Hey everybody.

MitchK1989 · Joined: Sep 30, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Canada

Hi, I don't own a G2X YET but am looking at getting one possibly within a week... Am I correct in assuming anything you can do on the nord lead you can do on the modular? I have a Nord lead 2x at the moment I would be selling after getting a G2X, and am aware of the sound engine difference between the NL1/2/2x/G1 and the NL3/G2... But I like the nord lead 3 more than the 2x so trading to the other sound engine isn't anything but a plus for me...

So what, if anything, can the NL3 do soundwise that the G2X can't? Would I be making the right choice by picking the G2X as "my nord"?

kvnvk · Joined: Aug 27, 2006 Posts: 105 Location: Texas

hey Mitch, I have an unexpanded G2 (should probably look into the expansion) and it does have a number of Nord Lead 2 and 3 styled patches on the factory set. unfortunately I have nothing to compare them to, but coming from Clavia I'd be fairly confident they'd have the emulation of their own synths down. even if they are slightly off, it would be worthwhile for the flexibility of the modular operation of the G2X. I guess you've checked out the audio samples on the Clavia site, makes me wonder if you could download the G2 demo software and one of the factory sound sets, or are they even compatible?

blue hell · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 3:03 pm Post subject:

kvnvk · Joined: Aug 27, 2006 Posts: 105 Location: Texas

worth a try, won't cost anything and since Mitch already has a NL2 and has obviously heard enough of the NL3 to know he likes the sound there may be enough available with the demo software to give him an idea how well the G2 can do those sounds. Wink

dasz · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 6:20 pm Post subject:

Mitch,

I have a friend with a Nord Lead, Lead2x, Lead3. He's heard the G2 and to him it sounds closest to the Nord Lead3.

In terms of functionality the G2 will mimic a NordLead (any of them) quite well.

Great idea to try the demo as it will give you an idea of the functionality, but be aware, the G2's sound is affected by it's DA converters (the demo uses your soundcard).

Where in Canada are you? If you are in Vancouver/lower mainland, then I'd be more than happy to give you a real demo of the G2.
/Dasz

MitchK1989 · Joined: Sep 30, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Canada

The opposite shore in Nova Scotia I'm afraid.

Yes, I have been playing with the demo... But my soundcard is a crappy built in one and my speakers cost me 3 dollars each... So I'm only using the demo to see the interface and flexibility... Not the sound so much.

I don't suppose any of you have any MP3s to share that really shows off the G2/G2x?

dorremifasol · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:57 am Post subject:

There are lots of mp3 files there, check the avatar picture of the members of this forum. Below it there is a link to the mp3 files posted by the user (for example Blue Hell. Most of them are G2 sounds.

Cheers,
Albert

Wout Blommers · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:55 am Post subject:

In my spare time I'm doing something NordLead like on the G2.
Troublesome are sounds using pulse wave forms and the Unison (stereo effect is not the same)

I also added some effects, 'cause it's possible Smile

Try it and fire your comments...

Wout

0001SawBrassV205+FX.pch2

Description:

NordLead Program #01 to G2

Download (listen)

Filename:

0001SawBrassV205+FX.pch2

Filesize:

5.1 KB

Downloaded:

2080 Time(s)

MitchK1989 · Joined: Sep 30, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Canada

it won't let me load that patch in the demo version of the editor... could you post an MP3?

sebber · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:12 am Post subject:

Since there are only "go for it"-voices in this thread I just wanted to add that I heard differently. The NL is a beast in it's own right and you might end up with only two voices trying to emulate it. Unison is different, too.

That's the advice people get on a German synth forum, I'm just quoting, I don't know.

Wout Blommers · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:43 am Post subject:

MitchK1989 · Joined: Sep 30, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Canada

I don't use unison on my nord pretty much ever... The polyphony isn't that much of an issue... The exact G2X I was considering is gone now I believe, so I probably won't be getting one of these for awhile.

The fact of the matter is this... I'm completely restructuring my setup... And I've realized I have no real need for a straight-VA synth really... There are much more complex digital synths that are capable of VA synthesis and much, much more... But at the same time I love the nord "tone" you know? I was just wondering if the nord modular does still sound like a nord... The polyphony isn't a problem because the heart of my new setup is going to be an alesis fusion 6hd, which will be the main workhorse... And anything else is for unique flavors, sounds, and workflows.

bbw · Joined: Apr 17, 2007 Posts: 13 Location: AZ, USA

i spent hours playing w/ the Nord Lead 2X in the store, loving the sounds but hating the crap keyboard w/ no aftertouch.

i bought a Nord Modular G2X thinking all my problems would be solved. they sound nothing alike - at least in terms of factory presets, the Nord Lead 2X makes the Nord Modular G2X sound like a Baldwin home organ... sorry, but it's true.

as for emulation, i hope it's possible as i am going to be majorly bummed if i can't get the G2X to sound like the 2X.

if someone has already created an Nord Lead 2X emulation patch for the G2X i'd love to hear from them. if not, i plan on attempting one, & then plan to re-create the factory patch set for the 2X on the G2X.

iPassenger · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:23 am Post subject:

IMO: The majority of the presets on the G2 are poor and under-developed.

dorremifasol · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:44 am Post subject:

I agree, most of the G2 presets are not very useful.

I also own a Nord Rack 2X which I bought at a very good price in eBay, hoping that I could sell it later after playing with it for some weeks, but... I fell in love with it, It's going to stay at home for a loooooong time.

Sincerely, I doubt that the G2 can sound "exactly" like the NL2, that's why I'm keeping both. The lead has something special... it's very nice, and tweaking its knobs is a great experience.

Using the G2 sequencers with the NL2 is also great, they are very good partners Very Happy

Also, you can use the G2 effects to complement the Nord Lead which has no effects at all.

I'm not a performance guy (lack of ability with the keys) but you can Imagine what could come out of both machines at the same time, GREAT SOUND and GREAT REALTIME SEQUENCES!

blue hell · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:30 pm Post subject:

I split off the the NL2 tune that was posted here to http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-17562.html

blue hell · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:39 pm Post subject:

Ok, things are getting messy a bit but I can keep up .. in the part I split off Wout replied to this thread Shocked

bbw · Joined: Apr 17, 2007 Posts: 13 Location: AZ, USA

this is awesome news!!! i've been emailing w/ jason who's a nord product specialist, & he sent me here to the forums... like i said i am willing to tackle this project myself, but the issue was going to be translating the SYS EX factory patch set for the Nord Lead 2X to a G2X patch/perf emulation. if someone is already working on this, it will save me a lot of time!!!! please keep this thread alive w/ info on how it's going.

iPassenger · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:19 pm Post subject:

yeah agreed sounds cool.

Wout Blommers · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:20 am Post subject: Re: woo hoo!!!

Wout Blommers · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:21 am Post subject:

Maybe we should contact the NM > G2 conversion builders?

Wout

blue hell · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:40 am Post subject: Re: woo hoo!!!

bbw · Joined: Apr 17, 2007 Posts: 13 Location: AZ, USA

sorry this is so long...

i just got my G2X & haven't programmed a thing yet - i just know i'm not happy w/ the way the factory patches sound.

wout - have you experimented w/ adding a Pan module + an LFO (or even a RandomB) module for a subtle enhancement of the stereo field movement in addition to Unison mode? (i'm sure you had smarter solutions...)

what is different about the PW specifically?

also, i'm not sure i understand what the issue is w/ the values of LFO's - are they really that much different?

i see 2 issues besides the ones raised:

1) it would be easy to copy the Nord Lead 2X patches if there were visual representations of the actual knob positions for each patch on the 2X panel. "SynthLord" (appropriate...) has already told me these do NOT exist.

if the "NM > G2 conversion builders" are willing to tackle this for us, great.

if not, there is a 3rd party editor/librarian called SoundQuest that i know can basically be programmed as a universal editor for any SYS EX MIDI capable synth, & it already is compatible w/ the Nord Lead 2X. this would at least allow you to make a screen capture of the knob position values w/o having to actually translate bin hex for each parameter value. (whew.)

2) to my ears, there is a lack of punchy-ness missing from the brassy & hard-edge synth sounds on the G2X compared to the 2X. maybe it's the effects (which i really don't think sound all that great...)

anyway, it seems to me like a 2X emulation on the G2X would have to compensate for this somehow by including extra modules (not just an exact replica of the 2X signal path) perhaps for adding subtle amounts of overdrive/distortion, or somehow "hype"-ing the sounds to give them a bit more edge.

Wout Blommers · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:22 pm Post subject: Re: newbie

Wout Blommers · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject:

Wow, just spotted the NordLead emulation patch is down loaded already 268 times, so G2 users are interested, I think...

No feedback though...

Wout