Happy with Stage4?

[Ecaroh]

Exactly. There're some users that think I've been too critical or even unfair to Nord about all this MIDI stuff but this aux kb midi problem alone is a fair reason to be critical. I think nobody would have thought when they bought an early NS4 that after a year they can't use all those things (bender, wheel, exp pedal).

I've asked this Nord many times. I gave them my list of main midi issues viewtopic.php?p=174928#p174928 and on January they said that they are working on them and especially on #1 (aux kb problem). Since then I've asked them maybe two times and got no answer of any kind. So here we are...

[Satomy]

Exactly. There're some users that think I've been too critical or even unfair to Nord about all this MIDI stuff but this aux kb midi problem alone is a fair reason to be critical. I think nobody would have thought when they bought an early NS4 that after a year they can't use all those things (bender, wheel, exp pedal).

I've asked this Nord many times. I gave them my list of main midi issues viewtopic.php?p=174928#p174928 and on January they said that they are working on them and especially on #1 (aux kb problem). Since then I've asked them maybe two times and got no answer of any kind. So here we are...

They also wrote to me recently saying that they are working to solve the problems I listed on the midi, we hope for an update soon.

[afroskully]

hey everyone. i'm considering buying a stage 4 in the upcoming months. i'm not concerned with the midi issues people are having, but I love my setlist mode on my electro 5 for wedding gigs and I'm aware that the S4 doesn't have that. Posted below, someone wrote that people have found alternative ways to set up songs like songmode/setlist mode and that they are posted somewhere on this forum but I can't seem to find them.

Other than using an extra piece of gear/software, is there a makeshift way that people are setting up programs/patches that would be some sort of way to organize songs on a stage 4...like using different banks and placing patches in order, etc? I'm not as familiar with the stage setup as i am the electro obviously, so excuse my ignorance here. just want to know if some sort of workaround exists that people are using.

thanks

I am a little disappointed that the SONG MODE is no longer available. So I can only play the NS4 at home and the NS3 on stage. I will probably sell it again and switch to Korg. With Kronos/Nautilus you can organize the required sounds much better!

From what I read Ecaroh's disappointments are mainly related to unresolved MIDI related NS4 bugs, while the fact that Song mode was no longer supported on NS4 is not a bug but something anyone is able to get to know by consulting specs and documentation before buying (which is not a bad idea to do when spending such an amount of money).

If missing Song mode on NS4 was for you such a limitation and apparently you don't intend to use the available alternatives (like the ones discussed in many threads on NUF) + you already own a NS3, considering that there has never been any promise by Nord that it would be added later, I wonder: why did you buy it?

[afroskully]

hey everyone. i'm considering buying a stage 4 in the upcoming months. i'm not concerned with the midi issues people are having, but I love my setlist mode on my electro 5 for wedding gigs and I'm aware that the S4 doesn't have that. Posted below, someone wrote that people have found alternative ways to set up songs like songmode/setlist mode and that they are posted somewhere on this forum but I can't seem to find them.

Other than using an extra piece of gear/software, is there a makeshift way that people are setting up programs/patches that would be some sort of way to organize songs on a stage 4...like using different banks and placing patches in order, etc? I'm not as familiar with the stage setup as i am the electro obviously, so excuse my ignorance here. just want to know if some sort of workaround exists that people are using.

thanks

Recent video on the "NS4 no Song mode" topic

[cphollis]

hey everyone. i'm considering buying a stage 4 in the upcoming months. i'm not concerned with the midi issues people are having, but I love my setlist mode on my electro 5 for wedding gigs and I'm aware that the S4 doesn't have that. Posted below, someone wrote that people have found alternative ways to set up songs like songmode/setlist mode and that they are posted somewhere on this forum but I can't seem to find them.

Other than using an extra piece of gear/software, is there a makeshift way that people are setting up programs/patches that would be some sort of way to organize songs on a stage 4...like using different banks and placing patches in order, etc? I'm not as familiar with the stage setup as i am the electro obviously, so excuse my ignorance here. just want to know if some sort of workaround exists that people are using.

thanks

I initially was concerned about the lack of song mode moving from NS3 to NS4, but in practice it hasn't turned out to be a concern.

There's room for 512 programs, so I just reserve an alphabetic bank (e.g. Gxx) for a particular gig or band. I think there's seven of them in there now. When I create a new "setlist" (subset of general program memory), I just copy and paste from previous iterations.

Some complex songs require two programs, e.g. Roseanna. If a given musical endeavor requires more than 64 songs (has yet to happen), it'll get two letter of the alphabet.

The programs themselves are mostly built on pre-existing presets for organ, piano and synth. The strength/weakness of that approach is that if you tweak, say, an organ sound in a preset, it's reflected in all uses of that preset in every program.

If you asked me to choose between the NS3 and the NS4 approach, I'd choose the latter. A bit more work to get organized, but much more productive once you do.

[MartinJ2EX]

Nord just released v1.30 for the Stage 4.
Let’s all see what is improved and fixed, I can see many improvements I like!

examples: rotary bass-horn balance, higher sample polyphony (56 voices!!), morph led updates, fixes when loading synth presets, 8 line program view (could be a Song Mode alternative??)

https://www.nordkeyboards.com/update-hi ... e-history/


V1.30 ((2024-06-12)

General:

Program format/version updated
General optimisations and performance improvements
Introduced an 8 line Program View showing all programs within a Page.

Synth/Samples:

There are now 56 voices for Sample Synth (previously 48).
Added support for special release behaviour for String samples supporting this feature.
Loading single layer Synth presets could affect KB Zone settings for other Layers. Fixed
Improvements to note start times esp. in regards to samples and multiple layers.
“Sample Select memory” is now reset when changing programs, i.e. after program load the first sample in each category is displayed rather than previous selection
Arpeggiator Keyboard Sync in section/group mode would only work if layer A was active. Fixed
Synth Glide could become inactive for a Layer, if a non-pitched sample had previously been loaded. Fixed
Updates to enhanced Unison and round-robin rules for samples supporting these features

Menus:

Added Overviews to last pages of Output, Pedal and MIDI menus. The Overview pages also allow for focusing and changing settings (using Page buttons and dial).
Added option for restoring to default settings, in System menu. This function resets settings in System, Pedal, MIDI, Sound and Output menus to defaults. Menu settings that are stored in programs (Section/Layer settings in Output menu, Extern and Aux KB settings) are not affected.
Added Rotary Bass/Horn balance to Sound menu

MIDI/Extern:

Synth UI is now disabled for Extern layers, apart from features/controls that can be used in Extern (Arpeggiator, Osc Ctrl/Value 1, Freq/Value 2, Pedal/Pstick settings etc.)
Extern display was updated with larger graphics and improved visualization of morphs on extern parameters.
Una Corda and Sostenuto (left/middle pedals) are now sent on Extern channel as well.
Arpeggiator was not sent on Extern when held using sustain pedal. Fixed
Arpeggiator on Extern using KB Hold was not turned off is Layer was set to non-Extern mode. Fixed

Pedals:

Automatic changing of pedal settings, with incompatible pedals, has been removed. There is still a notification about this however, and a pedal becomes inactive when set wrong

Display/Panel:

Prog list is now exited when entering Live mode
Piano list centered on wrong item when scrolling. Fixed
Mst Clk display can now show hints
Minor changes to KB Split menu
Entering Sample Category List with 2 or less categories in list caused graphical issues in display. Fixed
Pressing down Delay tempo/tap button now shows dedicated Delay tempo/subdiv screen (this can also show hints)
Pressing tap button and then (quickly) turning program dial could disable program loading (until Shift was pressed). Fixed
Some sample categories could be cut off in Synth display. Fixed
Layer buttons now have hints in “simple” prog view mode
New Piano Select hints
Monitor button no longer exits Preset view
Update to Farfisa drawbar visualisation when setting up morphs
All LEDs apart from used morphs LEDs are now turned off when pressing morph button
Morphed drawbars are now visualised in display as well

Various:

Rotary Speaker morph now goes from Slow or Stop to Fast, depening on panel setting. Previously always between Stop/Fast.
Added Swap option for Morph Copy/Paste
Mst Clk KB Sync Off was same as Soft. Fixed
- Various other fixes
Removed ability to set split point to “Off” with turn of dial in Split view. Now “Off” is set with corresponding button (Low, Mid, High).

[Ecaroh]

Every update is of course welcomed assuming things going better.

But at first glance it seems that those MIDI releted issues are not handled here. If I am right we still need to wait for example to Aux kb mode to work as it supposed to work.

[ddyslexia]

Seems so good (and I loved my stage 2)
Sorry there are some MIDI issues but it is working fine with all my MIDI I/O (Seq / drum machines / external synths etc)
- I guess I just have not needed the broken bits - so hard to say anything bad about it

I think it is worth the money - compared with a good drum kit, a good saxophone, a decent set of outboard etc...

I would like a screen based editor & a simple looper but I have so much stuff to do that outboard it's not really an issue
This is a piece of pro kit not a toy or bedroom instrument, so no complaints

Also would like a better (more simple) stand

Love it