Nord User Forum

We're talking FATAR keybeds here, because those are the ones used in all Nord models (except the Nord Grand) and in the vast majority of other brands too, except the huge companies (Yamaha, Roland, Korg and Behringer) which build their own designs.
So.

Their cheapest and lowest quality action is the TP/7, which is the one used in the Lead 1-2-2X-4-A1.
http://www.fatar.com/Pages/TP_7BA.htm
Keys are very short, the response of the black keys is very different from the whites, velocity response is hard to control. All in all, a pretty bad keybed.

Next up is the TP/9, which Clavia used in the Lead 3, Wave and Modulars.
http://www.fatar.com/Pages/TP_9S.htm
Pretty good keybed, feels much more solid and response is much more even. Also used in most high-end synths like Sequential, Moog etc.

Their top non-hammer action is the TP/8
http://www.fatar.com/Pages/TP_8SK.htm
Used in top-class instruments like the Virus, Moog One, Waldorf Quantum etc.

The TP/9 and TP/8 are also available in waterfall and piano-style versions, but they are EXACTLY THE SAME ACTION, the only difference is the shape of the tip of the keys.
http://www.fatar.com/Pages/TP_9PIANO.htm
http://www.fatar.com/Pages/TP_8PIANO.htm
http://www.fatar.com/Pages/TP_8HO.htm

So complaining that the TP/8o in the Wave 2 is unplayable, apart from being pointless because nobody have yet tried one, is contradicted by the plain fact that everybody including professional players has no problem in playing it at blinding speeds (see Hammond players on clonewheels, which ubiquitously use this keybed). And it also makes no sense if you then enjoy the very same keybed in other top synths.
Not saying that there are no differences between different models and brands, but they are largely due to different spring tension and different velocity curves, and most likely have nothing to do with the physical weight of the keys themselves.
So, until we can try in person how strong are the springs in the Wave 2 keybed and how velocity curves are implemented, this whole discussion is pointless and I find it quite a bit surreal.

Can we please settle this non-existing issue and move on?

tsss27 - I don't think it is the Electro keybed since the Wave 2 got aftertouch, and the Electro does not.

Just add additional LFO options accessible in the menu.

my Eurorack Pamelas New Workout has 8 LFO outputs, different shapes per LFO, offset, subdivision, clock sync, etc - all accessible in a tiny LED menu navigated with a single push knob.

Spider wrote:The TP/9 and TP/8 are also available in waterfall and piano-style versions, but they are EXACTLY THE SAME ACTION, the only difference is the shape of the tip of the keys.

They are not exactly the same action. They are built on the same basic design, but change the shape of the key and you change its center of mass and subsequently change its responsiveness.

If you don't think a small difference in mass at the end of a key matters, try taping a penny to the end of your keys.

And can people please stop talking about hammond players as some reference for a synth player, its a completely different style of performance and not what I'm referring to (I've been a hammond player since the 1970's, I'm well aware of how b3 artists play).

I think it sounds great even with the limited demos so far. Having 48 voices and essentially 4 oscillators that can be used in various ways and the repeat-chord arpeggiator make the programming possibilities awesome.

Just pre-ordered mine from Sweetwater. It will be along time coming, but I will be an early adopter as I was with the Stage 3.

-dj

DJKeys wrote:Having 48 voices and essentially 4 oscillators
-dj

This! I think people‘S disappointment Comes from looking at this as a quad-timbral synth (because it has 4 layers).
But it has just one stereo pair of outs. So it’s clearly meant to be thought of as mono-timbral.

Instead, I think it was designed to be looked at as a mono-timbral instrument sharing 48 voices among 4 synths — each with its own oscillator, LFO, filter, effects, etc. It’s almost like the Yamaha CS-80 concept, but instead of 2 synths you have 4. Very powerful when you think of it in those terms. I truly think this is how Nord see it, and I think it would be better received if their marketing material put that concept more front and center.

I, for one, haven’t owned a Nord synth in years — the last one I liked was the NL3. But I pre-ordered this one on sight. Can’t wait.

If the unit can produce 4 sounds at once, split or layered, then it is indeed multi-timbral:

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/multitimbral/

My understanding is the Prophet 6 for example is mono timbral as it can only produce one sound at a time. I don't know yet if the 4 layers in the Wave 2 can be addressed by different midi channels, but the fact that it has just stereo outs does not matter to me. I have the A1 and it also can make four sounds at once, so I can have four synth sounds selectable with the touch of a button, or two on each side of a split. The A1 is also a multi-timbral synth. At least that is my understanding.

Great avatar, a true genius, died too young-

-dj

I had to make an edit.... "So it’s clearly meant to be thought of as mono-timbral."

I think the single stereo pair is telling insofar as Nord's design concept.

... and yeah, Frank was way, way ahead of his time.

Cool, understood. can't wait to hear more demos. It will be a while before we get them, my guess is Europe will be the first shipments.

I have about a dozen of his records in vinyl.

-dj