Nord User Forum

I’ve read some comments that the Stage 4 doesn’t have a Song Mode and having checked the Nord website it doesn’t seem to mention it either.
Being new to Nord and still in the process of learning how my Stage 3 works, is Song Mode a way of arranging a collection of presets in order of a performance to be played?
Have Nord really done away with this feature or have they implemented a new version and called it something else?
Personally I don’t do gigs anymore so my equipment is in a home environment so is there any downside to not having it?

Thank you for your replies and opinions

Hi, There-

It does appear that Song Mode has been dropped in the NS4, and it is indeed a convenient way to order songs as in a setlist. It doesn't change the order of the programs, it simply points to the program you tell it to and you can order the songs to your liking. It remains to be seen if the feature can be approximated with the 8 program buttons and Layer Scene features, we will know more when the manual is published. If you are not gigging, it is unlikely that you would miss this feature-

-dj

Additionally to what DJKeys already explained, Song Mode also bundled up to 5 program-links into one 'song'. Which in live use is convenient as well for parts of a song as well as variations at hand. In your setting, you wouldn't miss it either, though.

Thanks guys for your replies.
It definitely sounds like it’s a feature that you would need and use in a live performance situation so I can’t believe that it is a feature that Nord would remove especially as these keyboards are considered industry standard for live performances, the mind boggles!
I guess we’ll have to wait a bit longer for some more useful information on the matter.

Nord hasn’t been consistent with Song Mode. They had it on NE5 and not NE6. It’s there on NS3 and it’s useful, though it could be way better. It seems like the NS4 has some extra tricks they’ve added in lieu of further development of Song Mode. The 7 engines per Program, the Scenes, the extra Program buttons…looks like they have invested in these things vs. keeping the Song Mode alive.

The song mode is an awesome feature on the Stage 3! Sometimes I'll program 3 to 5 patches in song mode per song which to some keyboardist sounds crazy, but with the seamless transition feature on the NS3 you can move one part to the next with no effort...Same thing with going song to song up to 5... My band does tunes where we go song right into another which a lot of folks on this site do as well. Once you learn it! You'll love it! If I were you. I would learn your Stage 3 better along with your Wave 2. I see your new on the site a few months. So I'm thinking it's best for you to master those 2 boards, because they're both great machines, and you'll have no need for the Stage 4 for a long time...
Best Wishes!

Hi there, (I am new here)

Exactly! I have the NS3 an also program 2 to 5 patches in song mode per song all the time to enable seamless transition between different instruments programmed for Intro, Vers, Refrain and Bridges etc. Same thing with going from song to song as U mentioned. NS3 is awesome.

Actually I can not see how I will do without it using NS4. However my plan is the following...

NS4 has 8 Banks x 8 Pages x 8 Programs in total 512 locations. What I hope to be able to do is, arranging my gigs and set list chronologically within the 512 program locations so I can scroll forth (and back) in the array of programs. I plan to use the title of the Programs to hold the Song title + Intro, Verse, Refrain and Bridges.

Do yo think this will work?

I hope because I already ordered NS4!

Kind regards

larsjulin wrote:Hi there, (I am new here)

Exactly! I have the NS3 an also program 2 to 5 patches in song mode per song all the time to enable seamless transition between different instruments programmed for Intro, Vers, Refrain and Bridges etc. Same thing with going from song to song as U mentioned. NS3 is awesome.

Actually I can not see how I will do without it using NS4. However my plan is the following...

NS4 has 8 Banks x 8 Pages x 8 Programs in total 512 locations. What I hope to be able to do is, arranging my gigs and set list chronologically within the 512 program locations so I can scroll forth (and back) in the array of programs. I plan to use the title of the Programs to hold the Song title + Intro, Verse, Refrain and Bridges.

Do yo think this will work?

I hope because I already ordered NS4!

Kind regards

That's the way to do it and has it has always been done on instruments that don't have a song mode, the downside is that if you use the same Program in different songs you need to make multiple copies of it in the appropriate location for each song (or use Live buffers for those very frequent cases and now with NS4 you'll have 8).

maxpiano wrote:That's the way to do it and has it has always been done on instruments that don't have a song mode, the downside is that if you use the same Program in different songs you need to make multiple copies of it in the appropriate location for each song (or use Live buffers for those very frequent cases and now with NS4 you'll have 8).

In my opinion, that's the legacy way to do it. If a songs only requires one patch, the other slots of the bank are wasted. Furthermore, I have programmed some 'basic sounds' which I use for different songs. With song mode, I can point to them, don't have to duplicate it and can sort the songlist according to the setlist.

maxpiano wrote:

larsjulin wrote:Hi there, (I am new here)

Exactly! I have the NS3 an also program 2 to 5 patches in song mode per song all the time to enable seamless transition between different instruments programmed for Intro, Vers, Refrain and Bridges etc. Same thing with going from song to song as U mentioned. NS3 is awesome.

Actually I can not see how I will do without it using NS4. However my plan is the following...

NS4 has 8 Banks x 8 Pages x 8 Programs in total 512 locations. What I hope to be able to do is, arranging my gigs and set list chronologically within the 512 program locations so I can scroll forth (and back) in the array of programs. I plan to use the title of the Programs to hold the Song title + Intro, Verse, Refrain and Bridges.

Do yo think this will work?

I hope because I already ordered NS4!

Kind regards

That's the way to do it and has it has always been done on instruments that don't have a song mode, the downside is that if you use the same Program in different songs you need to make multiple copies of it in the appropriate location for each song (or use Live buffers for those very frequent cases and now with NS4 you'll have 8).

I think the new preset function can be used for the sound creation part. Like I undestood it, presets can be defined for each section, so they are like „small“ programs (compared to NS3) but with an own fx chain. So a program re-uses these presets and you do not have to copy. So programs in the NS4 world be more powerful than as in the NS3. Hopefully this is correct.