Nord Lead 2X or Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard ??

[Alf7787]

Hey guys im wanting to add a now keyboard to my studio and want to know your thoughts on these? (Nord Lead 2X or Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard ??)

I will also be using it as a midi controller and only have $$$ for 1 of these.

It will be joining my virus TI and sherman filter bank. I make all kinds of music from big dirty breaks with in-your-face bass to soft ambient and movie score type stuff.

I would like it to be able to do solid bass, leads as well as pads and play nice with my virus ti 'as well as offer something different'.

I would like it to fit in well in most mixes.

Thanks in advance!

anyone who has used both would be awesome!!

[aeonsound]

i've never used the waldorf keyboard (are they even shipping yet?) so i can only hazard a guess at the key quality...

the desktop Blofeld is reasonably put together, but most Nords are built like the proverbial tank. i love the desktop Blofeld's appearance, screen, footprint and endless rotaries. but Clavia make perhaps my all-time favourite tactile interfaces, and have a great pedigree in performance keyboards, so i'll hazard a guess that they're going to edge it when it comes to the quality and feel of the keys.

bear in mind that the Blofeld has no MIDI out, which might affect your decision somewhat

putting aside the midi controller issue, it really depends what sound you're after... the Blofeld is more akin to a TI in terms of its sonic palette; it's a digital/hybrid sounding synth, at home with complex evolving alien landscapes and weird wavetable goodness. it has effects and good routing possibilities. it has the best display i've ever seen on any digital synth - watching a comb filter sweep is just beautiful. of course programming isn't as intuitive as a pot-per-parameter interface, but the power and flexibility are there. it has that Waldorf sound, too... there's this crushing gritty oopmh about it.

Nord Lead is... a (the?) definitive subtractive VA. very straightforward, at-a-glance operability with knobs for all major functions. it is much more limited in terms of range of sounds which can be produced, but what it does, it does very well. no FX, which some people say actually makes it easier to fit into the mix. incredible HP filter and raw saw wave; really distinctive. as a Virus owner i lust after a Nord just for that filter it really is something else. the Nord will have more i/o and better connectivity in general, i think.

i'm craving an ice-cream at the moment, so to my mind, the Blofeld is like a maple and Cognac with chocolate-pecan cluster - rich, deep, slightly odd, not immediately accessible, and won't be to everyone's tastes. the Nord is like a really good quality vanilla - plain, but perfect; it goes with everything.

if it were my money? i'd get the Blofeld, because i <3 spiky digital weirdness and would get bored with the Nord's modulation. actually scratch that, if it were my money i'd save for the Nord modular

oh, and you may wish to consider moving this thread to Electronic Music & Production forum - there are more VA synth-headz to be found in those parts

good luck!

[SWAN808]

Originally Posted by aeonsound

i'm craving an ice-cream at the moment, so to my mind, the Blofeld is like a maple and Cognac with chocolate-pecan cluster - rich, deep, slightly odd, not immediately accessible, and won't be to everyone's tastes. the Nord is like a really good quality vanilla - plain, but perfect; it goes with everything.

He he thats actually pretty good

[Alf7787]

Thanks, any other opinions ??

[ark]

Originally Posted by aeonsound

bear in mind that the Blofeld has no MIDI out, which might affect your decision somewhat

The Blofeld keyboard does have MIDI out; it's just the desktop version that lacks it.

[chrisj]

I'm very happy with my Nord Lead 2X

In particular I think the pitch-stick is hard to beat for organic synth lead purposes, because if you rest your finger on it, it's no longer a fixed-pitch instrument with a knob for bending- the tiniest pressures exert micro-bends, so it acts like a fretless synth all of a sudden. Best vibrato you could ever have

[raffor]

Go for the NORD