Nord User Forum

I recently bought a Nord Stage 4 and I’m having trouble running patches from the SundayKeys iPad app through it. With my old MODX8, I could just plug the iPad into the keyboard’s USB port and the sound would go through the keyboard into my monitors. But with the Nord, the app only plays through the iPad speakers. How can I get the SundayKeys sounds to play through my monitors via the Nord?

All I'm using is a USB B -> USB A with a USB type C adapter on the end to connect to my iPad.
I only want the SundayKeys sound to go through the keyboard into the amp cables and into the studio monitors instead of the sound coming through the iPad speakers.

The function you refer to is called Audio over USB, and is supported by the MODX8.
This function is not supported by any Nord-instruments, so it's not achievable in your current setup.
The only way to get audio from your iPad is from the speakers, or connect the minijack to a mixer/speakers.
If you are using an iPad Pro, you can use an USB hub, with integrated minijack.

If you try to integrate audio from your Stage 4 into your ipad setup, you will need to do some testing with latency. Everytime audio is converted between analog and digital, it will add some delay to the audio chain. Depending on the converter, the delay is short enough to not bother your playing or it takes too much time. And the number of conversions will play a role, too.

I always send sound from my Stage 3 directly to a mixer or to FoH, but not into a tablet and then back out of it. It's different with MIDI which doesn't generate that much latency - and USB MIDI is supported by the Stage anyway and will allow to generate sound in your tablet with little latency.

I'd ask the SundaySound team what they recommend to do with your Nord.

catosim wrote:The function you refer to is called Audio over USB, and is supported by the MODX8.
This function is not supported by any Nord-instruments, so it's not achievable in your current setup.
The only way to get audio from your iPad is from the speakers, or connect the minijack to a mixer/speakers.
If you are using an iPad Pro, you can use an USB hub, with integrated minijack.

This and if the iPad has no headphone output, better get a good iPad-oriented/compatible audio card rather than using the out of a USB hub (as the quality of it and/or min latency achievable may not be adequate)

maxpiano wrote:(as the quality of it and/or min latency achievable may not be adequate)

Yes to the quality.
As I understand the question from OP, the iPad will only deal with MDI signals. There will most likely not be any latency-problems in this chain.
In a live set-up I surely would prefer an audio interface for the iPad, hence to quality and stability.
If only being used at home in the man-cave, only to extract audio for rehearsal, I wouldn’t care so much about it - and happily go for a cheap solution with USB hub or integrated minijack.

Looks like Sunday Keys is an add-on package for MainStage?
It seems like you could do the following:
Set up external on your Stage.
Acquire a Bluetooth MIDI adapter, such as the one by Yamaha (test this, because latency could be a thing, rendering this a no-go).
Route the sound output of your tablet (USB to analog adapter) into the monitor in of your Stage.
Voila - one output for both sound sources.

PScooter63 wrote:Looks like Sunday Keys is an add-on package for MainStage?

It is also an app for iPad and that's what the OP is using (not the Mac/Mainstage version) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sunday-ke ... tform=ipad .

steffen32 wrote:To connect the SundayKeys iPad app to your Nord Stage 4, you'll need to use a MIDI interface or adapter. First, ensure your iPad has a Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. Then, connect the USB cable from the adapter to the MIDI In/Out ports on your Nord Stage 4 using a MIDI interface or adapter. In the SundayKeys app, navigate to the MIDI settings and select your Nord Stage 4 as the MIDI output device. Now, you should be ready to control your Nord Stage 4 using the SundayKeys app.

That's not 100% accurate, as NS4 supports USB MIDI so you can use just the USB connection without the need of a USB MIDI Interface.
What is needed is only the Lightning-USB3 adapter (iPad side, if it is a Lightning model; if it is usb-c you need a usb-c hub with at least 1 USB-A port).

Anyway the OP had a problem with USB Audio (not supported by NS4) not MIDI.

I used a Midi+Audio interface to control ipad app from the Extern section of the Nord Stage 3 : Korg PlugKey.
You can either route the 2x6"35 outs of the interface to the mixer or to the "Monitor In" input of the Stage 3 (using a 2 mono 6"35 jack to stereo mini 3"5 jack cable).
I believe the iConnect interfaces also are an alternative to the cheap PlugKey.

Fred