Coming up close with the Nord Lead 2X
Its warm analog sound coupled with cutting-edge digital technology moved the Nord Lead into a “leading” position in the synthesizer community. Musicians from all over the world loved its simplicity, intuitive design, and its musicality and expression offered with the virtual analog concept.
The Nord Lead 2 improved upon the original Nord Lead, including expanded polyphony. A decade later, the Nord Lead, and its descendant the Nord Lead 2, are still among the most popular synths ever built. Used worldwide on stage and in studios, the Nord Lead series has contributed to the signature sounds of some of the most popular musicians and producers known today … and we want to keep it that way!
The Nord Lead 2X has the same characteristic sound and functions as the Nord Lead 2, except for some very nice improvements:
- X-tra polyphony: The Nord Lead 2X comes with 20 voices polyphony – very useful when creating layered sounds, “power pads”, awesome leads and booming basses. 20 voices are also very beneficial in sequencing situations when you use more than one sound at a time.
- X-tra memory: The Nord Lead 2X comes with a large internal memory holding 4 x 99 user Programs, 100 user Performances and 4 x 10 user Percussion Kits plus 6 x 99 factory Programs and 3 x 100 factory Performances! The Nord Lead 2X is 100% patch compatible with the Nord Lead 2 which means that you can transfer sounds directly between the models via MIDI.
- X-tra high resolution: The awesome sound in the Nord Lead 2X is refined even further thanks to the brand new, crystal clear 24-bit DACs running at 96kHz.
In this video:
This demo were created using only the Nord Lead 2X. All Sounds come from it. Even the drum kits. Eq’s, Reverbs,Delays and Compressors were used to make this Track as you hear.
Photography and Video by Ares Kalogeropoulos
Propellerhead Software – Keyboard Drumming for Beginners
In this live session for Music Making Month, Josh Mobley (joshmobley.com) walks us through his technique for playing drums live on his controller keyboard in one take instead of programming beats with a pencil tool. The result is a human groove that feels more natural than programming ever will. Propellerhead has a unique approach in May’s “Music Making Month.” Hands-on how-to videos appear first as live webcasts, then on-demand YouTube clips, showing how to get into some real music making. Reason and Record are featured, of course, but the series is as much about production and performance as those tools. Check out the start of the terrific series by Josh Mobley on keyboard finger-drumming, for instance.
Ion Discovery Keyboard + CCK + iPad 2
Background info to this video:
Trying the very portable USB controller Ion Discovery connected to my iPad 2, using only the Camera Connection Kit and an USB Cable. The Ion Discovery can work perfectly without external power.
Starr Labs Wilson-MicroZone U648 Layout & Tuning Demo
The Wilson-MicroZone U648 keyboard was developed by Irv Wilson and Starr Labs as an alternate keyboard MIDI instrument. Multiple zones, layouts, layers, tunings, scales, and key/note arrangements are possible which allow for microtonal systems to be created and performed. Standard layout has octaves running horizontally, 6 ranks of 48 hex keys. An incredibly fun yet expressive way to come up with new chord progressions, composition ideas, and performance techniques. www.starrlabs.com
Offering an array of 288 keys, the U-648 is designed so that musicians can create any variety of tonal systems, fingering systems, and divisions of the octave within the world of MIDI.
This works well with microtonal music where a large array is needed for each octave. The MicroZone allows the user to define multiple arrangements of notes, fingerings, tonal layouts, and tunings for whatever musical application needed.
Musikmesse 2011 – Rhodes
For those of you who missed out the live performance featuring the classic Rhodes at last weeks MusikMesse, check this one out. The signature electric piano is back with all the great sounds of the classics and now with extensive MIDI control that includes a polyphonic after touch and a patented highly accurate sensing technology to capture every nuance played.
More details about the Nord Electro 3
The Electro 3 HP has all the features of the original Electro 3, but sports a 73-key Hammer Action Portable keybed, with a classic E-E range and 4 selectable Dynamic Response Curves. The Electro 3 HP only weighs 11 kg, making it “the most ultra light weight professional Hammer Action keyboard on the market”.
Features:
- C1 Organ Tonewheel/transistor modeling
- Nord Piano- and Sample Library support
- String Resonance (generation 1)
- Licensed Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds
- Rotary Speaker simulation
- Flexible Effects
- Light weight
- Physical controls for all vital functions
The Nord Electro 3 HP is scheduled to ship in late April 2011. Pricing is TBA.
Message from AtomoSynth
“Hello World…
From April 6th to 9th 2011 Our Krakken keyboard will be shown in Musikmesse at the Schneidersladen Superbooth!!
Musikmesse, Frankfurt/M. Hall 5.1 Stand C70”
WERSI DIRECT LAUNCH PEGASUS WING!
Here’s how they describe it:
This a professional keyboard with professional future world features. It also offers 5 different synthesis types including Sampling, Wavetable, Analog, FM, and Drawbar. According to Wersi, fans have been waiting so long for this model. It’s the new flagship model of the whole production line featuring nearly everything that Wersi users demanded in the past. To put it in another way: You demanded – we deliver! You get a flood of new exciting features in a new elegant housing with excellent quality. The Pegasus Wing features the new OAS 7 software OS (Open Art System) powered by Microsoft Windows.
Features:
* 10″ Touch Screen
* Intuitive use
* 76 keys, lightly weighted for an excellent usability
* Genuine “Sine-Drawbars” 9 on the right, 7 on the left
* 5 Different Synthesis Types
* 100 Factory Presets, 500 User Presets
* 950 amazing sounds (from the top WERSI models)
* 350 factory styles (live played-in)
* Songplayer for Wave, Mp3 and MIDI files
* Memory Banks for own styles, midifiles, mp3s and wave files
* SSD HDD 32 GB
* Slot-In-DVD/CD Drive (read/write)
* Connections: MIDI, Line, Footswitch, Headphones, USB
* High quality metal case with wooden side parts
* Dimensions: 1220 x 450 x 120(60) mm
* Weight: 18 kg
3 Years Music Store Warranty
30 Days Money-Back Guarantee
Wersi will be showing the Pegasus Wing at Musikmesse 2011.
More info including how to order is available at http://www.wersidirect.com/www.wersidirect.com/News/Entries/2011/3/21_WERSI_DIRECT_LAUNCH_PEGASUS_WING!.html
What Roland will unveil at MusikMesse is…
….indeed a new keyboard, a stainless steel one with 76 keys, 256 polyphonics. But it is not a new Jupiter 8 even though specualtions at different forums says so. But it is true that it will be branded Jupiter 80, which also is a fact and is true in relation to that Roland recently registered the jupiter80.com domain.
We will show it to you live from MusikMesse next week, so stay tuned
Pellegrini space time keyboard for iPad
Demonstration of the pellegrini space-time keyboard. A free open source iPad app based on the Control system, it allows wireless MIDI control of synths. The synths used in this demo include modular Moog.
DATAMASKIN
