Nord Modular
(1997-2004) The Nord Modular was introduced 1997 as the first digital modular synthesizer. By combining hardware DSP with the Nord Modular Editor software, it offers an innovative and flexible architecture that allows for extensive sound sculpting.
General
- Virtual analog synthesis
- Modular patch synthesizer
- Minimum 4 voices expandable to minimum 8 voices
- Maximum 32 voices
- Total polyphony depends upon patch complexity
- 4 part multi-timbral
- Special Morph groups that can be routed independently to controller, velocity or button.
User Interface
Panel
- 18 editing knobs and 18 function buttons. 1 master volume. Rotary encoder, Navigator 2x20 charachter backlit LCD display
Editor
- Runs on a PC (Windows 95 on to Windows XP) and Mac (OS9 - OSX 10.4)
Memory
Holds 100 user-patches (sounds) and operating system software in Flash memory. Software upgradable via the computer. Backup software in ROM.
Building Blocks with DSP Power Consumption In/Outs
- Keyboard voice, patch and global : 0,13%
- Audio in : 0%
- 1 output : 0,64%
- 2 output : 1,1%
- 4 output : 2,4%
- Morph : 0%
- Note detection : 0%
Oscillators DSP Power Consumption
- Oscillator A with Sine, Triangle, Saw and Square/Pulse waveforms. Frequency range 8.18Hz-12.54kHz.Finetune. Continuously keyboard tracking. Two pitch modulation inputs, one FM modulation input, one Sync input and one Pulse-width modulation input : 11%
- Oscillator B with Sine, Triangle, Saw and Square. Frequency range 8.18 Hz - 12. 54 kHz. Fine tune. Continously keyboard tracking. Two pitch modulation inputs, one FM modulation input and one Pulsewidth modulation input : 8,3%
- Oscillator C with Sine waveform. Frequency range 8.18 Hz - 12. 54 kHz. Fine tune. Keyboard track on/off. Pitch, FM and AM modulation inputs : 5%
- Oscillator Slave A with Sine, Triangle, Saw and Square waveforms. Fine tune. One FM and one AM modulation inputs : 7,9%
- Oscillator Slave B with Square waveform. Fine-tune. One Pulse-width modulation input : 7,1%
- Oscillator Slave C with Saw waveform/fine-tune/FM modulation input : 6%
- Oscillator Slave D with Triangle waveform/fine-tune/FM modulation input : 5,9 %
- Oscillator Slave E with Sine waveform. Fine tune. One FM and AM modulation inputs : 3,1 %
- Noise generator, continuosly fade between white and colored noise : 1,7%
- Percussion Oscillator with pitch/click/decay control, trig/velocity inputs, punch activator : 4,1 %
Low Frequency Oscillators
- LFO A with Sine, Triangle, Saw, Inverted Saw and Square waveforms. Three selectable ranges, 699 to 5.46 seconds, 0.02 to 24.4 Hz and 0.26 to 392 Hz. Adjustable Phase. Continuosly keyboard tracking. Poly/mono switch. Reset input. One modulation control input : 1,8%
- LFO B with Square/Pulse waveforms. Three selectable ranges, 699 to 5.46 seconds, 0.02 to 24.4 Hz and 0.26 to 392 Hz. One input for pulse width modulation. Adjustable Phase. Continuosly keyboard tracking. Poly/mono switch. Reset input. One modulation control input : 1,2%
- LFO C with Sine, Triangle, Saw and Square waveforms. Three selectable ranges, 699 to 5.46 seconds, 0.02 to 24.4 Hz and 0.26 to 392 Hz. Reset input. One modulation control input : 1,5%
- LFO Slave A with Sine, Triangle, Saw, Inverted Saw and Square waveforms. Adjustable Phase. Reset input. Poly/mono switch : 1,2%
- LFO Slave B with Saw waveform : 0,35%
- LFO Slave C with Sine waveform : 0,76%
- LFO Slave D with Square waveform : 0,35%
- LFO Slave E with Triangle waveform : 0,35%
- Clock generator Range 24 BPM to 214 BPM. Two assignable clockpulses, 4 or 24 cycles/beat : 0,41%
- Clocked random step generator Clock input, Mono switch, White/colored random modes : 0,61%
- Random step generator : 0,61%
- Random Pulse generator Density controller : 0,32%
Envelope Generators
- Attack, decay, sustain, release, build-in gain control. Three attack characteristics: logarithmic, linear, exponential. Invertable. Gate and retrig inputs. One control output. Range: 0,5ms – 45sec : 1,5%
- Attack, decay, build-in gain control. Gate/trig input. One control output. Range: 0,5ms – 45sec : 1,3%
Envelope follower Attack/decay controllers : 1,1%
Filters
- Filter A Static lowpass with a slope of 6dB/octave. 12 Hz - 20 kHz : 0,64%
- Filter B Static highpass with a slope of 6dB/octave. 12 Hz - 20 kHz : 1%
- Filter C Static multimode. Lowpass, bandpass or highpass, with a slope of 12 dB/octave. 10 Hz - 15,8 kHz. Resonance controller : 1,8%
- Filter D Multimode. Lowpass, bandpass or highpass, with a slope of 12 dB/octave. freq. 10 Hz - 15,8 kHz. Resonance controller. Continuously keyboard tracking. Gain compensation. One control input for freq : 4%
- Filter E Multimode filter. Lowpass, bandpass, high- pass and band reject with a slope of 12 dB or 24 dB. Freq. 10 Hz - 15,8 kHz. Resonance controller. Conti- nously keyboard tracking. One modulation input for Freq. One modulation input for resonance : 6,5%
- Filter F Classic lowpass filter with a slope of 12/18 or 24 dB per octave. Freq. 10 Hz - 15,8 kHz. Resonance controller. Continuosly keyboard tracking. Two modulation input for freq : 5,5%
Mixer
- Mixer with three inputs : 0,89%
- Mixer with 8 inputs 6 dB attenuator : 1,9%
- Gain controller multiplyer One modulation input : 0,76%
- Crossfade controller One modulation input : 1,7%
- Pan controller One modulation input : 1,7%
- On/Off switc : 0,38%
- 4-1 switch : 0,76%
- 1-4 switch : 0,89%
- Amplifier attenuation amplification : 0,84%
Audio Modifiers
- Clip Peak clipping of audiosignal. Symmetrical on/off. One modulation input : 1,5%
- Overdrive of audio signal. One modulation input : 4%
- Wavewrap Signal transformation. One modulation input : 2,7%
- Quantizer Step reducing. 12 bits to 1 bit internal resolution : 0,51%
- Delay line For flanger and chorus. 0 - 2.65 ms range. One modulation input : 8%
- Sample and hold One logic control input : 1%
- Diode processing Full and half wave rectifying: 0,64%
- Chorus : 8,4%
- Inverter : 0,51%
- Level shifter Transforms signals from bipolar to unipolar : 0,13%
- Control shaper Log1, log2, linear, exp1, exp 2 : 0,41 %
Control Modifiers
- Constant Unipolar or bipolar mode : 0%
- Smooth Range 0.32 to 318 ms : 0,22%
- Portamento A Range 5,3 ms – 45 sec : 0,32%
- Portamento B Range 5,3 ms – 45 sec : 0,38%
- Note scaler : 0,13%
- Note quantizer 0 -127 : 0,41%
- Control signal mixer Two inputs. Polarity inverters : 0,16%
Logic
- Positive edge delay Range 1.0 millisecond to 18 seconds : 0,61%
- Negative edge delay Range 1.0 millisecond to 18 seconds : 0,25 %
- Pulse Range 1.0 millisec. to 18 sec : 0,32%
- Delay Range 1.0 millisec. to 18 sec : 0,25%
- Inverter : 0,16 %
- Logic processor Three different modes; AND, OR and XOR : 0,25%
- Compare level +- 64 units : 0,16%
- Compare A B : 16%
- Clock divider 1-127 units : 0,61%
- Clock divider fixed : 0,8%
Sequencer
- Event sequencer 2 x 16 step. Loop function. Toggling between gate and trigg. Link : 1,1%
- Control sequencer 16 step. +- 64 units. Loop function. Random function. Uni or bipolar modes. Link : 0,86%
- Note sequencer A 16 step. +-64 units. Recordable. Loop function. Link : 0,86%
- Note sequencer B 16 step. +-64 units. Recordable. Loop function. Random Link : 0,86%
MIDI
- All parameters, except the master level, can transmit and receive Control Change messages.
- Notes can be received over the entire MIDI range Bulk dumps for System exclusive data.
- MIDI clock Synchronizing.
Hardware
Keyboard Version
- 2 octave velocity sensitive keyboard with octave shift buttons (5oct.)
- 4 assignable outputs. Line level • Headphones output
- MIDI Out
- PC Out
- Two audio in: line level
- Control pedal, Sustain or ON/Off pedal • MIDI In, PC In
- Dimensions: 473(W) 264(D) 70(H) mm 18,6"(W) 10,4"(D) 3,5"(H)
- Weight: 4,7 kg, 10,36 lbs
Rack Model
- 19" space
- 4 units high, Midi In trig indicator.
- 4 assignable outputs. Line level
- Headphones output
- MIDI Out
- PC Out
- Two audio in: line level
- Control pedal, Sustain or ON/Off pedal • MIDI In, PC In
- Dimensions: 423(W) 176(D) 118(H) mm 16,6"(W) 6,9"(D) 4,6"(H)
- Weight: 3,2 kg, 7,05 lbs