Autechre Nord Lead 1_v2

I'm going to buy a Nord Lead1 -actually rack1- but like Autechre and the guy here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwidT13MNBA uses I need v2. Since I dont know and have any Nord stuff what is v2 actually? whats the differenre? and is it upgradeable?

v2 is an OS upgrade I believe, but I'm not sure how you would be able to find/install the upgrade yourself. Try e-mailing (clavia.se) clavia or try asking someone on the electro-music.com forums http://electro-music.com/forum/forum-137.html

i think v2 is a re-release, with more patch memory, and maybe even polyphony. not a downloadable OS.

Nord Lead 1 is a classic 1st gen VA synth which has four note polyphony and upgradable voice cards

Nord Lead 2 had mainly more polyphony and a higher bitrate but some prefer the lo-fi sound of the NL1's filters

Nord 3 had a more hi-fi approach then a dedicated 'virtual analogue' and feelings are mixed about its colder more precise sound which had the same filter algorithms present in the Nord Modular G2 hence why Clavia released the NL2X which sounded more like the older 'Leads' and later discontinued the NL3 which is a shame as it had the best user interface ever

Nord Modular G1 is the best of the bunch imho, warmer 2nd gen filters, infinity flexible, percussion, sequencers, external processing and can sound like either a NL1 or NL2 with the bitrate FX

the programmer also works a treat with a touch screen monitor

There is a v2 firmware upgrade available for the original Nord Lead that adds additional filter options, percussion kits, etc. The polyphony upgrade is as far as I know separate from the software upgrade, although you might want to check with Clavia or a distributor about that one (maybe v2 requires it, I dunno). This thread has inspired me to look into getting the v2.7 software for my Lead, which is currently languishing with v1.6...

nord lead 2 is more expensive

has effects (no delay tho)

sounds a bit different from the 1

doesn't have the cool beveled end piece as the 1

nl2 has 12voicesb(w/o expassion card the nl1 needs iirc could be wrong)

the knobs on the nl2 are a bit "stiffer' than the 1 which i didn't like

nl2 has ring mod and distortion/bitcrush fx

"squlecher" filters

added lfo and arp waveforms and patterns

and osc 1 can synch with the noise generator

nl2 also has two extra outs

thus asidei still prefer the 1 for some odd reason, maybe cuz it was the first non software hardware VA I owned ;)

if you're going for the 2 i'd say go all out for the nord lead2x (different than teh 2 with more patch storage) or all the way to the 3 but be warned even though the 3 has one of the most awesome physical layouts with the knowbs and such it sounds completely different than the 1 and 2.

i'd go for the 1 best band for the buck and with an added external effects proccesor or just running it thru you computer fx its a pure win. great feel, great sounds, and the knobs and interface are awesome. i sincelerly regret selling mine.

check out the freeware softsynth "synth 1" or disco discovery dsp demo they are modeled on the nl2

How do you consider the NL2 to have effects? I wouldn't really count the ring mod as an fx, and I'm not sure what you mean by the bitcrush fx(the distortion button?). They are more like sound creation parameters, but I'm probably just splitting pubes since I'm thinking of effects as something at the very end of the chain, after the filters and amplifier. But there is no delay, no reverb, no chorus, etc. I think the lack of any real effects is a downfall to most of the nords, but the nord wave has effects.

I've never heard an NL1 in person, but I love my NL2, and I've actually had sex with my nord modular.