Solve Common Nord Stage 2 Problems
A collection of frequent Nord Stage 2 issues and steps to resolve them
With all of the controls literally at your fingertips the Nord Stage 2 is primed and ready for a slip of the finger, a bump of the palm, or the tap of a falling music book to interrupt even the most sacred of moments. Here are a few things to check when all eyes are on you wondering why you would play such an obnoxious sound.
all items below in blue are clickable
- Check all of your volume levels including the master and all sections.
- Check that the section you want is on. Look for the ON OFF button under the level knob
- Check the FREQ knob for sounds in the synth section. If it is fully to the left it might be too quiet.
- Check any assigned morphs and control surfaces such as the morph wheel that might be applying effects or settings to your sound.
- Check the assigned outputs to make sure you are sending the sounds to the correct cable.
- Check the swell and/or volume pedal. If your swell pedal is rocked all the way down you may not hear anything.
- Check the Octave Shift buttons for the corresponding section
- Check the Global Transpose and Fine Tune settings
- Hold Shift and press Program 1/System to access the System menu.
- Use the Page 3 and 4 buttons to navigate between menu items to select “Global Transpose.”
- Use the Value Dial to change the entire board up or down in semitone steps.
- Use the Page 3 and 4 buttons to navigate to “Fine Tune.”
- Use the Value Dial to change the pitch in half semitones.
- Press Exit (Shift) to exit the menu.
- Review uploaded MIDI files in the synth section. (Sometimes MIDI files used for custom sounds can specify a different range or octave.)
- Initialize Sound
This will mute all other sections except the one selected and route all effects to it.- Press and hold shift plus the related Program A/B/C/D section INIT button.
- Check the assigned morphs
Double-tap the corresponding morph to shut it off and see if it corrects the sound. If so, you can clear the morph by holding shift and pressing the morph button. - Check the effects section for any enabled effects.
- Make sure you are in the “live” or “Program” mode you want
- Check that the correct Program Slots A and B are active/inactive.
- Perform a Panic Reset
Hold shift and press 5th program button - Check the Damper Pedal Polarity Switch. Most pedals have a switch underneath. Try moving it to the other setting.
- Check the transpose button
- Check the Global Transpose and Fine Tune settings
- Hold Shift and press Program 1/System to access the System menu.
- Use the Page 3 and 4 buttons to navigate between menu items to select “Global Transpose.”
- Use the Value Dial to change the entire board up or down in semitone steps.
- Use the Page 3 and 4 buttons to navigate to “Fine Tune.”
- Use the Value Dial to change the pitch in half semitones.
- Press Exit (Shift) to exit the menu.
- Check the Damper Pedal Polarity Switch. Most pedals have a switch underneath. Try moving it to the other setting.
- Check the Nord Pedal Polarity Setting
- Hold Shift and press Program 1/System to access the System menu.
- Use the Page 3 and 4 buttons to navigate between menu items to select “Sustain Pedal Type”
- If you aren’t using the Nord Triple Pedal then use the dial to either select “Auto” or switch between “Open” and “Closed.”
“It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.”
-Johann Sebastian Bach
That may have been true in Bach’s time, but he clearly never played a keyboard. Sometimes they have a mind of their own. Other times we unintentionally bump the wrong button or accidentally change a setting. Our instrument can quickly feel foreign and uncooperative.
Have you experienced any of these problems? Are there any others that should be on this list? Let me know in the comments below!
Don’t forget to add this page to your favorites so you can return here quickly the next time the unexpected happens.
Chris Sereno
Creator of keyboarding.church
I have been playing piano for almost 30 years and have 20 years behind keyboards. I was classically trained through high school and have continued learning through various alternative methods. I have also always loved technology, so I merged my passions and applied the combined skills into keyboarding. The majority of my playing has been dedicated to the church, and my wife (vocals) and I are currently serving at Northwoods Community Church. I created this site to share my knowledge and experience, equip others, and foster community among church pianists/keyboardists. More about me…