Nord User Forum

Hi, I am a new owner of NORD stage 4 88 and I am still struggling with basics.
I want to record Nord piano synth sounds which really suit my project directly to midi track in Reaper. I managed to do that, everything works when my computer i attached to NORD, but when i want to work on the project without direct connection to NORD, midi track is silent.
Can anybody help me?
How to keep the sound from NORD on the midi track? do i have to install some sound banks on my computer? Or is it a matter of settings in Reaper?

Hi and welcome to NUF.

MIDI does not record sounds/audio, it records only notes and controllers data and there is no VST version of Nord keyboards, but you can play it back to the NS4 itself.

To record also NS4 sounds/audio on the DAW, instead, you need an audio interface with at least 2 Mono Inputs (or 1 Stereo input), to connect the NS4 audio Outputs 1/2 to the computer in stereo, then create a stereo Audio Track in the DAW using those audio interface Inputs.

Midi is like sheet music.
If you put that on front of an instrumentalist, it tells them exactly what to play, how, and when.

Remove the instrument, and the sheet music doesn’t make any sound.

If you want to hear the sound even without the instrument, you need to record the actual sound on an audio track.

You can get Reaper to use your stage piano sounds after you've recorded your track in MIDI. Right-click on the "route" button and select your stage piano from the MIDI output menu. Of course your stage piano needs to be connected for this to work: it can either be connected in USB to your computer, or in MIDI to your audio interface.

ok, now i regret buying NORD stage.... i should have gone for something cheaper.
Now, I need to use VSTs.
Everything seem to work besides huge delay between keys' action and sound of the VST..... Can someone help me?

Hm... it seems that there is a misunderstanding of what the DAW can do.
You do not have to use VSTs at all (you can, but do not need to), you need to record the audio output into an audio track.
Then the DAW will play what was recorded at that time, irrespective of the original instruments being connected or not.
If you only record MIDI (which seems that it is what you have done) you will have the same problem with cheap as well as expensive instruments.

What most people do, is initially record a MIDI track (i.e. performance data, not audio) and adjust/edit that (while the original instrument is connected and listen to the changes). THEN render the audio into an audio track. If you need to re-edit the track, you can work on the MIDI track and render again the audio.

With regards to delays, you need to adjust the latency on your DAW to match that of the VSTs. Surely the manual should explain how to do that.