Nord User Forum

Hi I am setting up my FC7 as a swell pedal for the Stage 4 Hammond. I use one program per song and I am finding that for the Hammond, I need more volume overall.
I like to leave the master volume on the stage 4 alone at 12 oclock, for overall volume setting before PA. I play Whiter Shade of Pale, and I am finding the volume about 20% lower for a song, in comparison with say a Stockholm Rhodes Sound. On the Hammond, teh volume sliders are maxed out and I have also maxed the gain in the pedal settings (but don't head audible difference). On the FC7, there is a screw which controls the default position where the volume "rests" which the foot allows the pedal spring, to produce a kind of standard volume. I have this set to 75%, which is an increase over the 65%. I think this is used to produce differnt pedal comfort settings, depending on whterh ytou intend to sit or stand. I sit.

In normal playing the Hammond sounds are still lower than other sounds. You can tell this by pressing shift/program 6 (pedal settings) and you can see a read out. Here I think is the issue. When I push down the pedal the max volume reads 75%, only if I reach past maximum to a kind of tip toeing movement, which is most uncomfortable, can I reach the 100%. It's about the range of my foot movement.

When the pedal is fully up and the Nord Stage reads 0% there is still a sound coming from the Hammond, it's a medium volume - which is a good thing.

I know swell pedals are quirky and are not intened to behave like true volume controls. Yet I really need the 100% Nord Level, but can only get it by contorting my foot. Are there solutions, other than hitting the master volume per song, please?

Z

If the Pedal is not pressed down to 100% it will reduce the volume. I would recommend to release the spring screw fully, so that you can press the pedal to 100% without resistance.
I didn't know the function of this screw until I recently saw this video (screw explanation starting at 11:30)

Yes I saw this. Thank you. It did not do much for my question as you still have to tip toe to highest volume.

Besides disabling the "Fortissimo function" by using the related screw, FC7 has a mechanical setting ("Selectable pedal angle" on its user guide) to fit your playing position (standing or seated), it is important to set it properly because it makes quite a difference: have you checked that too?

https://tw.yamaha.com/files/download/ot ... _om_b0.pdf

Thank you Max,
I think I have improved things a bit, though the manual is not real clear. I am more able to push further on the pedal without resistance.

As I noted above, when the pedal is showing 0% on the Stage 4m, there is still sound. This is of course overall a good thing, but can it be made louder at 0%? Why? Because even with my faders maxed, the sound is not really loud enough at 688600000.

Z

ZeroZero wrote: ↑24 Sep 2025, 13:13 Thank you Max,
I think I have improved things a bit, though the manual is not real clear. I am more able to push further on the pedal without resistance.

As I noted above, when the pedal is showing 0% on the Stage 4m, there is still sound. This is of course overall a good thing, but can it be made louder at 0%? Why? Because even with my faders maxed, the sound is not really loud enough at 688600000.

Z

On the Hammond the Swell does not reduce the volume to 0, so it is normal to still have sound with pedal fully up (0%), just like on the real thing; if you need to boost the sound I suggest to add some Drive to the Rotary or some AmpSim/EQ or.. reduce the volume of other sections and increase the NS4 master (you can find many threads about sections volume balancing in programs, on NS4 you also have the opportunity to set an overall Gain at program level, in Utility settings)

thank you got it.

Spent a lot of time on this. The FC7 functions better now IMO than with the spring enabled. However even with the volume maxed out, on the Hammond section, there really needs to be more. I guess I shall have to turn down all the other programs to a equally low level, then up the amp? Is there perhaps some suggested optimum desirable level for the red led volume controls that would be best?

That's exactly what I encountered. I came from another system where the spring was a useful tool. On the Nord, I released the boost spring and started programming morphs instead - for CP and MW.

What is a CP?