Nord User Forum

[Arcturo]

Hey everyone,

Was just seeing if someone can recommend me a Nord Model. I have been looking at the lead 3, lead 4 and A1 or maybe a G2. I don't have any music shops around me so cant really test them out side by side. My main interest for getting a Nord is to play 80's analogue type sounds and dx7 type fm sounds and also split, The split is very important to me coz I like to play with as many sounds as possible throughout the keyboard. I would like a 5 octave synth however and the lead models are only available in 4 octaves so that's why I was looking at a g2 as well. My last synth was a david smith prophet 08.

I mostly use and make 80's sounds so I am after the best sounding model that sounds warm and rich and not one that sounds too digital. Ive read that the A1 sounds more analog than the Lead 4 in most peoples opinions and also the Lead 3 is the best for making sounds and for fm sounds too. Is this correct?

If anyone can recommend something that would be great. thanks!

[pablomastodon]

G2 is three octaves, G2X is hard to find, but 5 octaves

The Nord Leads each have distinctive personalities. It is just as easily possibly to get analog sounds on NL4 and digital sounds on NLA1; not fair to generalize that one does one or the other better. More accurate would be to say that those who are more familiar with classic Minimoog style dual oscillator subtractive synthesis may feel more at home with the front panel of the NL4, while those who are unburdened with this experience may find the NLA1 front panel more navigation friendly.

NL4 has IMPULSE MORPH, an often over-looked feature which has the ability to EXPLODE PEOPLE"S BRAINS! As Morty always used to say, "Life without Impulse Morph is like a day without sunshine." He wasn't lying.

Bless, Pablo

[derrellpiper]

Impulse morph must be cool. I like the Lead 3 because of the user interface (those LED ring knobs) and because the keybed has morphable aftertouch, I like that.

[Execbat]

split is very important to me coz I like to play with as many sounds as possible throughout the keyboard.

Mind, you can only set two zones on the NL, one left, one right. While that is a split per definitionem, having a seperate zone for each of the four parts isn't possible if that is what you wanted.

While I am a fan of the NL4 (and also love impulse morph!), I would recommend the A1 for "typical 80s" (if there is such a thing) because of the Ensemble/Phaser/Flanger/Chorus effects per part - if you want everything in one playable unit without external effects. The NL2 and 3 have no effects (if that matters).

[Arcturo]

Thanks for everyones input.

I was thinking it would be great to have say the keyboard split into 3 parts. like synth bass in the first octave, electric piano in the second and third octave and strings layered with bells in the last octave. can that be done on a A1? if not, then is that something that the Lead 3 and Lead 4 models can do?

is there any difference in the keybed quality between the three models too? A1, lead 3 and lead 4?

[pablomastodon]

As mentioned above, NL3 does have AT, which does open a whole new window to expressive playing

One thing mistakenly not mentioned above is the WAVE which also has AT and has simply the most wonderful factory load of 8 banks of 128 programs each, over 1000 programs. The bulk of these were authored by a wide variety of expert sound designers worldwide, with their initials attached to their programs' names on the extreme right. To my ears, the Wave has the most strikingly beautiful tone of any Nord instrument, though it knows how to do nasty, too!

If maximal flexibility during live performance of multiple sounds across multiple zones in your primary criteria, your only real choice is a Stage model, your ONLY choice. You can get one in Compact/SW73 format; only 21lbs (4lbs heavier than the synths) and you get 73 nice semi-weighted keys with AT. The new Stage 3 continues to struggle with some kinks, but does have lots of smokin' features and abilities. The NS2/NS2EX platform is rock solid after the benefit of many years of development, and does possess a couple niceties which the NS3 lacks. The original Stage and subsequent Stage EX don't have the use of the Nord Sample libraries, but don't underestimate the synth section on that platform -- it is capable of out-muscling the NS2 on some sounds.

Underlying point being that you can build your rig with a Stage model as your control center and augment with synth to taste using the Stage's External Sections to address another Nord. All Nord Leads (1/2/3/2X/4/A1) were produced in rack versions. Perhaps they're not frequent flyers on ebay or reverb.com, but they do surface once in a while, and popping one into a small rack which can sit out of the way at your feet can still be a simple, quick setup/teardown rig. Or you could to to 2-kbd rig: having a keyed Lead would give you access to all four slots, 2 from the synth keys on a split and 2 from the Stage's two external sections.

Marlowes is a huge fan of the NL2X and not without good reason. It suffers in comparison to NL4/NLA1 due to lack of onboard f/x, but adding f/x via mixer or stompbox or 1U rack unit will reveal some truly gorgeous factory programming, and of course there's no shortage of available buttons and knobs to twist some more programming of your own.

Lead 4 and Lead A1 use same keybed; NL3 adds AT and the keys are weighted (I think? someone please reaffirm for me -- it's been a while since I've had one at hand)

bless, pablo

[derrellpiper]

I've also thought about picking up a wave, I think I'd like it.

[derrellpiper]

[duplicate]

[derrellpiper]

I'd describe the Lead 3 keybed as light, not really weighted like the Prophets are. It's okay though. It's very expressive because of the morphable aftertouch. It's trivial to morph it to whatever you want and there's useful UI feedback on the LED ring knobs when you do that. So if you morph it to the filter and press hard, you can see the morph being applied on the filter. As I've said in other threads, all the rings change on every patch change, so you can see what all the patches are going to do. You can't do that on any Moog of Prophets because the knob is a physical thing pointing at something that doesn't change with a new patch. The Lead 3 UI is just great.

[Quai34]

Great advices from Derrellpiper, I would love to find a used NL3, maybe a rack one....But I have already too much synths and the next one will be a Stage 3 compact. Pablo was the guy who helped me a lot 10 years ago to choose my Stage and he gave you the same advice he had given to me. Stage 2 platform is super powerfull to expand your sound "Palette" due to Ext section:
I control from the Stage 2:
D50, NL2X, Matrix 1000, Proteus 2000, XV5080, Prophet 08 and Prophet 12, even C2 sometimes...Ha yes, sometimes even my old Yamah TX802...
You can do a "minimum" of 8 different sounds, 6 from the Layeed A & B internal engines and 2 "minimum" with the Ext section....But you could control 2/3...more, synths on the same Midi channel on Ext A and Ext B, I do that all the time and you Morph the volume with AT, pedal or Mod Wheel and it's like crazy....
Again, I agree with Pablo and Marlowes, I have pedals after the NL2X, they fit perfectly on the right side, but the raw sound of it is one of the nicest for me...And I cannot count anymore when I found presets that were exactly what I was looking....I don't know the 1000 presets of the Wave but the 1000 of the NL2X were very well programmed too.