All user reviews of 5/5 for the Clavia Nord Lead 4

I do not believe that the characteristics are those of a good virtual analog to share this unfortunate lack of after touch and keyboard not very accurate and a bit slippery, so I did not have in mind a possible subsequent resale I spend at least the black keys with an abrasive to roughen a bit.

We regret of course the knobs to LED necklaces if ergonomic but do not dream too, for cost reasons they are unlikely to return one day.
At most, I hope one day will decide to offer North editing software that will allow you to view and tweak its settings quietly at home on computer which does not prevent to play without cluttering available. ( ah ..... G2)
Ease to implement the morphing by the wheel and the velocity is faithful to the North and ergonomics practices morph impulse buttons great.
The Mutator function I do not use it, I generally prefer to control where I want to go but it may be wrong

UTILIZATION

The general config is pretty intuitive but I'm one of the few priori to read manuals!
Press the copy button by turning a knob to observe a setting without changing it's hard to find by itself and yet convenient
Mde is well done and presents the basics of subtractive synthesis which is a good effort, beginners it still exists ....

SOUNDS

Sound, essential and it is well! And in many styles of music.

Do not settle for factory programs to consider as more samples of possibilities, the ideal is to do it yourself but its sound is a bit long and not so easy if you want it to sound pro (because yes it can sound downright pro)

So in the meantime, those who want reassurance about the ability of the Nord Lead 4 to make nice large and deep pads find their happiness with the bank performance Nick Jarl and James Wiltshire of the Freemasons.
This mode performance can group 4 slots programs can sound really big. The trick is to use a slot on both the reverb and delay on the two, thereby circumventing the inability to use the two at the same time in the same program.
Other effects which Talk1 and2 are not bad at first but a little light can not imagine that you will sound like Daft Punk. The Crush is really not up to par.
As often with North was a bit like cheated with the release of North A1 it has real nice effects actually used (and cheaper too!)
Personally I plug my pedals to compensate for these absences but the philosophy of North machines is more oriented all in one which is convenient to turn.
Question reaction velocity I do not know what to say definitively, it is not essential to this kind of instrument. there is a funny program Ake Danielson which mimics the DX7 Rhodes immitant it sounds really good, but on the condition type as deaf in his right hand! and if we change the velocity settings it no longer sounds, digging ....

All sounds are nice hot trend analog FM cold.

In general I prefer the beautiful lower register and upper register his grave a little "acid" medium.

My main regret is not having a keyboard track more progressive, I often have difficulties despite the 4 possible settings with the treble is too deaf or too bright.

I would also like to be able to adjust the width of the pulse wave gradually manually and not just by the LFO or the Wheel.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 6 months and discover more and more the great possibilities, I programmed some sounds which I am delighted, but it is easy for "fun", get something playable with the big sound demand still a lot of time and attention because in performence user can have up to 8 oscilloscope to manage.
I am not a specialist synths I had a modular analog Korg Juno, DX7 and a lot of synths. I also have the extra North Stage2 synth.

In summary a great little synth, a bit pricey though if we relativize with everything offered by the G2 there 10 years.

Modeling synthesizer with two oscillators per voice: analog+FM, Hard & Soft Sync, 4-part multi-timbral with effects, arpeggiator, LFO. Everything can be synced to the internal clock or to an external one via usb or midi.

Light 49-key keyboard without aftertouch.

396 programs + 99 Performances.

For more information and specific details visit NORD's website directly.

UTILIZATION

I haven't had the need to open the user's manual after one week of use. It is well designed and, except fro the Mutator mode (an automatic program generator that I haven't tested), I have perfectly mastered this synthesizer, which is a great tool to create one's own sound palette without the need to be an expert on synthesis.

I like particularly the Performance mode, a real blessing live thanks to its Impulse Morph mode that assigns seven modulations directly to three buttons that are easily accessible right next to the wheel and pitch. Very practical to manage with the left hand.

The feel is very nice and firm, even if I personally find the key return is not fast enough, which demands some practice if you want play a bit more technically and fast. I think an aftertouch would have been useful, given the modulation possibilities. In my view, the keyboard is the synth's only weak point. Nevertheless, we can connect a modulation pedal to which we can assign the volume or the wheel. This allows us to keep both hands on the keyboard while modulating the sound and, anyway, aftertouch is rather random and hard to master in practice. But it wouldn't have hurt to have it and be able to disable it as well, like on the minibrut. So, to cut it short: for the price I would've liked to have aftertouch too.

I love its build quality and lightness. It's compact while still remaining ergonomically impressive.

I noticed that the buttons are more flexible in their movements than before, while remaining firmly on their axis! I think their movement is very well adapted for fast playing with a synth, which is great.


The multi-timbral mode can be easily split in two parts, A&B on the left side and C&D on the right, the split point is obviously adjustable.

SOUNDS

Simply put, its sound is the best and most versatile that I have heard in terms of synthesizers. It sounds deep and very similar to an analog synth (which I know a bit about) with a modern touch and flexibility for modelling, I love it!

The nord lead 4 covers all domains without any particular weakness: deep lows, a sharp lead synth, pads and FX, everything is possible, and the sound is always pleasant to the ears, even when taking it to the extreme. It also has a round and warm side to it, a bit like an analog synth, but also a cold one with its FM mode and Sync, in addition to the modulations that are very easy to set up, it's child's play and a real pleasure to play with, you can simply concentrate on your creative side and technique.

OVERALL OPINION

For me, apart from the lack of aftertouch and the keyboard keys' sluggish return, it's almost flawless. It's simply the best nord lead ever.

The price is hefty but it really is enough for everything that has to do with synthesis, thanks to its richness of modulations and the great versatility of its oscillators and filters that cover almost all eras and genres. The quality of the modeling brings it very close to an analog synth, especially given the quality of its filters, which are perfect, in my opinion.

Live or in the studio, it can perform very well in both situations.

In short, if you have the money, go for it. You won't regret it.