Nord Stage 2 Overview & Tutorial

Whether you've recently purchased a Nord keyboard or you’re debating whether to get one, it can be helpful to watch a tutorial on the features and functions of the Nord before you dive in. 

Why does everyone love the Nord Stage 2 keyboard? Well, the red color certainly helps it stand out, but it also has a ton of cool features to be explored in this tutorial. Ryan sets us up for what’s to come in the video below.

We’ll review the overall layout and setup of the keyboard, highlighting some of the various components and effects that set the Nord Stage 2 apart. Here the focus is on presets, where the sound blending is less manual.

The Piano module is one of the most important features of the Nord Stage 2 to become familiar with. Ryan gives a breakdown of the piano module and shows how to create just the right piano sounds and volume so you sound great when you play.

The Synth module on the Nord Stage 2 has a ton of capabilities, but the key is to know how each button and knob affect the settings of your sound. We could spend several videos diving into the Stage 2’s synth options, but here Ryan sticks to the basic functions that help you tailor your sounds. 

Ryan briefly reviews the Nord Stage 2 Organ module, showing you the basic steps to activate and customize organ sounds on the keyboard. He’ll show you how to set levels for the B3 and give it that home organ sound that many of us like to use in our songs. 

Ryan says it perfectly - the effects section of the Nord Stage 2 adds that “extra sparkle” to the sounds you play. Watch this for a tutorial on using effects like delay, drive, tremolo, compression and reverb.  

Tutorial Highlights

In Part 2 of the Walkthrough tutorial our lead guitar instructor, Ryan, will review the Nord Stage 2 software to show you how to customize your patches and save them into live mode. He’ll show you how to:

• Save to the program memory bank where you can save sounds (we recommend saving as you go)

• Add reverb

• Add compression

• Tap in the song tempo to the master clock

• Add delay

• Avoid the deadly Transpose button

• Set the synth

• Change the release

• Set Decay and Attack

• Program the mod wheel

• Change the tempo

Unfortunately, one downside of the Nord is that it doesn’t have Patch holdover or sound holdover. So if you’re trying to hold a sound and then switch program settings, it will cut you off right away to switch to the new sound. So, if you’re going to change sounds make sure you time your transitions and wait until right before you strike a new chord for a new song. 

Watch and Learn - Nord Stage 2 Live Mode

Putting it All together

We hope you found these tutorials helpful as a starting place for mastering the Nord Stage 2 keyboard. If you’re looking for a quicker rundown on the Nord Stage 2 live mode, check out Ryan’s Live Mode Crash Course.