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

NL 4 vs A1

Postby 4dubs » 19 Jul 2017, 06:49

I'm currently a Stage 2 owner and thinking about adding either an NL4 or A1 . . . primarily for live use, but it would be used in my home studio as well. Has anyone worked with both of these synths? I've checked the respective owner's manuals and understand the differences between them, but I'm curious about the difference in raw sound. I keep hearing that the A1 sounds great and particularly "analog", while I've read that the NL4 is a bit colder and more digital sounding. Any truth to this? The limited envelopes and single LFO on the A1 scare me a little . . . although I have gotten surprisingly good results from the limited synth engine on my Stage 2. Does anyone have experience programming both synths? Does the A1 really sound that much better to forego the deeper programming capabilities of the 4?
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NL 4 vs A1


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Re: NL 4 vs A1

Postby Marlowes » 19 Jul 2017, 13:41

Hej!

This is nowadays a classic question.

I found the solution: I bought both! :mrgreen:

I'm 63 years old and used to be in a synth band in the 80ies ... so my verdict is: the A1 for classic sounds, the 4 for modern experimental things ... 8-)

I also sold my 2X when I got the others, but had to buy another 2X since I missed it so much. "Collect them all ..." ;)

/Vänligen
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I'm a gearslut! :oops:

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Re: NL 4 vs A1

Postby Skwege101 » 28 Jul 2017, 06:22

Marlowes wrote:Hej!

This is nowadays a classic question.

I found the solution: I bought both! :mrgreen:


:clap: I've been tempted to do that myself. Just added the A1 to my family of the NL3 and Wave. The only reason I haven't bought the NL4 is it seems that might be a bit redundant given the combination of the NL3 and the Wave cover most of that territory......but I really want that 6 pole filter.

Marlowes wrote:I also sold my 2X when I got the others, but had to buy another 2X since I missed it so much. "Collect them all ..." ;)


I made the mistake of parting with mine as well. I had a lot of fun with that thing and a BOSS VF1.
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Re: NL 4 vs A1

Postby Puukka » 28 Jul 2017, 09:17

4dubs wrote:I keep hearing that the A1 sounds great and particularly "analog", while I've read that the NL4 is a bit colder and more digital sounding.


I wonder, if that´s caused by the mighty FX section of the A1. At least this is my impression, when I listening to sound demos of both.
As we know, effects like Chorus and Reverb smoothen the sound much. Delay not that much.

Analog synths often lack FX and in my opinion that could also give the false impression, that analogs generally sound more powerful, thick or similar.
As example you can read in forums, that DSI synths should sound bit thin, I´m currently testing the Korg Minilogue and overall, comparing it side by side with my A1, it seems to sound bit on the thin side.
So what´s the deal with analog? ;)

Kind regards,
Herbert

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Re: NL 4 vs A1

Postby combathook » 29 Jul 2017, 20:16

Having owned both the 4 and the A1 I feel like the "more analog sound" of the A1 is due to the redesigned oscillators. When I was comparing the two I thought the A1 had a rounder, stronger sound to it, but I feel less and less confident comparing the two as more time passes. Sound is a subjective thing.

From a technical perspective I can say that the A1 has waveform modulation on all oscillators and not just the square wave, it has amplitude modulation in the OSC Config and ring mod in the effects, and the arpeggiator is easier to access. These features might make it feel slightly more reminiscent of analog synths from the 80s. I'm almost certain that the Formant and Electric waves sound better in the A1 as well, so you can make cool Prophet VS sounds.

On the other hand, you'll definitely miss the extra modulation (such as routing to panning which is very cool at audio rate), more versatile FM, and (for me at least) the compression in the effects section which was handy when using it for vocoding with external effects. The 4 can also disable the pitch tracking on VCO 2, something I haven't found a way to do on the A1.

The 4 really does feel like the flagship Nord Lead as far as programming is concerned (I haven't used the 3 though). Still, the sound always got too "gray" the more tweaking I did. I sold it and got an A1, but I miss the 4 from time to time.
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Re: NL 4 vs A1

Postby combathook » 29 Jul 2017, 20:19

Oh, and I agree that DSI synths sound thin and somewhat harsh. I think I might even prefer the sound of the A1 virtual analog engine to something like the Prophet 8 (OB6 is a different story though!).
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Re: NL 4 vs A1

Postby sterlingmann » 08 Aug 2017, 20:50

Skwege101 wrote:
:clap: I've been tempted to do that myself. Just added the A1 to my family of the NL3 and Wave. The only reason I haven't bought the NL4 is it seems that might be a bit redundant given the combination of the NL3 and the Wave cover most of that territory......but I really want that 6 pole


Hello, how do you like the A1 with the Wave? I've been thinking of adding a A1 or NL4 as well and curious which would pair best with my Wave.
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Re: NL 4 vs A1

Postby Skwege101 » 18 Aug 2017, 00:33

sterlingmann wrote:
Skwege101 wrote:
:clap: I've been tempted to do that myself. Just added the A1 to my family of the NL3 and Wave. The only reason I haven't bought the NL4 is it seems that might be a bit redundant given the combination of the NL3 and the Wave cover most of that territory......but I really want that 6 pole


Hello, how do you like the A1 with the Wave? I've been thinking of adding a A1 or NL4 as well and curious which would pair best with my Wave.


They really go well together IMO. The Wave is already quite a capable VA, but its clearly missing an arp, MIDI sync, etc. The A1 will make up for what the Wave's VA section lacks. The A1 became my go-to machine for vintage 70s-80s analog sounds. It also replaced my streichfett as that ensemble effect emulation is AMAZING. I think they complement each other quite well, especially if you have an affection for 70s-early 90s music like I do. I then leave my NL3 for more out of this world weirdness.

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Re: NL 4 vs A1

Postby pablomastodon » 31 Aug 2017, 10:25

NL4 = IMPULSE MORPH

There are lots of other pros and cons, but that feature is simply TOO awesome for words
bun fyah weh fyah fi bun

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