Nord User Forum

The purpose of categories is to group instrument types. Preset categories are therefore very useful. Program categories, on the other hand, are much less so, as they are more often used to combine sounds, not just a single type. Adding category types for programs, such as "Band 1", "Band 2", etc..., would be very helpful. I don't find the Nord Stage 4 very practical for sorting songs, but it would greatly help to quickly switch between setlists.
What do you think ?

(The best thing would be to be able to create and name a category)

Hello there,

thank you for putting this together - I would like to make a suggestion to add to the Future Stage 4 OS update wishlist.

Adding a "Midi only" State for each layer or some way to turn off the keyboard control for each layer, so they can be played individually by an external Keyboard or Sequencer. This opens a lot of options when working with DAW and also Sequencers because you could put each layer on its own midi channel (that is already possible) and sequence them independently whiles playing another layer live with the internal keyboard.
It's a no-brainer given the fact that this was possible in the NS 3 and the NE 6D. It would make the NS4 a powerhouse not just for live performance, but also production and the intersections of both.

I really really hope they update this, because I have found a lot of people to be frustrated with this clearly unnecessary limitation, giving the fact that midi sequencing is sort everywhere these days, and we obviously also want to use the full potential of all those layers.

Thank you in advance!

(btw. i already added it to the bug list and contacted nord - everybody who's resonating with this should also send a request to them, maybe that helps to bump it a bit)

brevis_bounce wrote: 06 Dec 2025, 21:15 Hello there,

thank you for putting this together - I would like to make a suggestion to add to the Future Stage 4 OS update wishlist.

Adding a "Midi only" State for each layer or some way to turn off the keyboard control for each layer, so they can be played individually by an external Keyboard or Sequencer. This opens a lot of options when working with DAW and also Sequencers because you could put each layer on its own midi channel (that is already possible) and sequence them independently whiles playing another layer live with the internal keyboard.
It's a no-brainer given the fact that this was possible in the NS 3 and the NE 6D. It would make the NS4 a powerhouse not just for live performance, but also production and the intersections of both.

I really really hope they update this, because I have found a lot of people to be frustrated with this clearly unnecessary limitation, giving the fact that midi sequencing is sort everywhere these days, and we obviously also want to use the full potential of all those layers.

Thank you in advance!

(btw. i already added it to the bug list and contacted nord - everybody who's resonating with this should also send a request to them, maybe that helps to bump it a bit)

I am pretty sure this was already in the list, long time.

The KB Hold button should apply to each individual synth, not all 3 at the same time. Seems like an oversight. How else would you trigger a sample and play a different synth over it without all notes sustaining as you play?

Spreadsheet updated.

jazzmonger wrote: 23 Dec 2025, 06:21 The KB Hold button should apply to each individual synth, not all 3 at the same time. Seems like an oversight. How else would you trigger a sample and play a different synth over it without all notes sustaining as you play?

Spreadsheet updated.

This is what the EXCLUDE function is for. Each part can be excluded from the KB HOLD individually.

Well... every other layer function is enable or controlled when the specific layer is selected. I wonder what corporate genius decided that one button should operate differently than all the other buttons that affect the layer?

I tried to find a description of that button in the manual but could not. Searched the online PDF and there it was. Thanks for pointing it out.

Should I retract that "feature request"? I still feel it would be more intuitive to include specific layers for kb hold that to have to exclude them.

Include or exclude, it would be anyway a per-program setting; I would also think, as you, that keeping as default the existing standard of NS2/3 (where it is per-slot) woild have been better.

I have to say that making the „global“ setting put reverb post-fader and the Leslie pre-rotary is a great addition. Sounds don’t cut off when morphing or pulling a fader down. Furthermore, I think before 1.60 turning off an engine also cut the reverb tail, now with 1.6x it fades off like expected.

It is definitely a step in the right direction and keeps my hopes up for a future OS v2.0

Still, MIDI and External implementation is limited to a high degree, as many of us have pointed out since Stage 4 came out.

I‘ve shared an Email addressing my concerns 1 1/2 years back.

1) Advanced mode for Extern mode (internal synth sounds and external midi simultaneously with separate zone assignments)

2) MIDI channel assignments per program and per Instrument layer, like back with Nord Stage 2. Stage 2/EX imho had a great MIDI implementation.

Concerning :
Volume Sliders : instant, catch and relative mode.
Aux KB and modwheel morph compared to Duak KB on NS2 / 2EX
Midi CC25 and 27 reception

Hi ! coming from NS2 to NS4, I'm very desapointed by two important missing things : playing on stage with the NS488 Keybed for piano touch, I'v got a second keyboard to control organ sounds from the NS for example.

For this example, global is on channel 16, Dual KB for NS2 or Aux KB for NS4 is on channel 15.
In NS2, you put the Organ in Dual KB mode (same as Aux KB for NS4) and when you use wheel on second keyboard sending on channel 15 for morphing on Dual KB channel, it morphs only the instruments assigned to the Dual KB (part B, it can be piano, organ and/or synth. In my case, it's organ). On the organ for example Drawnbar positions. Instruments on Part A are not moving, you can use the NS2 wheel to morph their paraméters.
In NS4, even if organ is in Aux Kb mode, if the second keyboard is sending wheel midi message on the channel 15, nothing happens. You have to send it on channel 16 (global), but in this case it's modifying all the other part your are playing on the NS4 directly ...

Rotary encoders are missing : NS4 sliders should have a catch or relative option per program for those sliders, so you won't have jump in your sound when you'are touching it, if the slider position is far from the mémorised position.
Very important for volumes, cutoff fréquency on the synth etc.
Is there a way to propose those thongs to Nord, because I think that if we ask, we are a lot to have those problems.

Concerning volumes, as Lars Pollack demand too in the request list, it would be good if CC11 was directly received and used on the channel received. For example CC11 received on Channel15 with organ mapped as Aux KB on Channel 15 should modify volume of organ without having to use a morph on pedal -> you keep morph usage with the NS4 pedal for others parts.

At last, CC25 and CC27 are not responding when I send them from a second keyboard : no percussion or vibrato activated.

Bests regards

Fonkyzeus wrote: 09 Feb 2026, 19:46 coming from NS2 to NS4, I'm very desapointed by two important missing things

Everything concern of yours has been around this forum since Stage 4 has been released.

The functionality of Extern mode and MIDI is definitely reduced compared to previous models.
Using up synth layers for an external synth is not the best implementation, but it’s unclear if Nord is even considering doing something about it.


Now that Electro 7 features a full ADSR envelope, it gives me hope that v2.0 might bring that to Stage 4.
Same here, one cannot know if it is something they are looking into.