Nord User Forum

I was REALLY surprised to see that the Nord monitors have no parallel outputs to run into a DAW or console, nor are there separate outs on the Grand for recording when using the monitors.

What are folks doing? A/B/Y boxes? Splitters? Unplugging the monitors when recording?

I must say, this is a bit cheesy of Nord to not make allowance for recording while using the monitors. It "feels" a bit like I am trying to record Uncle Sven's Lowrey organ here!

If my room sounded better, I could even try mic'ing it!
Meanwhile, I have a pair of A/B/Y pedals...but, meh...

Usually when you record, you also want to listen to the recording - often intermixed with playing again and recording, maybe because you do multiple takes.

You also want to listen to the other tracks recorded as you play, or a click track, to stay in sync with proper timing.

So the way I guess most musicians and recording studies do it is to connect the output from the instrument(s) to the DAW, and the output from the DAW to the speakers. Then enable monitoring on the DAW when you play the instrument, and enjoy being able to hear yourself play as well as the rest of the tracks, with proper timing.

Often you may also play multiple instruments on your keyboard (piano, bass, strings, ...) and have these on different tracks.

If you really want to have yourself only in the Nord monitors, you can use the headphone output to connect to your DAW, or any of the other solutions you mention.

There could also be solutions additionally connecting the DAW output to your mini -jack input on the Nord, but then I think you will end up recording also the output of eg your click track with the piano.

Thanks for the reply...Yes, all that makes sense.
I wondered about using the headphone jack...because I really enjoy playing through these speakers, and although I am not a recording studio, I like to make recordings of my compositions, and I would prefer to play the piano over these monitors while doing that. It's the haptic feedback that I guess I like the most. The only concern I would have with that idea are levels. The Nord monitors don't really reach acoustic piano volume until the Grand is turned up full, and that makes me worry that there could be some distortion when using the headphone out into my DAW...but I haven't tried it yet.

I do the same thing when recording with my EP-200...I like hearing it thorough it's own speakers; they are "coloured" to enhance the tone, and, again, I can "feel" the piano.

Like the Wurly, it would have been great if Nord had included a way to both hear the Nord monitors AND have a line out somewhere, for both recording or for a PA.

Instead I robbed 2 A/B/Y boxes from my guitar rig, and have them set up. They work great, but that's an added expense I would have preferred to avoid.

Do you have a recording interface?

As Baekgaard said, for keys you would usually plug the L/R from your Nord into the inputs on your interface, then the outputs from your interface to the studio monitors.

If you configure your interface to run with zero latency/direct monitoring from the input channels, then you can listen to the Nord through the piano monitors with zero latency, without having to plug the recording interface into your computer even. If you happened to have separate studio monitors for mixing from your DAW, you could add these and configure them as another output from your interface.

So it's effectively the same as plugging in directly, you're just using the interface like a mixer. But this has the added advantage of being able to record when desired just by plugging into your computer/opening your DAW, listening back to what you recorded, plugging in additional instruments, playing over backing tracks from your computer etc.. etc.

Or you buy a mixer, and you just it for monitoring and to send to your DAW via Sub or direct output....Old,school but still super efficient for your workflow...

I don't use a computer DAW, no. I record my ideas and compositions on a standalone DAW, the Zoom L-12...and yes, it would certainly be feasible to patch the Nord directly into the Zoom, and send one of the 5 monitor mixes back to my Nord. That's not a bad idea at all, it just means the risk of further colourization by the Zoom, but I'm sure it is fairly transparent. Of course, with some DAWs it might mean sending OTHER instruments/tracks back into the Nord Monitors at the same time, and I wouldn't really want that I don't think; they are not meant as studio monitors. The L-12 conveniently allows for many separate monitor mixes at the same time. having 5 pairs of aux outs! Love my L-12...one of the best new/old-school piece of gear out there right now. AND it's also a 12 channel audio interface (if I had a computer!)...



The solution I am using for now are two A/B/Y boxes, one for left, one for right, that allow me the best of bother worlds...although I now have to replace them with 2 more for my guitar player.

As in the pic, I have my studio monitors beside the Nord's, and so my solution allows to to hear other instrunents (and the Nord) on the monitors, but I can ALSO isolate the Nord and hear only the Nord monitors, for just it, with everything ELSE in the studio monitors.

The Grand does indeed sound a little better in the Nord monitors, more reactive somehow, which (for me anyway) helps drive my performance and inspires more nuanced playing...that's why I got them. So I want to hear them whilst recording, which can now do, straight from the keyboard, not through an interface...using the A/B/Y boxes.

Still, I would have preferred Nord include a pair of seperate recording outs, somewhere in the chain.

Most pro keyboards have more than set of outputs these days, though...c'mon Nord; where's the balanced outs??

I am now feeding a mix from my Zoom L12, which has 5 (!!) foldback sends, into the Nord monitors. I added a subwoofer, which I strongly recommend.

With the A/B/Y pedals, I can both record AND hear my Grand over the speakers I choose, either/both.

johnpeer wrote:I was REALLY surprised to see that the Nord monitors have no parallel outputs to run into a DAW or console, nor are there separate outs on the Grand for recording when using the monitors.

What are folks doing? A/B/Y boxes? Splitters? Unplugging the monitors when recording?

I must say, this is a bit cheesy of Nord to not make allowance for recording while using the monitors. It "feels" a bit like I am trying to record Uncle Sven's Lowrey organ here!

If my room sounded better, I could even try mic'ing it!
Meanwhile, I have a pair of A/B/Y pedals...but, meh...

Hi John, i am rexperiencing a similar problem. I have the Nord Grand with the Nord Monitor for the great sound but now am looking to use them while i am recording the Grand. The Nord Grand has only one stereo output and this is need to feed my audio interface to be able to record the internal sounds. Now how can i use my Nord Monitors at the same time?

I have a line stereo line out from the Nord to my Focusrite interface (in ports) Als have the midi in-out's connected.

Now I tried connecting two jack's in the line out of my Focusrite interface back tot the lef/right in of the Nord monitor, but they don't work.
No sound. I also use Logic X pro and Garageband.

Do you have a solution for me? Anyone reading this?

Thank you,

Knopsi

A DI-Box might work.
https://www.radialeng.com/product/prod2
-Grand Outs to Input
-Thru to Monitor
-balanced XLR out to Mixer or DAW

Kind regards
Hughes