Nord User Forum

Sooo can anyone confirm that using only the left out does indeed provide a mono signal in stereo mode?

The left out gives you the left channel. So if you are using "autopan" you will get tremolo instead. It is a single channel signal, not sure if that is what you are asking.
Using L or R is not the same as adding the 2 channels together with a mixer or a sum box (which might cause phase cancellation, depending on how it was recorded) and it is not the same as the Mono button either (which according to Clavia it does some weighted sum which minimises somehow phase cancellation).

Keep in mind, though, that many of the sounds are mono anyway, so they would sound no different regardless of whether you listen to one side of a stereo output or a summed mono output.

Organ is mono. Piano with the Mono button is mono. In both cases, some effects are stereo, but "half a stereo" effect is not necessarily worse than a "summed to mono" effect (i.e. if you're using the rotary effect). The only real issues would be something like panning effects, which obviously don't work in mono... and won't work in mono regardless of whether the two sides are summed or you just take one side (although the manner in which they fail is different). Even many (most?) of the samples in the sample/synth section are mono, they are largely sampled from mono instruments (most vintage keyboards are mono, as are monophonic acoustic instruments). There are some stereo samples where it would make a difference, though. And the biggest place where I could see it making a difference is if you have your own custom stereo samples, particularly where you put one sound in the left channel and a different sound in the right channel. This was a trick some people did especially in the pre-5 Electro days, as it was a way to create splits/layers that still gave you independent volume control (externally) over each of the two sounds. But for typical NE5D use, I think it's not necessarily a big issue. Or to put it differently, if you try plugging your cable just into one side, and can't tell if you're technically getting a summed mono signal or one half of a stereo signal, well, if you can't tell, your audience probably can't tell either.

EDIT: didn't realize someone already explained the tremolo/pan test. I'll leave the post anyway to be clear. This is kind of a disappointment when I want to quickly practice with a mono amp without touching my programs.

I have tested this on NE5 and found that plugging in only one output while in regular stereo mode will NOT sum, you will only have one half of the sound.

A good way to test is to turn on one instrument, and activate the PAN effect with a low frequency. With summed mono, this should have little to no effect, but instead the entire sound fades in and out. Doesn't matter which side is plugged in.

On a demo video from Kraft Music..I think...They said either L or R out will be mono.
I just use L as that's what most others use.
I would believe Nord just skipped it on the manual as it's a no cost, no brainer to add.
A summing input switch is very simple. Fender amps have a similar thing with inputs 1 and 2, where #2 is -6db..but, if you plug in both they are the same -0db.
It's actually just part of the input jack touches the other inside and sums both bypassing a capacitor.
On the output of the Electro it would just touch both outputs when only one plugged in.

A recent update to the NE6 made a change:

"Mono LED now stays lit even if Piano section is turned off, since it affects all sound engines."

So at least on the E6, hitting the Mono button turns all engines to mono, not just the piano (despite no such info in the manual). Organ engine is inherently mono (it only becomes stereo through effects), so what's significant here is that the sample/synth engine goes to mono with that button, which still wouldn't affect waveform-based sounds (again, they're mono anyway), but would affect any stereo samples you may be using. This appears to be a change from the NE5 (unless it worked that way as well, and nobody knew).

Still unclear from any documentation is whether the effects go to mono (the effects not being a sound engine per se), though it's kind of academic. Auto-pan can't go to mono (if it sums, it would be an inaudible effect, if it doesn't it would be a tremolo), and I think the other stereo effects (i.e. reverb, rotary) are not necessarily inherently better or worse if you sum them compared to hearing one side of them.

Rudy Wendt wrote:It's a big surprise, but, anyway, since last year i'm using stereo outputs only... But in a simple rehearsal it might be a little annoying.

Bom dia amigo "Rudy Wendt". Estou enfrentando um problema usando as saídas LR do Nord Electro 5. Você ainda tem um? Poderia me ajudar?

guilhermetavares wrote:

Rudy Wendt wrote:It's a big surprise, but, anyway, since last year i'm using stereo outputs only... But in a simple rehearsal it might be a little annoying.

Bom dia amigo "Rudy Wendt". Estou enfrentando um problema usando as saídas LR do Nord Electro 5. Você ainda tem um? Poderia me ajudar?

Olá, Tenho um NE3. Descreva qual é o teu problema com o NE5.

Guys, this has been repeated endless times: the language of the forum is English. If you want to use your native language please do it thorough email or PM.

Mr_-G- wrote:Guys, this has been repeated endless times: the language of the forum is English. If you want to use your native language please do it thorough email of PM.

Sorry, I was just asking to describe the problem on his NE5. I have a NS3 Compact; maybe I could help him somehow.