Nord Modular vs modern vsti alternatives

[slugware]

That wasn’t directed at you. Before I read your post, I had a similar response and I was attacked for it being “boring.” I was just hitting back a bit and pointing out that the information wouldn’t be boring to someone who was looking for it, like you are, and I’m actually interested to see if plugins have bested older digital hardware as well.

Of course, you won’t find a Nord Modular software emulation, at least not yet, and it may have a character that you like anyway, which I am also interested in. I’m very interested in a kind of opposite exodus, one of losing all my hardware. So far, I’ve found that I can’t find a compelling reason for any all digital hardware, but analog or hybrid hardware does have some characteristics that make it desirable to me. I’ve yet to find a single analog emulation that doesn’t fall apart in the high registers when even a modest amount of resonance is applied, yet my hardware analogs go strong all the way up. This doesn’t make the emulations worthless, but they’re definitely not “there” yet. Does the Nord Modular suffer from similar issues in the high range? I’d like to know, because as much as I like the plugins we’ve been discussing, they are not without issues.

Well, sorry for my hasty reaction then, i hadn't paid attention well enough..

To be honest , i am sincerely interested if the hardware NM would have such different sound that is unachievable with software. Trying to match it with VCV or Reaktor would be another interesting test . Or as someone already mentioned , it would be cool if the motorolla DSP emu team create 1:1 plugin for it .

Btw, zerocrossing, what are your favorite analog and hybrid synths ?

My experience with hardware synths:
Virus ti2 - when i had it for few years, i was really keen on working with it, but in the end the sound for me was "lemme open an instance of Sylenth1 now"-kind of thing. It was cool with all the knobs and the ease of editing and dialing sounds, but i was already used to creating patches with mouse , clicks, keyboard and in the end i used the TI for two sounds in the two songs for the three years before i let it go.

Behringer Model D - my first analogue synth - i got it because i am big aficionado of 80's boogie funk and synth funk in general and thought that i 'need it' for my music. It didn't get a lot of usage
either.

So, i am probably used to working with software, but to experiment with other type of instruments as well is amusing perspective.
To be honest not much of the vast choices interest me , but i started the thread because i watched couple of synth jams with the NM rack that are pretty wild into the sonic exploration thing - and the sound seems smooth and not harsh .

Also by analog emulations are you referring to VSTis or VA hardware synths?

Another one i am interested is also Novation Supernova Rack

To OP, I do suggest you not go thinking NM is some decades old lost ark of sonic superiority no current software can touch because it's magic. It's a computer in a red box. It's just designed well and goes into some places in a particular way that a niche of people get into and that's that.

Yes, i had something similar in mind but assumed there might be something more than that, so that is why i came here to discuss .

It's great for modular novices and even better for people (like me) who have no interest in modular. If you find one with the stock patches intact, that could be enough for you to never need to use the editor. Just tweak away at the knobs and enjoy it.

When i do this thing with VCV rack , i always have the FOMO of not having mapped the most appropriate parameters

I want to thank all of you who took time to participate and post answers to this inquiry . And lets hope for the better tone of discussion , less personal attacks and misunderstandings , more enjoyment out of knob-twiddling

[chk071]

Another one i am interested is also Novation Supernova Rack

It will come to the Motorola DSP emulator at some point: https://dsp56300.wordpress.com/faqs/#general-faq

[zerocrossing]

That wasn’t directed at you....

Well, sorry for my hasty reaction then, i hadn't paid attention well enough..

To be honest , i am sincerely interested if the hardware NM would have such different sound that is unachievable with software. Trying to match it with VCV or Reaktor would be another interesting test . Or as someone already mentioned , it would be cool if the motorolla DSP emu team create 1:1 plugin for it.

That would be pretty cool. So far I've tried their MicroQ and it is fun. I've been meaning to get to their Virus C, as I actually owned one for a long time, but I haven't made it a priority.

Btw, zerocrossing, what are your favorite analog and hybrid synths ?

Damn, that's a long list. There's sort of two categories in the ones that I think have great sound, ones that work for me and ones that don't. So, I've rejected a lot of great sounding instruments for things that would probably seem ridiculous to most. For instance, I had the cash for a Moog One a year ago, loved the sound, but the fact that it doesn't even respond to polyphonic aftertouch made that a no-go. (also it was reported to have issues, not sure if they were fixed...) I've also rejected some that I think are great because they only come in keyboard form, and I don't like having a lot of keyboards cluttering up my space. I've got a friend who loves keyboards and he made some really cool custom drawer system for them, and I was all, "how do you play the ones that are 5 cm from the floor?" His answer was, "I sit on the floor." That's not for me.

Here's a quick list of what's in my studio and why.

Sequential REV2: not the fattest poly, but I think of it as an ultra high resolution VA.

Sequential Prophet 6: I like the sound of it as much as the 5/10 r4, but even more for the extra filter, stereo voice dispersion, sub osc, MPE, etc. (I'm a big MPE guy via a Roli Rise 49)

Elektron Analog Four mk1: So fun and quirky sounding. I don't even use the sequencer, but I love the overall package of it, lots of very cool features in a tiny box.

Elektron Analog RYTM mk1: same as above... but drums!

MFB Dominion 1: Ultra phat analog, more modulation options than any emulation that's not a modular and doesn't ultimately crap out at the high registers, like basically all emulations do. (This one is for sale because I have another analog and I want the new Super Gemni)

Sequential Prophet 12 desktop: This is my go-to for distressed Boards of Canada style sounds and general sonic mayhem. Definitely not the fattest or lushest synth in the world, but it's got a character that I really love. The tuned feedback is brutal.

Studio Electronics ATC-X: My other ultra phat analog. Less features than the Dominion 1, but more capable than any emulation, plus it has filter clones of a Model D, 303, SEM and ARP.

Waldorf M: This replaced a Peak and 002r. It's my go-to for vintage style wavetable sound. I miss the 002r, but I had to gather funds for the Super Gemini*.

Arturia PolyBrute: this is just a beast. Great sound, tons of flexibility and options and the morphing thing is amazing for evolving sounds.

(*The Super Gemini will replace my GEM S2 which I'm using as a controller, and give me another hybrid)

My experience with hardware synths:
Virus ti2 - when i had it for few years, i was really keen on working with it, but in the end the sound for me was "lemme open an instance of Sylenth1 now"-kind of thing. It was cool with all the knobs and the ease of editing and dialing sounds, but i was already used to creating patches with mouse , clicks, keyboard and in the end i used the TI for two sounds in the two songs for the three years before i let it go.

I had a C for a long time and TI for a year, and I felt the same way.

Behringer Model D - my first analogue synth - i got it because i am big aficionado of 80's boogie funk and synth funk in general and thought that i 'need it' for my music. It didn't get a lot of usage either.

I do think the Behringers are amazing sounding for the price, but they're pretty bare-bones for me, so I've skipped them.

So, i am probably used to working with software, but to experiment with other type of instruments as well is amusing perspective.
To be honest not much of the vast choices interest me , but i started the thread because i watched couple of synth jams with the NM rack that are pretty wild into the sonic exploration thing - and the sound seems smooth and not harsh .

Well, you can get harsh sound out of hardware or software, depending on how you use them. I do game music and sound effects, and I tend to be in VCV Rack Pro a lot. You can definitely get smooth sounds from it, but like anything, you need to be careful. All modular software will have some sort of digital artifacts if you push it hard enough. I am curious as to how the Nord holds up to the same abuse. Maybe someone will post an example.

Also by analog emulations are you referring to VSTis or VA hardware synths?

Plugins. I've not found any hardware digitals that I find interesting except for maybe the new Synclavier, but the interface on it looks like a nightmare to me. If they do a software editor, I might take a look at it in the future.

Another one i am interested is also Novation Supernova Rack

Yeah, I remember having a great time with an Indigo keyboard at a music shop. I always dug that era of Novation's sound, but not enough to keep one around. I'd love it as an emulation, though.

It's great for modular novices and even better for people (like me) who have no interest in modular. If you find one with the stock patches intact, that could be enough for you to never need to use the editor. Just tweak away at the knobs and enjoy it.

When i do this thing with VCV rack , i always have the FOMO of not having mapped the most appropriate parameters

When I want some knobs for real time abuse, I run things inside Maschine. I've got a Maschine MK1 that's still going strong, and I often see them selling for cheap. I've not used it with VCV yet, though. I mostly use it for effects.

I want to thank all of you who took time to participate and post answers to this inquiry . And lets hope for the better tone of discussion , less personal attacks and misunderstandings , more enjoyment out of knob-twiddling

Thanks for coming back to the thread. I know I tend to go on the offensive easily, but I don't really like to be told to shut up, especially when I seem to be interested in the same thing the thread is actually about. It's fine to have a thread full of happy-talk, but just make a "I joined the cult of..." thread for your favorite piece of gear and have at it.

[nix808]

the G2 has a monophonic demo,
I think it still can be found here==>
https://www.nordkeyboards.com/downloads/nord-modular-g2
I have the G2 engine,
it's a unique environment.
I just tweak and scroll the extensive library,
running on an XP VM

[Uncle E]

To be honest , i am sincerely interested if the hardware NM would have such different sound that is unachievable with software. Trying to match it with VCV or Reaktor would be another interesting test . Or as someone already mentioned , it would be cool if the motorolla DSP emu team create 1:1 plugin for it .

No software sounds the same. It would be a bit strange for someone to exactly model the original Nord Modular sound (porting is a different story) because it's a step backwards in terms of sounding like an analog modular. BUT, it's an interesting sound that many people enjoy (including me), despite not sounding as analog as today's software.

[mjudge55]

To OP, I do suggest you not go thinking NM is some decades old lost ark of sonic superiority no current software can touch because it's magic. It's a computer in a red box. It's just designed well and goes into some places in a particular way that a niche of people get into and that's that.

Yes, i had something similar in mind but assumed there might be something more than that, so that is why i came here to discuss .

Right on. I assume you're looking at a G1 since you mentioned rack, but I can't overstate what a revelation the G2 control surface, added modules, and MIDI out are. It's a significant price bump and the G2 is finicky about its usb connection, but it is well worth it in my opinion. A lot of folks favor G1 sonically but to me the family resemblance is clear.

This dude did some G1/G2 sound comparisons that helped win me over to G2 if you're interested: https://soundcloud.com/sovietpop-1/nord ... 2-new-file

[whyterabbyt]

the G2 has a monophonic demo,
I think it still can be found here==>
https://www.nordkeyboards.com/downloads/nord-modular-g2
I have the G2 engine,
it's a unique environment.
I just tweak and scroll the extensive library,
running on an XP VM

AFAIR, the demo didnt run at 96Khz, only 48Khz so there may be some variance from a 'real' G2.

Nord Micro, and expanded G2 engine here, alongside a good spread of plugin software modulars, and some more recent digital-modular things, eg a Zoia and a Hector module; wouldnt give up the Nords at all, in fact I kinda regret selling my other G2 engine.

[zerocrossing]

To be honest , i am sincerely interested if the hardware NM would have such different sound that is unachievable with software. Trying to match it with VCV or Reaktor would be another interesting test . Or as someone already mentioned , it would be cool if the motorolla DSP emu team create 1:1 plugin for it .

No software sounds the same. It would be a bit strange for someone to exactly model the original Nord Modular sound (porting is a different story) because it's a step backwards in terms of sounding like an analog modular. BUT, it's an interesting sound that many people enjoy (including me), despite not sounding as analog as today's software.

If you love a specific sound of a synth, you probably won’t be happy with an emulation or it, or even a port. That’s not only true with analog synths, but digital too. I think the DX-7 has been nailed, but I hear a lot of owners claim the emulations are far off. I thought DiscoDSP nailed the sound of my Nord Lead 2x, but I constantly see people claiming it’s wildly off.

I don’t think I have that kind of loyalty to a sound, but it does seem common. I do feel a bond to my guitars… I’m not sure if it’s the sound of them, though, as I seem to be able to discard amps and effects for their digital versions. I haven’t had a true tube amp since… 2002 or so. Sometimes I feel a bit of G.A.S. for one, but I swear I think it’s because I find some of them, like the Tone King Imperial, are just beautiful. I’m a sucker for that future-retro style. But then I take a look at that price tag… nope. I’d never turn it on and just spend my days yelling at my cat to not scratch the speaker grill.

[Uncle E]

There were different versions of DX7’s and the early brown ones sound different from the later black ones. Similarly, Nord Lead 2 sounds different from Nord Lead 2X. I think in all of these case, the programming is the same, it’s only the hardware that’s different.

[razzkazz]

Be aware that at some stage it's (NM) editor might not be supported by your OS. I have the Micro Modular, bought it 20 years ago, still love it. But as I am on macOS (long since unsupported) it's a pain to use the editor, have to use wine/crossover and that has many issues.

[xavinet]

I'll be shocked if there isn't a reply indicating Reaktor can do all NM can and more -- in terms of synthesis -- with less artifacts. It's been 20 years, if today's software isn't objectively crushing NM's that would be dumb. The strength of NM is in the things it does that Reaktor doesn't try to do, like being a standalone instrument.

I would love to use Reaktor as a a replacement for my (5) G2. I bought it, but I cannot modulate parameters from 8 sources at the same time in different ranges. The only solution I found would be to use for example Reaper Realearn plugin as interface between controllers and Reaktor, but it would be cumbersome because all parameters should be tuned inside realearn, not inside Reaktor. Or to use another interface, like Lemur on an iPad. Maybe that can be achieve for one patch, but it's not a possible replacement for somebody who wants to patch, to assign, to tune all the parameters independently AND being able to modulate them from different sources, in different ways at the same time.
Another possibility would be to use another modular VA like for example Bitwig, (that is fine for modulation purposes) but several virtual modular specialists pointed the problem feedback loop is dependent on overall buffersize, that doen't allow every patching without sonic incoherences.
I'm highly interested in propositions about ways to modulate parameters like clavia implemented in G2 in Reaktor or in other nice software modular VA, that would share the same 1 sample delay, and not overall buffersize.
About the hardware controller, it is hard to recreate the integration with the software. Easy access to 15 * 8 knobs and 8 buttons with label, with only one drag and drop to decide where we want each controller. I wanted to achieve that with Novation remote SL and Reaktor, but it's another type of work, less fun for me.
About the sound... I also liked NMG1 character, more agressive, and with a fantastic module missing in G2 (filter banks)... But for everything else, G2 is better. I think it was reasonably close to Analog gears, with so many possibilities, so easy programmation, and great portability, to avoid to deal with other VA.

But, as a huge G2 fan, I have also to point several limits : G2 control is sometimes too slow, especially when modulate several slots at the same time. When moving bender, control pedal at the same time, you can observe non fluent results.
There are several little bugs (communication between slots, or in MIDI modules).
And the worst is the actual impossibility to control a hardware G2 with an ARM Macintosh, if I'm not wrong.

I also have an Analog four (it took me months to achieve decent kick, bass sounds... but it's interesting for sequences modulations), 0coast, uno synth pro x, bass station 2, minilog, minitaur... all are great, but I very often mimic them with G2... loosing precision, velocity of real analog devices. What I hardly emulate is my sherman, or other analog shapers, overdrive, fuzz i love. I'm also frustrated with effects, especially reverbs, analog delays, roland chorus...

[Smurphd]

I still have a Nord Modular G2 and would not part with it, no plugin can replace it

What’s unique about it?

The sound is unique. Especially the first one. Id pay almost anything to have them as a plugin.

[zerocrossing]

I still have a Nord Modular G2 and would not part with it, no plugin can replace it

What’s unique about it?

The sound is unique. Especially the first one. Id pay almost anything to have them as a plugin.

I think that puts you in a minority opinion, or someone would have tried to emulate it as modules in VCV or another software modular. I was considering a G2 a long time ago and I couldn't find a demo that impressed me enough to wish for a software version. It sounded fine to me, but it just didn't really capture my attention. I think the modules that Toybox is making for Reaktor are far more interesting in features and character.

[zerocrossing]

I'll be shocked if there isn't a reply indicating Reaktor can do all NM can and more -- in terms of synthesis -- with less artifacts. It's been 20 years, if today's software isn't objectively crushing NM's that would be dumb. The strength of NM is in the things it does that Reaktor doesn't try to do, like being a standalone instrument.

I would love to use Reaktor as a a replacement for my (5) G2. I bought it, but I cannot modulate parameters from 8 sources at the same time in different ranges.

What do you mean by that? Different CCs?

[Uncle E]

The sound of the original is different from the plugins. Personally, I had fond memories of the Micro Modular and re-bought it when I saw the controller plugins, only to find out it isn't worth the trouble. You can get most of the same sounds with a Nord Lead 1 or 2 with none of the hassles.