Nord User Forum

[Pablokovsky]

Hello!

I'm interested in the Nord Lead 4, but there's a question I can't find the answer yet... Can you modify the waveshape from a saw wave with LFO? Personally, is a great way to get nice brass sounds, so for me this matter is important... thanks for your help!

[maxpiano]

Hi and welcome,

Not an NL4 owner and the manual is not clear on that, but I see that it indicates PW (Pulse Width) as one of the possible LFO destinations and historically in Nord Synths that (PW) is not restricted to the square/pulse wave only, so I'd be surprised if it were on NL4 (but let's wait for an owner to confirm)

[Pablokovsky]

Last night found an older post where someone says it's not possible

Can anybody confirm? maybe some update is available so it would be possible to modulate a saw wave shape?

https://www.norduserforum.com/nord-lead-rack-forum-f12/osc-shape-pulse-width-on-nl4-t10616.html

[Mr_-G-]

I think you got the synths mixed up, there is a Nord Wave and the is a Nord Lead 4. Different things, there is no Nord Wave 4.

[Pablokovsky]

My mistake in thread title, I meant Nord LEAD 4

[23skidoo]

Reading the manual, it appears only the 50% pulse waveform can be modified by the LFO for PWM, so it appears the NL4 (surprisingly!) does not (at least according to my read of the manual) support PWM on anything but the square. The NLA1 can do PWM of a saw using the SHP osc mode, so that may be a better fit for what you want to do, if you want a newer Nord.

[Pablokovsky]

So I think, I was convinced for the Nord Lead A1, but the LEAD 4 is so huge in possibilities, I was really curious for this matter.... thanks for your advice!

[23skidoo]

Having an NLA1 and an NL3, I can say that the A1 is surprisingly versatile. No, it can't do everything, but it has a lot more modulation options than you think because the osc mod parameter is fully LFO-able and the mod env and lfo can both be routed to multiple simultaneous destinations, making them more powerful than they look at first glance. I'm very glad I got the A1 and not the 4 as a companion to my Lead 3. If I had to have only one, for the music I make, I still would prefer the NLA1 - it's incredibly versatile and so fast to edit with. The NL4 is very nice, but it has some strange limitations (like you noticed - no Osc Shape control for other waveforms) that don't work with the sorts of sounds I like making, and it's choice of onboard effects is way too limiting for me.

[Pablokovsky]

Thank you so much for your appreciations... I'm listening many A1 demos, most of them are not so subtle, but really loved this one. Love this kind of sounds really, I have a Moog LP since long time ago, but now I feel I really need a poly multi-timbral synth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igkWfFjBsyU