Nord Sound Manager Master Tutorial (Part 2- Understanding Files and Memory)

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Note: with the arrival of OS version 1.4 on 4/10/2018 for the Stage 3, a couple of things have changed: In order to facilitate the optional Numeric Pad program selection mode, the program bank structure of the Nord Stage 3 has been modified so that banks now contain 25 programs (5 program pages): The programs within each bank are numbered 11-15, 21-25, 31-35, 41-45 and 51-55. The total number of Program banks is 16, labeled A-P The total number of program locations is still 400 The order in which programs are placed on the Nord Stage 3 is not altered by this update, and Song lists will remain intact.

[@route45bluesrhythmsoul50]

Thanks a lot for sharing.... one of the best Nordvideos I`ve seen....

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@route45bluesrhythmsoul50 Hello Route 45! Thanks for the compliment, for stopping by and dropping a comment. If you have the time, check out my main website. I have free and paid pro courses on all Nord gear except the Piano 5 and Nord Grand. The Piano 5 course content is planned for 2024 however. Stay tuned for the upcoming Nord Stage 4 course due to arrive soon.

[@MrRefract]

Only someone with a deep understanding of the subject can explain as well as you. Many thanks.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you Rein. That is a nice thing to say. Thanks for stopping by.

[@kelea5114]

Thankyou so much! I was trying to read the manual and battle my way through understanding the Nord as a beginner. Your videos are so crystal clear and pictorially brilliant to ensure fast and efficient learning. Again, Thankyou so much! I am breathing easy now for the first time in 6 months since owning my Nord Stage 3 :)

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you @Kelea Appreciate the comment. The full course is available at www.MyKeysToMusic.com for your consideration. Continue to enjoy your Stage 3!

[@MrPianoSound]

congratulations for the initiative. This is the first time I see content like what you did

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Pedro - Thanks for your comments- it really means a lot to hear that! Thanks for watching

[@darrickkeels6387]

I must say I love your channel. I saw in another video you talked about feeling like “throwing in the towel,” but I hope you don’t. Finding in-depth videos about gear is very hard. Most people like to hear how it sounds but I like actual videos that go deeper. I do not even own a Nord yet but your informative videos are helping me make a buying decision. Please announce when you launch a Patreon because I will indeed donate. As a content creator (not so much on KZbin though) I know how much work goes into these things. Keep up the good work. You channel is top notch. It really is.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Darrick, Wow, you made my evening! Your comments mean a lot - especially coming from you, a fellow creator. Like you, I find a lot of videos do some really cool stuff, and I'm always left asking the same questions: How they do that? What settings were used? Can you point us in the right direction? So, on this channel, I'll do my best to explain stuff where I can. Regarding Patreon: I think there will come a time and a place for it, but I'm not quite there yet - but the mere suggestion to have one is quite flattering. Thanks again for your warm, positive comments and thanks for watching! Hey, I like your bass riff at 1min 31 secs on your video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmWqn2qZdtmJg68

[@walterchestnut7316]

Get a Moog 37 key. I wished I had. I got the nord A1.

[@TheMatttomlinson]

I've just bought a stage 2 and your videos are just what I needed. Thanks for taking the time to explain all this 👍

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Matt - great to hear this. Congrats on your Stage 2! If I owned a Stage2, I'd likely have videos on that too. The Stage 3 and Electros keeps me plenty busy with videos.

[@monsterjazzlicks]

Great video Marc! Thanks so much for your help and support here. Paul

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Happy to do it - thanks for watching!

[@AyelenInsuamusica]

Love your channel. Im a recent Nord Electro 5 user and every video in your channel helped me. Than you so much

[@MyKeysToMusic]

So glad to hear this @Ayelen Insua - Congrats on your Electro 5! I have to admit that of all the Nord keyboards I have, the Electro 5 was the one that has seen the most action on gigs. It's a true workhorse and has served me very well over the years. You'll love the Set List feature if you use it for live performances. If you need a helping hand, I have a pro course you could look at on my main website for the Electro 5. It will fast-track you on everything you need to know and then some. - Marc 🎹

[@eltoson1966]

Chiarissimo! Grazie.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Grazie, felice di aiutare

[@oldschoolebm666]

Thanks brother!! I've followed your videos and I'm now downloading sounds into my new to me Nord wave 1! Subbed

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hey there... Thank you! Appreciate that. Glad it helped!

[@TheGreekSamurai]

This is extremely helpful thank you!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hey Greek Samurai - glad you found this helpful. It was fun to make. Thanks for your comment and for watching!

[@neilwright729]

Detailed, thorough and right to the point. Excellent video! Thank you so much for creating this and sharing with all of us. 🙂

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you @Neil Wright I appreciate the comment!

[@worshiprock9776]

Great job on the video! . . . thanks for taking the time and energy to do this, very helpful with my first Nord (stage 3)

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Worship Rock. Welcome to the channel and to your new Nord Stage 3! Lots of free videos on the channel and working on pro courses at www.mykeystomusic.com as well. Thanks for watching!

[@lysanderschwiebert2252]

Man I love your videos. They are so helpful ❤

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@lysanderschwiebert2252 Happy to hear that Lysander!

[@stephanrehbein2925]

thank you so much for all your knowledge you share with us! your videos are just brilliant! cheers from germany

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you Stephan! I appreciate the comment here and greetings from So Cal USA.

[@hatmanmusic1453]

tnx a lot dude!! very helpful. good luck with the next videos! great job man

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hatman Music! Thanks for the positive comments and thanks for watching too!

[@thelastczarnian2191]

Confratulations for all of this nord videos. Amazing job 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thanks @The Last Czarnian! Appreciate it.

[@josanproductions8322]

Thank you so much for your effort, helping and providing so much information about this amazing instrument!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Happy to do it @Jo San Productions Thanks for your comment and continue enjoying your Nord keyboard!

[@josanproductions8322]

@@MyKeysToMusic I am loving it but Ive noticed something.. when I turn on the Synth engine, and the screen is on, I hear a little bzzzzzz sound coming from it. Its really subtle but I wonder... is it normal?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@josanproductions8322 A small buzz is normal for all the Nord keyboards in fact. (I own 6 now and they all buzz), The latest one of the bunch, the Nord Wave 2, is the quietest so far. So, perhaps they are figuring things out over there. So yes, a tiny buzz is 100% completely normal (for better or for worse) 😀

[@josanproductions8322]

@@MyKeysToMusic Ow nice, thank you! I can relax now hehehe Keep the good work please!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@josanproductions8322 Will do!

[@davidcampbell5733]

These videos are so helpful!! Cheers man

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thanks David!

[@rogonz910]

Thank you sir for the detailed presentation. I am new to the Nord family and just purchased a piano 5 model. I have a question, Ive downloaded sounds from the internet and placed them in “user” empty space of the sound manager sample library section by accident. How can I move those files to a different location within the Nord sound manager or how to find the sounds i placed in the “user” space on the actual instrument. Thanks in advance

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@rogonz910 Hello Roman! Welcome to the Nord family, and congratulations on your Nord Piano 5 purchase. The "homemade" samples you get are likely going to be in the User category unless the creator defined it as something else. In other words, the category of a sample can only be designated in the Nord Sample Editor software when you make the sample. You cannot recategorize or rename samples using the Nord Sound Manager. You can, however, rename and recategorize programs. Once you have the sample loaded onto your Nord Piano 5, you'll need to save it with a given program. I plan to have pro training available for the Nord Piano 5 in early 2024. Until then, I made this "getting started" video which is perfect for first-time Nord users who find themselves with a Nord Piano 5: bit.ly/NP5Training

[@lamashoes4699]

man you make very hard job. thanks a lot

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thanks for your comments. Happy to help.

[@erincorrie9944]

I dont have the stage 3. I was really hoping for the sound manager tutorial. I need basic help - huge learning curve here but I understand the general content. I understand the references to the keyboard, but mine is different so I couldn't quite correlate to the conversation, I appreciate the work and effort the videos take and look forward to future ones that might have more relevance to my machine

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hello Erin! Thanks for your comment and observation. I know exactly what you are talking about. Which keyboard do you own exactly?

[@thebasementcompany8311]

Priceless info!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you!

[@martyg374]

Well done, easy to understand and logical. I have an Electro 6 HP but can apply the info.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Great Marty. I have a full free course for the Electro 5 at www.mykeystomusic.com. A lot of what you'll learn can be applied to the Nord Electro 6. Thanks for watching!

[@thirdkeybroken651]

Hi. Great videos!!! How do I unlink a piano sample from an existing program? I disabled the piano section but the program ( in the sound manager) still linked to a piano sample. I would like to bundle up this program and don’t want it to be linked to a piano sample. Thanks

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@Third Key Broken You get a star for the best question of the month! So, there is no way that I have found to "delete" an association to a piano even if you save the sound with the Piano Engines completely off. In fact, the moment you go to a blank program on your Nord keyboard and click "store", it will immediately associate it with the Royal Grand 3-D (the first piano in the memory slot). So, what I do to get around this is to associate my sounds with the smallest piano that is also loaded on Stage 3 by default. At this time, that should be the "Clavinet D6" which comes in at 5.7 MB. You could also go with the Wurlitzer 1 200A which comes in at 5.9 MB. So, assign one of those pianos to panel A and B, turn off the piano engines, "store/save" your program, and like magic, your bundle will be notably smaller in size. The good news is that if the receiver already has those pianos loaded on their Stage 3 (which they are more than likely to have), the bundle won't bother importing them (a good thing). The bundle first looks to see if the pianos are already loaded and it will just link them making the import rather quick. Good luck and report back if you are so inclined... 👍🏼

[@thirdkeybroken651]

@@MyKeysToMusic thank you for the quick response. This is the solution i found out too ;) maybe it worth giving a feedback to clavia.. :) all the best

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@thirdkeybroken651 Thanks for the suggestion. I've made a note of this on my list of things to discuss when and if I get the opportunity to have an audience with them.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hello fellow Nord Fans! Part 3 has been finalized which completes the series with what I hope to be the most comprehensive Nord Sound Manager "master" tutorials available. If you own a late model Nord, get to know your sound manager. Part 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWO4c4Ftec9nf9U Part 3: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmSZgombgZd1r80 Thanks for watching!

[@walterchestnut7316]

Is there someone like you who covers the nord A1? I think I am getting confused by the stage 3 associations. Any suggestion would be valued.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hello @Walter Chestnut Sorry for the delay on this comment. Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone who dedicates their channel to Nord Lead A1 training in the same way that I have done here for the Stage 3. I also don't have course on the Nord Lead A1 - although a course on this might be a good idea down the road. If there is something specific you want to learn, I'd be curios to know about it and see what can be done to assist. I do own a Nord Lead A1 and I need to use it more! Oh, now that I think about it, I did do one video on the Lead A1 here if you want to see me incorporating it with a loop station. The video is quite long but there is some advanced synth training and arpeggiator usage within: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGfJfHSXhq-El5o

[@tastenspieler5078]

Great, great, great. Very helpful. You should start a job at NORD as Senior Expert.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Thank you Matthias Lay! Yes, maybe I'll send Clavia an invoice for the tech support/consultation haha! Thanks for watching the videos.

[@14niepce]

ahahah, Maybe you could consider your computer and sound manager as a sort of 'internet' or cloud for your piano. Up to the cloud. Down to the piano where it operates. Thank you for the video it's crystal clear!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Julien - thanks for your comment and observation here. I think you completely understand the analogy that I was going for and it is quite rewarding to hear that you "got it." If I ever update this video in the future, there will clouds, internet and maybe even a rainbow.😜👍 Thanks for watching!

[@TheMatttomlinson]

Your interpretation is bang on, I originally thought of it as the keyboard on the floor - the PC on the ceiling... down to the keyboard and up to the PC 🤔

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@TheMatttomlinson Is this is case of "great minds think alike?" haha. I'm 100% a computer geek on this end so I needed something for my brain to understand. After "downloading" to the computer for the last 40+ years, I needed something for my brain to understand. "Floor and ceiling" works too. Thanks for your comment today!

[@nwamacman]

Can you please help me understand Panel A and Panel B. Why? How?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@nwamacman You may want to check out this video next: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJWxq5pniLWKgdU It may fill in a lot of the gaps here and it explains the panel concept in great detail.

[@RichandAmyHargrove]

CRC error when backing up stage 3 in sound manager .... do you know why this happens?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Amy. Thanks for posting your question. I'm not sure why this happens as it could be a number of things. However, if you read this post, you'll have a good shot at resolving it! Here is the post: www.norduserforum.com/nord-stage-forum-f3/crc-error-t16462.html (good luck!)

[@MatthewThomsonMusic]

Hi, love your channel! I've spent hours getting the right sounds and creating samples on my nord stage 2 ex and I'm now wanting to buy a nord stage 3. So I don't have to create new patches all over again, would it be a good idea uploading individual program bundles on to my computer and then downloading them on to my new ns3? I've done a full system backup on my nord stage 2 but I'm guessing this won't be that helpful in transferring sounds. I am also considering going from the 73 semi weighted to 76 key hammer action though. Would this make any difference? Thanks in advance :)

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Matthew! Thanks for the compliments! Well, unfortunately, there is no easy way to transfer your patches/programs from the Nord Stage 2 ex to the Nord Stage 3. You can, of course, move any custom samples (not to be confused with programs) you've created manually. So, there is no way to take a patch/program you've set up and move that to the latest keyboard/model. Everything has to be set up again from scratch. I assume this is mainly because the architecture is different between the two models. Now, regarding your question to go from 73 semi to 76 hammer action. It's nice having the extra keys, but for me, the action is a bit too stiff. But then again, I've been playing on nonweighted keys for most of my adult life. I'm thinking my next Nord will be semi-weighted. Have a look at this video if you haven't already that compares the two keyboard types: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3nco3l8lJWrmJY. There is a significant difference between the two. I think if you have been playing on a traditional piano and you long to have more of that kind of feel, the 76 would be welcome. I dream to have the keybed from the Nord Stage 3 88 or Nord Piano in the form factor of the 76, which would be ideal (but probably also heavier). Thanks for watching - glad you love the channel!

[@MatthewThomsonMusic]

@@MyKeysToMusic amazing thanks for the detailed reply!!!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@MatthewThomsonMusic Happy to help!

[@TERFClub]

Imagine if for 4 grand plus they gave you a bit more cheap memory for that money?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@TERFClub, I tend to agree. I'm not sure the memory is cheap within a keyboard in the same way that it is for a computer or thumb drive, but one of Nord's most prominent criticisms is the lack of memory relative to the price. Thanks for your comment.

[@TERFClub]

Yes kinda frustrating, would nice to experiment loading your own Samples. But that would mean deleting a lot of useful samples.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@TERFClub Yes, this is true. Pro tip: If you load up the Nord sound manager and navigate to where the samples are listed, you can sort by the rightmost column (it may have no header label for that column), and it will indicate which samples are installed but unused. You could remove all of these without affecting a single installed program. It's a good place to start to make room for your incoming custom samples.

[@mikecampbell4349]

Hi Mark! It’s me again... I was watching your video about the differences between the synth sounds and the samples. I’m trying to create a program and I want to use sample strings. The problem is, the synth pad options won’t turn off. Do you know how I can just have the samples play with no interference from the synth knob and no extra synth sounds playing in the background?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Mike - always nice to hear from you. Have you watched the synth tutorial series yet? I explain here how to set the synth settings to a point where you can play just samples starting at about 3:24 on this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnbddHuaqpJld80

[@pidmjproductions986]

Hello Again. I'm in 2 places under my name of Phil Fisher and under my English Teaching Channel - English Videos For You. I don't have any Nord (yet!!!!) but I love them on the videos. But when I go to play one in a shop, they seem a little complicated, that's why these (and other) videos about them are great. I have a Roland FA and I like it a lot, but I think I would prefer a Nord Electro. I think the sounds are more professional, aren't they? At least for the specialist Nord sounds etc... And I love the idea of Organ Drawbars and a ToneWheel Organ. (Even the Pipe Organ on the NE uses the 9 drawbars!!!!) And also the Nord has the specialist areas for each other section too. I would love the Nord Stage, but that is out of my price range... I don't use the sequencer or anything else on the Fa, just the sounds. Would I be making a mistake in getting a NE5 and selling the Roland and perhaps other things? I have a Waldorf Blofeld Desktop module and a Casio MZ-X300 too, so I can add sound layers etcetera. But I might need to sell the Blofeld. And are the Roland VR-730, Vox Continental, Korg SV1 or Hammond SK1 as good? I might be able to get a new Vox Continental or Roland VR-730 but are these as good as the Nord? The NE seems to be the Benchmark in this segment. I could also go for modules and am possibly considering a Dexibell SX-7 and Viscount Legend Desktop instead of the Nord. I would appreciate your comments.. Best regards, Phil

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Phil! Thanks for your comment and questions. The Electro line of keyboards from Nord are remarkable in terms of sound quality with respect to pianos and organs especially. Then on top of that, you get the synth sampler/player as well with a wide variety of downloadable options from the Nord website. That's a lot of benefit from a single keyboard. The other keyboards you mentioned here are all good in their own way, but I don't have personal experience with anything other than Nord at this time. So, perhaps I'm not an ideal resource to be discussing those other keyboards. Regarding complexity. I think that Nord keyboards are very straight forward and there isn't a lot of menu diving compared to other brands. They may look complex at first because of all the knobs and buttons, but it's just that nearly everything is available at your fingertips. The keyboard is very engaging as a result. I've been happy with Nord thus far and there is quite a community out there of passionate folks who also own them where you can share ideas, sounds, tips, etc. To me, the Vox (Korg) is the closest cousin to the Nord Electro and it sounds great from what I've heard on KZbin and their website. Don't know much about their support, community and so forth. They are owned by Korg who is a leading manufacturer of course. Good luck with your decision. These days it's nice to have choices, but at times it can be quite overwhelming.

[@pidmjproductions986]

@@MyKeysToMusic Thanks a lot.. At the moment I will stay with the R Fa but I might end up with a NE or another Combo/Combi keyboard or modules one day. I know these are not complicated, I think my R vFa is more so, but when I try to play them in the shops, it just takes a bit of time to work them out. Obviously, once you know the ropes, it's extremely easy and fun. Someone has told me that I might regret getting rid of the Fa for the Electro (or others) but I only just use the sounds and not the extra things etc. And the Nord library has all those user sounds as well, so although you have a much more limited number of sounds, you can probably get something close to the Roland ones. The Roland Fa in that respect is great, as you can get things like Jupiter 8 String / Pad sounds which are out of this world, but I suppose eventually there will be an alternative on the Nord users page etc... Perhaps in the future. Thanks again for comments. I enjoy your videos and perhaps one day I might need them... Best regards

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@pidmjproductions986 Thanks again for your detailed update and perspective. Stay in touch especially if you go Nord...

[@INeedsMoneys]

Hey Marc, I have a question. For example, the J3PO Signature Sound Bank Bundle 1 is 850 MB in size. so if i were to add that bundle to my Stage 3 what would happen? Would it delete most of the factory banks and sounds and then replace with the sounds contained within the J3PO Bundle? im afraid im going to loose a lot of factory sounds, so maybe you can save me the hassle of resetting to factory default if anything goes wrong. thanks!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

INeedsMoneys When you install a bundle, it’s going to first determine if you have enough room to fit the pianos and samples. If it doesn’t have enough room, it won’t proceed with the installation. There’s nothing in a bundle that allows it to delete anything without your permission. When you do the installation, it will tell you how much room you need. If any bundle uses a piano or synth Sample that you already have loaded it will take advantage of that too. What will most likely happen is you will want to delete some things to make room for the new bundle. When you do that, you’ll have to make the hard decision to remove things that are potentially already assigned to an existing program. I recommend that you make a back up of your entire stage 3 that to your drive (make a backup).. Then. Attempt the install of the bundle see where you are at. You may find that although the complete bundle is 850 MB, many of the pianos are already installed on your Stage already. Good luck. I’m away from my keyboards for the next couple of days or else I would test this for you and give you the exact results of what you might expect.

[@INeedsMoneys]

lol, i pretty much got my question answered in part 3 :)

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Great!

[@nordmusic6660]

Hello. I have a little problem that I really hope you can help me with So I transfer the file (piano sound) to my nord stage 3 and it says I dont have space on it... I just recently got it and that is the first thing I was going to download on there... do I have to delete the sounds that are already on the nord? Or is there something I'm missing? Thanks.

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Alex. What you'll find is that from the factory, your keyboard comes fully loaded with not much room to spare. You will likely have to remove/substitute sounds in order to get new ones on there. While using the Nord Sound Manager software, you can sort by size which helps. If you select the various piano samples directly while invoking the "i" icon (for information), it will tell you which programs are using the selected piano. Hope that helps!

[@nordmusic6660]

@@MyKeysToMusic okay thanks a lot for the information. Your channel helps so much!

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@@nordmusic6660 Glad to hear that Alex!

[@nordmusic6660]

@@MyKeysToMusic hi again! I was wondering where I can find the accordion sound on the nord stage 3?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

Hi Alex! So, the accordion samples on my Nord Stage 3 start at sample 181 and go through sample 188. To find them, turn the synth on, then make sure you have it set to play samples, then use the "OSC 1 Waveform" knob and navigate to 181. Be sure you make sure that your release and attack are at zero and your frequency is all the way up. Let me know if that works for you...

[@Anthony.Oboist.Pianist]

Hi, I have a question for you. I recently bought the Grand Church Organ sounds from Synthonia: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYXNeKutZrWikLc and it came with two copies of each sample - one of them had the letters 'LP' after the filename and were slightly smaller in file size and they advised me that the files with 'LP' are with a loop and the files without 'L'P' in the filename are without loop (in other words a longer and heavier sample). What do you think this means?

[@MyKeysToMusic]

@Anthony.Oboist.Pianist So, samples can be created in a number of ways. Using the Nord Sample editor, you get the option to either have the sample play once (like you would typically have in a piano or marimba-type sound), or you can have the sample "loop" as in the case if you are making a strings-type sound whereby you typically want the option to hold notes indefinitely. Without having the actual package you purchased in-hand directly, I'm going to make some bold assumptions here. It sounds like the package includes both sample options, and you can install either. Here are observations and possible answers to your question: - With the LP Samples, it appears that they are actually smaller in size, likely because they loop. In other words, you need less foundation sound length (keeping them small) and then you let the built-in loop mechanism repeat the same sound over and over as you hold the keys. - With the non-LP samples, it appears that they provide a longer sample, but then it will eventually decay as you hold the keys over time, never looping. This would make the sounds larger because they have to supply more length in order to satisfy a reasonable decay time when held and to keep them reasonably playable. When it comes to making samples, the "size" of a sample is largely dictated by its length. If I was to produce a 30-second sample, it would be much larger in size than one that only plays for 2 seconds and then loops - even though I might hold that 2-second sample for minutes on end. Hope this makes sense, and I understand your comment correctly! If not, please ask your question in a different way. 🎹