Nord Stage 3 User Manual
USER MANUAL
Nord Stage 3
English
OS version: 1.4x
Edition: G
Part number: 50474 Copyright Clavia DMI AB
Edition: G
CAUTION - ATTENTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE SHOCK ELECTRIQUE
NE PAS OUVRIR
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).
NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
ATTENTION:POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE, NE
PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE.
AUCUN ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L´USAGER.
CONFIER L´ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFE.
AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D´INCIDENTE OU D´ELECTROCUTION,
N´EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE A LA PLUIE OU L´HUMIDITET.
1) Read these instructions.
2) Keep these instructions.
3) Heed all warnings.
4) Follow all instructions.
5) Do not use this apparatus near water.
6) Clean only with dry cloth.
7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance
with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat
registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliers) that
produce heat.
9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or
grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one
wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades
and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong
are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not t
into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.
10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched
particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the apparatus.
11) Only use attachments/accessories specied by the manu-
facturer.
12) Use only with the cart, stand,
tripod, bracket, or table specied by the
manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus.
When a cart is used, use caution when
moving the cart/apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
13) Unplug this apparatus during lightning
storms or when unused for long periods of time.
14) Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Servicing
is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus
has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate nor-
mally, or has been dropped.
The lightning ash with the arrowhead symbol within
an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated voltage within the products en-
closure that may be of sufcient magnitude to constitute
a risk of electric shock to persons.
Le symbole éclair avec le point de èche à l´intérieur d´un triangle
équilatéral est utilisé pour alerter l´utilisateur de la presence à
l´intérieur du coffret de ”voltage dangereux” non isolé d´ampleur
sufsante pour constituer un risque d`éléctrocution.
The exclamation mark within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the product.
Le point d´exclamation à l´intérieur d´un triangle équilatéral est
employé pour alerter l´utilisateur de la présence d´instructions
importantes pour le fonctionnement et l´entretien (service) dans le
livret d´instructions accompagnant l´appareil.
Instructions pertaining to a risk of re, electric shock or injury to persons.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Trademarks: The Nord logo is a trademark of Clavia DMI AB. All other trademarks
mentioned in this publication are the properties of their respective holders.
Specications and appearances are subject to change without notice.
Copyright © Clavia DMI AB
No naked ame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on
the apparatus;
Do not use the apparatus in tropical climates.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of re or electric shock, do not expose
this apparatus to rain or moisture.
The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and that
no objects lled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the
apparatus.
The maims plug is used as the disconnect device and shall remain
readily operable.
Il convient de ne pas placer sur l´appareil de sources de ammes nues,
telles que des bougies allumées;
L´appareil n’est pas destiné á étre utilisé sous un climat tropical.
L´appareil ne doit pas étre exposé á des égouttements d´eau ou des
éclaboussures et de plus qu´aucun objet rempli de liquide tel que des
vases ne doit étre placé sur l´appareil.
Lorsque la prise du résau d’alimentation est utilisée comme dispositif
de déconnexion, ce dispositif doit demeuré aisément accessible.
Warning - When using electric products, basic precautions should always be followed, including the following:
Additional Safety Information
1. INTRODUCTION | 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 6
Thank you! ........................................................................................................6
Features .............................................................................................................6
Nord Online ......................................................................................................6
About the User Manual ..............................................................................6
Reading the manual in PDF Format ...................................................................6
Restoring the factory presets .............................................................................6
OS upgrades .....................................................................................................6
Free sounds ......................................................................................................6
Disclaimer..........................................................................................................7
2 OVERVIEW ......................................................................................... 8
Organ section ..................................................................................................8
Piano section ...................................................................................................8
Nord Piano Library .............................................................................................8
String Resonance ..............................................................................................8
Nord Triple Pedal ...............................................................................................8
Pedal Noise ..................................................................................................9
Piano and Clav EQ ............................................................................................9
Program section ............................................................................................9
Synth section ...................................................................................................9
Extern section .................................................................................................9
Effects section ................................................................................................9
3 GETTING STARTED ................................................................10
Hooking it up .................................................................................................10
Programs .........................................................................................................10
Select a program .............................................................................................10
Panel controls ...............................................................................................11
Dials and knobs ..............................................................................................11
Buttons ...........................................................................................................11
The Shift button ..............................................................................................11
List view ...........................................................................................................11
Edit a program ..............................................................................................11
Select a new piano sound ...............................................................................11
Turn off Memory Protection ..................................................................12
Store a program ...........................................................................................12
Live Mode .......................................................................................................12
Activate an effect ........................................................................................12
The two panels .............................................................................................12
Create a split ..................................................................................................12
Assign the Piano to the upper zone ................................................................13
Set the Synth to the lower zone .......................................................................13
Load a Synth preset ..................................................................................13
Create a layer ..................................................................................................13
Activate both panels ...................................................................................13
Set up a Split cross-fade (Split Width) .........................................................14
Morphs .............................................................................................................14
The Synthesizer ............................................................................................15
Loading and adjusting a Sample Preset ...........................................................15
The Arpeggiator ...........................................................................................16
4 ORGAN .................................................................................................17
On/Off, Level and Zone Select .........................................................................17
Octave Shift .....................................................................................................17
Pstick and Sustped .........................................................................................17
Drawbars and buttons ..............................................................................17
Selecting an Organ model ..............................................................................18
The B3 model ..............................................................................................18
B3 drawbars ...................................................................................................18
Percussion ......................................................................................................18
Key click control ..............................................................................................18
The Vox model ..............................................................................................19
Vox drawbars ..................................................................................................19
Vibrato ............................................................................................................19
The Farf model..............................................................................................19
Farf registers ...................................................................................................19
Vibrato ............................................................................................................20
Pipe Organ......................................................................................................20
Pipe 1 ..............................................................................................................20
Pipe 2 ..............................................................................................................20
Pipe 1&2 registers ...........................................................................................20
Organ Preset I & II .......................................................................................20
Drawbar Live (Compact model) .......................................................................20
Swell pedal .....................................................................................................20
Rotary Speaker ............................................................................................20
5 PIANO ...................................................................................................21
On/Off, Level and Zone Select .........................................................................21
Octave Shift .....................................................................................................21
Pstick and Sustped .........................................................................................21
About the Piano sounds ..........................................................................21
About Piano size .............................................................................................22
Piano Select ...................................................................................................22
Type and model ...............................................................................................22
About the Clavinet ......................................................................................22
List view ..........................................................................................................22
KBD Touch .....................................................................................................22
Piano Info ...................................................................................................22
String Res / Soft Release / Pedal Noise ......................................22
Soft Release ....................................................................................................22
String Resonance ............................................................................................23
Pedal Noise .....................................................................................................23
Nord Triple Pedal .........................................................................................23
Sustain and half pedaling .................................................................................23
Sostenuto ........................................................................................................23
Soft pedal ........................................................................................................23
Piano/Clav EQ ...............................................................................................24
Piano EQ Settings ...........................................................................................24
Layer Detune .................................................................................................24
6 PROGRAM ........................................................................................25
Morph Assign ................................................................................................25
Morph destinations ..........................................................................................25
Morph indicators .............................................................................................26
LED encoders .............................................................................................26
Morph LEDs ...............................................................................................26
Drawbar LEDs ............................................................................................26
Clearing a Morph ........................................................................................26
Mst Clk ............................................................................................................26
External sync ...................................................................................................26
(KBS) Keyboard sync .......................................................................................26
Transpose On/Set .......................................................................................26
Panic ...............................................................................................................26
Split ....................................................................................................................26
Keyboard Split settings ..................................................................................27
Choosing a split position .............................................................................27
Split Width settings .....................................................................................27
Keyboard Zones editor ....................................................................................27
Store ..................................................................................................................27
Storing and naming a program or song ...........................................................28
Store As .....................................................................................................28
4 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
Song Mode .....................................................................................................28
Song Edit ........................................................................................................28
Storing a song .................................................................................................28
Storing edited programs ..................................................................................28
Panel buttons A & B ..................................................................................28
Monitor/Copy Panel/Paste ...............................................................................29
Mono Out ........................................................................................................29
Dual KB ...........................................................................................................29
Shift / Exit button .........................................................................................29
Prog Init ...........................................................................................................29
Program Buttons .........................................................................................30
What is a program? .........................................................................................30
Numeric Pad Program Selection mode ............................................................30
System, Sound, MIDI, Extern, KB Zones .........................................................30
Program dial .................................................................................................30
MIDI LED indicator ......................................................................................30
Page buttons .................................................................................................30
Prog Level .......................................................................................................30
7 SYNTH ...................................................................................................32
About the Synth Section .........................................................................32
On/Off, Level and Zone Select .........................................................................32
Octave Shift .....................................................................................................32
Pstick and Sustped .........................................................................................32
Oscillators .....................................................................................................33
Osc Ctrl ...........................................................................................................33
Modulation ......................................................................................................33
Selector button ................................................................................................33
Classic waveforms...........................................................................................33
Sine ............................................................................................................33
Triangle .......................................................................................................33
Sawtooth ....................................................................................................33
Square, Pulse 33, Pulse 10 .........................................................................33
ESaw ..........................................................................................................33
ESquare......................................................................................................34
Wave ...............................................................................................................34
F-Wave ............................................................................................................34
S-Wave ...........................................................................................................34
Samples ..........................................................................................................34
Categories and Sample Presets ..................................................................34
Fast Attack ......................................................................................................34
Oscillator configurations ..........................................................................34
Single oscillator configurations .........................................................................34
Basic ..........................................................................................................34
Pitch ...........................................................................................................34
Shape .........................................................................................................34
Dual oscillator configurations ...........................................................................34
Sync ...........................................................................................................35
Detune ........................................................................................................35
Mix Sine, Triangle, Saw and Square ............................................................35
Mix Bell .......................................................................................................35
Mix Noise....................................................................................................35
Mix Noise 2.................................................................................................35
Dual FM ......................................................................................................35
Triple FM .....................................................................................................35
Ring Mod ....................................................................................................35
Synth Presets ................................................................................................35
Selecting synth presets....................................................................................35
List view .....................................................................................................35
Storing Synth presets ......................................................................................36
Filter Section .................................................................................................36
Filter selector button ........................................................................................36
LP 24 & LP 12 ................................................................................................36
LP M ...............................................................................................................36
LP/HP .............................................................................................................37
High Pass - HP ...............................................................................................37
Band Pass - BP ..............................................................................................37
Filter Frequency ..............................................................................................37
Filter Resonance .............................................................................................37
KB Track .........................................................................................................37
KB Track settings ........................................................................................37
Drive ................................................................................................................38
LFO Amt ..........................................................................................................38
Vel / Mod Env ..................................................................................................38
The Envelopes ..............................................................................................38
Mod Envelope ...............................................................................................38
Attack .........................................................................................................38
Decay .........................................................................................................38
Release ......................................................................................................38
Velocity .......................................................................................................38
Amp Envelope ................................................................................................39
Attack .........................................................................................................39
Decay .........................................................................................................39
Release ......................................................................................................39
Velocity .......................................................................................................39
LFO ...................................................................................................................39
Mst Clk ............................................................................................................39
LFO Waveforms ...............................................................................................39
Voice section ................................................................................................40
Mono Voice mode ...........................................................................................40
Legato Voice mode .........................................................................................40
Clear Preset name .....................................................................................40
Glide................................................................................................................40
Unison ............................................................................................................40
Sound Init ...................................................................................................40
Arpeggiator ...................................................................................................41
Arp Run and Keyboard Sync (KBS) .................................................................41
Arpeggiator Direction .......................................................................................41
Arpeggiator Range ..........................................................................................41
Arpeggiator Rate .............................................................................................41
Arpeggiator Master Clock ................................................................................41
KB Hold ............................................................................................................41
Vibrato .............................................................................................................41
8 EXTERN SECTION ...................................................................42
Extern section ..............................................................................................42
Setting up ........................................................................................................42
Using the Extern section..........................................................................42
Activating ........................................................................................................42
Keyboard Zones ..............................................................................................42
Non-keyboard Extern setup ........................................................................42
Octave Shift .....................................................................................................42
Pitch Stick / Sustain Pedal messages ..............................................................42
Extern Parameters ......................................................................................43
Program .........................................................................................................43
Send On Load .................................................................................................43
Extern Section and MIDI Soft Thru ...................................................................43
Other Extern Menu settings ........................................................................43
9 EFFECTS ............................................................................................ 44
Overview ..........................................................................................................44
Activating an effect .........................................................................................44
Effect type selection when an effect is off ....................................................44
A-Pan (Auto Pan) .............................................................................................44
Static Pan control over a sound ..................................................................44
Trem (Tremolo) .................................................................................................45
RM (Ring Modulation) ......................................................................................45
A-Wa 1 & 2 (Auto-Wah) ..................................................................................45
Effect 2 ............................................................................................................45
Phaser 1 & 2 ...................................................................................................45
Flanger ............................................................................................................45
Vibe .................................................................................................................45
Chorus 1 & 2 ...................................................................................................45
Delay .................................................................................................................45
Tap Tempo ......................................................................................................45
Filters ..............................................................................................................46
Analog Mode ...................................................................................................46
Master Clock ...................................................................................................46
Amp Sim / EQ ..............................................................................................46
Drive ................................................................................................................46
LP 24 Filter ......................................................................................................46
1. INTRODUCTION | 5
HP 24 Filter .....................................................................................................46
Amp model......................................................................................................47
Compressor ...................................................................................................47
Fast mode .......................................................................................................47
Reverb ..............................................................................................................47
Rotary Speaker ...........................................................................................47
Rotary Speaker and Reverb .............................................................................48
Rotary menu settings.......................................................................................48
10 MIDI ...................................................................................................... 49
Using MIDI ......................................................................................................49
Global .............................................................................................................49
Panel A/B ........................................................................................................49
Extern ................................................................................................................49
Controlling external gear from the Nord Stage 3 ..............................................49
Controlling the Nord Stage 3 using MIDI .........................................50
Dual KB ...........................................................................................................50
Panel MIDI control ...........................................................................................50
Global MIDI .....................................................................................................50
External Sync ..................................................................................................50
Extern Section and MIDI re-routing ..................................................................50
Recording a Stage 3 performance to a MIDI sequencer ........50
Messages ........................................................................................................50
Note On/Off ................................................................................................50
Pitch Bend ..................................................................................................51
Controllers ..................................................................................................51
Keyboard Velocity .......................................................................................51
Aftertouch ...................................................................................................51
Program Change operations .................................................................51
Live Mode .......................................................................................................51
Changing Song Parts or Live programs ...........................................................51
Local On/Off ...................................................................................................51
Panic ..................................................................................................................51
Rate............................................................................................................54
Amnt (Amount)............................................................................................54
7 - Rotary Speaker ..........................................................................................54
8 - Rotary Balance...........................................................................................54
9 - Rotary Rotor ..............................................................................................54
Acc (Acceleration) .......................................................................................54
Range: Low, Normal (default), High..................................................................54
10 - Rotary Horn .............................................................................................54
Acc (Acceleration) .......................................................................................54
MIDI Menu ......................................................................................................55
1 - Local Control .............................................................................................55
2 - Channel .....................................................................................................55
Panel A/B ...................................................................................................55
Dual KB ......................................................................................................55
3 - Control/Program Change Mode .................................................................55
PC (Program Change) .................................................................................55
4 - Transpose MIDI At ......................................................................................55
Extern Menu...................................................................................................55
1 - MIDI Channel Mode ...................................................................................55
2 - MIDI Panel A/B Channel (Prog or Glob) ......................................................55
3 - Keyb Velocity Panel A/B .............................................................................55
4 - Device MIDI Panel A/B ...............................................................................55
5 - Send on Load ............................................................................................55
6 - Program Change Settings Panel A/B ..........................................................55
Bank MSB .................................................................................................56
Bank LSB ..................................................................................................56
Program Number .......................................................................................56
7 - Control Change Settings A/B .....................................................................56
Ctrl (Control) ..............................................................................................56
Value .........................................................................................................56
8 - Volume Value A/B .......................................................................................56
9 - Global Soft Thru .........................................................................................56
12 NORD SOUND MANAGER ..........................................57
About Nord Sound Manager .................................................................57
System requirements ................................................................................57
11 MENUS ..............................................................................................52
Soft buttons ....................................................................................................52
System Menu ................................................................................................52
1 - Memory Protect .........................................................................................52
2 - Program Selection Mode ............................................................................52
3 - Global Transpose .......................................................................................52
4 - Fine Tune ...................................................................................................52
5 - Seamless Prog Change ..............................................................................52
6 - Output Routing mode ................................................................................52
7 - Output Panel A/B .......................................................................................53
Main ...........................................................................................................53
Sub ............................................................................................................53
Dest ............................................................................................................53
8 - Sustain Pedal ............................................................................................53
Type............................................................................................................53
Func (Function) ...........................................................................................53
9 - Rotor Pedal ................................................................................................53
Type............................................................................................................53
Func (Function) ...........................................................................................53
Type............................................................................................................53
Mode ..........................................................................................................53
11 - Ctrl Pedal .................................................................................................53
Type............................................................................................................53
Func (Function) ...........................................................................................53
Gain ............................................................................................................53
12 - Swell Pedal ..............................................................................................54
Type............................................................................................................54
Func (Function) ...........................................................................................54
Gain ............................................................................................................54
Sound Menu ..................................................................................................54
1 - Piano Pedal Noise Level .............................................................................54
2 - Piano String Res Level ...............................................................................54
3 - B3 Organ Tonewheel Mode ........................................................................54
4 - B3 Organ Click Level ..................................................................................54
5 - B3 Organ Keyboard Trigger Point ...............................................................54
6 - Synth Vibrato .............................................................................................54
I APPENDIX: CONNECTIONS........................................... 58
Audio connections ......................................................................................58
Headphones ...................................................................................................58
Ch 1&2, Ch 3&4 Out .......................................................................................58
Monitor In ........................................................................................................58
MIDI connections ........................................................................................58
MIDI In ............................................................................................................58
MIDI Out .........................................................................................................58
USB connection ...........................................................................................58
Pedal connections ......................................................................................58
Sustain Pedal ..................................................................................................58
Control Pedal ..................................................................................................58
Organ Swell .....................................................................................................58
Program Up/Dn Pedal .....................................................................................58
II APPENDIX: MIDI CONTROLLER LIST .................59
III INDEX ................................................................................................... 60
6 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
INTRODUCTION
1
THANK YOU!
Thank you for choosing the Nord Stage 3!
Continuing our vision of the ultimate instrument for the performing musician, our new flagship instrument features our latest award-winning
technologies including the Nord Lead A1 Synth engine with sample
playback, the acclaimed Nord C2D Organ engine, a greatly enhanced
Piano section and extensive hands-on effects – all in one exceptional
performance keyboard.
FEATURES
The Nord Stage 3 has the following main features:
Organ section with faithful reproductions of three classic organ
models, B3, Vox and Farf (Far fisa), as found in our acclaimed C2D
combo organ. There are also two Pipe organ models, each with its
own distinct character.
Digital LED drawbars on the 88 and 76 key models, physical draw-
bars on the 73 key model.
Piano section with acoustic Grand and Upright pianos, tine and
reed based Electric pianos, Digital piano sounds, Clavinet and
Harpsichord sounds and a Layer category with rich sounding piano
combinations. The memory capacity for the Piano section in the
Stage 3 is 2 gigabytes.
Synth section based on the Lead A1 synthesizer with dedicated
OLED display, Sample playback, Classic – analog style – waveforms,
digital waves, formants and massive “superwaves”.
Comprehensive Effects section.
Seamless transitions: Sustaining notes will not be cut off when
changing programs.
An Extern section for controlling external MIDI instruments.
Powerful Morph features for changing multiple parameters using
physical controls.
Four keyboard zones, with user adjustable split widths allowing
sounds to smoothly cross-fade over split points.
There are three Nord Stage 3 models: Nord Stage 3 88 with a fully
weighted hammer action keybed (A-C), Nord Stage 3 HP76 witha
lightweighthammer actionkeybed (E-G), NordStage 3Compact
with a 73-note semi weighted “waterfall” keybed(E-E) with physical
drawbars.
Two independent panels each provide two complete instances of the
Stage 3 sound engines and effects. This allows for all kinds of layers
and splits as well as “dual manual” B3 organ playing – among other
things.
NORD ONLINE
On the website nordkeyboards.com you will find:
» Information about the Nord Stage 3 and other Nord instruments
» Latest Operating Systems for download
» Free software: Nord Sound Manager, Nord Sample Editor and
drivers
» Nord Piano Librar y sounds for free download
» Nord Sample Library sounds for free download
» Nord World: Nord releated news stories and videos
» User Manuals for download
» Tutorials can be found at nordkeyboards.com/tutorials
Follow Nord Keyboards on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Feel free to tag your content with our official hashtag #iseenord.
ABOUT THE USER MANUAL
The manual is arranged mainly as a reference manual. In many cases
you’ll also get tips on how to practically use the different features in a
musical context.
READING THE MANUAL IN PDF FORMAT
This manual is available as a digital PDF file. It can be downloaded, free
of charge, from the Nord Stage 3 section on our website.
RESTORING THE FACTORY PRESETS
The factory programs, Synth presets, samples and pianos are available
as individual Nord Sound Manager backup files for download from our
website. There is also a complete backup of the entire instrument and
its factory content, in case it needs to be restored to its original state at
some point.
OS UPGRADES
The latest OS (Operating System) version for the Nord Stage 3 is always available for download from our website. There is also an Update
History page on the website, which specifies what has been updated
with each new version. Please visit our website from time to time, to
make sure you have the latest version in your unit.
FREE SOUNDS
Since the Nord Stage 3 is designed as an open system, each and
every piano and sample in the Nord Stage 3 can be replaced. This is
done using the Nord Sound Manager application which is available as
1. INTRODUCTION | 7
a free download from our website.
The Nord Stage 3 is compatible with the continuously expanding
Nord Piano Library and the Nord Sample Library. When new sounds
become available, these can be download for free from the Sound
Libraries section of our website.
DISCLAIMER
Any trademarks and brand names mentioned in this manual are the
property of their respective owners and are not affiliated or associated
with Clavia. These trademarks and brand names are only mentioned to
describe certain sound qualities reproduced by the Nord Stage 3.
8 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
OVERVIEW
2
ORGAN PIANO PROGRAM SYNTH EXTERN EFFECTS
The Nord Stage 3 is designed to be a highly flexible, musically expressive and easy-to-use instrument. Let’s have a look at some of its key
features:
ORGAN SECTION
The dedicated Organ section uses our latest B3 tonewheel Organ
model, as found in the acclaimed Nord C2D Combo Organ.
The B3 model is based on the analysis of the signals generated by
each of the 91 spinning discs inside several original instruments, and
painstaking work on understanding exactly how all the original components interact with each other. The virtual circuitry reacts not only
to the settings on the panel but also during the real time performance.
The Stage 3 will faithfully reproduce the important foldback and energy
robbing characteristics; the latter will produce the gentle compression effect that makes those lovely smears absolutely wonderful. The
3 tonewheel modes allow for switching from a clean, factory spec’d
instrument to a worn and battered workhorse.
We have also created carefully modelled emulations of two of the most
famous transistor organs from the 1960’s; the Vox Continental and the
Farf (Farfisa) Compact. Alongside the organ’s themselves, the Nord
Stage 3 features a rotar y speaker simulation derived from the Nord
C2D. Incorporating the acoustic variations that occur as a physical
rotating spreads the sound around in a room, they bring the Stage 3’s
organs to life with remarkable realism. In terms of control, the 88 and
76 key model utilize our tried-and-true digital LED drawbars, whereas
the 73 key Compact model is equipped with physical drawbars.
Finally, there are two distinct Pipe Organ models including a “Principal”
Pipe model with two variations, delivering a wide range of versatile
pipe/church organ sounds.
PIANO SECTION
The Nord Stage 3 Piano section, with its 2 GB of internal memory,
delivers a stunning range of piano and keyboard sounds. Piano sounds
are divided into six different types including both classic Grand, Upright and Electric pianos as well as Digital piano and preconfigured
Layer sounds.
NORD PIANO LIBRARY
The Nord Stage 3 benefits from the sounds found in the ever-growing
Nord Piano Librar y. We spend a lot of time and effort on expanding
the palette of available sounds, ranging from state-of-the-art concert
grand pianos to characterful uprights, historical instruments, electric
pianos and more.
New sounds are regularly made available free of charge on the
www.nordkeyboards.com website.
STRING RESONANCE
String resonance is a physical phenomenon which occurs inside ever y
acoustic piano when strings, or parts of strings, resonate at their fundamental or harmonic frequencies as other strings are being played.
When String Resonance is turned on, played notes will affect each other to reproduce the acoustic interactions that occur inside an acoustic
grand or upright piano.
NORD TRIPLE PEDAL
The Nord Stage 3 is compatible with the Nord Triple Pedal which unlocks additional functionality within the Piano section.
This section is described in detail in the Organ chapter, beginning on
page 17.
The right pedal is the sustain pedal. When operated, all notes being
played will sustain until the pedal is released again. It also adds dynamic control of the mechanical “pedal noise” during operation and
enables dynamic “half-pedaling” techniques.
2. OVERVIEW | 9
The left pedal is the soft pedal, also known as the Una Corda. When
applied, all notes will be slightly lower in volume and have a softer, more
subdued, tone quality.
In the middle is the Sostenuto pedal. Notes that are held when the
pedal is pressed down will “have their dampers raised” and keep sustaining, while subsequent notes will not be sustained.
PEDAL NOISE
When the sustain pedal is operated on an acoustic grand or upright
piano, many different sounds are produced by the mechanical components of that instrument’s pedal mechanism. Your Nord Stage 3
reproduces many of these natural sounds. When the sustain pedal is
pressed down, lifting the dampers from the strings, a beautiful sizzle
can be heard.
When the pedal is released, the dampers are returned to the strings,
which creates a different, muted type of sound.
PIANO AND CLAV EQ
A quick method for altering the character of the current piano sound is
to use the Piano and Clav EQ settings. The Clav settings are designed
to emulate those of the original instrument, while the Piano settings
are designed specifically with piano players in mind - instantly making
a sound softer, brighter or more mid-focused, depending on what the
song calls for.
high- and band-pass filters, the Stage 3 provides an emulated transistor low pass filter and a powerful combined low-pass/high-pass filter.
With both Amp and Modulation envelopes, an LFO and Unison control, the Stage 3’s synth capabilities are powerful, and provide virtually
limitless possibilites in terms of stunning on-stage sounds.
There’s an in-depth description of this section in the Synth chapter,
beginning on page 31.
EXTERN SECTION
The Nord Stage 3 delivers powerful capabilities as a MIDI controller,
especially when using the dedicated Extern section. Extern can be
turned on and off and assigned to keyboard zones just like the internal
sound engines, but specializes in controlling external gear - computers, synth modules etc. - over MIDI.
This section is described in detail in the Extern chapter, beginning on
pa g e 41.
EFFECTS SECTION
A wide array of classic effects are at your fingertips, within the comprehensive Effects section:
This section is further described in the Piano chapter, beginning on
page 21.
PROGRAM SECTION
A program on the Nord Stage 3 contains settings for all sound engines
and effects. The center area of the instrument - the Program section is where programs are navigated and stored, and various performance
features and settings menus are accessed. Importantly, this is also
where the two Panel buttons are located, used for switching between
the two independent panels available within each program.
This section is described in detail in the Program chapter, beginning on
page 25.
SYNTH SECTION
The Nord Stage 3’s powerful synthesizer engine is based on the acclaimed Nord Lead A1. In addition to Classic waveforms and digital
Waves and F-Waves (formants), the Stage 3 Synth can be used for all
sorts of Sample based sounds. It also features a S-Wave (superwave)
category suitable for those massive, multi-oscillator, sounds that can
not be created by other means. The large number of oscillator configurations allows for a multitude of single or dual oscillator setups, waveshaping, frequency modulation and more. An OLED display dedicated
to the Synth section provides a clear overview of its current setup.
The Effects 1 and 2 units provide all essential modulation effects such
as Tremolo, Chorus and Phaser, modeled after legendary stomp boxes
and effects units. The Delay effect can go anywhere from solidly vintage to modern and atmospheric sounding - with its Analog mode and
dedicated feedback filters.
Classic amplifier simulations, a versatile EQ and powerful, resonant
filters are available in the Amp Sim/EQ section, and a punchy Compressor with an extra tight “fast mode” helps keeping your performance in control. Finally, the lush Reverb - independently available
per panel - provides an array of small and large room simulations for
instant atmosphere.
Many of the effect parameters can be morph controlled – that is
addressed by the modulation wheel, control pedal or after touch –
which opens up for all kinds of creative, real-time interaction.
This section – and the Rotary Speaker – is described in detail in the
Effects chapter, beginning on page 43.
The Nord Sample Library gives Stage 3 owners access to a huge free
library of world-class sounds, including the famous vintage Mellotron
and Chamberlin samples. User-created samples can also be loaded
into the instrument, opening up a whole new creative world of sound.
In addition to the versatile 12 and 24 dB low-pass filters and the 12 dB
10 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
GETTING STARTED
3
Let’s spend a few minutes getting acquainted with the most fundamental features of the Nord
Stage 3! In this chapter the most common scenarios and tasks will be described in a step-wise
fashion, hopefully serving as a good starting point for further editing and more advanced set-ups
as well.
HOOKING IT UP
1 Connect the Nord Stage 3 power cord to the unit and a mains power supply, connect the
2 Make sure to turn on the Nord Stage 3 first, before the sound system. Please be careful with
For more information on all the connections on the Stage 3, have a look in the Connections
section on page 57.
sustain pedal and a set of headphones or a sound system.
the output volume.
PROGRAMS
The Program area is located at the center of the panel and has an OLED display in the middle.
Complete settings of every parameter on the panel are stored in the program memory of the
Nord Stage 3, with enough room for 400 programs.
Programs are organized into 16 banks, labeled A-P. All programs can be edited and replaced
freely as desired.
M A complete set of the factory programs is available on the www.nordkeyboards.com web
site. This means that the program memory can always be restored to its original state.
SELECT A PROGRAM
1 Programs are selected by pressing any of the five PROGRAM buttons, located below the dis-
play. The PAGE 3/4 buttons are used to navigate program pages – a page being a group
of 5 programs. A Program bank on the Nord Stage 3 can contain up to 25 programs divided
into 5 program pages.
Some of the factory programs are labeled with MW or AT. This indicates that the Mod Wheel
or Aftertouch has an active part in the sound and invites you to use these performance
features.
2 Programs can also be navigated by simply turning the PROGRAM dial.
3. GETTING STARTED | 11
PANEL CONTROLS
DIALS AND KNOBS
The dials on the Nord Stage 3 are knobs without
any fixed start and stop positions, used for navigating parameters and settings in a step-wise fashion.
The PROGRAM dial is one such example. In this
manual, dials are sometimes also referred to as
encoders.
LEVEL dials are surrounded by LED indicators.
These provide a visual indication of the current value
for the associated parameter.
Potentiometer-type knobs are used for many
parameters on the Nord Stage 3. When a program
is loaded the physical positions of these knobs will
in most cases not correspond to the actual parameter values. As soon as a knob is turned however, its
associated parameter value will “snap” to the knob’s
position.
Knobs that can serve as a Morph destination are
equipped with green Morph LEDs. These are located at the bottom left of the knob, and will light up
if a Morph is targeting that parameter. Read more
about Morphs on page 25.
Hold the MONITOR button – found in the Program section – and
turn a knob to view the stored setting of a parameter in the display
without changing it.
BUTTONS
Selector buttons are used to select one setting
in an array. They have a set of round or triangular
LEDs to indicate its current setting. Press the
button several times to cycle through the possible
options.
ON/OFF buttons are used for activating a function
or a group of functions such as effects and have a
LED close to them to indicate the on/off status and
sometimes also the source or zone.
M The On/Off buttons of the Effects shown here also have a selector
functionality. Press once to turn the Effect on, and press immediately again to select the “next” source.
LIST VIEW
Any dial that has LIST written below it - such as the Program dial - can
be used to access a useful list view.
1 Press SHIFT and turn the PROGRAM dial to enter a list view of all the
Programs.
2 Browse to any program, using the PROGRAM dial. All 8 program
banks can be accessed when in List mode.
3 Press SHIFT again to EXIT the List view.
List views for the Piano, Synth Preset and Waveform dials function
in just the same way.
EDIT A PROGRAM
Editing a program is as easy as turning a knob or pressing a button, to
change an existing setting. Let’s give it a quick try:
1 Dial up Bank A, Program 1 (a piano based program) for this exer-
cise.
The controls for the Piano instrument are located immediately to the left
of the Program area on the panel. Notice that the Piano section of the
Program area display shows the name of the selected piano sound, and
that the six-way PIANO SELECT indicator is set to Grand.
SELECT A NEW PIANO SOUND
2 Turn the PIANO SELECT dial to browse the piano sounds. Sounds
are organized according to their type (for instance Grand and
Upright). The Piano Select LED indicator will show the type of the
currently selected sound.
3 Try selecting a piano sound from the LIST view, accessed by
pressing SHIFT and turning the PIANO SELECT dial. Use Shift again
to EXIT the list view.
Note that changing any parameter on the Nord Stage 3 panel causes an
“E” to appear next to the current program number in the display. This
indicates that the program has been edited but not yet saved into memory. If a new program is selected prior to performing a Store operation
any edits will be lost and the program will have its original settings the
next time it is loaded.
THE SHIFT BUTTON
Many panel controls on the Nord Stage 3 have a secondary
function, which is printed immediately below it. These additional functions are accessed by pressing and holding SHIFT
while operating the control.
The Shift button is also used to EXIT a menu or to cancel an
ongoing Store operation.
12 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
TURN OFF MEMORY PROTECTION
When the Nord Stage 3 is shipped from factory its memory is protected
to prevent accidental overwriting of original programs. Memory protection can be turned off by toggling a setting located in the System menu.
1 Hold SHIFT and press the SYSTEM (Program 1) button below the
display.
2 Memory Protect is the first setting of the System menu. If the dis-
play shows a different setting, use the Page3button to navigate to
the Memory Protect setting.
3 Change this setting to Off by turning the PROGRAM dial.
4 Press EXIT (Shift button) to exit the System menu.
M This setting, like all other System settings, will be permanently
stored until it is changed again.
Read more about menu settings, starting at “System Menu” on page
52.
STORE A PROGRAM
1 Press the STORE button to the left of the display once, to begin the
process of storing the current program.
2 The STORE LED will begin to flash and the display will ask you for
the location to where you want to store the program.
3 Select a different Live program and then return to the one that was
edited. Note that the edit was automatically stored.
If Live Mode is active and you decide to store the settings permanently
as a program in one of the Program banks, you can do so using the
standard Store methods (see above).
You can also store programs into any of the five Live Mode memory
locations, in which case the program settings will replace that current
Live Mode memory setting.
Press the Live Mode button again to exit Live Mode and return to the
Program banks.
ACTIVATE AN EFFECT
1 Activate the reverb by pressing the Reverb ON button.
2 Adjust the DRY / WET balance with the knob above the reverb
selector.
3 Activate the delay effect by pressing the Delay ON/OFF button once.
4 The LEDs above the button indicate which sound engine is routed
to the effect. Press SHIFT and the Delay SOURCE button until the
PIANO LED is lit, if it is not already.
Double-clicking the On Off / Source button is a shortcut for quickly
changing the source for any effects section.
5 Try the RATE, FEEDBACK, FILTER and MIX controls, to alter the char-
acter and intensity of the Delay effect.
3 If you want to store the edited version to the current location,
replacing the original, simply press STORE again. If not, use the dial
and/or PAGE 3/4 buttons to select a different location.
The program in the selected location becomes active on the
keyboard, allowing it to be auditioned before it is replaced by the
program being stored.
4 When you have found a suitable location for your program, press
STORE again to confirm the store operation.
M Press Shift/Exit once to abort an ongoing Store process if you
change your mind.
Read more about Store and how to name a program in the Program
chapter, on page 28.
LIVE MODE
The five LIVE programs differ from other programs in that all edits made
to them are instantly stored - without the need for a manual Store
operation.
1 Press LIVE MODE and use the five PROGRAM buttons to navigate
the five Live programs.
2 Make an edit, such as activating one of the effects sections, to one
of the programs.
THE TWO PANELS
The Panel A and Panel B buttons give instant access to two complete
instances of the features on the physical panel. There can be one complete Organ/Piano/Synth/Extern/Effects setup on Panel A, and another
complete setup on Panel B.
This allows for easy back-and-forth switching between two different
sounds, or for complex programs with up to two organ settings, two
different pianos and two different synthesizers. The two panels can be
combined either as layers or as split keyboard arrangements. Let’s set
up a split and then expand it with an additional layer combination.
CREATE A SPLIT
1 Make sure that only Panel A is active and that only the Piano sec-
tion is turned on.
2 To activate Split mode, press the SPLIT ON/SET button, located in
the top row above the Program area display.
3 To adjust the position of the Split point(s), press and hold the SPLIT
ON/SET button, located in the top row above the Program area
display.
M The “6“ symbol associated with this button indicates that one of
its functions - SET - is accessed by keeping the button pressed
down.
4 There are two settings for each split point; position and width. If
the display says “Split Width Middle” press the Program 4 button,
corresponding to the 3symbol in the display, to instead show the Split Position settings. Set
the Middle split point to C4 using the dial.
5 Make sure that the other two split points (Low and High) are set to “Off”, accessed by press-
ing the Program 1 and 3 buttons respectively.
The keyboard is now divided into two zones, the split point being indicated with a green LED
above the keyboard. The M LED above the SPLIT ON/SET button will also be lit, indicating both
that Split is turned on, and that only the Mid split point is active.
ASSIGN THE PIANO TO THE UPPER ZONE
6 Hold SHIFT and press the Piano KB ZONE SELECT button repeatedly until only LED’s 3 and 4
are lit.
This assigns the Piano to the upper zone of the keyboard. Feel free to use the OCTAVE SHIFT
buttons in the Piano section for accessing a different range of the piano sound.
SET THE SYNTH TO THE LOWER ZONE
7 Turn ON the Synth section. Hold SHIFT and press Synth KB ZONE SELECT until only LED’s 1
and 2 are lit. This will activate the synth and assign it to the lower half of the keyboard.
M By using all three split points, Low, Mid and High, it is possible to divide the keyboard into a
total of four distinct zones, all of which can have any or all of the six sound engines and two
Extern sections assigned to it.
3. GETTING STARTED | 13
LOAD A SYNTH PRESET
1 Turn the SYNTH PRESET dial and select any of the Synth presets from the 8 User preset
banks - perhaps a Bass Synth sound. Note that the location and name of the preset is
displayed at the bottom of the Program area display. The Synth display will at all times show
the currently active oscillator settings.
All the synthesizer parameters on the panel can be adjusted, even when using a preset as a
starting point. An in-depth description of these parameters can be found in the Synth reference
chapter, starting at page 31.
To view a parameter setting without changing it, hold the Monitor button and turn the pa-
rameter’s knob.
CREATE A LAYER
Let’s add a third sound to the Synth/Piano split we just created.
1 Activate Panel B by pressing the PANEL B button, giving access to a second set of sound
engines and effects.
2 Make sure that only the Synth section is active: Press SHIFT + PROG INIT and select Synth
from the display by pressing Program button 4.
The Prog Init function is used for quickly initializing the current panel in a manner which
suits the type of program which should be created, and will disable all sections and reset all
parameters that should not be used.
3 Use the SYNTH PRESET dial to select a sound which should be layered upon the previously
set up split.
ACTIVATE BOTH PANELS
4 Press both the PANEL A and PANEL B buttons simultaneously to create a layer with the
14 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
The flashing panel LED (A or B) indicates which panel is currently focused for editing on the panel. Press the other Panel button to shift this focus to the other panel.
SET UP A SPLIT CROSS-FADE (SPLIT WIDTH)
As a final step, let’s adjust the split point so that the split Synth and Piano sounds will transition
gradually between one another:
5 Again, press and hold the SPLIT ON/SET button, located in the top row above the Program
6 Press the Program 4 button, corresponding to the 4 symbol in the display. The Split width
7 Select the Mid split point and set it to “Lrg” by turning the dial. Let go of the SPLIT ON/SET
sounds from both panels. Panel A now contains the Synth/Piano split while the Panel B
Synth sound is layered on top.
area display.
for each split point can now be adjusted.
button.
Playing across the Split point now will “cross-fade” between the lower and the upper sound.
The Extern section can also be part of a split or layer scenario, e.g. if an external unit should
be controlled from just one zone on the keyboard. Note that the Split width setting will not
apply to the Extern section.
To turn off a panel combination, hold down the Panel button you wish to keep and then press the
other Panel button.
MORPHS
The modulation wheel, a connected control pedal or the keyboard aftertouch can be used to alter one or several parameters while playing. This is achieved by using morphs. In short,
this is done by selecting a a source (the physical controller) a
destination parameter and the parameter range included in the
morph.
1 We will now morph the drawbars with the wheel, so start by making sure that the Organ
section is turned On.
2 Make sure that the B3 model is active and “pull out” the first three drawbars on the left (Sub,
Sub3 and Fund) by pressing the corresponding lower drawbar buttons, or by actually pulling
the drawbars if using the Nord Stage 3 Compact model.
3 Press and hold the WHEEL button in the Morph Assign group, above the Program area dial.
4 Pull out the four right-most drawbars all the way. The indicators will show single LEDs to
indicate how much the Morph will affect the parameter.
5 Let go of the Morph WHEEL button. Play a few notes or chords, while moving the modulation
wheel.
As the wheel moves, the drawbars are pulled out and the sound changes accordingly.
One Morph source (Wheel, Control Pedal or Aftertouch) can control several parameters at
once.
A Morph source can increase one parameter’s value while decreasing the value of another
at the same time. This makes it possible, for example, to crossfade between instruments.
Read more about the Morph functionality on page 25.
THE SYNTHESIZER
Let’s have a look at some of the features of the Stage 3 Synthesizer, beginning with how to set up a sound using Classic, “analog” waveforms.
1 Make sure the Synth section is active, by pressing the Synth ON
button, or by using PROG INIT (Shift + Live Mode) and selecting
Synth from the display.
2 In order to start off from a “blank slate”, let’s initialize the synthesizer
to its default settings by pressing SOUND INIT (Shift + Unison) and
then Init using the display soft button.
3 Make sure the Waveform selector under the display is set to CLAS-
SIC. Turn the OSC1/WAVEFORM dial until the sawtooth waveform is
selected.
4 Note that the right half of the display is currently empty. We are now
using a Basic, single oscillator, configuration which means that the
OSC CTRL knob has no impact on the sound. Let’s choose a
different configuration:
3. GETTING STARTED | 15
LOADING AND ADJUSTING A SAMPLE PRESET
Now let’s instead set up a string pad sound based on a sample, loaded
from the Sample Preset bank.
Apart from being selectable with the Osc1/Waveform dial, samples
are available as Read-Only presets within the Synth Preset banks.
When loaded from such a preset, some of the Synth settings –
such as Amp Envelope and Velocity – are automatically set to
values which suit that particular sample. All parameters can still be
adjusted manually as needed.
1 Activate the Synth Preset List view by pressing SHIFT and turning
the SYNTH PRESET dial.
2 Press the Samp soft button (Program 3 button) to isolate the Sam-
ple presets. Pressing down on the Cat soft button provides a list
of categories. Select an item from the list to show only the presets
within that particular category. When the Cat soft button is focused,
the PAGE 3/4 buttons can be used to quickly jump between
different categories.
5 Press SHIFT and turn the CONFIG dial to browse the different
configurations. Select the Mix Square configuration and let go of
the SHIFT button.
6 There are now two oscillators available, one set to sawtooth and
one set to square wave. Turn the OSC CTRL knob to mix the sound
of the two oscillators.
7 Turn the OSC2/PITCH dial (same as the Config dial - but without
Shift) of the Oscillator section and select a different pitch for the
square wave, indicated in semitone steps on the display. This way
the sound of the first oscillator (the sawtooth sound in this case)
can be combined with a sound of a different pitch, from one octave
below (“sub”, used in the example below) to several octaves above.
3 Select an appropriate Ensemble Strings sample by turning the
SYNTH PRESET dial (or the Program dial).
4 Play a few notes. To make a pad out of the sound we will want to
do a few tweaks. Let’s turn to the AMP ENV (Amplifier Envelope)
section:
5 While playing, adjust the Amp Env RELEASE control until a suitably
long tail is heard when releasing a note, perhaps at a value of
around 5.0.
6 Similarily, use the ATTACK control to create a softer and more
gradual onset of the notes you play. Again, a value of around 5.0
may be suitable.
7 To finalize the string pad, adjust the FILTER FREQ to give the sound
a softer character. A value of around 6.0 could be a good starting
point.
M Since we are basing this example on a preset, you may want to set
the VEL/MOD ENV knob to 0 (12 o’clock) when trying out point 8
above, to reset any preset velocity behavior.
There are several ways to further enhance this basic string pad sound,
for instance by adding modulation or by using effects. Read more about
modulation options on page 32 and about effects, beginning on page
page 43.
Additional samples can be added to the Nord Stage 3 by using the Nord
Sound Manager software.
As a final step, let’s turn to the Filter section for some adjustments:
8 Turn the Filter FREQ knob counter-clockwise, and notice how the
sound is gradually subdued. Repeat this with all FILTER TYPE set-
tings, paying attention to how they each have a different effect on
how the sound is shaped.
M Read more about the Filter Types, and other settings in the Filter
section, beginning on page 35.
You can store a tweaked synthesizer sound as a preset, by press-
ing Shift and the Store Synth button.
16 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
THE ARPEGGIATOR
As a final exercise, let’s create a sound using the Synth section and its
arpeggiator.
1 Make sure that only the Synth section is turned on and perform a
SOUND INIT (Shift + Unison). Set the Amp Env ATTACK time to 0,
the DECAY to around 3, select a sawtooth waveform and open up
the filter a little bit. This will produce a percussive sound.
2 Press ARP RUN, play a chord on the keyboard and turn the Arpeg-
giator Rate knob. This will play the notes that are held down, one
after the other in a repeating fashion.
MASTER CLOCK
Now that we have an arpeggio going, let’s try the Master Clock feature
to synchronize the arpeggio and to bring in an effect as well.
1 Hold SHIFT and turn the Arpeggiator RATE knob to lock the arpeg-
gio to the Master Clock, the MST CLK LED lights up.
2 Press down on the Mst Clk TAP/SET button in the Program area to
dial in a tempo with the PROGRAM Dial. You could also press CLOCK
(Shift + Tap/Set) to view and adjust Master Clock settings without
having to keep the button pressed down. The display will indicate
the BPM. Set this to 130 BPM for this exercise. Release the button
to exit, or press EXIT (Shift) if in “Clock” mode.
Tap four times on the Mst Clk button to set the tempo on the fly.
3 Press SHIFT and the Arpeggiator selector button to select a differ-
ent direction.
When no direction LED is lit, the direction is Up, from the lowest
key and up to the highest and then it starts over again. The other
directions are DN (down), UP/DN (up and down) and RD (random).
4 Press the selector button repeatedly to select a range.
When none of the range-LEDs are lit, the range is exactly the
keys that are held down. A setting of 2 OCT extends the range by
transposing the arpeggio one octave up and plays this octave after
the initial octave, 3 OCT adds yet another octave and 4 OCT gives a
range of four octaves.
5 Press the KB HOLD button to keep the arpeggio going without the
need for pressing the keys.
3 Turn the Arpeggio RATE knob to select the meter subdivision (or
note values) that the arpeggio should play. The setting is shown
in the Program area display as the knob is being turned. Notice
how 1/4 is half the “speed “ of 1/8. A “T” after a numerical value
indicates triplets. Set the subdivision to 1/8.
4 Turn on the DELAY effect and make sure that the source is set to
Synth by pressing the SOURCE button repeatedly until the Synth
LED lights up.
If you carefully adjust the delay time, you could match it to fit the
rhythm of the arpeggio, but there is another way. Let’s synchronize
the delay to the same clock as the arpeggio.
5 Hold SHIFT and turn the Delay TEMPO knob to activate Master
Clock for the Delay. The MST CLK LED lights up.
6 Turn the Delay TEMPO knob and again refer to the Program area
display to monitor the setting.
7 Try 1/16, which will be half the note value or twice the “speed” of
the arpeggio. Turn up the Amount knob up to but not beyond 12
o’clock to hear the delay taps together with the arpeggiated notes.
The arpeggio, the LFO on the synth, the Delay and the Effect 1 rate can
be synchronized to the Master Clock in this fashion.
What’s more, the Master Clock operates on both panels simultaneously
so you can control arpeggios, LFOs and effects on both Panel A and B.
Some of the units have division settings that are larger than 1/1 that
allows for sweeps that are longer that one bar. And you can of course
synchronize some functions, while leaving others free-running if you like.
4. ORGAN | 17
ORGAN
4
Compact model
The Nord Stage 3 features five organ models, all digitally modeled; a
tonewheel/B3 organ, two transistor organs (Vox and Farfisa) and two
Pipe Organ models, including a “Principal Pipe” section. Different organ
models can be selected for Panel A and Panel B, allowing splits and
layers using different organ types to be realized.
M The Rotary effect – although conveniently located next to the Organ
section – is covered in the Effects chapter, see page 46.
ON/OFF, LEVEL AND ZONE SELECT
The Organ section is turned On or Off by pressing its ON/OFF button.
The morphable LEVEL encoder controls the sound output level of the
Organ.
Press ZONE SELECT (On/Off) with SHIFT, to assign the Organ to any of
the active keyboard zones. The green KB ZONE LEDs indicate which of
the zones the Organ section is assigned to. Read more about Split setups and keyboard zones on page 26.
OCTAVE SHIFT
Use OCTAVE SHIFT to transpose the Organ section up or down by oc-
taves (+/- 12 semitones). When assigned to the entire keyboard it can
be transposed one octave up or down. When assigned to a smaller
zone the available transpose values will vary, but always provide access
to the entire range of the Organ.
PSTICK AND SUSTPED
PSTICK (Shift + Octave Shift left/down button) turns on pitch stick func-
tionality for the Organ, in which case the Organ sound can be bent 2
semitones up and down, using the pitch stick.
SUSTPED (Shift + Octave Shift right/up button) activates any attached
sustain pedal for the Organ section. Read more on how to configure an
attached pedal in the Menus chapter, on page 52.
DRAWBARS AND BUTTONS
The drawbars on the Nord Stage 3 88 and 76 key versions are represented by buttons and LED chain graphs. The 73 key Compact version
uses “real” mechanical drawbars.
The digital drawbars behave similarly to their mechanical counterparts.
On the B3, Vox, Pipe and Sine models you “pull out” and “push in” the
drawbars using the drawbar buttons. With the Farf model, drawbar
buttons act as rocker switches, toggling each register on or off.
The buttons are special in the way that they auto-increment/decrement
the drawbar value when they are held down. If you hold a drawbar
button the corresponding drawbar setting will continue to increment or
decrement (within its range) until you release the button.
The drawbars can be Morph controlled, if you want to make dra-
matic changes with for example the Wheel or a control pedal.
While holding a drawbar button, you can press its “sibling” button to
momentarily auto-increment/decrement in the opposite direction.
M The Program section display also shows the current drawbar
settings for the Organ section - especially useful on the Compact
model where there are no drawbar LEDs.
18 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
C3
16 5
⅓ ⅔ ⅗
8 4 2 1⅓1 1
2
SELECTING AN ORGAN MODEL
Use the ORGAN MODEL selector button to select your preferred Organ
model. The Pipe1 and Pipe2 settings are indicated by the upper and
lower LED pairs being lit respectively.
THE B3 MODEL
The B3 model is based on a digital model of the classic electro-mechanical tonewheel organ. This simulation utilizes innovative and advanced
methods to capture every nuance of the original sound. Here are some
examples:
• An extremely accurate digital model of the original chorus and vibrato
scanner.
• Modeling of the individual random contact bounces for each
harmonic.
• Modeling of the unique frequency characteristics of the built-in
pre-amplifier, which forms the “body” of the sound.
• Simulation of the energy robbing on the tone wheels that results in the
typical “compressed” sound.
• Authentic tuning of the tonewheels according to the original design.
• Extremely fast keyboard response.
• Full polyphony.
Three different types of choruses (C1 - C3) and three different types of
vibratos (V1 - V3) are available. Select one of these types by pressing
the Vibrato/Chorus selector button. The effect can be activated/deactivated for both panels individually by pressing the Vibrato/Chorus button
for the Panel A and Panel B “manuals”.
PERCUSSION
Press the PERCUSSION ON button to add an extra attack to the B3
sound by having a single envelope generator controlling either the 2nd
or 3rd harmonic.
The envelope “opens up” for a short moment in the beginning of the
sound when you press the key(s). The percussion is a single-triggered
non-legato effect. By “single-triggered” we mean that the percussion
is only present when you hit the keys when no other note is sounding.
In other words, if you play a note or a chord and then add more notes
without releasing the previously pressed keys, there will be no percussion effect in the new notes. You have to release all keys to be able to
play new notes with the percussion effect.
B3 DRAWBARS
The harmonic intervals for the tonewheel organ are printed on the panel
below the drawbars.
For basic drawbar operation, please refer to “Drawbars and Buttons”
on the previous page. Each drawbar represents a partial with a fixed
harmonic interval in relationship with the played note.
The illustration below shows the pitch interval among the nine drawbars when the key of C3 is played. Note that the 5 ⅓’ drawbar actually
is a 5th above the fundamental harmonic (8’) but in most situations is
perceived as sounding below it.
The VOLUME SOFT button toggles between Normal and Soft percussion
level. The DECAY FAST button toggles between Slow and Fast decay
times.
The HARMONIC THIRD button toggles between using the 2nd or 3rd
partial as the source for the percussion effect.
M The Percussion effect is only available for the B3 organ model.
KEY CLICK CONTROL
The key click produced by the random contact bounces is an important audio artifact in the original B3 instrument. This quickly became a
desirable effect amongst musicians. The click level can be adjusted in
the Sound menu, read more about this on page 53.
Do not forget to try out the three tonewheel modes that are also
available in the Sound menu. These will dramatically change the
sound of the B3 model from a squeaky clean unit to a battered, old
workhorse.
The original vibrato and chorus scanner in a tonewheel organ consists
of a modulated delay line in combination with a rotating scanner. For the
Vibrato effect, phase shift is applied to the signal. For the Chorus effect,
the phase-modulated signal is added to the original signal.
VIBRATO & CHORUS
4. ORGAN | 19
THE VOX MODEL
The original Vox™ organ is probably the most famous of all the transistor based combo organs that emerged in the early 60’s. Transistor
technology made it possible to manufacture compact and portable
organ instruments. Compared to the mighty sound of tonewheel based
organs, transistor organs generally sounded reedier and weaker, but this
one had a distinctive sound character which together with the portability and cool design (inverse colored keyboard and chrome “Z-frame”
stand) made the instrument massively popular at the time. The sound is
timeless and recreated faithfully by the Nord Stage 3.
VOX DRAWBARS
The labels used for the Vox drawbars are printed on the row directly
above the drawbar LEDs.
For basic drawbar operation, please refer to “Drawbars and buttons” on
page 17.
The seven drawbars to the left control the level of each partial. Each partial has a fixed harmonic interval relating to the played note. The
illustration below shows the pitch interval of the drawbars when the key
of C3 is played. The intervals vary for the upper and lower manual on the
original instrument, but are identical on the Nord Stage 3.
Vox Continental Upper
THE FARF MODEL
The typical “buzzy” sound of this vintage instrument is one of the most
distinct and easily recognizable organ sounds ever created; yet it is actually possible to get quite a wide range of sounds out of the instrument.
Note that the voices aren’t supposed to replicate the instruments they
are named after, but rather to describe the basic tonal characteristic of
the voice: Flute = soft, Oboe = reedy, Trumpet = brassy etc.
FARF REGISTERS
The labels used for the FARF drawbars/registers are printed on the upper
row, above the drawbar LEDs or drawbars.
The drawbars act as on/off switches, or “register selectors” when the
Farf model is selected. Instead of drawbars, the original instrument used
rocker switches for selecting instrument voices (in reality different filter
settings) in various footage (octave) ranges. Drawbar LEDs 5-8 are lit up
for an activated voice, and drawbar LEDs 1-4 are lit up for a deactivated
voice. On the Nord Stage 3 Compact model, pulling the drawbars more
than half way out will activate the register.
As usual, the Program section display will show current drawbar settings
for the Organ section. The table below shows the original register name.
Drawbar Voice Panel Name
1 Bass 16 BASS16
2 Strings 16 STR16
3 Flute 8 FLUTE8
4 Oboe 8 OBOE8
5 Trumpet 8 TRMP8
6 Strings 8 STR8
7 Flute 4 FLUTE4
8 Strings 4 STR4
9 A bright voice, an octave
and a fifth above the
fundamental
2 2/3
C3
Vox Continental Lower
The rightmost drawbar controls the mix between a filtered signal sounding soft and dark, and an unfiltered signal sounding bright and intense.
VIBRATO
There are several types of vibrato and choruses available for the Vox
model, which is activated using the ON button in the Vibrato section.
The V3 setting is the one that is modeled after the original instrument.
The VX model’s Vibrato setting is common for both the Panel A and
Panel B Organ sections, although it can be turned on and off independently.
The illustration below shows the pitch interval between each voice when
the key of C3 is played. Though some voices have the same pitch, they
differ in tonal character.
C3
20 | NORD STAGE 3 USER MANUAL OS V1.4X
VIBRATO
The original instrument has two basic vibrato modes; “Light” and
“Heavy”, with different rates for each mode. There are several types of
vibrato and choruses available for the Farf model on the Nord Stage 3,
which are activated using the ON button in the Vibrato section.
The V1, V2 and the V3 settings are the ones that are modeled after
the original instrument’s. Note that the Farf vibrato is common for both
panels.
SWELL PEDAL
Swell is a characteristic organ feature, controlled from a continuous
pedal. Swell is not only a volume control - for the B3 it also changes
the character of the sound in a special way. To use Swell control on the
Nord Stage 3, simply plug in a standard expression pedal to the Organ
Swell input on the rear panel (see page 58) and configure the pedal
on the System Menu (see page 52).
An expression pedal connected to the Organ Swell input will control
Swell for all organ models.
PIPE ORGAN
PIPE 1
The PIPE1 organ model is not designed to imitate any existing instrument, but rather as a useful and appealing “all-purpose” organ, which
works equally well with or without Rotary speaker. In some ways its
sound is similar to that of the B3 organ – but without any of its electromechanical behaviors and artifacts.
PIPE 2
The PIPE2 organ model faithfully recreates a principal pipe section - the
sets of metal pipes, or ranks, that commonly make up the backbone of
a pipe or church organ. While other ranks may attempt to recreate the
sounds of other instruments (flutes, trumpets, strings etc.) the principal
sound is non-imitative and unique to the pipe organ.
Activating VIBRATO/CHORUS for the Pipe2 model will switch to a variation of the principal pipe organ, which is tuned with less precision. This
produces chorus-like effects, slight dissonances and arguably more
realism when combining registers.
PIPE 1&2 REGISTERS
If you have only one expression pedal, it can be used both as a generic
Control Pedal to control the Morph, and as a Swell Pedal - when
attached to the Control Pedal jack. This is also set up in the System
Menu.
ROTARY SPEAKER
The Rotary Speaker controls are logically placed next to the Organ
section. Its settings are described in detail in the Effects chapter on
page 46.
The pipe lengths available for both Pipe models correspond to those of
the B3 model, ranging from 16 feet to 1 foot.
ORGAN PRESET I & II
Two organ presets/settings can be stored within each
panel, for each organ model. This provides a quick way
of changing between two organ sound variations, without having to change programs or panels.
Change between Presets I & II by pressing the PRESET II button. A
preset stores the drawbar settings and the Vibrato/Percussion (on/off)
settings.
DRAWBAR LIVE (COMPACT MODEL)
The Nord Stage 3 Compact model has an additional Drawbar Live setting. With this setting active the
Organ will use the current positions of the physical
drawbars. The setting can be stored with a program,
meaning that the actual drawbar positions instantly will
be used as the program is loaded.
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