Nord Stage 4: Using the Organize function to create set lists for live performance.

Chris Mutch Jones demonstrates how to easily arrange and create set lists for live performance on the Nord Stage 4 using the Organise function.
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Thank you to Absolute Music in Bournemouth for providing the space
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[@midiexpert]

This is fine as far as it goes. However, for us Stage 3;users, we are using Song Mode, which gives you much more control, without having to create duplicate programs and using up your set list slots. This is useful when you use more than one program per song. For example, on a song I may switch from Acoustic piano to B3 to Strings, or have a more complex program with splits and layers. So for,the verse, it’s one program, for chorus another, for bridge yet another. And I would be switching to these programs during g the song, and not necessarily in the consecutive order (based on the song structure). With song Mode, I can set up all the programs for that song and go back and forth to each by pressing a button or use the foot switch. Next song in my set may use a different set of programs, but might repeat one of the previous programs I used in the previous set. Therefore I can assign any set of programs within the song. I don’t have to duplicate my program if I reuse it in the other songs in the set, I just assign them and save. The way I understand the Stage 4, to do the same thing I would have to create more than one version of some patches, so I can step through a different sequence of sounds that include previously used sounds. By the time you are in song 12 of the set, you can see how one would have maybe a half dozen or more versions of the same program, which is not an efficient use of program bank space, and will eventually run out. For those of us in different bands doing different shows, Song Mode is the best solution and avoids the need for a computer or any other additional gear. And if you wanted to use MIDI to change programs it’s still more efficient with song Mode, IMO. I prefer not to use a computer (My iPad does serve as a chart reference, etc). I strongly feel that Nord has made a serious mistake in removing the Song Mode function, and it definitely has prevented me from upgrading. If the feature could be added by a firmware update and somehow a button could be used to emulate song mode in the future, Nord will get infinitely more upgrades and perhaps more new customers. Song mode is for me the best set list organization feature for a stage piano in the industry. It hurts that professionals like me are not willing or able to upgrade due to this costly omission of a vital feature.

[@adrianjapp]

Useful tips. Good for me as a new Nord Stage 4 user. Question unrelated to the content - but what is the Macbook stand that you are using there? Is that a custom stand for the Stage 4?

[@HeadlineAudioUK]

Hi Adrian, many thanks for the comments, glad it was helpful. The stand is from a company in the Netherlands: www.etsy.com/shop/w3brrcreativedesign/?etsrc=sdt&dd_referrer=