Skip to main content

Hi,

Today I sold my Roland XP-80 and went immediately to the music store to get a Nordlead 2. Instead, after a couple of hours of playing both, I came home with the Novation KS4. It sounded richer and fatter to me for starters. It seemed like the KS4 had more of an OberheI'm or A6 type of sound and the NL had a thinner more Moog-ish sound. Even so, I left thinking that I really could get the sounds I want out of either. Do you think so?

The KS4 also had about 400 patch slots instead of 64, the arps could be controlled by MIDI and a mic could go in the back for vocoder effects.

I still have 30 days to change my mind however. I was just wondering if anyone thinks the NL2 is better and why.

BTW, those were my only two choices so it won't do any good to tell me a Virus would have been better or an A6, or even a NL3. I know that already. :) Those are for later. I'm more interested in the sound quality.

Cheers,
Sioux

Comments

Nate Tschetter Tue, 07/22/2003 - 16:37

Hi Sioux

Try to think of it this way, these instruments are simply colors with which to paint a picture. If you have one "color", then you basically paint monochromatic pictures. Note, this isn't wrong or bad, its simply a single color.

If you have another instrument, you have another color. Maybe that color is similar to the first, maybe it isn't. All that matters is if you can use either one to paint the picture in your mind.

Whoa...ok, now that today's "Zen moment" is over I'll just say that I've always liked the Nord stuff. I agree with it sounding a little thinner but the reality is, it can do LOTS. I think they're really fine sounding instruments.

The only Novation I've used (other than the Remote 25 but that doesn't make any sound) is the SuperNova a couple of years ago. I thought it was good...just a bit "plastic fantastic" for my tastes. That is, you press a note and all sorts of filter sweeps, chiffs, breath, echo, reverb comes out. Nothing wrong with that, just a bit much for me out of the box.

So, there's my thoughts...