Nord Wave

[carbon111]

I've put up a little webpage with some of my impressions and a demo MP3:

nordwave.html

I'm really loving this thing!

[iangomes]

cool! nice work! I browsed your whole site, very cool!

[br@inzzz]

Nice tune. I still haven't got a chance to play with one of these yet.

[carbon111]

Thanks, people! It was a fun tune to make...

This board is quickly becoming my favorite "pure synth"...we'll see how long the honeymoon lasts...

[Absent1]

Originally Posted by carbon111

I've put up a little webpage with some of my impressions and a demo MP3:

nordwave.html

I'm really loving this thing!

Did you sell your Fizmo?

I did not see it in your studio pics.

I have been curious what they are going for these days, I have one that I have been debating selling for awhile now.

Cheers,
Rob

[carbon111]

Nah, I didn't sell the Fizmo...at least not yet.

I just don't have any room for it right now.

[Reptil]

nice. very different from the XT.

[carbon111]

Originally Posted by Reptil

nice. very different from the XT.

Very much so! The Microwave XT is a PPG-style wavetable-scanning synth and the NordWave is a sample playback, VA and FM synth.

Clavia's use of the term "wavetable" is a misnomer as they're just referring to single-cycle static waveforms. The Nord Stage has "wavetables" too. LOL!

[cosmos]

i see a "Waldorf" mug there .... respect man.

[shadowfac]

Originally Posted by carbon111

Clavia's use of the term "wavetable" is a misnomer as they're just referring to single-cycle static waveforms. The Nord Stage has "wavetables" too. LOL!

Actually, it is Waldorf's use of "wavetable" which is misleading. The term "wavetable" is more commonly used to refer to a discrete representation of a single cycle of a periodic waveform. In this sense, there are plenty of wavetable synths (e.g., most romplers, ESQ-1/SQ-80, most VA's, hell, I think even the DX-7 uses a wavetable).

In the case of the Waldorf XT, the wavetables used for the oscillators are not static. They are interpolated from a given set of wavetables, in order to produce smooth transitions from one waveform to another. Maybe they should have called a "wavetable-interpolating" synth.

[carbon111]

Back in the days of early computer soundcards I would have agreed with you.

Today the term "Wavetable Synthesis" generally refers to PPG Wave, Waldorf Wave/Microwave/XT/Q, Ensoniq Fizmo/TS10/TS12, NI Massive (and the like) where the waveform itself changes during the duration of a note.

Clavia was deluged with questions about wavetable scanning when they announced the Wave...their answer was generally something along the lines of "huh?".

Language evolves but maybe we need a "Académie française" for synthesizer terminology?

[dnaflr2]

Great thread and thanks for the tune. I have been dieing to try one of these out for the past year, but they aren't any local. Also- I have a ton of synths already, and was interested in getting a hardware piece that does the electro piano well. I know this is not really the Wave's intended fortay, but does it have any electro piano samples, and if so, how is the quality>?

[Heathfinnie]

It does, but you could also load some in if it didn't. It comes with a rhodes, CP-80, grand piano etc. One of my new favorites.

[vespiz]

I tried the Wave in the store I work for about 5 minutes and had to stop!
Why? Because I could see all my money flying from my wallet...

And I was just tweaking the first piano preset!

[crufty]

any ideas on eta for rack version?

[carbon111]

With the Stage EX and Electro 3 in the process of being launched I would hazard a guess of "not any time soon".

[DannyMac]

The wave is the first synth i've lusted over for a LONG time

[carbon111]

In some ways I was expecting a Nord Lead 2X with a sample player bolted on to it.

It's turned out to be so far beyond that. I'm amazed at the kind of timbres I'm coaxing from this thing!

[OurDarkness]

Why the f7ck do they insist on placing all the knobs to the left?

[shadowfac]

Originally Posted by OurDarkness

Why the f7ck do they insist on placing all the knobs to the left?

So you have enough space on the right to place a nice desktop module like an Evolver, or a drum machine.

At least, that's what I do.

[jruz1]

Originally Posted by dnaflr2

Great thread and thanks for the tune. I have been dieing to try one of these out for the past year, but they aren't any local. Also- I have a ton of synths already, and was interested in getting a hardware piece that does the electro piano well. I know this is not really the Wave's intended fortay, but does it have any electro piano samples, and if so, how is the quality>?

It does contain some of the pianos- the "Rain Piano" is my fav- but so far I've found that trying to play piano sounds on the Wave is pretty limited and not too useful. Although in a pinch for certain things you could "get away with it" depending on how deep and realistic you need the sounds to be.

[jruz1]

Originally Posted by carbon111

Thanks, people! It was a fun tune to make...

This board is quickly becoming my favorite "pure synth"...we'll see how long the honeymoon lasts...

I agree. I just got mine 2 days ago and literally haven't stopped playing with it. It's a dream synth; I've been able to quickly and easily get any synth sound I need out of it and I've been freaking out about the Mellotrons. I use MTron on my computer, but having it in a piece of hardware (plus any other samples you need) is incredible.

Also- it's so ridiculously user-friendly that I'm pretty sure I have figured out literally every feature it has.

I have a ton of vintage synths (Jupiter 8/Juno 60/Minimoog/Moog Prodigy/SH-101/blah blah) and the Wave is more than holding its own for warmth and "fat"ness. Also- the filters are mindblowing. MINDBLOWING.

[spunkadellic]

Originally Posted by OurDarkness

Why the f7ck do they insist on placing all the knobs to the left?

so you can play with your right hand and control the mod wheel/pitch bend - all the knobs with the left - it makes sense to me

-

Why the f7ck do they insist on placing mod wheel and pitch bend to the left?

[OurDarkness]

I am sorry, but I consider it bad ergonomics. Period. This stuff (all knobs to the left) and wheels on top. Thank god they didn't put the LCD underneath the instrument because if someone wanted to delve into programming with the LCD on the far left he would have to visit the doctor frequently.

Play with the right hand? I am sorry but this is not an argument either.

I never liked this layout (same thing goes for the 5octave Virus of course).

To each its own and blah blah..

[carbon111]

Since I posted this thread last November, I've had a chance to "settle in" with the Wave a bit. It's still an as engaging as ever...the honeymoon is definitely not over.

It's gotten a lot of use in my new CD "Shadow" on three out of ten tracks...it has a sort of warmth unusual for a digital synth though it can do glassy digital timbres as well. Love the flexibility. thumbsup

I do wish, however, that the keybed was a bit nicer...

[subsonix]

Originally Posted by crufty

any ideas on eta for rack version?

I asked Clavia a while back, and they said there wasn't one planned. A shame cuz I probably would have bought one.

I guess they are winding down the rack products and concentrating on gear for live use as there's more money in that.

I love clavia stuff but have no more room (or need) in my studio for another keyboard instrument.

Maybe they can bring out a Nord G3/Wave all in one rack??!

Subsonix

[bbow73]

Can anyone post more audio for this thing? I would have to drive 8 hours to be able to hear this thing, which is tempting because the this is the kind of synth that I was dreaming of 10 years ago.

[nicolasmasset]

Is the normal synthesis engine of the wave equal to that of the lead 2x?
I really like the lead2x, so if the wave has had a change of sound, I'd be in some doubt about buying it. It's also a shame about the 2outs instead of 4...

[rodos]

I went to the city a few months ago and got a chance to play it for like 30 minutes, all around amazing synth and one which you really can do something completely different every time you put your hands on it.

Only thing that sucks is the price . . . I just dont think it worth 2600$ considering its 49 keys, even though it does have a solid quality build. They really should lower it to 1800-2200$ range, especially during these times.

[nicolasmasset]

Originally Posted by rodos

I went to the city a few months ago and got a chance to play it for like 30 minutes, all around amazing synth and one which you really can do something completely different every time you put your hands on it.

Only thing that sucks is the price . . . I just dont think it worth 2600$ considering its 49 keys, even though it does have a solid quality build. They really should lower it to 1800-2200$ range, especially during these times.

I can get the nords here for:
- Nordwave: 1900$
- Nordlead 2x: 1400$

For those who have played both, who thinks the Nordwave is as capable for the classic Nordlead synthethis and is worth the 500$ difference? I mean, is the Nordwave a wave/fm synth with a bit of the legacy nord subtractive synthesis tacked on?

Or is it the legendary substractive with added wave/fm?

Bummer about the lack of multiple outs and arpegiattor though..