Nord Lead 4 Performance Synthesizer

Having really made their name in the 90's with the original virtual analogue Lead it's fair to say Nord have a special relationship with synths. Leading edge DSP design gives those characteristic savage filters & lush effects, solid red metal chassis and hand construction (in Nord's Swedish factory) ensure that it's built to last on the road and in the studio. Of course things have changed since the original Lead & Modular synths, so the Lead 4 comes with greatly expanded functionality and improved sound quality.

The Nord Lead 4 represents a revolution in the way you approach synthesis via keyboard, it features all the standard envelope, LFO and parameter controls as other hardware synths but with some unique and mind-blowing creative possibilities thrown into the mix too.

The Nord Lead 4 is a subtractive synthesizer with 2 oscillators per voice. All the classic waveforms are present including Saw, Square, Sine, Triangle, Pulse and PWM. It also includes a OSC MOD section with Hard and Soft sync plus 3 different Frequency Modulations of OSC 1 from OSC 2 for creative and dynamic soundscapes. A dedicated filter section allows you to shape your sound further via 12dB, 24dB or 48dB multi-pole settings with low pass, band pass, high pass, Ladder M and Ladder 303 characteristics. Parameters such as Cutoff, Resonance and envelope amount can be controlled by key velocity for expressive custom patches which respond to your playing action. A versatile modulation section allows the user to re-route and modify the sound of each oscillator and apply dedicated LFO and envelopes to each. The Pattern feature applies rhythmical figures to the Arpeggiator or the LFO's. A wide selection of patterns are available, ranging from basic building blocks to more complex groove oriented figures. Your amplifier section contains responsive ASDR envelopes for short, stabby attacks or long, smooth pads combined with Poly, Legato with Portamento, Mono and True Unison performance controls.

The dedicated Nord Effects section offers continuous Drive/Modulation control. Crush, Drive, 2 different Talk effects, Compressor and Comb Filter. On top of this, standard selectable Delay or Reverb can be tailored at up to 1400 ms can be manually set or synchronized to the Master Clock. Reverb has three algorithms, Room, Stage and Hall with adjustable brightness.

MIDI can be sent via 5-pin DIN connection or over USB for direct integration with your software or DAW. At the heart of the Nord Lead 4 is the Master Clock controlling the global tempo. The LFO, Arpeggiator and Delay can all be synchronized to the Master Clock. The tempo is easily changed globally with a Tap-tempo button so you can tap in to the beat of your drummer and play intricate rhythmically interlocked parts in perfect sync. The Master Clock can also be slaved to an external MIDI clock.