Buy Classic modular or keep 2 G2's?

Acidfever · Joined: Aug 25, 2004 Posts: 49

Hi,

I currently own 2 G2 Engine and am thinking of selling one, expanding the other G2 engine and getting a NM "Classic". This because i love the Nord Lead 2 sound and i want to be able to checkout the patches made for the original Nord Modular.

What do you guys/girls think? Is this a good idea or is there good reason in keeping the 2 G2's?

And if i decide to do this....how important is it to get a NM with expansion board? The DSP's are slower than the G2's DSP's so i guess you will run out of juice even faster.

I was thinking of trading 1 G2 Engine with a expanded NM Classic Rack. Seems like a good deal........now to find someone who wants to do this....

I can also purchase a NM Rack unexpanded for about 450 Euro's....seems like an ok price if there's a way to get the expansion for around 150 euro's.

Any info on that?

Kassen · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:45 am Post subject:

Hmmm, for the lead 2's sound the NM might not be the best choice. The NM shares the same DAC's as the Lead1 while the Lead2 already has the G2 type DAC's and though it doesn't quite arrive there at least attempts to set sail in the "polka sound" direction.

You could write a batch file for your wave editor that would automatically resample recorded wave files a few dozen times to random sample rates (make sure not to use quality algorithems), then add 3db to everything above 5KHz. With a batchfile like that I think you could get quite close to that glassy undefined high end on with a NM. It might be harder to remove punch and definition from the low mid; I have no sugestions on how to accomplish that.

Tim Kleinert · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:06 am Post subject:

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:14 am Post subject:

Tim Kleinert · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:28 am Post subject:

my polka-board is laughing too...

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Kassen · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:29 am Post subject:

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:47 am Post subject:

Tell that to that poor casio.. Laughing

Tim Kleinert · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:19 am Post subject:

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:25 am Post subject:

Tim Kleinert · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:29 am Post subject:

Kassen · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:48 am Post subject:

....but are you making new age? that's a important question here.

Back to mr. Fever above (who judging by his login already has a virus to deal with), asuming you want to make acid with it; yes the NM will do nicely. The most important trick in getting the NM to sound good for acid is in the compressor. Take the compressor, turn the reference value a bit down, put side chain on but don't feed the module a actual side chain.

This will give you a instant raw and loud sound. I'm not sure exactly what is going "wrong" there but it works.

Acidfever · Joined: Aug 25, 2004 Posts: 49

Hmmmm acid could be one of those sounds.......but i am looking at the NM for the inmense patch collection (i love learning from other peoples ideas) and the sound. I was always told the NM1 shares soundengines and DAC's with the Nord Lead 2....now i read other stories.....

That alone could make this a completely different story.....since my motivation to even look for a NM1 is the Nord lead 2 sound to begin with.....but a NL2 is just too limiting since i prefer not to work with a sold state architecture.

I want to be able to look back to a big collection of patches because my modular knowledge isn't fully developed yet and i need examples from time to time.

BTW....wasn't it a fact that Clavia converted some Nord Lead 2 patches to Nord Modular format?

And based on what i mentioned above....would you advise me to keep the 2 G2's or advise me to get a Nord Modular and keep 1 expanded G2 Engine instead?

I produce minimal and industrial techno mostly btw....

cebec · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:56 am Post subject:

dasz · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:43 pm Post subject:

Acid fever, ask yourself this question: should you simply buy the Nord Modular Micro (and not sell your G2 babies), and live with the limitations, but then you can learn from the patch and do it in the G2.

For me, at least, in the G2, my creativity has gone into areas never before fathomed ...

Inspire me. G2.
/Dasz

Acidfever · Joined: Aug 25, 2004 Posts: 49

Sure that's an option...however i predict i will hardly use the second G2 mainly because i don't have the need for it.

I could use it...but i could also do with a single G2 as far as i'm concerned.

What i cannot do with 2 G2's is make a patch that sounds like a Nord Lead 2......and i can't use the massive storage of G1 patches that is available online.

I do think the midi connections needed for the editor are a big drawback. Also the non midi syncable LFO's are an omission i cannot even begin to understand.......

I do however love the sound of a Nord Lead 2.....i just think it's a bit limiting compared to a modular. Buying a G1 could be the solution to this...

But the more i ask the more people say i should keep the 2 G2's.......

slave to this · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 4:07 am Post subject:

after owning an original NM, when i first got the g2, i was honestly a bit disappointed with its sound characteristic...i think the nm1 sounds much thicker to my tastes. i think the g2 is better for a 'pretty' type of sound (but i guess i'm just biased after listening to all of those presets).
but i have to agree with dasz, the g2 has me thinking of things i could have never imagined with the original. therefore, i'll stand by the g2 and say that its the way to go despite its aliasing problems.
its been mentioned before, but they really are two different flavors.

Acidfever · Joined: Aug 25, 2004 Posts: 49

This does suggest having both a NM and a G2 can have big advantages.
The G2 sounds "pretty" and the NM sound "Thick and more gritty" is what i constantly hear people say.

I understand how the G2 can do more than the first modular but it can never sound like the original NM.

I will never sell both G2's but it seems overkill to have a second one just sitting there because the first one fills my needs. I am going to expand it though.....to make sure it will always have enough power available for using several slots so i can use a synth and an audio processing patch at the same time.

My only fear would be the ability to run the editor in future windows versions.......

The real question is still: "What's the better team, a G2 paired with a NM or a pair of G2's?".

Fozzie · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:09 am Post subject:

Hey Acid, you mention that you don't use the 2 G2's. That should be the most important reason to trade it in for something else, I guess. What does it matter that other people use 2 G2's and wish for a 3rd one (Dasz you spoilt man Wink

), if you don't use it than it's a waste of money and space imho.

If you are after the classic NL2 sound mostly, buy a NL2. Even if the NM could do a perfect emulation, I believe it missed some of the effects (unisono) and it is not as user-friendly. However, if you are after the patch archive mostly, buy a NM and get a different NL2 emulation for free (different from the G2). It shouldn't be too hard to decide IMO, but that's just me.

edit: one additional remark: the patch archive IS nice, but it is also soooo huge that it will take you forever to go through it. I still have my MM for this reason, but I find myself not using it anymore (also caused by the midi cable hassle).

Acidfever · Joined: Aug 25, 2004 Posts: 49

The midi cable thing does bother me...does make things a bit more complicated. I don't use any midi on my computer other than patch management and midi in for reaktor so i don't expect major problems there.

The thing with huge libraries is that you pick the patches you like and save them...and keep the others where they are.....at least that is my tactic.

The only worries i do have are the stories of people not using their classic modular after buying the G2......

Might wait for a bit......

mosc · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:58 am Post subject:

We are talking about musical instruments here, so it is a very personal thing. When I got my G2, I gave away my NM1. Never missed it. If I had two G2s, and no experience on the NM1, I would be very reluctant to get one. Why take the time to learn another synth with all it's idiosyncracies and quirks. Use your precious time to master the G2.

As for the NM1 patch archive, it is indeed vast, but so is the G2 archive. It's growing so fast that I can't even keep up with it.

As for the sounds. IMHO, and with all due respect to people who disagree, the talk about the DACs having a characteristic sound is absurd. It's the patch that makes the sound. In the G2 patch archive you'll find expamples where master patchers have made the G2 sound like anything from a vintage Revox tape echo to a vacuum tube preamp.

If I were you I'd save my pennies and at some point swap one of the G2 engines for a G2 Keyboard. The control surface is one of the G2s greatest assests - again, IMHO and with all due respect to people who disagree. (IMHOAWADRTPWD).

Kassen · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:24 am Post subject:

cebec · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:18 am Post subject:

ian-s · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:45 am Post subject:

Kassen · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 3:49 pm Post subject:

Fozzie · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 4:07 pm Post subject:

I get a dark brown feeling that this thread is going places I've been before and rather won't go again. I guess it's clear to most people there are different opinions about DAC's and their sonic effects, let's not have that discussion again. It's getting boring in a analogue vs digital kind of way.

Let's agree the G2 and NM sound different (we can, can't we?), and try to help acidfever making up his mind. And stick to just that.