Nord User Forum

• If multiple Programs are needed to perform a song, Song Mode allows you to put Program #1 for that Song always under Button #1, Program #2 always under Button #2, etc.
• Using Songs, you are able to assemble and move Programs within a single entity for creating setlists while keeping your Programs organized in a logical manner.
• Also, as previously noted, you can use a single Program within multiple songs without having to duplicate it. This also means that modifying the Program once will update it across multiple songs.

ajstan wrote:The concepts and value of Song Mode are straightforward and should be easy to understand:

• If multiple Programs are needed to perform a song, Song Mode allows you to put Program #1 for that Song always under Button #1, Program #2 always under Button #2, etc.
• Using Songs, you are able to assemble and move Programs within a single entity for creating setlists while keeping your Programs organized in a logical manner.
• Also, as previously noted, you can use a single Program within multiple songs without having to duplicate it. This also means that modifying the Program once will update it across multiple songs.

Use cases and workflows are not the same for everyone. Every song can't be crammed into a single Program. Adding equipment, cabling, and complexity via external devices to control patch selection is not a satisfactory option for everyone.

Once you have a critical mass of multi-Program songs in your setlist, Song Mode becomes a simple, yet invaluable built-in tool.

PolishPrince wrote:The "S" in NS3 stands for "Stage"

The "S" in NS4 stand for "Studio" (it says so in the manual). So, bring a tablet or computer if you're going to play a complex variety of songs with many synths, organs, pianos all night long on a gig. If you're just mainly using the Nord Stage series for mostly organ, or mostly piano, then the Song Mode is moot and won't matter to you.

PolishPrince wrote:The "S" in NS4 stand for "Studio" (it says so in the manual). So, bring a tablet or computer if you're going to play a complex variety of songs with many synths, organs, pianos all night long on a gig. If you're just mainly using the Nord Stage series for mostly organ, or mostly piano, then the Song Mode is moot and won't matter to you.

PolishPrince wrote:Yeah, I think Nord reads these forums, and changed the manual and website after reading my post.. Or, maybe I was maybe a little tongue and cheek in my post.

Either way, I will wait for the NS5C with Song Mode to come to market in 2024 before upgrading.

jonilikeskeys wrote:I wanna say: I don't get the problem at all.

I jumped from a NS2 towards a NS4. Well - I never had Song Mode obviously.

What what I understand is this:
There are "Songs" that reference existing programs to be a verse, chorus, bridge, whatever, right? Your specific piano sounds becomes the chorus sound of Song A and the bridge sound of Song C - something like that.

Basically these are two layers of programming, right? Songs --> reference --> programs.

The Stage 4 chose a difference approach in my opinion and didn't "just" kill Song Mode.
This time you get programs and layer presets. The layer presets can be called up within the programs one time (if you change the program afterwards, that won't change the layer preset, but the layer preset can be updated).
Again - you have two layers of programming: layer presets (individual setups for Organs / Piano / Synth) --> can be called into --> programs.

I know there's no 100% comparison, but let's stick to this for a moment:

This is how I work on my NS4:

• I try to squeeze one song into one program. With all morph-possibilities, Layer Scene I + II and all splits, I really have a lot of possibilities. If one program is not enough, I create a couple of them in a row.
• All of may favourite sounds (like my best piano, my best synth pad, my optimal organ and so on) I save as layer presets. (Which is AWESOME coming from a NS2!!!) Putting together a program for a song is MUCH faster than on NS2. I wonder how often I did configure the B3 the same way on the NS2 to match my needs.
• I'm not sure if that was available on the NS3, I think so: I can rearrange programs ON the keyboard ON the fly. Whenever I receive the setlist, I just quickly change the order of the songs (well technically programs). Swap and Move is possible - that's even better than Nord Sound Manager, which is annoyingly only able to Swap! Now, I don't need a laptop for quick re-arrangements of the setlist. GREAT!
• After each song I move to the next program - the next song. It saves the name, the BPM, I even sometimes store the key within the songs name, just to be sure.

This whole thing is totally clear to me. I feel like many people complain about losing the Song Mode and haven't even thought of arranging their stuff within programs and calling up their favourite sounds via layer presets. (alright - they can not be combinations of multiple instruments within NS4, but that's not a big thing in my opinion)

I just wanna say: I have absolut 0 problem getting through gigs like that. I actually love it.