Vintage Synth Explorer Forums

In they web site and in matrixsynth:
http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Home


http://www.matrixsynth.com/2014/01/new- ... -namm.html

might be a controller,like matrix synth says...

Maybe a controller plus a softsynth to go with it...like the old Nord Modular?

With no jacks at all visible I'm guessing maybe there's a USB port we're not seeing?

Info:
http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?t ... ord_Lead_4

Why haven't they kept the LED rings on the rotary encoders? That was the best thing about the Nord.

meatballfulton wrote:With no jacks at all visible I'm guessing maybe there's a USB port we're not seeing?

With no jacks at all visible I'm guessing there is some Photoshop editing....

madtheory wrote:Info:
http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?t ... ord_Lead_4

Why haven't they kept the LED rings on the rotary encoders? That was the best thing about the Nord.

They only used them on the Nordlead 3. After that they couldn't manufacture any more of those encoders. Too expensive or something I heard.

No, no new synth from clavia nor software controller. The clavia shape and especially the color pattern makes the photoshoped synth recognizable. It is part of the trademark of the company. Just like the Boss Pedal Shape. Most of the people have seem this synth on TV or on Stage. They recognise it. Whether the synth could be a Nord Lead 1,2,3 or 4, they all know that it is a Clavia synth and they don't need the company name to be printed on the synth to figure out. Clavia has a strong brand.

We've already been having a talk about it in this thread: http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewt ... 7&start=60 but if you want an entire thread dedicated to it then go right ahead by all means.

Bitexion wrote:

madtheory wrote:Info:
http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?t ... ord_Lead_4

Why haven't they kept the LED rings on the rotary encoders? That was the best thing about the Nord.

They only used them on the Nordlead 3. After that they couldn't manufacture any more of those encoders. Too expensive or something I heard.

Actually it was because they weren't ROHS compliant. There are companies making ROHS compliant ones now again, but if you're designing a mass-produced product you need a good supply of available components when you're in the design stage.

Also, do people not realise that the Lead 4 was announced at Messe six months ago and has been in shops a few months already? Looks like Matrix doesn't.

meatballfulton wrote:Maybe a controller plus a softsynth to go with it...like the old Nord Modular?

With no jacks at all visible I'm guessing maybe there's a USB port we're not seeing?

That would be interesting. I kind of think not though, Clavia always seemed like a gigging player's kind of brand, and having stuff tied to a computer doesn't seem like their style. They might be going for a new market segment though, you never know. The other thing that makes me think not is that to build stuff as well as they do costs money, and there are a million cheaper controllers on the market already. Clavia would have to come out with something pretty special to compete right at the top end of the controller market, not that I think that's beyond them.

'Tweak your sound in seconds' seems like some interface development rather than a midi controller thing to me. I think they've blacked out the jack panel because if we saw the connectivity it would give away the new synth too easily.

Edit: Ok did a little bit of nerdy photo forensics. The width of the keyboard looks like 49 keys to me. The knobs go across slightly further than half way like they do on the NL4 but the knobs don't seem to match the NL4 knobs, there's no row of knobs in line with the pitch stick like there is on the NL4. My guess is this is a budget NL2X replacement, although I'd love for it to be a G3 or something like that.

A Nord Wave 2 would be nice. They recently took the first Wave out of production, and it would be a damn shame to not have a synth that could put their massive sample library to good use.

aXL wrote:A Nord Wave 2 would be nice. They recently took the first Wave out of production, and it would be a damn shame to not have a synth that could put their massive sample library to good use.

Ah, I hadn't noticed the Wave had been discontinued, I reckon that might be it. The knob layout in that teaser shot matches the first Wave.

Stab Frenzy wrote: Ah, I hadn't noticed the Wave had been discontinued, I reckon that might be it. The knob layout in that teaser shot matches the first Wave.

Indeed, it does.

I'd GAS majorly if they were making a rackmount version, perhaps one with inputs and maybe more outputs...

But I doubt it. Clavia are very much into making live performance gear moreso than stuff for obsessive studio-bound programmers.

Stab Frenzy wrote: The knob layout in that teaser shot matches the first Wave.

Not really...

Look at the knobs above the middle screw:

I'll find out at NAMM

^ or sooner

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2014/01/ ... -synth-a1/

My god this is disappointing.

First, Clavia ALREADY have very easy-to-use interfaces. It didn't need streamlining any further.

Second, a lot of flexibility and functionality is getting sacrificed here.... and Nords aren't the most flexible synths in the first place.

Third... who would buy this? I mean if it were an inexpensive rack product designed to introduce people to Nord Leads then yeah I could see the appeal but... this isn't cheap.

I really have no idea who could possibly want this.

They could've made a Wave 2. Instead, we get Baby's First Nord Lead.

What is Clavia smoking?!? Seriously...