Nord's classical Virtual Analog Synth Nord LEAD 1/2/2x/3/4/A1 and Nord Rack versions

The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby gio1009 » 03 Nov 2017, 21:02

So, is it just a misconception that the NL4 is just a vanilla, cold and aggressive machine? I mean, i have it and absolutely love it. It could be warm AND cold, soft AND hard, and everything in between. It's a shame that many people will just automatically dismiss it for what the advertisements and demos show (a cold and shallow EDM inspired machine) which isn't even remotely close to what i use it for. I have both a NL4 and NL2x and will be doing a comparison video. In the meantime, i think we should give the NL4 the credit it deserves on this thread and everywhere else on the interwebs. I just put up my first demo video EVER on youtube and it was about the NL4. It's just to get the hang of making these videos on iMovie so that i could make full blown tutorials, reviews and comparisons. I've compiled about 70 different pad voices showing the softness of the NL$ and am showing just a couple in this video until my full blown PADS only video coming soon. Let's change the misconception that this board is cold as it could surely sound warm when properly adjusted.

Watch on youtube.com
Last edited by gio1009 on 05 Nov 2017, 21:43, edited 1 time in total.
Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. -John Lennon

The author gio1009 was thanked by 2 members, including:
pablomastodonMarlowes
User avatar
gio1009
 
Posts: 7
Joined: 03 Nov 2017, 20:44
Country: United States of America
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 6 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Lead 4
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Lead 1/2/2x

The Abandoned Nord Lead 4


Sponsor
 

Re: The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby Muziksculp » 05 Nov 2017, 00:23

Hi,

I have the NL4 (Rack), and you are totally correct, it is a great sounding VA Synth. Can be warm, cold, and anything in between. Actually it is my favorite VA-Synth.

Oh ... Your Youtube video is not showing up.

Try to just insert the link to it in your post. It should automatically embed it.

Cheers,
Muziksculp
Last edited by Muziksculp on 05 Nov 2017, 00:25, edited 2 times in total.

The author Muziksculp was thanked by:
Marlowes
User avatar
Muziksculp
 
Posts: 215
Joined: 25 Jan 2014, 02:14
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 51 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Lead 4
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Lead A1

Re: The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby maxpiano » 05 Nov 2017, 00:37

To embed the video you need to use the "Youtube" button in the full editor
Watch on youtube.com
Last edited by maxpiano on 05 Nov 2017, 00:37, edited 1 time in total.

The author maxpiano was thanked by 2 members, including:
gio1009Marlowes
User avatar
maxpiano
Patch Creator
 
Posts: 6171
Joined: 27 Jun 2011, 13:29
Location: Italy
Country: Italy
Has thanked: 438 times
Been thanked: 2174 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Stage 3

Re: The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby Marlowes » 05 Nov 2017, 21:07

Hej!

I agree. Just sat down with my NL4 for half an hour, twisting knobs more or less randomly, and came up with this smooth-ish patch ...
Only on board FX. Filter on the wheel. ;)


NL4 Smooth demo.nl4s
The patch
(343 Bytes) Downloaded 109 times


The pile of Leads.
IMG_1551.jpg
Studio
IMG_1551.jpg (106.99 KiB) Viewed 3176 times


/Vänligen
Michael in Scania
Attachments
NL4 Smooth demo.mp3
Audio
(397.06 KiB) Downloaded 2377 times
NE3HP, NP88, NS2, DPP1, NL2X, NL2X, NLA1, NL4, NE5D, NW2 (Collect Them All?), some classic Rolands, Arturias, a Waldorf, a Kurz, a WONOK3, a pile of guitars, a P-bass, loopers, amps and computers ...
I'm a gearslut! :oops:

The author Marlowes was thanked by:
gio1009
User avatar
Marlowes
Patch Creator
 
Posts: 1342
Joined: 14 Sep 2011, 12:10
Location: Österlen, Scania
Country: Sweden
Has thanked: 1820 times
Been thanked: 594 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Wave 2
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Lead 4

Re: The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby starkaudio » 06 Nov 2017, 17:08

I love the NL4...always wanted one. Went to the A1r. Still happy.

Use it and be happy.
User avatar
starkaudio
 
Posts: 72
Joined: 15 Jul 2014, 22:21
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Country: United States of America
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 32 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Lead A1
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Lead A1

NL4 love!

Postby Marlowes » 06 Nov 2017, 20:45

Hej!

Half an hour of tweaking ... and I'm ready to go crazy on the mod wheel again with fat power chords ... :keyboard:

Space Pad demo.nl4p
(1.26 KiB) Downloaded 131 times


Edit:

/Vänligen
Michael in Scania
Attachments
Space Pad demo.mp3
(333.39 KiB) Downloaded 2464 times
Last edited by Marlowes on 06 Nov 2017, 21:12, edited 1 time in total.
NE3HP, NP88, NS2, DPP1, NL2X, NL2X, NLA1, NL4, NE5D, NW2 (Collect Them All?), some classic Rolands, Arturias, a Waldorf, a Kurz, a WONOK3, a pile of guitars, a P-bass, loopers, amps and computers ...
I'm a gearslut! :oops:
User avatar
Marlowes
Patch Creator
 
Posts: 1342
Joined: 14 Sep 2011, 12:10
Location: Österlen, Scania
Country: Sweden
Has thanked: 1820 times
Been thanked: 594 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Wave 2
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Lead 4

Re: The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby Quai34 » 06 Nov 2017, 20:54

I was sure you would post a sound in this Thread...Marlowes, THE Lead Series guy....Any Mp3 so we can enjoy your work?
Stage 2/C2/NL2X+TC Pedals, 2XMatrix, EMU P2K, TX802, DSI P8/Tetra+H9, P12+TC HoF, D50+PG1000, XV5080,AX keytar, Streichfett, Drumbrute.Ibanez SR1200 & 2605 basses, Artstar AS153,G&L L2000,Legacy HSS,Asat Blueboys,Asat Deluxe Savanna.genelec 8040A.
User avatar
Quai34
 
Posts: 1874
Joined: 01 Jan 2012, 23:02
Location: CANADA WINNIPEG
Country: Canada
Has thanked: 114 times
Been thanked: 305 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Stage 2
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Lead 1/2/2x

Re: The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby Marlowes » 06 Nov 2017, 20:56

@Quai34: ... my kbd playing sucks! I'm a bass-man now ... :oops:

Edit: OK ... added a quick test ... ;)
Last edited by Marlowes on 06 Nov 2017, 21:12, edited 1 time in total.
NE3HP, NP88, NS2, DPP1, NL2X, NL2X, NLA1, NL4, NE5D, NW2 (Collect Them All?), some classic Rolands, Arturias, a Waldorf, a Kurz, a WONOK3, a pile of guitars, a P-bass, loopers, amps and computers ...
I'm a gearslut! :oops:
User avatar
Marlowes
Patch Creator
 
Posts: 1342
Joined: 14 Sep 2011, 12:10
Location: Österlen, Scania
Country: Sweden
Has thanked: 1820 times
Been thanked: 594 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Wave 2
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Lead 4

Re: The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby bermudaben » 06 Nov 2017, 21:19

I am astonisehd somebody said the NL4 had a "cold" sound. I spent some time comparing the waveforms and filters to my NL2x and I thought the NL4 was much more analog sounding. In fact, if I had only heard the sound and somebody had told me this was an analog synth I would have believed them. Whereas the NL2x is clearly digital sounding. If anything, the NL2 is the "cold" sounding one of the two. This is not to say one is better than the other.

In terms of sound I personally prefer the NL4 for its more analog sound. It's just such a shame that amp velocity is so bad in the NL4 that it's virtually impossible to play it as a dynamic instrument. This is why I am keeping my NL2x and getting rid of the NL4.
bermudaben
 
Posts: 4
Joined: 31 Oct 2017, 22:12
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 0 time
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Lead 1/2/2x
Your Nord Gear #2: Nord Lead 4

Re: The Abandoned Nord Lead 4

Postby ricard » 07 Nov 2017, 00:40

The NL/NL2/NL2X has a unique sound that I would not really characterize as hot or cold. The ease of access when it comes to the FM knob means that it's easy to end up in slightly tinny FM-y sounds though. When it was new this was a definite strength as no-one had implemented that form of easy access FM before. There's a lot of timbre change when you advance that knob, a bit of an 'everything can happen' control. But this machine belongs to an older generation of VA's with numerous sound artifacts that it actually manages to handle pretty well given its age.

As for for the NL4 ... I had the opportunity to test one at home for several days. My feeling was that it excelled at cutting lead sounds, but the aggressiveness spilled over onto whatever I tried to set up on it. While it's arguably true that you can do more analog sounding stuff on it, I think it's easy to tweak away from that sweet spot into more gritty sounds too easily. I find something similar with the Waldorf Blofeld, though not to the same degree.

The author ricard was thanked by:
Marlowes
ricard
 
Posts: 159
Joined: 24 Sep 2013, 15:52
Country: Sweden
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 133 times
Your Nord Gear #1: Nord Lead 1/2/2x

Next

Return to Nord Lead / Rack Forum



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests