Nord User Forum

[rogers12245]

Nord stage 3 question. Newbie here. I figured out how to download sounds to the keyboard from the site. Now, I just can’t LOCATE them on the keyboard.

Very new to all of this, so lease excuse the idiocy.

I have a stage 3. I just figured out how to download patches from the site.

Now, I just can’t seem to locate them.

The only way I can cycle through the patches is to toggle this little wheel. They appear to be organized in a series of letters. A-K or something like that.

In the nord application window on my computer, they are numbered (which is easier for me and reminds me of the keypad style in my old Yamaha). However, there’s no keypad I can find.

The sound I really want to locate is the “jump” synth, labeled 103 and under “miscellaneous” in the application window on my Mac.

I cycled through all the sounds A-K and didn’t see it, or any of the others I downloaded.

Do you guys have an easy way for me to;

1. Stay organized, rename the sounds.

2. Locate them quickly

3. Locate sounds that I’ve downloaded from the website?

Thanks so much for any assistance.

[Schorsch]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I suggest you look at some tutorials on YouTube which introduce the Nord Stage structure, like the ones from Mr Keys To Music.

A-K are programs, this is the top layer in the Nord. A program contains two panels A and B which can consist of one or a combination of the different sound engines organ, piano and synth each. The Nord is preloaded with samples for the piano section and also samples for the synth section, these can be changed according to your needs and preferences by using the Nord Sound Manager. The synth section also contains presets of synth programs.

To identify a sample which you want to add to a program you have to know the location in the sample memory, this can be identified from your computer with Sound Manager - just give it a try, it’s easier than you might think once you get used to the handling

[FZiegler]

You might watch a bunch of videos from Mark (My keys to music) or take an hour with the manual to understand the basics: What's a program, what's a sample and where are they on the Stage, where are they in Nord Sound Manager software...

You won't be able to directly download programs/samples from the website to the instrument. You always have to get them onto you computer first and then use the forementioned software.

[DJKeys]

What kind of "sound" did you download and are you trying to locate?

A PROGRAM is what you find on the Nord as "A:11", "P:23", etc.
This is a FULL set of settings for one organ, one piano, and one synth for EACH of the Panels A and B — so six individual sounds, plus effects settings. (It doesn't matter whether an instrument section or panel is active or not; its setting are saved as part of the program regardless.)

Then there are individual sound settings for the separate engines: piano samples for the piano section (.npno), and regular samples that can be played back by the synth section (.nsmp/.nsmp3). The synth can either play back samples or use virtual oscillators as a sound source. So in addition to the samples used by the synth, there are also synth presets — files that contain the synth settings for a particular sound created with the synth section of a panel.

The organ section is modelled, so there aren't any "presets" for that.

Which section a file is loaded into using the Nord Sound Manager depends upon what kind of file it is, and that determines where you will find it on the Stage.

Here's an overview of the file types I wrote up a while ago:

.nsmp/.nsmp3 files are the raw sample format. They can be used by a synth engine set to “sample” mode. The .nsmp3 format includes support for default parameters like attack or release settings, as well as filter adjustments, that make them more useful immediately, without needing any setting-up. These files are copied onto the machine and can be used in a program or several programs, or not at all.

.npno files — same thing, but available only to the piano engine. Different sample format (including multiple velocity layers).

.ns3f files are full Nord Stage 3 programs that go in the program section. They contain the settings for one organ, one piano, and one synth for each of the two layers — regardless of whether those engines are actually switched on in the program. Effects settings are also saved, of course. They DO NOT include the samples or piano files — merely information about which ones are used. These are machine-specific and can only be read by Nord Stage 3.

.ns3y files are synth presets that go in the synth section and can be stored as part of a program on the Stage. Again, specific to the Nord Stage 3.

.ns3fb is a bundle format that includes the program and any piano/sample files used. It’s just a .zip file with a different ending, so renaming it to “.zip” and unpacking it will alle you to see the samples and pianos, so you can transfer those, at least, to another incompatible machine, as these are, of course, specific to the Stage 3.

.ns3b is a full backup of the entire machine, including all pianos, all samples, all synth presets, and all programs. It, too, is just a .zip file with a different extension.