Nord User Forum

I was curious (especially those of you who have owned a NL3 for a long time and might recall the quality of previous OS's) if anyone has noticed a difference in sound quality between early OS versions and the most recent one. I ask because I would like features available on older OS versions that are not available (because of unresolved bugs) on the newest OS. I would be willing to sacrifice some newer features for the older features I like so long as there is no noticeable decline in sound quality. I post this because I've read elsewhere that some people think the sound quality changed for the better (and some say the opposite) with some OS updates on general music forums I've seen.

I never met any differences between the updates, simple because I never made a one to one test!
If you like to test it, the synth is all yours
Just make a dozen different sound files and do the same with the down graded synth.
Make them as even as possible, using the same mixing desk settings and being played by an external Midi sequencer the same way.
Everybody would ike to learn about the results!
I even like to publish the test on the Red Lady site...
(BTW I will not do it! Not realy interesting enough to spent my time.)

Wout

I don't own a nord lead 3 yet, so i can't test it myself (otherwise I would try something like you suggested). Let me put it another way: If I can't have the features i like in an earlier OS (that are buggy in the most recent OS) without a decline in sound quality, I won't get it, because the NL3 will never see another OS update to fix those bugs. If you didn't notice any change though over the course of all those OS updates you have installed then that is a good sign. I really want one! It would be a real shame if this became the deal breaker so to speak, because I really think this is the Subtractive board I want, after playing and programming with several of the current popular options. I agree with some of the concerns I've seen around on other forums though; I also must have hard synced LFO's, reliable and in time with clock, both external and internal. I've thought about it and I just use that feature too much myself to go without it. I'd be willing to exchange other features eg newer arp patterns for it. And since we are on the topic of OS's, what significant additions were included in later OS updates (after ver 1.08 or so)? in other words, what else could I expect to lose? I think I'll send an email to Clavia about it, they can probably tell me the answer to this. but i'd rather not take their word on the sound quality issue alone. i personally don't understand how it could change but too many people said so on old threads on other forums i have visited not to look into it, since i want one so bad.