Nord User Forum

[sphelan]

Hi there!

I have just bought a Nord Grand (mindblowing) and have ordered the Nord Speakers and brackets to go with it.

I want to do the following but am not sure how best to go about it.

I want to hear my Nord through the Nord Speakers and also be able to record to my DAW on my Mac Pro. I therefore want to be able to take my Left and Right Out from the Nord and (a) plug in to the speakers AND (b) plug in to the back of my Audio Interface at the same time. At the moment, I am plugging the ends of the cables from the Nord into the speakers or into the interface depending on what I am doing, playing or recording. I want to avoid this.

What is the best solution here?

[maxpiano]

Hi and welcome!

The best solution in this case, imo, is to do: Nord Grand -> Audio Interface -> Nord Speakers (i.e. use the Nord speakers as "studio monitors" of your whole setup, NS + Mac).

As an alternative, if you want the speakers to be plugged directly to the Nord Grand, so that you can play it when Mac/interface are off, you may use the Headphone output to connect it to the Audio Interface and record into the DAW.

[sphelan]

Hi and welcome!

The best solution in this case, imo, is to do: Nord Grand -> Audio Interface -> Nord Speakers (i.e. use the Nord speakers as "studio monitors" of your whole setup, NS + Mac).

As an alternative, if you want the speakers to be plugged directly to the Nord Grand, so that you can play it when Mac/interface are off, you may use the Headphone output to connect it to the Audio Interface and record into the DAW.

Thanks maxpiano for your reply. And for the welcome!

This is how I had imagined it BUT I also want to be able to hear the Nord Grand through the Nord speakers WITHOUT turning on the Mac,Audio Interface and KRK studio monitors. I think your second option might be the best here. Is the Headphone out good enough for recording compared to the R & L Outs?

[cphollis]

Yes, the headphone out is great for recording

[sphelan]

Yes, the headphone out is great for recording

I just had a look at the the thread nord-piano-grand-forum-f10/recording-nord-piano-in-stereo-t19982.html.

As I understand it, recording in stereo is preferable to mono.

Won't the headphone to audio interface just give me a mono signal rather than a stereo signal if I run the Left and Right outs from the Nord into two channels on my interface?

[FZiegler]

Headphones out is as much stereo as the main outs. But it's different with the cables/jacks: one stereo jack vs. two mono jacks. You would need an adapter cable.

[sphelan]

Headphones out is as much stereo as the main outs. But it's different with the cables/jacks: one stereo jack vs. two mono jacks. You would need an adapter cable.

Thanks. I am new to this type of set up and I understood (mistakenly) that I should record two cables out of Nord Grand, i.e. Left and Right, to two channels on the audio interface.

If I understand correctly what all three of you are saying, a set up like the following will solve everything and I won't need to buy any extra hardware (mixer or splitter):

1. Nord Grand Left Out and Right Out -> Nord Speakers for playing when the computer is off

and

2. Nord Grand Headphone -> audio interface, recording piano on one channel rather than two channels.

Thanks again.

[FZiegler]

No.

Ad 2. Once again: As you have two ears, most headphones have two channels. They are stereo. You usually have both channels in one cord, but often you can see them split up. As well for your situation: You need an adapter cable that fits in the headphone socket (1/8' stereo jack) and splits the two channels into two cords that end in two 1/4 inch mono jacks. I think, that's what your audio interface will need - you then have two channels used in your audio interface (it hopefully isn't mono) and have to find out which is L and which R.

It's absolutely preferable to record the piano in stereo sound.

[maxpiano]

No.
As well for your situation: You need an adapter cable that fits in the headphone socket (1/8' stereo jack) and splits the two channels into two cords that end in two 1/4 inch mono jacks. I think, that's what your audio interface will need - you then have two channels used in your audio interface (it hopefully isn't mono) and have to find out which is L and which R.

It's absolutely preferable to record the piano in stereo sound.

Nord Grand headphones out is 1/4' stereo, the rest is correct a "Y Cable" (1x Stereo -> 2x Mono) is needed

[sphelan]

Ok. So I do need some more gear
A Y cable and I'm done.
Thanks guys!