Connect your Nord

OpenNord talks to your Nord over its USB cable, directly from the page. It works in Chrome or Edge on a computer, in the desktop app, and in the iPad app. See Where it runs.

Beta: writing changes your keyboard

Listing, reading and backing up only read from your Nord. Sending, deleting, moving and restoring change what is on it. These have been tested on the Nord Stage 4 and Stage 3 only. Back up first, and see Supported instruments.

Connect

1. Quit Nord Sound Manager if it is open. Only one app can talk to the Nord at a time, and Sound Manager keeps the connection to itself.
2. Plug the Nord into the computer with a USB cable and switch it on.
3. Press Connect in the top bar (or Connect your Nord on the Device page), and pick your Nord in the browser’s list.

The top bar then shows your Nord’s name with a green light, and its programs, samples and pianos appear in the Library under On Nord.

If it doesn’t connect, Couldn’t connect your Nord explains why, with Help connecting and Try again. Older Nords, like the Stage 2, often can’t be reached from a browser at all; use the desktop app (on Windows, with the UsbDk driver).

The Nord menu

Click your Nord’s name in the top bar:

• Back up Nord: saves the whole keyboard to one file. See Back up.
• Restore Nord…: puts a backup back on the keyboard.
• Check my Nord: what OpenNord supports on this model. See Compatibility.
• Manage slots: move, sort and delete programs.
• Disconnect.

The Device page

Device in the rail shows what is on the keyboard:

• Programs and Samples, with the program count and how much storage is free.
• Program rows by bank: click one to open it in the Library, or Delete it from the Nord.
• Send a file to Nord… writes a program file from your computer; see Send a program.

Organise your programs

Press Organize:

1. Choose how dragging works: Swap (two programs trade places) or Insert (the programs after it move down).
2. Drag a program onto an empty slot to move it, or onto another program.
3. Per bank, Sort A–Z and Compact (close the gaps).
4. Confirm. Back up my Nord first is ticked by default and downloads a safety backup before anything moves.

Press Done organizing when you’re finished.

Samples on the Nord

Under Samples, open a sample to read it off the keyboard and look at it, read-only. ← Back to samples returns to the list.

Keyboards OpenNord only reads

On models OpenNord doesn’t write to yet, it shows Browsing only on this keyboard: sending, deleting, rearranging and restoring stay off, and you can still browse, listen and back up.

If you unplug the Nord, OpenNord says so; connect it again to carry on.