User Guide

System Requirements

• iPhone or iPad running iOS 17.0 or later
• Nord Stage 4 (all variants)
• USB-C cable (USB-C to USB-B) or USB hub

First Launch

1. Download NS4 Companion from the App Store
2. Open the app and accept the disclaimer
3. Connect your iPhone to Nord Stage 4 via USB
4. The app automatically connects to devices with "Nord" in the name

USB Connection (Recommended)

For the lowest latency (5-10ms), connect via USB:

1. Use a USB-C to USB-B cable (or adapter)
2. Connect directly to Nord Stage 4's USB port
3. Green indicator shows "MIDI" when connected

The app automatically reconnects if the cable is disconnected and reconnected (hot-swap). Essential for stage use!

Bluetooth MIDI

For wireless freedom (15-20ms latency):

Supported Adapters

• CME WIDI Master / WIDI Uhost
• Yamaha MD-BT01
• Other BLE MIDI adapters that support iOS

Pairing a Bluetooth MIDI Device

1. Go to Settings in the app
2. Under Bluetooth MIDI, tap Pair Bluetooth MIDI Device
3. iOS's standard Bluetooth MIDI dialog opens
4. Select your device from the list
5. Once paired, the device will appear in the MIDI Connection list

Bluetooth devices show a BLE badge (cyan), USB devices show USB.

Troubleshooting

• No device found: Make sure your Nord is powered on and the cable is properly connected
• Connection drops: Try a different USB cable or check your Bluetooth adapter's battery
• High latency: Switch from Bluetooth to USB for time-critical functions like MIDI Clock

Creating a Setlist

1. Go to the Setlists tab
2. Tap + in the top right
3. Give the setlist a name
4. Tap Create

Adding Songs

Each song can have:

• Song Name: (required)
• Program: Select from your Nord programs
• BPM: Tempo for the metronome
• Key: Musical key (optional)
• Notes: Notes displayed in Performance Mode
• Master Click: Toggle auto-start metronome for this song

Organizing Songs

• Drag and drop to change order
• Swipe left to delete a song
• Tap a song to edit

Sharing Setlists (QR Code)

Exporting a Setlist

1. Open the setlist
2. Tap the Share icon
3. Choose QR Code or JSON File
4. For QR: Show the code to the recipient
5. For JSON: Share the file via AirDrop, email, etc.

Importing a Setlist

1. Go to Setlists
2. Tap the QR scanner icon (top left)
3. Scan the QR code, or tap Paste from Clipboard
4. Confirm import

Note: Sharing includes song metadata, program references, and secondary MIDI config — but not the actual program sounds (these must exist on the recipient's Nord).

Using Performance Mode

Performance Mode is designed for live use with a full-screen, stage-ready interface.

Navigation

• Next Song: Tap the right side of the screen or swipe left
• Previous Song: Tap the left side of the screen or swipe right
• Double-tap: Quick-jump to the song list

What Happens on Song Change

1. Program change sent to your Nord
2. Secondary MIDI sent (if configured)
3. Metronome tempo updated
4. Master Click starts (if enabled for the song)
5. Haptic feedback confirms the change

Display Information

• Current song name and number
• Program name and bank
• BPM and musical key
• Performance notes
• Connection status indicator

Control Tabs

The Controls section has 4 tabs:

Quick Tab

• Section Toggles — Organ/Piano/Synth on/off (CC 9/33/42)
• Layer Scene — Switch between Scene I and II (CC 8)
• Morph Pad — XY-pad for Mod Wheel (CC 1) / Expression (CC 11)
• Rotary Speed — Leslie slow/fast toggle (CC 108)
• Effect Toggles — Delay/Reverb on/off (NRPN)

Organ Tab

• Drawbars — 9-fader control (CC 16-24)
• Rotary — Leslie slow/fast with on/off toggle (CC 108, NRPN 2:80)
• Percussion — On/Off, Volume, Decay, Harmonic (CC 25-28)
• Vibrato/Chorus — Type selector and on/off (CC 31)

Synth Tab

• Touch Filter — XY-pad for Filter Frequency/Resonance (CC 59-60)
• Filter Envelope — Frequency/Resonance knobs
• ADSR Editor — Visual envelope editor with draggable points
• Layer Mixer — Volume control per layer

Effects Tab

• Delay Toggle — On/Off (NRPN 2:88)
• Reverb Toggle — On/Off (NRPN 2:104)
• Morph Pad — Expression control
• Rotary — Leslie speed control

Morph Pad

The XY-pad lets you control two parameters simultaneously:

• X-axis: Mod Wheel (CC 1) or custom CC
• Y-axis: Expression (CC 11) or custom CC

Tilt Mode

Control the Morph Pad by tilting your iPhone — hands-free expressive control during performance!

1. Tap the TILT button in the Morph Pad header
2. Hold your phone in your desired neutral position
3. The app auto-calibrates — current orientation becomes center

Using Tilt Mode:

• Tilt left/right → X-axis (Mod Wheel by default)
• Tilt forward/back → Y-axis (Expression by default)
• ±30° tilt gives you full 0-127 MIDI range
• Screen stays awake while Tilt Mode is active
• Adjust sensitivity in Settings (0-100%)

Auto-Enable Effects

Automatically turn on effects when using Morph Pad with effect-related CCs.

1. Tap the gear icon to open Morph Pad settings
2. Scroll to "Effect Control" section
3. Turn on Auto-Enable Effects
4. Optionally enable Restore on Release

How it works: When you use the Morph Pad with an effect CC (e.g., Delay Mix, Reverb Amount), the app automatically sends the NRPN to turn ON that effect. When you release (if Restore on Release is enabled), the effect turns OFF again.

Use case: "Swipe in" reverb during a solo — set Y-axis to Reverb Amount, enable Auto-Enable + Restore on Release. Drag up = reverb turns on and fades in. Release = reverb turns off.

Control Change Messages

Function	CC/NRPN
Mod Wheel	CC 1
Volume	CC 7
Layer Scene	CC 8
Organ On/Off (Scene I)	CC 9
Expression	CC 11
Drawbars 1-9	CC 16-24
Piano On/Off (Scene I)	CC 33
Synth On/Off (Scene I)	CC 42
Filter Frequency	CC 59
Filter Resonance	CC 60
Sustain	CC 64
Rotary Speed	CC 108
Rotary Drive	CC 110
Reverb Amount	CC 113
Rotary On/Off (Amp/EQ)	NRPN 2:80
Mod 1 On/Off	NRPN 2:64
Mod 2 On/Off	NRPN 2:72
Delay On/Off	NRPN 2:88
Reverb On/Off	NRPN 2:104

Note: Rotary On/Off controls the Amp/EQ section. Ensure Rotary is selected as the Amp/EQ type on your Nord for this to affect the Leslie effect.

Program Changes

Nord Stage 4 programs use Bank Select (CC0/CC32) followed by Program Change:

• Banks A, B: CC0=0, CC32=0
• Banks C, D: CC0=0, CC32=1
• Banks E, F: CC0=0, CC32=2
• Banks G, H: CC0=0, CC32=3

Program numbers use Nord format: XX (page 1-8, slot 1-8). Example: A:11 = first program, A:88 = 64th program.

Keyboard Shortcuts (iPad)

Key	Action
→	Next song
←	Previous song
Space	Start/stop metronome