Page 2 - IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS; CE mark for European Harmonized Standards
2 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS • Read these instructions.• Keep these instructions.• Heed all warnings.• Follow all instructions.• Do not use this apparatus near water.• Mains powered apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and that no objects filled with liquids, such as vases,shal...
Page 4 - Table of contents
4 Table of contents Features .............................................. 5 Controls and Connectors .................. 6 Top Controls .............................................. 6 Lower Controls .......................................... 8 Getting Ready to Play ........................ 9 Gettin...
Page 5 - Features; INPUT jack; only; USB Support
5 Features ● Twenty-four high-quality sounds .............................................. ( ☞ p.17) A rich selection of high-quality expressive sounds, including two stereo concert grandpianos. You can use the Layered mode to play two sounds at the same time. ● Digital Effects .......................
Page 6 - Controls and Connectors; Top Controls
6 Controls and Connectors Top Controls 1. POWER switch Turns the power on and off. ( ☞ p. 9) 2. Headphone jacks Each jack can be connected to a set of stereo headphones. ( ☞ p. 10) 3. VOLUME knob Adjusts the output level of the internal speakers, the headphone jacks, and the OUTPUTjacks. ( ☞ p. 10) ...
Page 7 - RECORDER section
7 9. DEMO button Selects one of the eight sound demos. ( ☞ p. 12) 10. SOUND buttons Use the eight small buttons in this section, together with the BANK button, to select from among thepiano’s 24 sounds (3 banks of 8 sounds). If you wish, you can use the Layered Mode ( ☞ p. 17) to play two sounds sim...
Page 8 - Lower Controls; MIDI IN
8 Lower Controls NC-300 NC-500 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 1. PEDAL jack The connection cable from the pedal pod (included) plugs into this socket. 2. SPEAKER jack ( NC-500 only ) The connection cable from the speakers in the NC-500 stand plugs in here. 3. AC IN connector The AC power cord (included) co...
Page 9 - Getting Ready to Play; Getting Ready; Raise the keyboard cover.; Press the POWER switch to turn the power on.
9 Getting Ready to Play Getting Ready ■ Connect the power. Connect the socket end of the AC power cord to the piano’s AC INconnector. Then plug the other end of the power cord into a wall poweroutlet. ■ Raise the keyboard cover. (NC-500 only) Lift the front edge of the cover near the center of the k...
Page 10 - Turn the VOLUME knob to adjust the output volume.; Using Headphones; When lowering the stand, please hold it with both hands.
10 ■ Adjust the volume. Turn the VOLUME knob to adjust the output volume. The VOLUME knob adjusts the level to the internal speakers, theheadphones, and the OUPUT jacks. Turn the knob left to reduce thevolume, or right to increase it. Setting the knob to the “0” position cuts of allsound output. Lou...
Page 11 - Using the INPUT Jack; Using the OUTPUT Jacks; Attaching the Speaker Covers
11 Using the INPUT Jack (NC-500 only) This jack lets you play an audio device (such as a CD or MD player) or anelectronic instrument through the NC-500’s speakers and headphones,along with the sound of the NC-500. Use a stereo miniplug to make theconnection. E M - 1 1 2 5 7 10 12 14 16 15 13 11 9 8 ...
Page 12 - Listening to the Demos; Listening to Sound Demos; Listening to All the Sound Demos in Order
12 Listening to the Demos Your piano includes 40 built-in demo songs: eight sound demos that demonstrate the expressive power of the instrument's various sounds, and 32 piano songs - wellknown piano pieces featuring the high-quality piano sou nds of the NC-500/NC- 300. The piano songs can also be us...
Page 13 - Selecting a Specific Sound Demo; Press the SOUND button corresponding to the demo that you want; Pausing the Demo Playback; Press PAUSE while demo play is in progress.; Using START/STOP to Stop the Demo Playback; Press START/STOP again to restart the song from the beginning.
13 ■ Selecting a Specific Sound Demo 1. Press DEMO. The DEMO button lights up, and the SOUND buttons begin flashing inorder. 2. Press the SOUND button corresponding to the demo that you want to hear. (Refer to the list on the previous page.) The selected button will light up, and the demo will begin...
Page 14 - Listening to Piano Songs; Piano Songs
14 Listening to Piano Songs No. Key 1 A0 2 A#0 3 B0 4 C1 5 C#1 6 D1 7 D#1 8 E1 9 F1 10 F#1 11 G1 12 G#1 13 A1 14 A#1 15 B1 16 C2 17 C#2 18 D2 19 D#2 20 E2 21 F2 22 F#2 23 G2 24 G#2 25 A2 26 A#2 27 B2 28 C3 29 C#3 30 D3 31 D#3 32 E3 Title "Prelude" The Well-Tempered Clavier,Book 1 Invention N...
Page 15 - Pausing the Song Playback; Press PAUSE while the song is playing back.
15 ■ Listening to All the Piano Songs in Order 1. Press PIANO SONG. The PIANO SONG button lights up, and the SOUND buttons beginflashing in order. If you do not select a song within three seconds, thepiano automatically begins playing through the songs in order, startingwith piano song #1, continuin...
Page 16 - Using START/STOP to Stop and Restart Song Play; Changing the Tempo; To adjust the tempo, turn the TEMPO knob while the song is playing; Playing Along with a Piano Song for Practice; Practicing the Left Hand Part or the Right Hand Part; To return the volume to normal, press the flashing PART button
16 ■ Using START/STOP to Stop and Restart Song Play (NC-500 only) 1. If you press START/STOP while the song is playing: playback stops. The PIANO SONG button remains lit. If you now wish to exit songplayback mode and return to normal operation, press the PIANO SONGbutton so that the button goes dark...
Page 17 - Playing the Instrument; sounds that you wish to use.
17 Playing the Instrument Selecting a Sound (Single Mode) Your digital piano offers you a choice of 24 high-quality sounds arranged inthree banks, each containing eight sounds, as shown in the chart below.Each time the BANK button is pressed, it will change color to show thecurrently selected bank 1...
Page 18 - Adjusting the Volume Balance of the Layered Sounds; While holding down the SOUND button of the sound you wish to; Returning to the Single Mode; Using the Reverb and Chorus Effects; reverb; chorus; You can set each effect to any of three different depths: Light,; To turn the reverb or chorus effect off, press the REVERB button or
18 ■ Adjusting the Volume Balance of the Layered Sounds 1. While holding down the SOUND button of the sound you wish to make relatively softer, press the SOUND button of the other sound(the one you want to make louder) several times in succession. ■ Returning to the Single Mode 1. Press any one of t...
Page 19 - Using the Pedals; Damper Pedal; Hold down TRANSPOSE/FUNCTION and step on the damper pedal
19 Using the Pedals Your digital piano offers three pedals, just as on a conventional piano. Usethese pedals to add expressiveness to your performances. Damper Pedal Soft Pedal Sostenuto Pedal ■ Damper Pedal This pedal sustains the sound of the keys that you hit, so that the soundcontinues with a ve...
Page 20 - Using the Metronome; Turning the Metronome On and Off; Adjusting the Volume of the Metronome; Changing the Tempo using the TEMPO Knob
20 Using the Metronome The piano includes a built-in metronome feature that you can use as an aidfor practice. You can adjust the metronome’s beat, tempo, volume, andaccentuate the first beat as described below. ■ Turning the Metronome On and Off 1. To turn the metronome on, press the METRONOME butt...
Page 21 - Setting the Meter; Press the METRONOME button to start the metronome.
21 C5 A5 C8 C7 C6 C5 C4 C3 C2 C1 2 4 5 7 9 1 3 6 8 0 + Key Digit Key Digit C5 0 C#5 1 D5 2 D#5 3 E5 4 F5 5 F#5 6 G5 7 G#5 8 A5 9 Example: To set the tempo to 168, hold down the METRONOME button and press C#5 (1), then F#5 (6), and then G#5 (8). If you attempt to enter a value below 40 or above 200, ...
Page 22 - Changing the Standard Accent Sound to a Bell Sound; Setting the Keyboard Touch
22 ■ Changing the Standard Accent Sound to a Bell Sound 1. Hold down the METRONOME button and press ORGAN 2. The ORGAN 2 button lights up to indicate that the bell accent is selected. Bell Sound + Standard Accent Sound 2. To reset to the standard accent sound: hold down the METRONOME button and pres...
Page 23 - Transposing the Keyboard; F7 to transpose the keyboard as desired.
23 Transposing the Keyboard The transpose feature allows you to shift the pitch of the keyboard so thatyou can play in one key (such as the key of C) and have the sound come outin another key (such as the key of C#). This is useful if you want to avoidtoo many sharps and flats, or if you want to acc...
Page 24 - Adjusting the Pitch; Selecting a Temperament
24 Adjusting the Pitch This feature allows you to make fine adjustments to the piano's overallpitch, so that you can correct for small pitch differences when playing withother instruments.The standard pitch (for the reference note A4) is 440Hz. You can use thisfeature to adjust up or down by as much...
Page 25 - A Note About “Stretch Tuning”; stretch tuning
25 SOUND Button Temperament ORGAN 1 lit Werckmeister: Uses the Werckmeister III scale proposed in the late Baroque period by organist and musicologist Andreas Werckmeister, with the intention of enabling relatively unrestricted play in multiple keys. ORGAN 2 lit Kirnberger: Uses the Kirnberger III s...
Page 26 - Recording and Replaying Your Performances; parts; Recording; Use the BANK and SOUND buttons to select the sound you want to; Select the part you want to record by pressing the appropriate
26 Recording and Replaying Your Performances (NC-500 only) The NC-500’s built-in recorder makes it easy to record and replay yourperformances. Operation is as easy and intuitive as using a conventionaltape recorder.The recorder lets you store performances for two parts . You can use these parts to r...
Page 28 - To pause the recording...; To resume recording, first press the REC button, then press the; Replaying; Look at the the PART 1 and PART 2 buttons to see which parts have
28 ■ To pause the recording… You can pause your recording at any time. This feature is useful forrecording a part a little at a time, etc. 1. If you want to pause the recording, press PAUSE. The PAUSE button lights up. The START/STOP button continues flashing. 2. To resume recording, first press the...
Page 29 - Begin playback of both parts, and then hold down the TOUCH; To return to the original balance: Hold down the TOUCH button and; Looping the Playback; Editing a recording; When you reach the point at which you want to record, press the; Select the part you want to record by pressing the appropriate
29 ■ To Adjust the Volume Balance when Playing Two Parts... 1. Begin playback of both parts, and then hold down the TOUCH button and press the PART button of the part that you want to makerelatively louder. Press the button several times, if necessary. + Press as many times as necessary. 2. To retur...
Page 30 - Erasing the Recording; press the PART button of the part that you wish to erase.; Checking the Amount of Recorded Data in Part 1 or Part 2; Press the PART button of the part you want to check, so that the
30 Erasing the Recording ■ To Erase a Recorded Part... 1. With playback stopped, hold down TRANSPOSE/FUNCTION and press the PART button of the part that you wish to erase. The TRANSPOSE/FUNCTION button and the selected PART buttonboth flash, indicating that the piano is waiting for you to confirm th...
Page 31 - MIDI; Connections
31 MIDI What is MIDI? MIDI (for "Musical Instrument Digital Interface") is an internationallyrecognized standard that enables electronic instruments, computers,sequencers, and other such devices to communicate with one another. TheMIDI standard supports transmission of various types of perfo...
Page 32 - Default MIDI Settings; Changing the MIDI Channel Setting; Hold down TRANSPOSE/FUNCTION and press a key from C2 to D#3
32 Default MIDI Settings The piano's default MIDI settings are as follows. These settings areautomatically restored each time you turn the power on. Parameter Setting Send Channel 1 Receive Channels 1 to 16 Local On Omni Off Changing the MIDI Channel Setting The MIDI standard provides 16 channels fo...
Page 33 - Using the Piano as a Multitimbral Tone Generator; Connect one end of a MIDI cable to the MIDI IN jack on the piano,; The Local On/Off Setting
33 Using the Piano as a Multitimbral Tone Generator Your piano can also operate as a 16-part multitimbral tone generator.Connect a sequencer or similar MIDI control device to the piano, and thenuse that device to drive the piano's sound. 1. Connect one end of a MIDI cable to the MIDI IN jack on the ...
Page 34 - Program Change; Sending a Program Change; Each sound on the piano corresponds to a different program; Receiving a Program Change
34 Program Change MIDI program change messages are used to switch to different programs (different sounds or patches) on a remote MIDI device. Program changesmake it possible for you to use the piano to switch among different setupson a remote MIDI device, or to use a remote MIDI device to select di...
Page 35 - Enabling or Disabling Program Changes; Enabling or Disabling Control Changes
35 ■ Enabling or Disabling Program Changes If you wish, you can disable the program change feature. If the feature isdisabled, the piano will neither accept nor transmit program changes. Todisable or re-enable the setting, proceed as described below. 1. Hold down TRANSPOSE/FUNCTION and press PIANO 2...
Page 36 - MIDI Data Dumps; Saving Data; Run a MIDI cable from the MIDI OUT connector on the piano to the
36 MIDI Data Dumps (NC-500 only) You can use the MIDI data dump capability to save your recordedperformances into a MIDI data filer or other external storage device. Whenyou want to hear a saved performance again, you use this same feature toreload the data and settings back into the NC-500. To prot...
Page 37 - Reloading the Saved Data; Run a MIDI cable from the MIDI IN connector on the piano to the
37 ■ Reloading the Saved Data 1. Run a MIDI cable from the MIDI IN connector on the piano to the MIDI OUT connector on the data filer or (or other storage device)where the saved data is stored. 2. On the piano, hold down TRANSPOSE/FUNCTION and press STRINGS/CHOIR. + The two buttons begin flashing, i...
Page 38 - Making the USB Connection
38 Connecting to a Computer by USB (NC-500 only) What is USB? The USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an interface for connecting computers toperipheral devices. The NC-500 includes a USB connector that can beconnected directly to your computer. You can use this connection to saveimportant performance dat...
Page 39 - Driver Ports for the NC-500 USB MIDI Interface; MIDI IN Devices; Operation of the NC-500’s MIDI Connectors; If the NC-500 is not connected to a computer by USB
39 Driver Ports for the NC-500 USB MIDI Interface The driver side (computer side) implements a 2-in/2-out port configurationfor the NC-500’s USB MIDI interface. Driver NC-500 MIDI IN Devices MIDI IN EXT IN KEYBOARD Keyboard, pedals, etc. MIDI OUT Devices MIDI OUT EXT OUT SOUND Tone generator ■ MIDI ...
Page 40 - Installing and Setting the Korg USB MIDI Driver; On Windows XP
40 Installing and Setting the Korg USB MIDI Driver On Windows XP Your piano includes a dedicated USB MIDI driver for Windows XP. If youare running XP, you can install this driver on your computer.The first time you connect the NC-500 to your computer ’s USB port,Windows will automatically install it...
Page 42 - I will choose the driver to install.; Next
42 5. The dialog now asks you to select search options. Click on Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install. Then click the Next button again. 6. The dialog now asks you to select the device driver to be installed. Clickon Have Disk… , and then click the Next button. 7. Insert the CD-ROM that...
Page 44 - Uninstalling the Korg USB MIDI Driver for Windows XP
44 ■ Uninstalling the Korg USB MIDI Driver for Windows XP 1. Click the taskbar ’s Start button to open the Start menu. In the menu,click on Control Panel . In the Control Panel, double-click on Sounds and Audio Devices to open the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog. Click the dialog’s Hardwa...
Page 45 - Disabling the Requirement for a Digital Signature
45 ■ Disabling the Requirement for a Digital Signature If your Windows XP system is set to block installation of driver softwarethat does not carry a recognized digital signature, it will not allow you toinstall the Korg USB MIDI Driver for Windows XP. Use the followingprocedure to disable this requ...
Page 46 - On Mac OS X; Audio MIDI Setup; MIDI Devices; Port Configuration on Mac OS X’s Default MIDI Driver; Input Settings for Applications
46 On Mac OS X If connecting the piano to a computer running Mac OS X, use the operatingsystem’s default MIDI driver. The Mac OS X version must be 10.2 or higher. 1. Connect the NC-500 to the computer with a USB cable. 2. Turn on the power to the NC-500. 3. Open the Applications folder and then the ...
Page 47 - Troubleshooting
47 Troubleshooting If the piano does not seem to be working correctly, please go through thefollowing list to see if you can identify and correct the problem. If you areunable to solve the problem after going through this list, please call yourdealer or Korg service for advice. ■ Piano doesn’t turn ...
Page 49 - Specifications
49 Specifications NC-500 NC-300 Keyboard 88 keys (A0 to C8), RH2 (Real Weighted Hammer Action 2) keyboard Touch Control Light, Normal, Heavy Keyboard Pitch Transposition, Fine Tuning Temperaments Equal, Kirnberger, Werckmeister Tone Generator Stereo sampling Polyphony 60 (Maximum) Sounds 24 (3 banks...
Page 50 - Precautions; What You Will Need...
50 Assembling the NC-500 Piano Stand Warning Assembly must be carried out by at leasttwo persons. Precautions To ensure saf e and correct assemb ly, please obser ve the f ollo wing precautions. ❏ Be sure to use the correct parts at each step, besure that parts are oriented correctly, and be sureto f...
Page 52 - Précautions; Outil nécessaire ...
52 Montage du support de piano NC-500 Avertissement Le monta ge doit être eff ectué par aumoins deux personnes. Précautions Pour faire en sor te que le monta ge soit sûr etcorrect, prière d’obser ver les précautions suiv antes. ❏ Veiller à utiliser les pièces correctes à chaqueétape, veiller à ce qu...
Page 53 - Contrôle du montage terminé
53 4. Brancher le cordon de pédalier (6) au connecteur se trouvant à la face inférieure du pédalier . 5. Faire passer le cordon le long de la r ainure de la face inférieure du pédalier comme illustré ci- dessous. Veiller à ce que le cordon soit or ienté correctement. Pousser le cordon dans la r ainu...
Page 54 - Warning; Assembling the NC-300 Piano Stand
54 Warning Assembly must be carried out by at leasttwo persons. Precautions To ensure saf e and correct assemb ly, please obser ve the f ollo wing precautions. ❏ Be sure to use the correct parts at each step, besure that parts are oriented correctly, and be sureto follow the steps in the order given...
Page 56 - Avertissement; Montage du support de piano NC-300
56 Avertissement Le monta ge doit être eff ectué par aumoins deux personnes. Précautions Pour faire en sor te que le monta ge soit sûr etcorrect, prière d’obser ver les précautions suiv antes. ❏ Veiller à utiliser les pièces correctes à chaqueétape, veiller à ce que ces pièces soient orientéescorrec...
Page 58 - Operation of Piano Switches and Keys; SOUND Switches
58 Operation of Piano Switches and Keys SOUND Switches The following table shows the action or setting that results when you hold down the buttonindicated along the left (TOUCH, REVERB, CHORUS, METRONOME, or TRANSPOSE/FUNCTION) and press one of the SOUND buttons indicated along the top. PIANO 1 Norm...
Page 59 - MIDI Implementation Chart; Function
59 MIDI Implementation Chart NC-500/NC-300 Digital Piano MIDI Implementation Chart Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks Basic Channel Default Changed Default Messages Altered Modes Note Numbers True Voice Velocity Note ON Note OFF Aftertouch Key's Channel's Pitch Bender Control Change Program Cha...
Page 60 - IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CONSUMERS
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CONSUMERS This product has been manufactured according to strict specifications and voltagerequirements that are applicable in the country in which it is intended that this productshould be used. If you have purchased this product via the internet, through mail order, and/or via ...
