Nord Lead 2X/3 questions

L

locar

New member
Anyone on this site using a Nord Lead 2X or 3 board or rack? I know this is a synth, and the synth sounds and capabilities will be the main use for it. The problem i have is, I also need a passable rhodes and grand piano sound for live use, and was wondering if anyone can help me out as far as sound quality goes. Or, if some nice piano/rhodes patches are available for download after I've purchased the synth. I live in St. Louis, and no dealers in town stock any of the Nord Lead models. Thanks
 
Last edited:
locar said:
Anyone on this site using a Nord Lead 2X or 3 board or rack? I know this is a synth, and the synth sounds and capabilities will be the main use for it. The problem i have is, I also need a passable rhodes and grand piano sound for live use, and was wondering if anyone can help me out as far as sound quality goes. Or, if some nice piano/rhodes patches are available for download after I've purchased the synth. I live in St. Louis, and no dealers in town stock any of the Nord Lead models. Thanks
Click to expand...


The chances of getting a "grand piano" sound with a nord are pretty slim to non-existant.

you can get a passable "electric piano" sound... but a "rhodes" specifically? that is a bit tougher (not as tough as the "grand", though)... it may be good enough in a live situation.

It is not really intended to create realistic emulations of acoustic and/or acoustic-electric instruments.
 
yeah.. i figured that this was a shot in the dark. I guess I'll still be hunting around. If any of you guys have any other recommendations in the $800-$1000 range for a board with great synths and good piano/rhodes/organ samples, I'm open for suggestions. Also- i'm not really looking for a sequencer/workstation- just the good sounds. If u can't tell, i'm a guitarist in need of a keyboard. Thanks for the help!!
 
Last edited:
I suggest the Motif ES Rack + a nice midi controller (like Edirol PCR-M80 or M-Audio Keystation 88).

The rack version will give you the whole library of the ES Workstation (175Mb of sounds including: pianos, organs, rhodes, synths..) minus the sequencer/sampler.
It sells used on ebay for $700-900.

In live situation the rack can be installed in a small rackmount.. just an idea.

peace


[edit] the original Motif rack goes for even less: 500-600
 
Last edited by a moderator:
thanks blue- I've got the midi controller already, and have already checked out the motif rack. That might be the way to go. Thanks again.
 
if you just need sounds, take also a look at the roland xv and jv series modules.

they are not that expensive (second hand) and got everything you need concerning sounds

but if you really want to make own synth sounds, you will need a dedicated v/a or real analogue synth, like the nord lead series, moog, access virus series, dave smith poly envolver, alesis andromedia or ion, oberheim, waldorf, ...
 
I have a 2X rack and none of the sounds are even close to being passable for anything acoustic - piano, strings... whatever.

But there is a great Prophet-5 emulation, and other vintage analog synth modeling presets.

I realize that you are looking for something else, but as far as VA synths go, the Nord is top 3 with ease (you can stick the Virus and Ion in there too).
 
Oddly enough, i've gotten decent rhodes/EP sounds out of a 2. Remember Everything in it's Right Place on Radiohead's Kid A?

probably not.

BUT - everyone always thinks it's a rhodes. It's not. It's a P5. The Nord Lead 2 can do that sound too. Personally, i think that's the coolest ****ing sound ever. I would use that sound to death if i had either a P5 or an NL2.

NOTE THAT YOU CANNOT MAKE THAT SOUND NEARLY AS WELL ON AN NL3. NOTE.
 
DonaldCrunk said:
Remember Everything in it's Right Place on Radiohead's Kid A?

probably not.

BUT - everyone always thinks it's a rhodes. It's not. It's a P5. The Nord Lead 2 can do that sound too. Personally, i think that's the coolest ****ing sound ever. (...)
Click to expand...

yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon! :P

P5!!? I did not know that!
are you sure?
where did you hear that?
 
Anyway I saw Thom Yorke playing it live a few times - using a... Rhodes !! :)

But yeah - maybe in the studio they used a P5 - actually every analog synth should be able to create a sort of EP-alike sounds...
 
True, they do use a rhodes live. But listen to the recording. I know it's a prophet 5 because a. the releases cut off after 5 notes played b. i saw some video of them playing it in the studio (ok, cheating) and c. the filter sweeps at the end sound like a prophet 5 to me.
 
Possibly.

Sorry for being a little off-topic right now but another public misunderstanding is the lead sound of Van Halen's "Jump !".
Most people think that's made by an Oberheim OB-Xa 'cause in the videoclip you see them use an OB-Xa.
However when the track was recorded it was made on an OB-X (not an OB-Xa) ran through a Marshall guitar amp (and some sources say dubbed but I'm not sure about that). You see !? :p
 
Yeah the A1 preset of the OB-Xa (and the OB-8 ?) is known as the "Jump"-preset, 'though that was a marketing stroke from Oberheim. The original sound was not a preset and was made on an OB-X. Like I said somewhere hereabove - the extra punch came from the Marshall amp...
"Jump!" was such a synth hit that Oberheim decided to recreate that sound and they put it immediately in their brandnew (at that time...) OB-Xa synth.
 
lol,
Micron can Jump too you know, ok maybe not as high as an OB.. ;)

ty DonaldCrunk, THM for the info
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top