once you have found a suitable sound, press the Preset Library
Piano button to return.
CREATE A SPLIT
Apart from layering sounds, like in the previous example, it is also
possible to assign sounds to different zones of the keyboard, by using
the SPLIT functionality. Continuing on the Piano and Synth combination
from the previous example, let’s split these sounds instead.
1 Press once on the SPLIT ON/SET button, located in the top row
above the Program area display. This activates a single split point in
the middle of the keyboard, at “C4”.
2 To adjust the position of the Split point, press and hold the SPLIT
ON/SET button.
3 There are two settings for each split point; Note and xFade. Make
sure the Note row is selected by pressing the Program 1 button,
corresponding to the 6/5 symbol in the display until the cursor is
on the lower row. Set the desired Mid split point using the dial.
4 Make sure that the other two split points (Low and High) are set to
“Off”.
The keyboard is now divided into two zones, the split point being
16 | NORD STAGE 4 USER MANUAL OS V1.0X
indicated with a green LED above the keyboard. The MLED above the
SPLIT ON/SET button will also be lit, indicating both that Split is turned
on, and that only the Mid split point is active.
ASSIGN THE PIANO TO THE UPPER ZONE
5 Press Piano A KB ZONE 3/4(Shift+Octave Shift Up/Down) so that
only the two rightmost LEDs are lit.
This assigns Piano A to the upper zone of the keyboard. Feel free to use
the OCTAVE SHIFT 3/4 buttons in the Piano section for accessing a
different range of the piano sound.
ASSIGN THE SYNTH SOUND TO THE LOWER ZONE
Press the Synth A KB ZONE 3/4(Shift+Octave Shift Up/Down) so
that only the two leftmost LEDs are lit. Note that if you have loaded or
created a Synth sound using multiple Layers you can double-tap on
Section Edit before editing KB Zone, which lets you set the KB Zone for
all Synth Layers at once.
iBy using all three split points, Low, Mid and High, it is possible to
divide the keyboard into a total of four distinct zones to which any
Layer can be freely assigned.
ADD AN ORGAN LAYER
Let’s add an Organ sound to the Synth/Piano split we just created.
6 Turn on the Organ Section by pressing its ON button
7 Try out the loaded Organ sound and adjust it as desired, or load
an Organ Preset by pressing the Preset Library Organ button and
selecting a Preset like in the previous Synth example.
lWhile adjusting the sound of a Layer it can be monitored on its own
by pressing the SOLO button in the Program area and pressing the
button for that Layer to give it focus. Solo is exited by pressing Solo
again, or with Shift/Exit.
You should now have a sound which consists of the Organ assigned to
the entire keyboard, layered with a Synth sound at the left side of the
Split point and a Piano sound on the right side.
LAYER SCENE II
The Layer Scene functionality allows for creating two
independent Layer configurations where individual Layers
or Sections can be turned On or Off as desired in each.
Using our existing Organ, Piano and Synth combination,
let’s instead create a setup where we can switch
between Organ and the Piano and Synth combination:
1 Make sure that the Layer Scene II LED is unlit, meaning that we
are on Layer Scene I, and turn the Piano and Synth Sections off.
You should now have just the Organ sound, assigned to the entire
keyboard.
2 Press Layer Scene II and turn the Piano and Synth sections On.
Also make sure that the Organ section is turned Off.
3 Use the Layer Scene II button to toggle between the two Layer
configurations.
The Layer Scene II configuration is stored as part of a Program, and is
useful in scenarios where one wants to toggle between two distinct layer
configurations while staying within the same Program.
lAn attached pedal, either the Foot Switch or the middle or left
pedal of a Nord Triple Pedal can be used for switching between
Layer Scene I and II. Read more about this on page 42.
MORPHS
The modulation wheel, a connected control pedal or the keyboard
aftertouch can be used to alter one or several parameters while playing.
This is achieved by using morphs. In short, this is done by selecting
a source (the physical controller) a destination parameter and the
parameter range included in the morph. Again, we start out with the
piano based Program at A:21.
1 We will now create a layered sound and morph the Piano B Level
with the Wheel, so start by making sure that the Piano Section is
turned On.
2 Press both Piano Aand Bbuttons simultaneously to activate both
Layers.
3 Focus Piano B by pressing the Bbutton and use the Piano Type
and Model controls to select a sound from the ELECTRIC category.
You should now have a grand piano sound layered with an electric
piano sound.
4 Drag the Piano B fader all the way down to hear only the grand
piano sound in Layer A.
5 Press and hold the WHEEL button in the Morph Assign group,
above the Program area dial.
6 With the WHEEL button pressed, push the Piano Bfader all the way
up again.
7 Let go of the Morph WHEEL button. Play a few notes or chords,
while moving the modulation wheel.
As the wheel moves, the Piano B level increases and the sound changes
accordingly.
lOne Morph source (Wheel, Control Pedal or Aftertouch) can control
several parameters at once.
lA Morph source can increase one parameter’s value while
decreasing the value of another at the same time. This makes it
possible, for example, to crossfade between instruments.
Read more about the Morph functionality on page 25.
3. GETTING STARTED | 17
THE SYNTHESIZER
The Nord Stage 4 SYNTH Section features three complete and
independent synthesizers – Layers A, Band C– which can be used as
single sound sources or as building blocks for more complex, layered,
sounds.
lThe PRESET LIBRARY (see previous page) contains a large number
of ready-to-play sounds that can be used as is, or be further
tweaked using the Synth and Layer Effects controls.
Let’s have a look at some of the basic features of the Stage 4 synthesiz-
er, beginning with how to set up a sound using “analog” waveforms.
1 Make sure the Synth section is active, by pressing the Synth
Section ON button, and that only Layer Ais active. Layers are
turned Off by pressing down on the corresponding button for a
short moment.
2 In order to start off from a “blank slate”, let’s initialize the synthesizer
to its default settings by pressing SOUND INIT (Shift+Waveform).
3 Turn off any active effects for the Synth section.
4 Make sure the Synth Section is in ANALOG Mode, using the MODE
selector. Use the three dials under the display and set TYPE to
Analog, CAT (Category) to Pure and WAVE to Sawtooth.
5 We are now using a basic, single oscillator,configuration which
means that the OSC CTRL knob has no impact on the sound. Let’s
choose a different Category:
6 Turn the CAT dial to and select the Multi category. The WAVE dial
can be used to select different combinations of multiple sawtooth
waves. Let’s stick with Multi Saw x2 which consists of two
oscillators an octave apart.
7 Turn the OSC CTRL knob to alter the Detune paramete for the two
oscillators, shown in the display, resulting in a more or less detuned
and lively sound.
As a final step, let’s turn to the Filter section for some adjustments:
1 Make sure the Filter is turned ON and turn the Filter ENV AMT
(Envelope Amount) to zero for now.
2 Press the Filter TYPE button. In the display, use the leftmost TYPE
dial to try out the different kinds of filters.
3 Turn the Filter FREQ knob in each direction, and notice how the
sound gets gradually darker or brighter, depending on which Type
of filter is being used. Repeat this with all TYPE settings, paying
attention to how they each have a different effect on how the sound
is shaped.
iRead more about the Filter Types, and other settings in the Filter
section, beginning on page 38.
LOADING AND ADJUSTING A SAMPLE
Now let’s instead set up a string pad sound based on a sample:
1 Switch to Layer Bof the Synth Section, and initialize it using the
Sound Init function (Shift+Waveform).
2 Press the MODE button and select SAMPLES.
3 Use the CAT dial under the display to select the Strings Ensemble
category. Use the SAMPLE dial to select a sound of your choice.
4 Play a few notes. To make a pad out of the sound we will want to
do a few tweaks. Press the AMP ENVELOPE button, opening up the
amplifier envelope controls in the display.
5 While playing, adjust the RELEASE control (third dial under the
display) until a suitably long tail is heard when releasing a note,
perhaps at a value of around 1 second.
6 Similarily, use the ATTACK dial to create a softer and more gradual
onset of the notes you play. A value around 500 ms may be
suitable.
7 To finalize the string pad, turn the Filter ON, press Filter TYPE and
check that one of the LP (low-pass) options is selected, and adjust
the Filter FREQ to give the sound a softer character. A value of
around 2 kHz could be a good starting point.
lYou may want to set Env Amt to zero for the Filter, or instead adjust
the Filter ENVELOPE, which determines the contour of the Filter
over time.
8 To try out the pad sound with a different sample, press and hold
the WAVEFORM button and turn the SAMPLE dial. A normal turn
of the Sample dial would turn off the Filter section and set the Amp
Envelope to preset values for the selected sample.
There are several ways to further enhance this basic string pad sound,
for instance by adding modulation or by using effects. Read more about
modulation options on page 34 and about effects, beginning on page
page 45.
lAdditional samples can be added to the Nord Stage 4 by using the
Nord Sound Manager software.
Pure Saw
WAVE
3(6)
PUREANALOG
TYPE CAT
OSC WAVEFORM
Multi Saw x2
WAVE
1(5)
MULTI
4.5
ANALOG
DETUNE:
TYPE CAT
OSC WAVEFORM
SymphStr Leg Soft Amb
3
(28)
OFF
CATINFO
SAMPLE LIBRARY
Strings Ensemble
SAMPLE
18 | NORD STAGE 4 USER MANUAL OS V1.0X
THE ARPEGGIATOR/GATE
As a final exercise, let’s create a sound using the Synth section and its
ARPEGGIATOR/GATE.
1 Make sure that only the Synth Section is turned on and perform a
SOUND INIT (Shift+Waveform). Set the Amp Envelope ATTACK time
to 0, the DECAY to around 500 ms, select a sawtooth waveform
and open up the filter a little bit. This will produce a percussive
sound.
2 Press ARP RUN, play a chord on the keyboard and turn the
Arpeggiator Rate knob. This will play the notes that are held down,
one after the other in a repeating fashion.
3 Press the Arpeggiator/Gate MENU button in order to make some
additional settings:
Turn the DIRECTION dial and try out the different settings. With
the default UP setting notes are played from the lowest key and up
to the highest and then it starts over again. The other directions are
DOWN (down), UP/DOWN and RANDOM.
With ZIG ZAG (the second dial) activated, played notes will jump by
two steps and then back one, in a given direction.
iPages 2-5 of the Arpeggiator/Gate menu concern the Pattern
mode, their settings only having effect when Pattern (Shift+Arp/
Gate Mode) is enabled.
lThe top row of the Arpeggiator/Gate menu indicates the current
Waveform or Sample selection (“Multi Saw x 2” in the example).
4 Now let’s alter the range of the played arpeggio by turning the
RANGE/ENV knob. The range can be adjusted up to 4 octaves in
steps of 1/3 of an octave.
5 Press the KB HOLD button to keep the arpeggio going without the
need for pressing the keys.
lFeel free to also try out the POLY (Polyphonic) and GATE modes
while the arpeggiator is going. In Polyphonic mode, inversions of
the held chord are played back repeatedly, while the Gate mode
turns the sound off and on in a rhythmic fashion. Note that in Gate
mode you will want to set the Amp and Filter Envelope Decay to
longer values, since played notes are not repeated as with the Arp
and Poly modes.
MASTER CLOCK
Now that we have an arpeggio going, let’s try the Master Clock feature
to synchronize the arpeggio and to bring in an effect as well.
1 Hold SHIFT and turn the Arpeggiator RATE knob to lock the
arpeggio to the Master Clock, the MST CLK LED lights up.
Press down on the Mst Clk TAP/SET button in the
Program area to dial in a tempo with the PROGRAM
Dial. The display will indicate the BPM. Set this to 130
BPM for this exercise. Press SHIFT/EXIT to exit.
lAlternatively, tap a minimum of four times on the Mst Clk button to
set the tempo on the fly.
2 Turn the Arpeggio RATE knob to select the meter subdivision (or
note values) that the arpeggio should play. The setting is shown
in the Program area display as the knob is being turned. Notice
how 1/4 is half the “speed “ of 1/8. A “T” after a numerical value
indicates triplets. Set the subdivision to 1/8.
3 Turn on the DELAY effect for the active Synth Layer. If you carefully
adjust the delay TEMPO, you could match it to fit the rhythm of the
arpeggio, but there is another way. Let’s synchronize the delay to
the same clock as the arpeggio:
4 Hold SHIFT and turn the Delay TEMPO knob to activate Master
Clock for the Delay. The MST CLK LED lights up.
5 Turn the Delay TEMPO knob and again refer to the Program area
display to monitor the setting.
6 Try 1/16, which will be half the note value or twice the “speed” of
the arpeggio. Turn up the DRY WET knob up to but not beyond 12
o’clock to hear the delay taps together with the arpeggiated notes.
The Arpeggio, the LFO on the synth, the Delay and the Mod 1 rate can
be synchronized to the Master Clock in this fashion.
What’s more, the Master Clock operates on all Layers simultaneously so
you can control arpeggios and LFOs on all Synth Layers, and Effects for
the Organ and Piano Sections as well.
Some of the Mst Clk equipped functions have division settings that are
larger than 1/1 that allows for sweeps that are longer than one bar. And
you can of course synchronize some functions, while leaving others
free-running if you like.
2345
RANDOM
UP/DOWN
DOWN
DIRECTION
ZIGZAG
Multi Saw x2
ARPEGGIATOR
UP
ON
OFF
1
4. ORGAN | 19
4 ORGAN SECTION
ABOUT THE ORGAN SECTION
The Nord Stage 4 features six organ models, all digitally modeled; a
tonewheel/B3 organ with a separate B3 Bass mode, two transistor
organs (Vox and Farfisa) and two Pipe Organ models.
iThe Rotary Speaker effect, which is often combined with the
Organ, is covered in the Effects chapter, see page 47.
ON/OFF AND LEVEL
The Organ Section is turned On or Off by pressing its ON button. The
morphable level faders control the output level of each Organ Layer.
LAYER BUTTONS AND FX FOCUS
There are two Organ Layers; A and B. Turning a second Layer On is
done by pressing both Layer buttons simultaneously. Turning a Layer Off
is done by holding its button down for a short period of time.
To toggle from one Layer to the other, press the non-active Layer
button. With both Layers active, the focused Layer is indicated by a
blinking LED above the Layer button.
If FOLLOW FOCUS is active in the LAYER EFFECTS section, pressing
a Layer button also focuses the Organ Section effects for editing,
indicated by the FX FOCUS LED at the top of the Organ section.
iNote that Both Organ Layers share the same effects chain, unlike
the Piano and Synth Layers which each has its own set of effects.
OCTAVE SHIFT AND KB ZONE
Use OCTAVE SHIFT 3/4to transpose the selected Organ Layer up
or down by octaves (+/- 12 semitones). When assigned to the entire
keyboard it can be transposed one octave up or down. When assigned
to a smaller zone the available transpose values will vary, but always
provide access to the full range of the Organ.
Press KB ZONE 3/4 (Shift+Octave Down/Up), to assign the selected
Organ Layer to any of the active keyboard zones. The green LEDs
indicate which of the zones a Layer is assigned to. Read more about
Split set-ups and keyboard zones on page 38.
SUSTPED AND PSTICK
SUSTPED (Shift + Layer A On/Off) activates any attached sustain pedal
for the selected Organ Layer. Read more on how to configure an
attached pedal in the Menus chapter, on page 58.
PSTICK (Shift + Layer B On/Off) turns on pitch stick functionality for the
selected Layer, in which case the Organ sound can be bent 2 semitones
up and down, using the pitch stick.
SELECTING AN ORGAN MODEL
Use the ORGAN MODEL selector button to select an Organ Model
to use. Note that different models can be used for Layers A and B,
enabling various layered Organ sounds or a B3 manual combined with
the B3 Bass drawbars as a split or with one Layer played over MIDI.
20 | NORD STAGE 4 USER MANUAL OS V1.0X
ORGAN PRESETS
The Nord Stage 4 comes with a large selection of complete and ready-
to-use Organ Presets, including effects. These are browsed and loaded
using the ORGAN button in the PRESET LIBRARY area, of the central
Program section. User-created sounds can be stored to the Preset
Library as well, for quick and easy recall from within any Program.
Read more about the Preset Library on page 40.
DRAWBARS AND LED GRAPHS
The mechanical drawbars are accompanied by LED graphs. When a
program is loaded the LED graphs show the stored settings for the
drawbars, referred to as the Preset.
If the Preset is turned Off, the Organ is in Drawbar Live mode for that
Layer, meaning that the physical positions of the drawbars are used, in
which case the LEDs are unlit. Read more about Preset and Drawbar
Live further down.
lThe drawbars can be Morph controlled, in Preset mode, if you
want to make dramatic changes with for example the Wheel or a
control pedal.
THE B3 MODEL
The B3 model is based on a digital model of the classic electro-
mechanical tonewheel organ. This simulation utilizes innovative and
advanced methods to capture every nuance of the original sound. Here
are some examples:
• An extremely accurate digital model of the original chorus and vibrato
scanner.
• Modeling of the individual contact bounces for each harmonic.
• Modeling of the unique frequency characteristics of the built-in pre-
amplifier, which forms the “body” of the sound.
• Simulation of the energy robbing on the tone wheels that results in the
typical “compressed” sound.
• Authentic tuning of the tonewheels according to the original design.
• Extremely fast keyboard response.
• Full polyphony.
B3 DRAWBARS
The harmonic intervals for the tonewheel organ are printed on the panel
below the drawbars. Each drawbar represents a partial with a fixed
harmonic interval in relationship with the played note.The illustration
below shows the pitch interval among the nine drawbars when the key
of C3 is played. Note that the 5 ⅓′ drawbar actually is a 5th above the
fundamental harmonic (8′) but in most situations is perceived as
sounding below it.
VIBRATO & CHORUS
The original vibrato and chorus scanner in a tonewheel organ consists
of a modulated delay line in combination with a rotating scanner. For the
Vibrato effect, phase shift is applied to the signal. For the Chorus effect,
the phase-modulated signal is added to the original signal.
Three different types of choruses (C1-C3) and three different types of
vibratos (V1-V3) are available. Select one of these types by pressing the
Vibrato/Chorus selector button. The effect can be activated/deactivated
for each Layer individually by pressing the Vibrato/Chorus button for the
Layer A and Layer B “manuals”.
C3
16 5⅓ ⅔ ⅗
8 4 2 1 ⅓
1 1
2
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