Nord User Forum

Hello All,
a recent forum question about whether or not the Nord Half Moon switch could be used with instruments other than the C1 and C2 Nord organs, led me to purchase a used Leslie half Moon switch and try to put together my own switch for use with my NE3 and NSEx, it will also work for the NS2.

Many years ago, I had put together one of these for use with my NE2, and it worked very well.
The switches can usually be found for about $40 "I got mine from a seller on e8ay".
This project requires basic hand tools like a screwdriver, wire cutters, and soldering iron.

A basic materials list includes:

• Leslie Half Moon switch "two position is best for the electro and stage instruments" "three position if you're making it for C1 or C2"
• 20" of #20 ~ 24 awg, two conductor speaker wire, or lamp cord, or Hi-Z instrument cable.
• 1/4" right angle mono plug "Tip, Sleeve" Although in the pictures I use a stereo or "Tip, Ring, Sleeve"
  this will plug into the "Rotor Pedal jack on the back of the instrument when completed".
• Double sided tape, or velcro to secure the switch to your instrument.

This whole DIY project took me 20 minutes to complete. The complexity level is about 4 out of 10.
Great care should be exercised in handling the bakelite parts of the switch housing as it is a very fragile material.
This is the two position switch as it arrived from e8ay seller.


For reference, this is the three position switch:


The Bottom must be removed for the switch guts to be slid out. 15 minutes could have been saved if I had just attached to the existing old wires. "where's the fun in that?

Switch guts removed...

Closeup view of the two sets of contacts, you only need one set..


New wires soldered on, red heat-shink tubing makes it almost look professional...

Reassembled... Almost looks like a four eyed smiley face puking up some wires

The finished product ready to test.

This is it mounted to my NE3 and working perfectly....

Good luck with the project.

Cheers, Hanon

Great DIY! What you mean two positions is best??
And any idea where to get the switches?? the bay or some retailers have them??
SOunds like great fun to have the real switch!!!

Johannes wrote:Great DIY! What you mean two positions is best??
And any idea where to get the switches?? the bay or some retailers have them??
SOunds like great fun to have the real switch!!!

Hi Johannes,
I'll go back and edit the post to include those details.
The two position switch is used for the "Slow/ Fast" switching.
The footswitch setup for the Nord Electro series and NSEx only switches the rotary speaker sim between two settings depending on the panel settings, It is either "Slow/ Fast" or "Stop/ Fast".
The Nord C1 and C2 organs have the switch jack setup for a third position, hence the TRS plug.
The Nord Half Moon switch is a three position switch that allows the user to switch the rotary speaker sim between Stop/ Slow, and Fast.
Ebay is a convenient source for these used switches and there is almost always 5 available at any time.
I bought 2 of them, both for $75
The one in the DIY was for me, the other is a special project for a friend with a C2, that one is a three position switch.

Certain organ players get accustomed to using the half moon switch and nothing else will quite suffice.
You can hit it with a palm gliss, fast speed going up the keyboard, and returning back to slow speed after going down the keyboard.

Cheers, Hanon

Though the original hammond switches are cool, could this be adapted to the Nord Halfmoon switch?

tommy247365 wrote:Though the original hammond switches are cool, could this be adapted to the Nord Halfmoon switch?

Hi Tommy,
The Nord Half Moon Switch can have the wiring modified to function with the NE3, NSEx and NS2.
The center position just won't do anything. i.e. far left= slow, and far right= fast, from far right to center= no change, and far left to center= no change.
It's entirely possible that the Nord Half Moon switch will function this way right out of the box without modification.
If you buy one and it doesn't work this way, you can send it to me, and I'll make it work, and send it back to you.
I'm in Florida.

Cheers, Hanon