Trademarks: The Nord logo is a trademark of Clavia DMI AB. All other trademarks mentioned in this publication are the properties of their respective holders. Specifications and appearances are subject to change without notice.
2 models - keyboard and tabletop mately delivers sensational sonic results. The Nord Lead A1 comes either as a 49-key velocity sensitive key- Our best-ever analog modeling … board with a modulation wheel and wooden pitch stick, or as a table- At the heart of the Lead A1 is our new analog modeling engine.
6 | N ord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x 2 Overview Voice Mode The Panel The Voice Mode Unison parameter can be used to stack several voices on top of each other to create a fatter sound. Mono and Legato are We will familiarize ourselves briefly with the controls on the panel here. two monophonic behaviors.
Grab a knob or press a button, it is that easy to change a sound in the Knobs Nord Lead A1. There are a few different types of buttons, and some The knobs control the continuously variable param- of the controls change their behavior depending on overlying modes eters in the Nord Lead A1.
The computer can run the Nord Sound Manager application or A 1/4" stereo connector for headphones. be used if the Nord Lead A1 operating system needs to be updated. Playing at a high volume level can result in hearing impairments USB MIDI such as permanent hearing loss.
Getting Started Slots Hold Shift and press Store. The display starts flashing. The Nord Lead A1 has four If you want to overwrite the original program number, just press Slots labelled A, B, C and Shift + Store a second time.
The content of the virtual clipboard will remain until you copy another Read more about Morphing on page 13. setting or parameter, or turn off the Nord Lead A1. This makes it pos- sible to paste the same data to several destinations.
The Slot buttons, labelled A to D, are used to set the Slot focus, and the active state of the Slots. The Nord Lead A1 is a four part multi timbral synthesizer. This means To change focus to another Slot, simply press that Slot button. If focus that you have four independent synthesizers to be used simultaneously.
Mod. Wheel Slot Channel 12 | nord lead a1 USer ManUal v1.3x Pitch Stick Program Handling Performance Mode The A1 handles two different program entities; Programs and Perfor- The Perf Mode button is used to cycle between Performance Mode mances. The memory contains 400 Programs divided into 8 banks, and Program Mode.
Morph range. Velocity Morphing This Morph source uses the Note Velocity from the Nord Lead A1 keyboard and from any incoming MIDI messages. Morphing allows you to be creative in your sound design, and is • A key velocity of 1 represents the parameters original setting.
14 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x Editing Morphs Edit a parameter’s Morph range: • Hold the Morph Source button and turn the destination knob to a new position. Clear all parameters assigned to a Morph Source: • Hold Shift and press the Morph Source button that is to be cleared. Clearing one parameter from a Morph: • Hold the Morph Source button and turn the parameter knob to its original position.
Mutator Mutate Morph The Nord Lead A1 Mutator is a great and easy- The Mutator and Randomize features in the Nord Lead A1 can be used to-use tool to spark the creative process by to create Morphs. creating totally new or slightly changed sounds.
50th Like location, the next Like will overwrite the content in the 1st location. The Like memory is temporary and will be cleared when the Nord Lead A1 is powered off. Program Likes Pressing Like when Program Mode is active, will save the sound in the focused slot to the Program Like memory.
Copies can be made from Morphs and entire Slots (com- plete Programs). A copy can be pasted several times, the content of the clipboard is kept until another copy is made or the Nord Lead A1 is Program/Value Dial turned off. A selection of active Slots can all be copied to a Perfor- mance, and a Performance can be copied to Program mode.
• LEDs to the left of the center LED will indicate a shift downwards. additional Slots, hold one Slot button and press the buttons of the ad- Keyboard messages from the Nord Lead A1’s MIDI Out will not be ditional Slots you wish to activate. Any combination of the four slots is transposed.
Chapter 7 panel referenCe | 19 Modulation Wheel Mono The Modulation Wheel can add vibrato if the Vibrato Voice Mode set- Mono makes the Slot monophonic, only one note at a time will be ting is set to “Wheel” and/or act as a Morph Control, to control one heard.
The Nord Lead oscillators and/or the filter in the Nord Lead A1. A1 LFO can also be set to an envelope mode. The amount of modulation is set with the LFO amount amount knobs in the oscillator and filter sections.
Fixed Pulse Waveforms property of the sound can then be shaped and/or modulated. Fixed Pulses will keep the width even if the pitch changes. The Nord Lead A1 features a Shape Mode newly developed Wave Engine with unique Oscillator Configura- Shape = 0.
22 | nord lead a1 User ManUal v1.3x Digital Shape This single oscillator configuration uses the Osc Saw spectra with random phase. Control to act as a powerful waveshaper. Square spectra with random phase. The shaping of the Panel Analog, Extended Analog and Fixed Pulse waveforms uses a tradi- Spectra with only even partials.
The Nord Lead A1 form, the amplitude features a selection of traditional syn- of the high harmonics thesizer low pass, band pass and high will also increase.
This produces a swept comb filter effect, with a nice swoosh- Tempo ing sound. The flanger in the Nord Lead A1 is modeled after a vintage MXR™ unit. The Tempo knob sets the time interval between the repeats. If the...
“completely dry” without affecting already present delay repeats. location. The Like memory is temporary and will be cleared when the Nord Lead A1 is powered off. For a detailed overview of the Like Sound Menu Delay Mode feature, please look at page 15.
The Master Clock is a feature that can synchronize three functions in display if the Mst Clk button is pressed. the Nord Lead A1 to a common tempo; the arpeggiator, the LFO and the delay. The Master Clock tempo has a range between 30 and 300 If you try and manually change the Master Clock tempo when it beats per minute.
28 | Nord lead a1 User MaNUal v1.3x Synced Delay repeats Across the Slots Keep the arpeggio running and we’ll add more things. There is one Master Clock tempo for each performance. All Slots can be in perfect sync with each other. Turn both Delay knobs (Tempo & Dry/Wet) fully counterclockwise, press Feedback to light up the “1”...
Nord Sound Manager Nord Sound Manager is a free application that allows you to organize the various memory areas, the partitions in the Nord Lead A1. It is also used to download performances or programs to the Nord Lead A1 or to upload any of these items from the Nord Lead A1 memory to the computer hard drive.
The Memory Protect setting determines if Programs and Performances FC-7), K0 (Korg EXP-2 & XVP-10), Ft (Fatar & Studiologic VP/25) can be stored to the Nord Lead A1 memory or not. The setting is On when the Nord Lead A1 leaves the factory.
Range: On (default), Off Delay Mode Analog will change the pitch on sounding repeats, when Local defaults back to On every time the Nord Lead A1 is pow- the Tempo is adjusted with the Delay Tempo knob. When set to Nor- ered on.
Nord Lead A1 MIDI operation Sequencing: Global MIDI Channel The Nord Lead A1 is designed to be very flexible in a MIDI setup. Connect the Nord Lead USB connection (or the 5-pin MIDI In and Out) You can use it as a keyboard to control its internal sounds and other to a computer/MIDI interface/sequencer.
Slot if Performance Mode is not enabled. MIDI Dumps If you do not want the Nord Lead A1 to transmit or respond to Program Change messages, this can be turned off in the MIDI Menu. Transmit settings...
34 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x Nord Lead A1 parameter MIDI CC MIDI Controller list Reverb Amount These are the MIDI Control Change numbers used for the Nord Lead Reverb Selector A1 parameters. Reverb On/Off • Buttons that control “on/off” functions have a Controller value of “0”...
36 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x 12 Appendix Performance Section Specifications • Voice modes: Poly, Legato and Mono with Glide, True Unison 1, 2 & • Four program slots for layering possibilities. General • 49-key octave velocity sensitive keyboard with octave shift buttons • Effects. (+/-2 octaves). • FX section with Flanger, Phaser, Ring Modulation, Chorus, Ensemble • 26 voices. and Drive. • Keyboard Split with 2 slots for the upper and lower sections. • Delay section with tap tempo, four stages of feedback, ping-pong, dry/wet mix. The Delay tempo can be synchronized to the Master • Modulation Wheel (keyboard version only). Clock. • Pitch Stick with no dead zone at zero crossing (keyboard version • Reverb section with five algorithms (Room, Stage 1, Stage 2, Hall 1, only). Hall 2). • Programmable Pitch bend range, up to +/- 4 octaves. Memory • Separate up/down bend range: + 2 semitones, -12 or -24 semi- • Programs (single sounds): 8 x 50 (400) locations. tones. • Performances (multi sounds): 4 x 50 (200) locations. • 1 pedal input for sustain pedal. Audio Out • 1 pedal input for expression pedal. • 4 outputs. Each slot can be assigned to its own output. User Interface • Headphones output. • 3 LED displays, 23 knobs, 3 encoders and 20+ buttons for program and performance editing.
Chapter 12 appeNdix | 37 Display Messages Message Description Storing Memory Protected. Mst Clk Tempo Master Clock is synchronized to external MID Clock, tempo cannot be manually set on the Nord Lead A1. Mutator, Randomize, Init Sound Press Execute to Mutate Sound. Press Execute to Randomize Sound. Press Execute to Init Sound. Mutate/Random/Init process executed Copy and Paste related Copy Slot, where x is a, b, c or D. Pasting a copied Slot to a destination Slot (a, b, c or D). Copy Velocity/Wheel Morph. Pasting a Velocity/Wheel Morph. Copy (and Paste) a setting with value 5.0 (0.0 - 10.0). MIDI System Exclusive transfers Read/Write Error. Size Error. Version Error. Check Sum Error. Memory Protected.
This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by Clavia may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product. 2. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/ or another product use only high quality shielded cables.
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