Nord Lead Questions

[cixelsyd]

I think the NL1 is definitely warmer than a NL2X. The NL2 is probably where the argument starts. I have a NL1 keyboard and I love its sound. I find it more metallic, but it can certainly do you off the shelf synth type of duties.

One thing about the 1 is to make sure you get one with the voice expansion or else you will only have 4 voices. Also note that the one doesn't have a sine wave.

I love my NL1. Its easy to program and it just does what it says on the box. If I could write my own story I would have given it a better keyboard but you are looking at the desktop model. I actually quite like the look of the NL1 keyboard with the wedge cutout.

If this is going to be your main synth and you don't have many other keyboards I would probably pick up a NL2. I think it has 16 voices out of the box, a warm sound and also has the ability to produce a sine wave.

Here is a NL2. I love this sound.

Nord Lead Rack 2 - Waterball - (What the Nord can be) - YouTube




Hope this helps.

[GothamKnight]

Thanks!

I have a Juno 106 and Moog Minitaur in addition to soft synths. I want a Nord Lead or Oberheim Matrix 1000 right now (both, eventually).

[Popbott]

I have a ND2, it sounds identical to the 1 except that most of the preset patches are in unison as it has more voices. The additional voices on the 2X make a huge difference, especially when working in multi-timbral mode, I recommend the 2x as well. The ND may not have the phattest sound in my arsenal, but it cuts through a mix and EQ's nicely. It's signal is so up-front (as opposed to something like an MS2000) running the ND though a nice class-A pre yields great results. It actually retired my Juno-106 back in 97. The good news is I still have my 106 and recently had it tuned up as it makes a great companion to the ND2.

[GothamKnight]

Basically I'm deciding between a Nord Lead, the Oberheim Matrix 1000 and a Novation Supernova 2

[BaconTastesGood]

Originally Posted by GothamKnight

Basically I'm deciding between a Nord Lead, the Oberheim Matrix 1000 and a Novation Supernova 2

That's about as different as you're going to get...

Oberheim gives you warm analog with a mono output and no (easy) programmability or tweakability.

NL is a lot grittier and angrier than the other two and very good for leads, basses. Possibly okay for pads/drones depending on voice count. Has more knobs for direct access.

Supernova 2 sounds great, however I find it more sterile and cold, but it's great for big sounding spacey pads.

[zerocrossing]

Originally Posted by BaconTastesGood

NL is a lot grittier and angrier than the other two and very good for leads, basses. Possibly okay for pads/drones depending on voice count.

What are you talking about?

Nord Lead 2x Nord Stage Improvisation - YouTube

I've got a 2x and it can be just about as sweet and warm as you can imagine.

[mitchiemasha]

Never got to grips with the supernova, prefer the KS rack by them. I'd prefer my nord rack 2 over the 1, that's why I bought it. Didn't really need the extras of the x version as it's normally used as only 1 (layered) part anyways.

[BaconTastesGood]

Originally Posted by zerocrossing

I've got a 2x and it can be just about as sweet and warm as you can imagine.

I've got a NL2, don't hate =P

I like the NL2, and I think it's a great all around box, but I definitely think it sounds dirtier than a Matrix 1000 (which I've also owned) and way more aggressive than a SuperNova (which I've also owned).

In fact, I'd say the NL2 is probably the most well rounded of those three, but I'm arguing about general characteristics.

But he also said NL, not NL2, which is one reason I mentioned voice count.

[dougt]

I have a Nord Lead Rack with 12-voice expansion I'd sell if you're in the US...

[GothamKnight]

Originally Posted by dougt

I have a Nord Lead Rack with 12-voice expansion I'd sell if you're in the US...

I am in the US. Can you PM me?

[pedrogoya]

Go for the nr2x. Still one of my favorites from all the synths I owe.

Despite people say its not bass intended...i can achieve huge bassline on that. Very tight and funky indeed!

[zerocrossing]

Originally Posted by BaconTastesGood

I've got a NL2, don't hate =P

I like the NL2, and I think it's a great all around box, but I definitely think it sounds dirtier than a Matrix 1000 (which I've also owned) and way more aggressive than a SuperNova (which I've also owned).

In fact, I'd say the NL2 is probably the most well rounded of those three, but I'm arguing about general characteristics.

But he also said NL, not NL2, which is one reason I mentioned voice count.

Well, it can sound dirty and aggressive. That's not in dispute. I think it would be wrong to characterize it as a very aggressive and dirty synth when it's very easy to get very sweet warm tones out of it. That's what I like best about it. It's really versatile.

[TYPHY]

I'm also thinking about a NL2x rack.

How does it compare to a Virus?

I'm needing a synth for pads and leads.. I have a Moog SP for bass duties.

[aleric51]

i have the nord lead 1, and running it thru some nice effects like a space echo will blow ur mind. it can sound incredibly warm. i have a matrix 6 too, they can go great together. get both!

[jonbongjovi]

I've got a nord rack 1... I really like it you can get some pretty nice leads/string stuff out of it also even tho i just have the 4 voices.

Never played with a 2x so idk what all the differences are.. I think it sits pretty nice in the higher freqs tho..

I dont think you can go wrong with any nord lead though each model seems to have its fanbase.

[greenlights]

Originally Posted by TYPHY

I'm also thinking about a NL2x rack.

How does it compare to a Virus?

I'm needing a synth for pads and leads.. I have a Moog SP for bass duties.

You can read the specs to find that out. If you're asking for opinions on sound, I would say they the Virus wins. This is only my opinion though. I would also add, it depends on your style of music, the type of tones you like. The Virus has this sound that can make you feel happy or sad. It can do so much and sound like a beautiful thing.

About the Nord... Never owned one, but played it lots of times. It has a nice sound, but I feel it's pretty basic. I don't feel it can change moods like a Virus can.

[Demokid]

One thing I really liked on the NordLead-II and used a lot is noise as a sync source. Something that the NordLead-I is missing. With synced noise you can create really hard almost metallic sounds.
Perfect for adding an edge to e.g. a lead or bass sound by stacking two sounds, one with no sync and the second sound using synced noise.

Kind regards
Demokid

[Oli]

Originally Posted by Demokid

One thing I really liked on the NordLead-II and used a lot is noise as a sync source. Something that the NordLead-I is missing. With synced noise you can create really hard almost metallic sounds.
Perfect for adding an edge to e.g. a lead or bass sound by stacking two sounds, one with no sync and the second sound using synced noise.

Hmm, have a Lead 1. Always been meaning to try this on my NM1. Seems interesting.

[Spectral Climax]

Originally Posted by GothamKnight

Basically I'm deciding between a Nord Lead, the Oberheim Matrix 1000 and a Novation Supernova 2

I had a Supernova 2 and a Nord Rack 2x. No one of them is "warm", both (especially Supernova) are much better than a Virus TI in terms of VA sounds.

[draven5]

I have the Nord Lead 2x keyboard version.

While it sounds really good in its own way I wouldn't say it is the warmest. I'd say it's got a very "digital" warm sound. Yeah you can tweak the lowpass filter down but when it's not down it sounds very harsh and digital compared to other synths that don't sound so much when the filter is more open. You'd have to own it and play it side by side to hear what I'm talking about. Honestly my other synths AN1x, JP8000 and even my MS2000 are warmer than it. When I think of warm I certainly do not run and grab my Nord Lead 2x.

Also it's very limited compared to the other synths and runs out of polyphony quick in layering and using unison. Limited in terms of

1. the arpeggiator is also LFO #2 and not just an arpeggiator. If you're using LFO #2 to modulate something else..tough sh#t.
2. You cannot tune oscillator 1 just osc 2. No internal LFO sync, only to external midi.
3. Correct me if I'm wrong, if you layer sounds and use the mod wheel it only acts on the current layer and not all.
4. when tweaking the resonance on the filter you lose the bottom end extremely fast. More so than on other synths.


If you are buying this synth because you are going for warm I'd say there are definitely better ones out there.....unless you don't mind running it through reverb. I've heard that the Lead 1 has a more harsh sound but only ever so slightly.


UPDATE: Spent the morning playing with my Nord. Ran it through reverb and delay. (hardware of course) Sounds damn good and warm. But I still stand by what I said that it is a digital warm but that's not a bad thing. What I'm saying is that it's a cleaner warm than most especially cleaner than the warm you get from an analog. But sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes you don't want that fullness of analog to distract from things especially when you are doing a soundtrack for a movie where you will have dialogue and sound effects on top. So I can see where it cuts through the mix enough.

[mitchiemasha]

Originally Posted by Spectral Climax

I had a Supernova 2 and a Nord Rack 2x. No one of them is "warm", both (especially Supernova) are much better than a Virus TI in terms of VA sounds.

The nord is 'red' hot... How much warmer do you need?

[Spectral Climax]

Originally Posted by mitchiemasha

The nord is 'red' hot... How much warmer do you need?

Of course, I hadn't thought of that!

[HUBA]

Is the knob behaviour on nord lead 1 and 2 similar to the 2x? I found it annoyingly hard to turn its knobs, and the small knob size didn't help..

[Yoozer]

Isn't that just a matter of how new it is? Eventually some knobs are going to be more loose than others because they're tweaked more.

Personally I always enjoyed it that there was some resistance.

[HUBA]

I guess. SOME resistance is nice, but with the 2x at least, it's too much for me. I prefer when the knob behaviour is nice from the get go and doesn't change much with use. My Virus knobs are still as nice as when new.

If the nord lead 2 knobs have less resistance than the 2x I will choose that over the 2x extra voices and features.

[mitchiemasha]

Originally Posted by TYPHY

I'm also thinking about a NL2x rack.

How does it compare to a Virus?

I'm needing a synth for pads and leads.. I have a Moog SP for bass duties.

With the nord your going to need effects. Virus has effects. I like having both.

[gr8ape]

Can Nord lead 2/2x make some "modern" hard electro/dubstep basses with the 4 part layering?

[zerocrossing]

Originally Posted by gr8ape

Can Nord lead 2/2x make some "modern" hard electro/dubstep basses with the 4 part layering?

I can't speak to all, but sure, the 2x can. Modern dubstep bass is generally a simple matter to create if you have an LFO that can have the filter as a destination.. or I guess you could manually do it with a knob or mod wheel... even aftertouch if you have the rack version and an aftertouch enabled keyboard.. Add some distortion (Nord 2x has it) and viola, dubstep.

Not dubstep, but some pretty varied sounds from the NL:

The best Nord Lead 2X Sound Demo - YouTube

It's true the NL has no effects and the Virus does, but frankly I like the sound of the Nords more and a NL2x rack plus a decent multieffects processor like a Lexicon MPX1 (what I have) will end up setting you back about the same as a used Virus C probably.

[gr8ape]

Originally Posted by zerocrossing

I can't speak to all, but sure, the 2x can. Modern dubstep bass is generally a simple matter to create if you have an LFO that can have the filter as a destination.. or I guess you could manually do it with a knob or mod wheel... even aftertouch if you have the rack version and an aftertouch enabled keyboard.. Add some distortion (Nord 2x has it) and viola, dubstep.

Thats not really what I meant. Filter wobble is pretty clichee right now in modern electro-house and hard dubstep. Im talking about the huge monster formant basses. I figured nord lead could MAYBE do it with 4 part layering.