Nord User Forum

Dear Nord
Can you please offer the Wave 2 with a faster action key bed, similar to the Wave 1 or Lead series.
Also, better patches.
I also wish there was a piano core bank in it.
Just my wish list.
I got the Wave 2, had to return it because the key bed was not fast for a synth-type of playing,
I hope you guys consider offering a fix for some of us that are not fans of the key bed.

1) here is yet another person who seems not to understand that this forum is not owned and operated by Nord -- an all too common occurrence

2) cue Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party" on the keybed complaint -- for years Nord received complaints about the synth actions used in Lead 1/2/2X/4/A1 and also NL3 and Wave. The NW2 gets a higher quality keybed and with aftertouch and complaints keep coming. Can't please everyone...

bless, pablo

I am a relatively new owner of the Nord Wave 2. I also own an A1 and a Nord Stage Compact 3. The keybed is outstanding. I'm most appreciative of how good it is and it is a huge upgrade over both the A1 and the Stage Compact for my purposes.

The patches are mostly there to get you started. They are instructional more than anything. With the A1 there were some outstanding libraries added later. Some of that has already happened with the Wave 2, and here's hoping there will be more.

Nord patches are never flashy as much as instructional and a means to get you started. Indeed, on the NW2 there are at least 50 (of the 400) that are outstanding. The rest are just basic structures. But even those are useful. The acoustic guitar patch, for example, has a lovely delay when you turn the wheel. Layer 2 has some FM to give it body and ballast. On Layer three I added a cello to provide a drone. That's enough.

The NW2 has taken some critical hits from advanced synthesists and I'm sure some of their criticisms are justified. But for quick access, seamless operating system, and an easy way to blend samples, analog, FM, and Wavetables, it's terrific.

I, for one, am absolutely satisfied.

I have never understood disappointment in the factory patches. I erased 75% of them as soon as got the keyboard, the ones I kept so I could figure out "how did they do that?". If you are buying a board to just play presets then Nord is the wrong choice. When I began my programming (I needed about 70 programs) I realized how easy it was to get the sounds I needed. The capabilities of this instrument are amazing, and I have created a number of programs already, just for fun, which show how flexible the NW2 is. Plus, I also think the keybed is great. It has about 2mm less throw than my NS3C and a much deeper after touch bed for really expressive playing. This is truly 4 synths in box built like a tank that weighs less than 20 pounds.

As you can tell, I like the NW2 a lot!

-dj

I totally agree with DJKeys, You keep some of the presets as refference and then you build up your own sounds. As for the piano engine the OP is requesting: How on earth could you play expressively a realistic piano sound, with velocity layers etc with the synth action keybed you are asking for? this type of keybed is the most unsuitable for piano playing!

alex78 wrote:I totally agree with DJKeys, You keep some of the presets as refference and then you build up your own sounds. As for the piano engine the OP is requesting: How on earth could you play expressively a realistic piano sound, with velocity layers etc with the synth action keybed you are asking for? this type of keybed is the most unsuitable for piano playing!

And, that being said, the Piano samples in the NW2 are pretty darned good, respond to velocity well, and are very usable for pop/rock music-

-dj

• Piano.mp3

You can always use a piano sample with different settings in two layers and morph with keyboard velocity for even more expressiveness.

Morphing the filter with velocity might also improve the sound further by making the low velocity notes less bright than the the high velocity.

When you defeat the "factory" filter on the sample, it does offer a small window to have velocity brighten up the tone a bit, pretty realistically-

-dj

further re: factory programs:

as others have pointed out, certainly not all programs will appeal to all people with their varied styles, but there is much to like there
and many more programs which are educational in terms of how certain sounds/effects are achieved, especially when all four slots are in action

imo, players who never venture outside the comfort zone of factory programs are cheating themselves of a richer experience with their instruments

artists working on canvas bring paints home from the store and then mix the shades and tones they need for their work
your instrument is your sound palette -- why would anyone entrust the mixing of their shades and tones to someone else?

bless, pablo