i own a stage 2, thinking about a Lead 3...thoughts please

[chimney chop]

when i play live i use an Access Virus C (Indigo 2) but i'd like to move my guitarist to the Virus and get me on a Lead 3. (potentially)

basically we play electro pop and if i add a keyboard to the live setup it would be nice if it brought something extra to the studio palette.

so...........

apart from it's easy to use interface (which is why it's so attractive to me) will the Lead 3 sonically bring something new to the table?
(keeping in mind i own a stage 2)

thanks in advance

[WoutBlommers]

It will, but it is hard to get these days...
Why not take a look at the new Lead4?

[chimney chop]

there's not much the lead 4 has that the lead 3 doesn't and the things it does have over the lead 3 don't matter to me.

a really large problem for me in the lead 4 is its lack of aftertouch.


can you be more specific about what the lead 3 brings to the table in view of me already owning a stage 2?

[WoutBlommers]

Best take a look here http://www.nordkeyboards.com/downloads/ ... 0(eng).pdf
and http://www.nordkeyboards.com/downloads/ ... 0(eng).pdf

The Stage2 and the Lead3 are completely different things...
But again, the second one is much harder to find.

[chimney chop]

i realize they're different

[chimney chop]

what i'm looking for is how the synth engines compare to eachother sonically

[WoutBlommers]

Maybe
and
or
or perhaps

[chimney chop]

thanks, i've watched all of those.

looking for personal feedback from someone who's played both

[mjbrands]

I've owned a Nord Lead 2X, Nord Wave and Nord Stage 2 (in that order) and these days I have a Virus TI2 keyboard, a Nord Rack 3 and a Walforf Blofeld. I have more stuff, but these have some relevance to your question.

I've never had the Lead 2X and Lead 3 at the same time, but it seems to me the sound of the Lead 2X is a bit more solid and 'gritty' than that of the Lead 3, while the sound of the Lead 3 seems smoother and clearer to me, but with less presence (maybe less bottom-end?). The similarities are probably bigger than the differences, with the differences seemed to be present mostly in the filters and FM implementation. To my ears the Wave sounded more like the Lead 3 than the 2X and the Stage 2 has a slimmed down version of the Wave as it's synth section.

I'd say to you can create almost identical sounds on the Stage 2 as on the Wave/Lead 3 (no samples on that one of course), as long as you keep it simple. For more complex sounds, you'd need a Wave or Lead since the envelopes and LFO you get on the Stage 2 are rather basic.

There's quite a lot of overlap between the sound of my Lead 3 and Virus TI. The Lead 3 is better at high, clear sounds and the Virus better at effects-laden sounds with lots of bottom-end. The Virus is definitely better for nasty, digital-sounding stuff. This is especially the case when limiting the Virus to the use of the 'classic' oscillators, which are very much like the oscillators on your Virus. If you try to create high, clear sounds you quickly run into aliasing which gives the sounds a rather digital character. This is much less pronounced with some of the newer oscillator types (which your Virus C doesn't have) but still a problem; this seems to happen much less on the Lead 3.

The Blofeld is a bit like a poor-man's Virus or Lead/Wave; sonically it is quite capable of sounding like a Virus or Lead/Wave (it also does samples), but it's user interface is not as nice as that of a Virus or Nord and the software running on it sometimes has issues (i.e. it may hang or crash). I like the Blofeld and it actually does percussion (really snappy envelopes) and the Walford wavetable-sound quite well, but it's probably not that great for live use.

I'm wondering if you wouldn't be better of getting a Rack 2X or a Rack 4 and connecting that either to the Stage 2 or the Virus (I assume the Virus Indigo 2 is also a quite capable MIDI controller, like my Virus TI). Or sell (trade in) the Indigo 2 for a Virus TI? Or maybe get some analog synth, since the Stage 2 and Virus already cover the Virtual Analog sounds? There's plenty to choose from these days:

• DSI Mopho X4 or Prophet 8/12
• New Novation Bass Station 2
• Arturia Minibrute (no patch memory)
• Moog Little Phatty or Sub Phatty
• New Korg MS-20 or KingKORG

Of course, if you've got your mind set on a Lead 3, by all means get one. But does it really add much to what you have now?

Btw. I'm one of those dweebs with way too many toys who sits in his darkened music room with his sequencer and an oscilloscope, instead of actually going out and playing with other people.

[SoundwithSilence]

I own a Stage 2 and DSI Mopho X4, and I gotta say the Mopho X4 is one unique and totally sick sounding synth. It can get so gritty and gnarly and also smoothly resplendent. For the price, I highly recommend it. It comes with features that many keyboards at even higher price points do not have (such as aftertouch, reversible envelopes, step sequencer). The build quality is right up there and just as good as Nord. Keyboard is one of the best synth actions around and knobs are solid with just enough resistance. It complements my Stage 2 really well as the Nord VA synth section has a lighter, less punchy character. The Mopho X4 covers that nicely with its sub oscillators. I absolutely love the Mopho X4. Analog poly with patch memory.