Good video Tim. I've said similar and buyers need to consider the target market for the Wave 2 before making a purchase. It's been designed for gigging and studio players who need to cover a wide array of sounds and dial them in quickly. It's a relatively light synth (soft gig-bag friendly) and is good for "go, setup, play, leave" situations. It's not meant to be the synth you use to explore new sonic ground, but it is an extremely capable chameleon for pop music. I've expressed my own frustrations on it's limitations, but I've come to embrace it as a strong choice for "foundation voices" in my studio and I use it to cover the basics and leave the more esoteric synths for the decorative flair in my compositions. I can only hope that Nord hears your feedback. Be well and carry on sir. :)
Nice to hear confirmation. I bought it for exactly the reasons your described for use in the studio - as a foundation synth - and I hope the sampling feature helps with that as well. Clean, no-DAW, sample playback machine. Other samplers and synth used for color, Nord Wave used for digital purity. Even Nord Lead 1 will then be color, right? :)
The more videos regarding poly-synths I look at the more I really feel lucky about my Novation Summit. Great sound, a UI that makes fun to explore and create patches and a solid build-quality 😀
Hi Tim - Nevermind the quality, feel the width 😊 Love your videos as you tell it like it is and this is the only one I've seen that mentions build quality. Immediately off my 'interest' list, especially at the price. I have a Super 6 and that is a solid machine. You have a right to expect quality and reliability at this price.
I took a while to warm to the wave 2 but I've grown to really value it as part of my setup. Live performance is where it really shines for me, both for the versatility and simplicity of the sound engine, and the nicely implemented live performance features - the morphing and aftertouch are great. You can cover so much ground with just one machine. I can carry just this synth to a jam and use it for many different styles and have a lot of fun playing it. It's really fast to program and get at the sound you have in your head and literally everything is on the front panel. The VA sound is satisfyingly thick and punchy. I have gripes with it too - link the scant LFO routing, and the wishing they had done more with the static wavetables and samples - the FX could also be a bit more exciting - but I have no plans to replace it any time soon. I also had that problem early on with the dodgy slider caps - but Nord sent a sent of superior replacements free of charge very quickly. I never noticed the shorter keys or thought the rest of the build quality was suspect in any way. I like that folded metal aesthetic actually.
Thanks for the review Tim - excellent as always! I have the Wave 2 and I really like it. Yes, the fader caps fell apart but I had some more delivered within a week from China. I couldn't be bothered to contact Nord as they were dirt cheap anyway and these have a red rather than a white stripe which I think looks nicer. The folded metal case is very solid and while not a superb finish in the left side of the keyboard where you have the small gaps, it's a typical Nord construction technique and I never even gave it a second thought. The memory is on the small side but by the time I have cleared out all the stuff I don't use there's lots left over for me. I think my only real issue is the lack of any real mod matrix but I mainly bought it for the Mellotron sample library and I'm really happy with this synth. I could have bought the Mellotron M4000D but the Wave 2 is currently slightly cheaper but offers a much wider sonic palette.
I have it since it came out and luckily I haven't found any of those issues. It's been working flawlessly. It's mostly a performing instrument, good for anything but not master of everything. I also had the Summit when I bought it and although it was hard deciding which one to keep, I kept the NW2 as it had more accessible features and was easier to create the sounds I wanted. I also think it's sounds better than the Summit. It's not my only synth of course, and the big flaw I have found is the keyboard not sending the arpeggio notes through MIDI, so it's not a good controller in that sense. Summary, it's a good synth that offers a great interface, good to great sounds and has four independent synth engines working at one time, each on of them with its own parameters and FXs. So in reality, you can have a patch with four oscillators (not limited to just one).
I feel like the Wave 2 makes more sense as a stage instrument, where you might need to cover some analog sounds, some FM, some wavetable, and some samples. It doesn’t have to be great at anything in that context, but merely versatile.
Thank you for sharing your inside.Less is more sometimes. I own a Wave2 and like it a lot. Why? The sounds fit in a mix very well and the layout of the synth is direct, clear. The preset organization is sublime compared to any other synth. All the limitations are also true so enough room for a wave3 in the future 😀
Jeez, that Moog filter sounds gorgeous! That's what I understand to mean "musical filter". I don't know if it is accurate, but it's a cool digital filter algorithm with a "cutoff sweep" trick up its sleeve, very good. Yes, 1GB doesn't cut the mustard for sample memory in 2022. Nord always hold their value in the second-hand market, because by the time they're being sold, they're always from an "earlier era" and sound great. Nord gear is always in the possession of a musician that doesn't have other options tho, but can play keys like a real musician (unlike me!), in my experience. Excellent video, as ever, Mr. Shoebridge. Long-time fan of your uploads, you bring an honesty that refreshes the experience for us viewers, thanks.
I love my wave 2 but the secret is the Nord sample editor 4 , it enables me to gig without taking 25 keyboards out! Great little board but you do need to know how to program! And my key caps disintegrated as well (Nord replaced foc)! PS Great video and thanks for drawing attention to this strange and wonderful little board, it is also easy to carry!!
Thanks for all your honest reviews @Tim Shoebridge. Real world opinions are always more useful than the salesperson who just wants to sell you anything and everything. I love my Wave 2, but I can see how it's not for everybody. The bottom line in my opinion is, if the "sample as an oscillator" capabilities of this synth do not excite you, then you should look elsewhere. The Nord Wave 2 is a very specific tool that some people will find inspiring (myself included), while other people will find it lacking compared to other synths. It does have some great virtual analog and FM tones to explore, but there are plenty of other keyboards that are capable of doing that just as well or perhaps better. You need to be willing to put some sampling work in to really take advantage of what the Wave 2 offers. And I don't mean sampling grand piano patches, which again - other keyboards will do that much better. I'm talking about getting creative with unique sample material, and that often requires a lot of trial and error. Some sound sources I try out will surprise me, and then other times I'll think I have a great idea for a sample that turns out to sound pretty cheesy or just plain bad. My point is that experimenting with your own samples requires more effort than a typical synth that doesn't let you load your own content. What you get out of it greatly depends on what you put in. I'm a long time user of the first Nord Wave, so I had a lot of original sample content ready to load into the Wave 2. Upgrading to the W2 was an easy decision for me, as it addressed all my main complaints about the Nord Wave 1: no arpeggiator, no splits, and a small amount of sample storage with only 99 slots. Regarding some specific points made in this review: - I do agree that 1 GB of memory seems small for a modern instrument, and there's really no good excuse for it. I'll take it though, since the Wave 1 only had 180 MB and I got by with that for a long time. A lot of my samples are quite small because I'm not trying to make this synth sound like realistic acoustic instruments. - Build quality is road-worthy, just like the rest of the Nord line going back to the original Nord Lead 1. They've always used this sheet metal style of frame. The broken slider cap is concerning, though mine are still intact. I might buy some replacements to be pro-active. Maybe they just sourced some cheap parts, or maybe the slider stems are too tight and they are cracking the caps? - The keys are around 3mm shorter than the keys on my Sequential OB-6. Some people will find this to be an issue, while others will not. So again, the Wave 2 is not going to be a perfect fit in everyone's synth collection. But it is capable of some unique things, and the user interface makes it fun to use. I also considered the Sequential Prophet X, which seems like a great option. But I was already familiar with Nord's software editor for loading/mapping my own samples, and it seems easier to use than the Sequential software editor. Perhaps my opinion is also influenced by my love of old-school industrial/electronic bands from the 80s that used keyboards like the E-MU Emulator II and Ensoniq Mirage. I view the Wave 2 as a modern take on those synths. And if you play that style of music, the performance controls on the Wave 2 make it an excellent stage keyboard for those genres. You can have 4 different sample programs split or layered across they keyboard, with easy control of levels using the sliders. Throw in some Morph control mappings and you can have a very wide palette of sounds available without even needing to hit that Program Change button.
Do the presets cover that 80s emulator type stuff? That’s why I’m looking at this. Love my Nord lead a1 but it doesn’t cover the emulator Depeche Mode/ 80s horror movie type sounds.
@@MrCshmn Nord's sample library covers some Fairlight CMI and Mellotron samples. And I think maybe some PPG waves. But I don't think they have E-MU libraries specifically, because it's probably a copyright issue. But you can load your own samples into the Nord Wave 2, which is what I do. I have recorded various wavs and samples from lots of older digital synths and loaded them in. It can definitely fulfill a Depeche Mode type role in a band with a little bit of work and tracking down some old sample libraries.
I have used the Wave since it came out and still have it. For me, the Wave2 is a massive upgrade. Surprisingly, it replaced my Prophet X. I use SampleRobot and have transferred all my sampled synths into the W2. This is because the compression of file size is really impressive. The only issue I have is with the keybed. The choice of a "Waterfall" design is peculiar, and I wish it had the same keys as the original. Nonetheless, I believe it's an amazing instrument. It's perfect for live musicians who require hands-on control, diverse samples, and full VA synth capabilities.
You're right about first impressions. When I got my very expensive Korg Arp 2600 FS, one of the oscillators was defective and wouldn't hold a steady pitch. It took me multiple trips to a tech and about 8 months to get it fixed. I was emotionally detached at that point and sold it--buying 2 fully-suspended 29er mountain bikes and the Behringer 2600. The Moog filter emulation you demonstrated sounded a lot like the Roland Juno 60 filter. I've always like the sound quality of the NORD synths. The build quality of the Wave 2 would have irritated me. I loved your piano samples! It's a shame NORD skimped on memory.
Thanks for a very nice video. Funny about the build quality, I am very picky about that and I get a very good feeling about it. It’s a shame about the sliders, but at least it is easy and inexpensive to replace them. The waterfall keys are great, but might not work for everyone and they are not perfect for all synth lead duties. For people that are not great at synth programming (like me) the concept of the NW2 is actually quite nice. The layout is simple to understand and well designed and by layering you can get some nice sounds. The FXs are pretty nice as well. The free software as you mention is really excellent. Best thing for me is that it is sounds great and I have used it in all my tracks since I got it.
I was very surprised about the first impression. I own a stage 3 which I find to be amazing on every thinkable level, I was kind of expecting the same of this one.
I have lots of really great synths, and beside those, I love the lightness and simplicity of the Nord Lead A1. It sounds really great if I am not looking for the perfect nuances of my best “analogues”. So I was looking out for an upgrade to the A1 (perhaps a Lead 4, or to wait for a Nord Lead 5…?). To this end I was looking at reviews of the Wave2, to see if it could do… Fortunately (or possibly unfortunately) coming back to this review has reminded me that the Wave 2 is really NOT for me.
Why would you make a synth out of machined aluminium? A powder coated (?) metal construction will be far more expensive than injection moulded plastic that are commonly used for enclosures. There are some gaps as pointed out and the plastic sliders caps are of poor quality but the actual enclosure is a very rigid construction that feels far from cheep.
@@SuperSualo I guess my point was just that you can still have cheap metal, and having a metal enclosure doesn’t automatically make things high quality. But I’ve never laid hands on this synth, and others have said that it’s fine. So I’ll defer to the judgement of others
@Aaron Foltz count the numbers of steps involved in shaping the nord enclosure and compare that to the plain top sheet of the prologue. The nord will not be cheaper. Not that complexity in production is a quality measure, but the wave 2 is still not cheap...
I agree with most of your comments Tim, and for me personally the NW2 is PERFECT for coveing a lot of live shows that i set up for various artists. The ability to have a combination of sample based patches with the VA side I find super useful and with the added bonus of no laptop required ;) Having said that, its own core sound I find a little underwhelming. BUT, as other have said, I dont think thats the target market. As a kindof swiss army synth for live shows, I think its unbeatable right now. Thanks for the excellent video!
Had a chance to finally play one of these a weeks go. I love Nord as a company but I really don't like the consolidation of the interface in the OSC section (Category > Waveform > Osc Control). Coming from the Lead series dialing in the sounds in this way is not fun or satisfying for me. But I'm sure there are people out there who love this workflow. Cheers Tim.
Just a word on the memory thing: With any kind of digital memory you need to balance its size and speed of access. In the memory which will store the samples for a synthesizer the access speed needs to be quite high for it to play without any latency, and this is hard/expensive to pair with a big size. It's more comparable to a RAM than an SD card. This doesn't change the fact that 1GB is too little, but I think that's the reason why they don't just stick e.g. 128 gigs of memory in there.
In the New Obsolescence products are shipped pre broken. Doesn't matter how many Pounds , Yen, or Dollars, the currencies have sublimated into a gaseous state, with very little value per cubic meter of currency. Only pre broken gear, but hey that is better than the next phase which is no new gear , and buying used needing repair.
Very interesting. I am actually quite glad I bought the cheaper (non-sampling) Nord A1. I think it gives me all the multi-timbrality that I can manage at one go. For pianos, trumpets and strings, I use the Roland Integra and play it with the Nord’s midi. One thing I really like about the Nord A1, is it’s light enough to carry around, and tough enough to take some knocks.
A useful video, I wouldn't fork out that sort of money myself it's $5500 NZD here. However I realised that I could achieve most of those sorts of sounds by using my midi keyboard to control synths and samplers I already own. I would have thought that Nord would have replaced the sliders for free under warranty.
Luckily my fader caps are still intact after one year of daily use. I have the Nord Lead 4 too. For my these are my work synths. If I have a sound in my mind I get to the desired result very fast with both synths. With my other virtual and real analog synths I have to work harder to get the sweep spot that I want. And I’m always missing the morph functions in my other synths. It’s just so fast and easy with the Nord’s.
Great review - thank you! It'a paradox of NW2: despite it's simplicity actually I was able to get almost every sound I had in mind out of it. It's a pity you can't permanently disable local off control. Another argument not to use it as a master keyboard in the studio 😞 I assume this is a "tribute" to company policy for "performance" instrument...
Hi Tim, loved the video, my Wave 2 has also the same knob issues!! Aside from that I use it on stage for all the proggy sounds, and fender rhodes and weird own samples. With my own made samples (many D50/Wavestaion/SY77 layerd sounds) it is marvelous! Love the keys almost as nice to play as my SV1 hp3 for piano sounds, as for synths it is also good but prefer my Jupiter X more
Interesting review Tim… for many years, I have loved my original wave one and eagerly awaited the release of the wave 2. Sadly, when I did get one, I was mortally disappointed and ended up selling it within a couple of weeks. The sound quality of the individual voices and samples are just not as good and I think you highlighted very well, the other issues with the build quality the synth now has.
I have the original Wave and the Wave 2, and samples sound *exactly* the same on both synths now that I figured something out. The "Raw Sample" button does the trick, disabling the "extra" filtering within the playback engine that is separate from the front panel filter section. At first, like you, I thought my Wave 1 sounded better. But I'm glad I figured out the issue, now I'm selling my Wave 1. The Wave 2 is worth it just for the extra memory, arpeggiator, and keyboard splits.
I sold mine simply because I have many other options, I agree the keys are a little short, it surprised me actually when it came, and the end caps were broken right out of the box, however Nord replaced the within a day free of charge. I think the problem is caused by too much pressure on top of them in transit. Be better if they used a stronger nylon though. It reminds me of the telecaster or Gibson pickup selectors splitting. Lastly though I’d say that the quality is really quite good once you get past the end caps. Another thing that I didn’t really get on with was the totally different user interface but like you said, if it was your only synth then this is not really an issue .
15:00 speak for yourself. I bought a CP80 in 2002 for $500 in new condition. loved it dearly for 2 years and passed it on to someone who would cherish it as much as I for $1800. as a child of the 80s, it's a sound which is dear to my heart being used on so many great recordings from the late 70s to the mid 80s.
Even for its limited capability, I really do enjoy the Nord Wave 2 as an instrument. It makes you work within its limitations and it has a ton of usable sounds for recording and live use. I sometimes wish you could go a bit further with it, in terms of programming, sound design and with the samples, but it really is more of an instrument meant for live use and to get good usable sounds quickly. I think Nord really excels with their keyboard user interfaces-it is so easy and fast to dial up a good sound and to program a patch. However, I do think it should be priced more affordably for what it does.
If it wasn't priced so poorly, and had $5 more worth of sample memory, I'd probably have one. I tried it in store, and the build quality seemed ehhh. I actually preferred the implementation of the keybed vs the 2 Electros that were also in store... despite that they're all supposedly TP/8o, the newest Electros' keybed still felt different from the Wave 2!
Thanks for the insight Tim, great video as usual. I must admit I was tempted by the Wave 2, but for not a lot more money you can get a Roland Jupiter X. Maybe a different type of instrument, but that's where I think I'm going. Thank you for helping me make up my mind!
i don't have a problem with the build quality on my Wave 2. on my Jupiter X though... the plastic area around the pitch bend scratches so easily. Roland should've used a harder plastic that isn't so scratch prone(which they have in the past). i've also read from other Jupiter X owners about finding paint flaws. mine fortunately, doesn't have any.
great, honest video. Regarding the limited sample memory, it is a kind of limitation I actually wanted when I got mine. In my view, it would be a mistake to try to fit huge sample libraries into this synth.That's what soft samplers are for. I think of it more for creative sampling and synthesis tasks, along the lines of the first wave of Roland LA synthesis. As you touched on briefly in the video, the sample editor is excellent and makes it really easy to sample maybe one or two notes per octave from your other synths or sample libraries (forget about one sample per note, as you already found). And if you combine this with its internal synthesis capabilities you quickly get into Roland D-50 territory, which is what I wanted it for. Short samples plus synthesis make this synth shine.
If you're going to use a software synth with this anyway, then you might as well save some money and get a MIDI controller instead of spending $2.5k on a stage keyboard🤣. There's even freeware that is more capable in sampling and synthesis than the Wave 2. "Just supplement with software" is kind of a cop out. You could say that to apologize for many bad design decisions.
Depending on many users in the nord-forum, the NW2 would have been finished with just - MORE RAM on the NW1! After all those years i managed to work with that small ram of the NW1. You got to keep in mind, it's not a sampler, it's a synth. Use the wave-memory for clever sources. Nord offers a fantastic lib for samples, but they are much to big for the NW1. Are they pretended to be used with NW1? No. The CMI Library for example is overblown, single sounds brought up to Megabytes. My CMI Serah (Arr1, whatever.. THE CMI sound!) uses a few kb, not mb. With the NW2 nord expanded the wave-memory. NW2 is on my shopping list (NW1 will stay here..), but users feedback shows me, they didn't get the NW2s idea. Many units are sold more or less untouched on the used market. As with with NW1 you, many people need factory-preset-monsters and do not take their time for the possibilities of their instruments. The NW2 will become a victim of this, as the NW1 did.
I agree. I love the wav 2 but I would probably prefer the Iridium because I can sample directly into it, no computer software required. This is only because I am PC-less at the moment…2 years ago the software would have been just fine. So it’s not a “better or worse“ issue just the current compatibility requirement for my studio.
Great review. I am also more interested because of the samples rest everything is good and Nord is popular for same. 1 gb memory is actually a too low at least it requires a 2 to 4 gb memories so that user can freely do the sampling and use the other samples sounds from Nord Library. According to my knowledge too it’s still incomplete product but sounds are so impressive and ready to play specially love the Piano sounds they sounds so amazing and different then other brands electronic pianos. My requirements is basically wanted to buy 88 keys full weighted stage pink like CP88 or MP11SE but it’s little out of my budget. Thanks for the very honest review. ❤
I had the original Wave for a while, and had exactly the same issue with that regarding the cut of the metalwork to form the top. Actually, the bodywork gaps in the OG Wave looked smaller and less randomly cut than the V2 from your video, and they were annoying enough. I did write to Nord with my thoughts on it at the time. Guess that's 10 mins of my life I'll never get back.
It sounds pretty amazing. I can't get past the red colour of the Nords. I understand my opinion is entirely subjective, just how I feel about it. Tomato synths. I had no idea the build quality was so... sparse? That sheet-metal construction of the casing would really bother me. I'm glad you pointed that out. All that aside, again, it sounds gorgeous. Perhaps a little too much overlap with my current synths. I feel like my Super 6 and my Iridium would make this redundant. Still, your video was enthralling from start to finish, so even though this synth isn't for me, your presentation was such a great watch. Thank you, Tim!
Thanks for the video! The same with the sliders happened to my to my Nord Wave 2. Unfortunately it seems to be a common problem. It sounds really wonderful but in the end I sold it. I think I'll keep my Nord Modular G2 and Nord Rack 3 to the end of my days, though.
I haven't watched the video yet so I'll be interested to see your conclusions but I ultimately didn't get on with it. It was beautiful physically, it could sound fabulous, I loved the performance features, but I think it just lacked some oomph. Also, how are you getting on with the Model: Cycles? ;-)
Even when you rant, you are the perfect gentleman 😁 It's a gut-wrenching experience to pay thousands for premium gear only to have it let you down. I had a similar experience with the Kurzweil Forte 88... I'm a huge Kurzweil fan, and got "talked into" the Forte because it was the next big thing. Turns out it was just a Stage Piano that got a ton of Workstation-like features jammed into it, and not very gracefully. It was unusable (by me), and the sounds weren't all that great (to me), and it too had what... 3gb of user storage? For $3,999 USD at the time. Couldn't get $2,500 for it a year later when I replaced it with the Korg Kronos SE ❤I have been madly in love ever since ❤ We need more true reviews like this out there. Thank you.
The memory is not the same as a thumb drive or SD card. It's special instant access fancy memory that is expensive and hardwired to the Nord operating system. Look it up, I don't know as much as others on this technical topic.
re the limited memory and the card ... I think it's a speed issue. Good sound requires data stored in memory that can be rapidly accessed by the processor. Locating it on an SD card means that accessing the data involves more clock cycles which introduces delay. That could impact on the sound. These keyboards are in development for quite a while (years?) , so the chips will not be the very latest ones... so while I share the frustration I can see the challenge for the manufacturer.
Samples sound really sound dated like decades ago synth sound. Maybe they were going for that. Sound like like they got a bad batch of plastic. I love my Nord Lead Rack for bass. I've used it for many years as a replacement of the classic minimoog bass which is notorious for tuning issues. The Nord Lead rack is such a workhorse for bass. I have 2 of them. 1 as a back up. But mine has been a solid performer so never needed the back up.
Hello, very insightful video, thank you for your time. I wonder if the wave 2 has seamless sound transitions. Is the sound cut when changing programs or does it sustain?
18:46 well, I went, "Wow!" when you demonstrated the Waldorf Kyra's stereo digital filters with the resonance up, to pick thru the harmonics. I've also been impressed by weird ones like Rossum's z-plane filters, Roland's sideband filter, and the Source Audio triple peak filter, even though those are all pretty long in the tooth.
Excelent review Tim! Though I’ve never owned a Nord, everything I’ve heard over the many years, just never gave me any incentive to desire one. Your review further solidifies it.
Personally I really don't like the piano category sounds. However, I wouldn't expect anyone to purchase a Wave for the purpose of using it for anything other than a synth!
Well Tim, that explains the 2 missing slider caps on the demo unit at my local music shop. By the way, I can't take my eyes off your GRP, but man alive, the cost, here in Australia $8,000. Thank you.
@@e-conrecords4665 Really? I'll check that out as I get a super re-investment payout mid year. My figure was a grumpy homebaked Euro to AUD conv. + import tax + shipping.
Have you ever played with a Deluge? You might like the architecture. It uses any SD card, so you can go crazy with sample libraries (I don't understand why things like this Nord or the Yamaha Modx line have such pathetic storage sizes). The engine lets you have 2 layers (rather than 4 with the Nord), which can combine samples or the synth engine in any way you want. The synth engine is pretty simple, but I find it surprisingly adequate for beefing up a sample.
Nord and Yamaha keep the capacity low to prevent longevity and force you to upgrade. They drip feed storage upgrades when for the money you pay you should have gigabytes of storage from the get go. Beyond that and some quality issues Nord make great workhorses.
The lack of sample memory in the NW2 with memory being so inexpensive now, is very disappointing in an instrument that costs so much. Seems like many corners were cut in this new version. I ordered one fairly soon after they came out. I returned it after one day of use. My MacBook Air and a controller surpasses it like crazy.
I find the Nord Drum situation so maddening. Nord Drum 2's go for silly money on the used market because they took away the CV Trig Inputs on the 3. All Nord would have to do is give us back the CV and a more one knob per function interface on the panel for a Nord Drum 4 and they'd have a smash hit on their hands; the engine is phenomenal.
@@SpiralFyre they took away the most important part which was the individual outs. Engines are phenomenal, you do need an external MIDI controller to access the menu divey aspects, This is something I endeavor to do with the Akai Force.
I also have a 3P. My solution is to perform the pads while I record MIDI into my DAW. Then I’ll separate the MIDI notes for each pad, and capture the audio one sound at a time to individual tracks. It’s a huge nuisance, but it’s worth it to me for the end results.
I think as far as durability goes, that metal is ok, but I agree. It does not look like it's in the class that it's in. More like the Teenage Engineering modular synths or something. If they're going to go to the trouble of making wooden pitch-bend sticks, why not use the same wood on the end caps? These simple details make a device so much more attractive. It does seem to sound nice though.
When I played the Wave 2 I noticed and felt that the length of the keys were a little shorter. Not so comfortable to play IMO. So no companion for my Nord Piano.
Nord lead 2X was my baby... loved that instrument. So immediate and player-focused. My later lead 4 was... better in some quality-of-life ways, and different. I also had an electro 5d which was a total joy to play. I really wanted to be excited when wave 2 was announced, but I just didn't feel it. (All my Nords are gone now, BTW.)
@@improkeys2636 I’m primarily a bassist, but I re-introduced synths/keys into my playing years ago. Waldorf Iridium, Dreadbox Typhon, Buchla 208C, and Black Corp. Deckard’s Dream MK2 are my synth voices now.
if your looking for a great keybed check out rolands new synth action on the new fantom and jupiter x. also yamahas FSX is pretty good. tp8/O on the nord wave is great but the keys are much smaller
ciao grazie per il tempo che usi per farci conoscere onestamente alcune tastiere. ma volevo un consiglio se puoi, dovendo comprare una tastiera, sono indeciso se prendere la roland fantom 7 oppure la nord wave 2. i sint mi interessano tanto, ma anche in generale tutta la macchina. mi puoi dare il tuo parere? grazie e buoni suoni
Wow weird I just ordered one of these. I am glad you are reviewing this. Would you prefer the Prophet X over this synth? Does it have a better key bed?
The NW2 has more tone generation options and is easier to load samples into, but I think the PX is a better synth all round. But for me, having had a PX go badly wrong and hearing other people's horror stories, I'd be nervous owning a PX today.
Love your videos! But you're missing the point, the Wave 2 is designed for live work where this can serve as the only "synth" and "piano" you use and is meant to cover as much sonic territory as possible in a 61 key format.
@@TimShoebridge Perhaps, I've seen Nord primarily used for live work in Canada and the USA. I saw the band Mildlife with one on stage - check them out, they're awesome!
I see this keyboard very practical for a gigging musician who wants to bring only one keyboard every night to a diffefent club, and play different music, not something very special for a studio or making an album. There are way better software samples or digital/software synths.
I understand the frustration … actually you pay for the available sounds that you can download … those are all “free” … I hope 😊 … they deliver very good quality sounds but the hardware … hmm , I use the synth A1 … sounds nice but the keys are very bad ! For a synth, no AT , low quality feel … and yes, the wave 2 with only 1 GB … 20 years ago, I should understand this but now these days …
I decided I'd give your video a look see cause.. I just sorta haven't felt like I've appreciated what Nord does... and I thought.. maybe you'd be the guy to help me out.. . err, not so much? Yeah.. like I have big bias in favor of analog over virtual analog.. and for me to get interested in a virtual analog synth, especially one that''s at the upper end of the market.. I really have to feel like it's going to give me something special.. maybe more features then could be easily done with real analog.. I mean I'm thinking "err, my Medusa does FM, Wave Tables, and Real Analog.. has way more modulation and was way less money?" I thought Nord was KINDA for gigging keyboard players.. and maybe that explains it's jack of all trades because... I can imagine that's really useful in a whole lot of live situations where you don't want to bring your whole studio... but like.. then my expectations for build quality are a whole lot higher? So I guess I'm just feeling a little lost on the subject?
2000 smackeroos and the fader caps fall off? i dunno peeps. I know people keep saying they are cheap to replace but I cannot really get behind that outlook. It is a bit unforgivable. I have used cheap af sliders that have worked flawlessly. A bit unforgivable really. And Tim... I too dislike that metal weirdness. What the...? A bit of a shame in my opinion. Think I will stick with my midi controller keyboards. Lmao.
Seems my hunch wasn’t far off, never owning one but sounds described as a overpriced rompler. Lest yould be playing a gig steady at a 90’s soft rock pub or cruise ship then, it may be worth the price.
As much as I like the sound of Nord keyboards (The acoustic pianos in particular), the reliability of their keyboards has not been good by reputation. This is where Yamaha does a much better job typically. You do not expect Yamaha keyboards to fall apart. The only thing that ever went wrong on four Yamaha keyboards I have owned is the keybed on one of them, where I spilled drinks on it - i.e user error.
Thank you Tim for this video. Always very well done. I will never understand this popularity of the Nord keyboards, even among the professional musicians. We often see one on stages or shows. Yes, sounds quality is good but there are so much others synths with the same sound quality (or even best) and far more sounds design possibilities, and for a lower price ! Some of the poor specs of the Nord Wave 2 : - 1 Osc only ! - Static wavetables - 1 LFO only - No true modulation matrix - No AUX outputs - etc.... I don't say the Nord Wave 2 is a bad synth, not at all. But in my opinion, it doesn't worth 2,500 €.
All Nord front plates are bent/built like that. Worrying about the volume sliders disintegrating. Good point with the memory but is probably related to that you wouldn't be able to scroll through all sampled patches with an external memory since they need to be in RAM memory. With that said, 1GB is small if you can´t delete the factory presets. Looks like you are not going to keep it considering the protective film and sticker on in a review video. I´m happy with my NLA1 even though it has some shortcomings. The power of the nords is the layering, at least the A1.
Good video 👍. 2:32 I can understand the steel top for robustness and light weight but those big ugly holes don't look like they'd pass the "Pint-sloshing drunk punter" test. The weedy end cheeks and those cheap fader knobs seem to be a case of ha'porth of tar - I've got 40 year old gear with slider knobs that are as robust as the day they left the factory! At that price, customers shouldn't have to be sourcing parts no matter how inexpensive. If anything the fact of replacing the knobs so cheaply makes it even more insulting. I'm not the target demographic for this kind of product so my thoughts are mostly irrelevant but some of those patches are pretty usable - not everything has to leap out of a mix.
Good video Tim. I've said similar and buyers need to consider the target market for the Wave 2 before making a purchase. It's been designed for gigging and studio players who need to cover a wide array of sounds and dial them in quickly. It's a relatively light synth (soft gig-bag friendly) and is good for "go, setup, play, leave" situations. It's not meant to be the synth you use to explore new sonic ground, but it is an extremely capable chameleon for pop music. I've expressed my own frustrations on it's limitations, but I've come to embrace it as a strong choice for "foundation voices" in my studio and I use it to cover the basics and leave the more esoteric synths for the decorative flair in my compositions. I can only hope that Nord hears your feedback. Be well and carry on sir. :)
Nice to hear confirmation. I bought it for exactly the reasons your described for use in the studio - as a foundation synth - and I hope the sampling feature helps with that as well. Clean, no-DAW, sample playback machine. Other samplers and synth used for color, Nord Wave used for digital purity. Even Nord Lead 1 will then be color, right? :)
The more videos regarding poly-synths I look at the more I really feel lucky about my Novation Summit. Great sound, a UI that makes fun to explore and create patches and a solid build-quality 😀
Peak and Ultranova, too 😎👍
True story; every time I walk by my Novation Summit, I audibly say "Man, I love this keyboard."
@@VisionsMusicGroup Does the same go for your wife? 😂
When I walk by her, I audibly say "Man, I love your rack", yes 😁
CP-80 Patch: Not true.
Many of us want it! Hats off to Nord for adding it in 👌
Hi Tim - Nevermind the quality, feel the width 😊 Love your videos as you tell it like it is and this is the only one I've seen that mentions build quality. Immediately off my 'interest' list, especially at the price. I have a Super 6 and that is a solid machine. You have a right to expect quality and reliability at this price.
I took a while to warm to the wave 2 but I've grown to really value it as part of my setup.
Live performance is where it really shines for me, both for the versatility and simplicity of the sound engine, and the nicely implemented live performance features - the morphing and aftertouch are great. You can cover so much ground with just one machine. I can carry just this synth to a jam and use it for many different styles and have a lot of fun playing it. It's really fast to program and get at the sound you have in your head and literally everything is on the front panel. The VA sound is satisfyingly thick and punchy.
I have gripes with it too - link the scant LFO routing, and the wishing they had done more with the static wavetables and samples - the FX could also be a bit more exciting - but I have no plans to replace it any time soon.
I also had that problem early on with the dodgy slider caps - but Nord sent a sent of superior replacements free of charge very quickly. I never noticed the shorter keys or thought the rest of the build quality was suspect in any way. I like that folded metal aesthetic actually.
Thanks for the review Tim - excellent as always!
I have the Wave 2 and I really like it. Yes, the fader caps fell apart but I had some more delivered within a week from China. I couldn't be bothered to contact Nord as they were dirt cheap anyway and these have a red rather than a white stripe which I think looks nicer.
The folded metal case is very solid and while not a superb finish in the left side of the keyboard where you have the small gaps, it's a typical Nord construction technique and I never even gave it a second thought.
The memory is on the small side but by the time I have cleared out all the stuff I don't use there's lots left over for me.
I think my only real issue is the lack of any real mod matrix but I mainly bought it for the Mellotron sample library and I'm really happy with this synth. I could have bought the Mellotron M4000D but the Wave 2 is currently slightly cheaper but offers a much wider sonic palette.
I have it since it came out and luckily I haven't found any of those issues. It's been working flawlessly. It's mostly a performing instrument, good for anything but not master of everything. I also had the Summit when I bought it and although it was hard deciding which one to keep, I kept the NW2 as it had more accessible features and was easier to create the sounds I wanted. I also think it's sounds better than the Summit. It's not my only synth of course, and the big flaw I have found is the keyboard not sending the arpeggio notes through MIDI, so it's not a good controller in that sense. Summary, it's a good synth that offers a great interface, good to great sounds and has four independent synth engines working at one time, each on of them with its own parameters and FXs. So in reality, you can have a patch with four oscillators (not limited to just one).
I feel like the Wave 2 makes more sense as a stage instrument, where you might need to cover some analog sounds, some FM, some wavetable, and some samples. It doesn’t have to be great at anything in that context, but merely versatile.
Essentially a stripped-down workstation in a sense.
The Nord keyboards are all stage instruments.
Thank you for sharing your inside.Less is more sometimes. I own a Wave2 and like it a lot. Why? The sounds fit in a mix very well and the layout of the synth is direct, clear. The preset organization is sublime compared to any other synth. All the limitations are also true so enough room for a wave3 in the future 😀
Nord Wave 1. My best synth.
Jeez, that Moog filter sounds gorgeous! That's what I understand to mean "musical filter". I don't know if it is accurate, but it's a cool digital filter algorithm with a "cutoff sweep" trick up its sleeve, very good.
Yes, 1GB doesn't cut the mustard for sample memory in 2022. Nord always hold their value in the second-hand market, because by the time they're being sold, they're always from an "earlier era" and sound great.
Nord gear is always in the possession of a musician that doesn't have other options tho, but can play keys like a real musician (unlike me!), in my experience.
Excellent video, as ever, Mr. Shoebridge. Long-time fan of your uploads, you bring an honesty that refreshes the experience for us viewers, thanks.
Just a slight correction: the side panels are metal as well - not plastic.
I love my wave 2 but the secret is the Nord sample editor 4 , it enables me to gig without taking 25 keyboards out! Great little board but you do need to know how to program! And my key caps disintegrated as well (Nord replaced foc)! PS Great video and thanks for drawing attention to this strange and wonderful little board, it is also easy to carry!!
Wave 2 is for stage. It replaced my aging Jupiter 80 in my rig. The enormous sample library and decent synth engine makes it ideal for touring
Thanks for all your honest reviews @Tim Shoebridge. Real world opinions are always more useful than the salesperson who just wants to sell you anything and everything.
I love my Wave 2, but I can see how it's not for everybody. The bottom line in my opinion is, if the "sample as an oscillator" capabilities of this synth do not excite you, then you should look elsewhere. The Nord Wave 2 is a very specific tool that some people will find inspiring (myself included), while other people will find it lacking compared to other synths.
It does have some great virtual analog and FM tones to explore, but there are plenty of other keyboards that are capable of doing that just as well or perhaps better. You need to be willing to put some sampling work in to really take advantage of what the Wave 2 offers.
And I don't mean sampling grand piano patches, which again - other keyboards will do that much better. I'm talking about getting creative with unique sample material, and that often requires a lot of trial and error. Some sound sources I try out will surprise me, and then other times I'll think I have a great idea for a sample that turns out to sound pretty cheesy or just plain bad. My point is that experimenting with your own samples requires more effort than a typical synth that doesn't let you load your own content. What you get out of it greatly depends on what you put in.
I'm a long time user of the first Nord Wave, so I had a lot of original sample content ready to load into the Wave 2. Upgrading to the W2 was an easy decision for me, as it addressed all my main complaints about the Nord Wave 1: no arpeggiator, no splits, and a small amount of sample storage with only 99 slots.
Regarding some specific points made in this review:
- I do agree that 1 GB of memory seems small for a modern instrument, and there's really no good excuse for it. I'll take it though, since the Wave 1 only had 180 MB and I got by with that for a long time. A lot of my samples are quite small because I'm not trying to make this synth sound like realistic acoustic instruments.
- Build quality is road-worthy, just like the rest of the Nord line going back to the original Nord Lead 1. They've always used this sheet metal style of frame. The broken slider cap is concerning, though mine are still intact. I might buy some replacements to be pro-active. Maybe they just sourced some cheap parts, or maybe the slider stems are too tight and they are cracking the caps?
- The keys are around 3mm shorter than the keys on my Sequential OB-6. Some people will find this to be an issue, while others will not.
So again, the Wave 2 is not going to be a perfect fit in everyone's synth collection. But it is capable of some unique things, and the user interface makes it fun to use. I also considered the Sequential Prophet X, which seems like a great option. But I was already familiar with Nord's software editor for loading/mapping my own samples, and it seems easier to use than the Sequential software editor.
Perhaps my opinion is also influenced by my love of old-school industrial/electronic bands from the 80s that used keyboards like the E-MU Emulator II and Ensoniq Mirage. I view the Wave 2 as a modern take on those synths. And if you play that style of music, the performance controls on the Wave 2 make it an excellent stage keyboard for those genres. You can have 4 different sample programs split or layered across they keyboard, with easy control of levels using the sliders. Throw in some Morph control mappings and you can have a very wide palette of sounds available without even needing to hit that Program Change button.
Do the presets cover that 80s emulator type stuff? That’s why I’m looking at this. Love my Nord lead a1 but it doesn’t cover the emulator Depeche Mode/ 80s horror movie type sounds.
@@MrCshmn Nord's sample library covers some Fairlight CMI and Mellotron samples. And I think maybe some PPG waves. But I don't think they have E-MU libraries specifically, because it's probably a copyright issue. But you can load your own samples into the Nord Wave 2, which is what I do. I have recorded various wavs and samples from lots of older digital synths and loaded them in. It can definitely fulfill a Depeche Mode type role in a band with a little bit of work and tracking down some old sample libraries.
I have used the Wave since it came out and still have it. For me, the Wave2 is a massive upgrade. Surprisingly, it replaced my Prophet X. I use SampleRobot and have transferred all my sampled synths into the W2. This is because the compression of file size is really impressive. The only issue I have is with the keybed. The choice of a "Waterfall" design is peculiar, and I wish it had the same keys as the original. Nonetheless, I believe it's an amazing instrument. It's perfect for live musicians who require hands-on control, diverse samples, and full VA synth capabilities.
You're right about first impressions. When I got my very expensive Korg Arp 2600 FS, one of the oscillators was defective and wouldn't hold a steady pitch. It took me multiple trips to a tech and about 8 months to get it fixed. I was emotionally detached at that point and sold it--buying 2 fully-suspended 29er mountain bikes and the Behringer 2600.
The Moog filter emulation you demonstrated sounded a lot like the Roland Juno 60 filter. I've always like the sound quality of the NORD synths. The build quality of the Wave 2 would have irritated me. I loved your piano samples! It's a shame NORD skimped on memory.
Thanks for a very nice video. Funny about the build quality, I am very picky about that and I get a very good feeling about it. It’s a shame about the sliders, but at least it is easy and inexpensive to replace them. The waterfall keys are great, but might not work for everyone and they are not perfect for all synth lead duties.
For people that are not great at synth programming (like me) the concept of the NW2 is actually quite nice. The layout is simple to understand and well designed and by layering you can get some nice sounds. The FXs are pretty nice as well.
The free software as you mention is really excellent.
Best thing for me is that it is sounds great and I have used it in all my tracks since I got it.
I was very surprised about the first impression.
I own a stage 3 which I find to be amazing on every thinkable level, I was kind of expecting the same of this one.
I have lots of really great synths, and beside those, I love the lightness and simplicity of the Nord Lead A1. It sounds really great if I am not looking for the perfect nuances of my best “analogues”. So I was looking out for an upgrade to the A1 (perhaps a Lead 4, or to wait for a Nord Lead 5…?). To this end I was looking at reviews of the Wave2, to see if it could do… Fortunately (or possibly unfortunately) coming back to this review has reminded me that the Wave 2 is really NOT for me.
That's the first time I've heard someone calling a full metal enclosure for being cheap.
It’s not machined aluminium, it’s just cheap sheet metal like you’d get in a bargain basement pc case.
Why would you make a synth out of machined aluminium? A powder coated (?) metal construction will be far more expensive than injection moulded plastic that are commonly used for enclosures. There are some gaps as pointed out and the plastic sliders caps are of poor quality but the actual enclosure is a very rigid construction that feels far from cheep.
@@SuperSualo I guess my point was just that you can still have cheap metal, and having a metal enclosure doesn’t automatically make things high quality. But I’ve never laid hands on this synth, and others have said that it’s fine. So I’ll defer to the judgement of others
@Aaron Foltz count the numbers of steps involved in shaping the nord enclosure and compare that to the plain top sheet of the prologue. The nord will not be cheaper. Not that complexity in production is a quality measure, but the wave 2 is still not cheap...
@@oliverbutterfield9844 lol at expecting a machined aluminum enclosure
I agree with most of your comments Tim, and for me personally the NW2 is PERFECT for coveing a lot of live shows that i set up for various artists. The ability to have a combination of sample based patches with the VA side I find super useful and with the added bonus of no laptop required ;) Having said that, its own core sound I find a little underwhelming. BUT, as other have said, I dont think thats the target market. As a kindof swiss army synth for live shows, I think its unbeatable right now. Thanks for the excellent video!
Had a chance to finally play one of these a weeks go. I love Nord as a company but I really don't like the consolidation of the interface in the OSC section (Category > Waveform > Osc Control). Coming from the Lead series dialing in the sounds in this way is not fun or satisfying for me. But I'm sure there are people out there who love this workflow. Cheers Tim.
Just a word on the memory thing:
With any kind of digital memory you need to balance its size and speed of access. In the memory which will store the samples for a synthesizer the access speed needs to be quite high for it to play without any latency, and this is hard/expensive to pair with a big size. It's more comparable to a RAM than an SD card. This doesn't change the fact that 1GB is too little, but I think that's the reason why they don't just stick e.g. 128 gigs of memory in there.
Thanks!
ASM hydrasynth worth reviewing
In the New Obsolescence products are shipped pre broken.
Doesn't matter how many Pounds , Yen, or Dollars, the currencies have sublimated into a gaseous state, with very little value per cubic meter of currency. Only pre broken gear, but hey that is better than the next phase which is no new gear , and buying used needing repair.
Love to hear your take on the OBX8 and the Prophet 10r4.
Very interesting. I am actually quite glad I bought the cheaper (non-sampling) Nord A1. I think it gives me all the multi-timbrality that I can manage at one go. For pianos, trumpets and strings, I use the Roland Integra and play it with the Nord’s midi. One thing I really like about the Nord A1, is it’s light enough to carry around, and tough enough to take some knocks.
Nord A1 and Integra sounds like a great portable setup. Especially when they make 1 2u racks designed like a satchel/briefcase
A useful video, I wouldn't fork out that sort of money myself it's $5500 NZD here. However I realised that I could achieve most of those sorts of sounds by using my midi keyboard to control synths and samplers I already own. I would have thought that Nord would have replaced the sliders for free under warranty.
Luckily my fader caps are still intact after one year of daily use. I have the Nord Lead 4 too. For my these are my work synths. If I have a sound in my mind I get to the desired result very fast with both synths. With my other virtual and real analog synths I have to work harder to get the sweep spot that I want. And I’m always missing the morph functions in my other synths. It’s just so fast and easy with the Nord’s.
Great review - thank you!
It'a paradox of NW2: despite it's simplicity actually I was able to get almost every sound I had in mind out of it.
It's a pity you can't permanently disable local off control. Another argument not to use it as a master keyboard in the studio 😞
I assume this is a "tribute" to company policy for "performance" instrument...
Hi Tim, loved the video, my Wave 2 has also the same knob issues!! Aside from that I use it on stage for all the proggy sounds, and fender rhodes and weird own samples. With my own made samples (many D50/Wavestaion/SY77 layerd sounds) it is marvelous! Love the keys almost as nice to play as my SV1 hp3 for piano sounds, as for synths it is also good but prefer my Jupiter X more
Interesting review Tim… for many years, I have loved my original wave one and eagerly awaited the release of the wave 2. Sadly, when I did get one, I was mortally disappointed and ended up selling it within a couple of weeks. The sound quality of the individual voices and samples are just not as good and I think you highlighted very well, the other issues with the build quality the synth now has.
I have the original Wave and the Wave 2, and samples sound *exactly* the same on both synths now that I figured something out. The "Raw Sample" button does the trick, disabling the "extra" filtering within the playback engine that is separate from the front panel filter section. At first, like you, I thought my Wave 1 sounded better. But I'm glad I figured out the issue, now I'm selling my Wave 1. The Wave 2 is worth it just for the extra memory, arpeggiator, and keyboard splits.
I sold mine simply because I have many other options, I agree the keys are a little short, it surprised me actually when it came, and the end caps were broken right out of the box, however Nord replaced the within a day free of charge. I think the problem is caused by too much pressure on top of them in transit. Be better if they used a stronger nylon though. It reminds me of the telecaster or Gibson pickup selectors splitting. Lastly though I’d say that the quality is really quite good once you get past the end caps. Another thing that I didn’t really get on with was the totally different user interface but like you said, if it was your only synth then this is not really an issue .
15:00 speak for yourself. I bought a CP80 in 2002 for $500 in new condition. loved it dearly for 2 years and passed it on to someone who would cherish it as much as I for $1800. as a child of the 80s, it's a sound which is dear to my heart being used on so many great recordings from the late 70s to the mid 80s.
Even for its limited capability, I really do enjoy the Nord Wave 2 as an instrument. It makes you work within its limitations and it has a ton of usable sounds for recording and live use. I sometimes wish you could go a bit further with it, in terms of programming, sound design and with the samples, but it really is more of an instrument meant for live use and to get good usable sounds quickly. I think Nord really excels with their keyboard user interfaces-it is so easy and fast to dial up a good sound and to program a patch. However, I do think it should be priced more affordably for what it does.
If it wasn't priced so poorly, and had $5 more worth of sample memory, I'd probably have one. I tried it in store, and the build quality seemed ehhh. I actually preferred the implementation of the keybed vs the 2 Electros that were also in store... despite that they're all supposedly TP/8o, the newest Electros' keybed still felt different from the Wave 2!
Thanks for the insight Tim, great video as usual. I must admit I was tempted by the Wave 2, but for not a lot more money you can get a Roland Jupiter X. Maybe a different type of instrument, but that's where I think I'm going. Thank you for helping me make up my mind!
i don't have a problem with the build quality on my Wave 2. on my Jupiter X though... the plastic area around the pitch bend scratches so easily. Roland should've used a harder plastic that isn't so scratch prone(which they have in the past). i've also read from other Jupiter X owners about finding paint flaws. mine fortunately, doesn't have any.
great, honest video. Regarding the limited sample memory, it is a kind of limitation I actually wanted when I got mine. In my view, it would be a mistake to try to fit huge sample libraries into this synth.That's what soft samplers are for. I think of it more for creative sampling and synthesis tasks, along the lines of the first wave of Roland LA synthesis. As you touched on briefly in the video, the sample editor is excellent and makes it really easy to sample maybe one or two notes per octave from your other synths or sample libraries (forget about one sample per note, as you already found). And if you combine this with its internal synthesis capabilities you quickly get into Roland D-50 territory, which is what I wanted it for. Short samples plus synthesis make this synth shine.
🤣
If you're going to use a software synth with this anyway, then you might as well save some money and get a MIDI controller instead of spending $2.5k on a stage keyboard🤣. There's even freeware that is more capable in sampling and synthesis than the Wave 2. "Just supplement with software" is kind of a cop out. You could say that to apologize for many bad design decisions.
@@GizzyDillespee shhhhh.......you are destroying the "limited/less = better/creativity" narrative from shills.
Depending on many users in the nord-forum, the NW2 would have been finished with just - MORE RAM on the NW1! After all those years i managed to work with that small ram of the NW1. You got to keep in mind, it's not a sampler, it's a synth. Use the wave-memory for clever sources. Nord offers a fantastic lib for samples, but they are much to big for the NW1. Are they pretended to be used with NW1? No. The CMI Library for example is overblown, single sounds brought up to Megabytes. My CMI Serah (Arr1, whatever.. THE CMI sound!) uses a few kb, not mb.
With the NW2 nord expanded the wave-memory. NW2 is on my shopping list (NW1 will stay here..), but users feedback shows me, they didn't get the NW2s idea. Many units are sold more or less untouched on the used market. As with with NW1 you, many people need factory-preset-monsters and do not take their time for the possibilities of their instruments. The NW2 will become a victim of this, as the NW1 did.
I agree. I love the wav 2 but I would probably prefer the Iridium because I can sample directly into it, no computer software required. This is only because I am PC-less at the moment…2 years ago the software would have been just fine. So it’s not a “better or worse“ issue just the current compatibility requirement for my studio.
Great review. I am also more interested because of the samples rest everything is good and Nord is popular for same. 1 gb memory is actually a too low at least it requires a 2 to 4 gb memories so that user can freely do the sampling and use the other samples sounds from Nord Library. According to my knowledge too it’s still incomplete product but sounds are so impressive and ready to play specially love the Piano sounds they sounds so amazing and different then other brands electronic pianos. My requirements is basically wanted to buy 88 keys full weighted stage pink like CP88 or MP11SE but it’s little out of my budget. Thanks for the very honest review. ❤
Do a studio tour please. Thanks. I’d be interested to know how your studio is wired up.
I went with the A1 instead, really a great instrument
Thank you for your honest opinion 🙏 Regards
Funny, I have 30 year old synths that still work ok, all keys, knobsetc intact and solid!
I had the original Wave for a while, and had exactly the same issue with that regarding the cut of the metalwork to form the top. Actually, the bodywork gaps in the OG Wave looked smaller and less randomly cut than the V2 from your video, and they were annoying enough. I did write to Nord with my thoughts on it at the time. Guess that's 10 mins of my life I'll never get back.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 write music not notes
Why aren't we talking about the fact that Tim hasn't removed the film from the Nord's screen after a year and a half?
Haha! Yes I guess that shows my state of mind this whole time 😏
thanks for the honest review.
It sounds pretty amazing. I can't get past the red colour of the Nords. I understand my opinion is entirely subjective, just how I feel about it. Tomato synths.
I had no idea the build quality was so... sparse? That sheet-metal construction of the casing would really bother me. I'm glad you pointed that out.
All that aside, again, it sounds gorgeous. Perhaps a little too much overlap with my current synths. I feel like my Super 6 and my Iridium would make this redundant.
Still, your video was enthralling from start to finish, so even though this synth isn't for me, your presentation was such a great watch.
Thank you, Tim!
I can't get over how great your music room looks, every angle has something that just says "play with me!", which I absolutely love.
Thanks for the video! The same with the sliders happened to my to my Nord Wave 2. Unfortunately it seems to be a common problem. It sounds really wonderful but in the end I sold it. I think I'll keep my Nord Modular G2 and Nord Rack 3 to the end of my days, though.
Gorgeous sound, the build is a bit dubious but my goodness I am envious of multisample support in hardware as this is something I lack.
I haven't watched the video yet so I'll be interested to see your conclusions but I ultimately didn't get on with it. It was beautiful physically, it could sound fabulous, I loved the performance features, but I think it just lacked some oomph. Also, how are you getting on with the Model: Cycles? ;-)
Even when you rant, you are the perfect gentleman 😁 It's a gut-wrenching experience to pay thousands for premium gear only to have it let you down. I had a similar experience with the Kurzweil Forte 88... I'm a huge Kurzweil fan, and got "talked into" the Forte because it was the next big thing. Turns out it was just a Stage Piano that got a ton of Workstation-like features jammed into it, and not very gracefully. It was unusable (by me), and the sounds weren't all that great (to me), and it too had what... 3gb of user storage? For $3,999 USD at the time. Couldn't get $2,500 for it a year later when I replaced it with the Korg Kronos SE ❤I have been madly in love ever since ❤ We need more true reviews like this out there. Thank you.
The memory is not the same as a thumb drive or SD card. It's special instant access fancy memory that is expensive and hardwired to the Nord operating system. Look it up, I don't know as much as others on this technical topic.
re the limited memory and the card ... I think it's a speed issue. Good sound requires data stored in memory that can be rapidly accessed by the processor. Locating it on an SD card means that accessing the data involves more clock cycles which introduces delay. That could impact on the sound. These keyboards are in development for quite a while (years?) , so the chips will not be the very latest ones... so while I share the frustration I can see the challenge for the manufacturer.
Samples sound really sound dated like decades ago synth sound. Maybe they were going for that. Sound like like they got a bad batch of plastic. I love my Nord Lead Rack for bass. I've used it for many years as a replacement of the classic minimoog bass which is notorious for tuning issues. The Nord Lead rack is such a workhorse for bass. I have 2 of them. 1 as a back up. But mine has been a solid performer so never needed the back up.
2:53 I’m not sure if things changed since but the end cheeks produced after 11/2022 are all metal.
Weren’t the "first impressions" already apparent in the shop - before you paid for it?
Hello, very insightful video, thank you for your time. I wonder if the wave 2 has seamless sound transitions. Is the sound cut when changing programs or does it sustain?
18:46 well, I went, "Wow!" when you demonstrated the Waldorf Kyra's stereo digital filters with the resonance up, to pick thru the harmonics.
I've also been impressed by weird ones like Rossum's z-plane filters, Roland's sideband filter, and the Source Audio triple peak filter, even though those are all pretty long in the tooth.
Excelent review Tim! Though I’ve never owned a Nord, everything I’ve heard over the many years, just never gave me any incentive to desire one. Your review further solidifies it.
Personally I really don't like the piano category sounds. However, I wouldn't expect anyone to purchase a Wave for the purpose of using it for anything other than a synth!
Well Tim, that explains the 2 missing slider caps on the demo unit at my local music shop.
By the way, I can't take my eyes off your GRP, but man alive, the cost, here in Australia $8,000.
Thank you.
They aren’t 8k mate! Where did you get that figure from. Store DJ / Manny’s has them for approx 4.3k 👍
@@e-conrecords4665 link please
@@e-conrecords4665 Really? I'll check that out as I get a super re-investment payout mid year.
My figure was a grumpy homebaked Euro to AUD conv. + import tax + shipping.
Have you ever played with a Deluge? You might like the architecture. It uses any SD card, so you can go crazy with sample libraries (I don't understand why things like this Nord or the Yamaha Modx line have such pathetic storage sizes). The engine lets you have 2 layers (rather than 4 with the Nord), which can combine samples or the synth engine in any way you want. The synth engine is pretty simple, but I find it surprisingly adequate for beefing up a sample.
No, but the Deluge is definitely on my wish list 👍
Nord and Yamaha keep the capacity low to prevent longevity and force you to upgrade. They drip feed storage upgrades when for the money you pay you should have gigabytes of storage from the get go. Beyond that and some quality issues Nord make great workhorses.
The lack of sample memory in the NW2 with memory being so inexpensive now, is very disappointing in an instrument that costs so much. Seems like many corners were cut in this new version. I ordered one fairly soon after they came out. I returned it after one day of use. My MacBook Air and a controller surpasses it like crazy.
continue about GRP please :)
great show as always
Is it seamless transition? Listening to Tim playing I don't think it is?
Not a synth I would use but I can appreciate what Nord do having a Nord 3P Drum.
Great upload and hope all is well.
I find the Nord Drum situation so maddening. Nord Drum 2's go for silly money on the used market because they took away the CV Trig Inputs on the 3. All Nord would have to do is give us back the CV and a more one knob per function interface on the panel for a Nord Drum 4 and they'd have a smash hit on their hands; the engine is phenomenal.
@@SpiralFyre they took away the most important part which was the individual outs. Engines are phenomenal, you do need an external MIDI controller to access the menu divey aspects,
This is something I endeavor to do with the Akai Force.
I also have a 3P. My solution is to perform the pads while I record MIDI into my DAW. Then I’ll separate the MIDI notes for each pad, and capture the audio one sound at a time to individual tracks. It’s a huge nuisance, but it’s worth it to me for the end results.
I think as far as durability goes, that metal is ok, but I agree. It does not look like it's in the class that it's in. More like the Teenage Engineering modular synths or something. If they're going to go to the trouble of making wooden pitch-bend sticks, why not use the same wood on the end caps? These simple details make a device so much more attractive. It does seem to sound nice though.
Surely, Tim, you could have just returned it to the retailer for a repair? Plus you have your warranty? Or am I missing the point here?
I bought it at a discount - "open box" - so there would not be a replacement unless I was ok to pay full price.
@@TimShoebridge Okey I understand.
When I played the Wave 2 I noticed and felt that the length of the keys were a little shorter. Not so comfortable to play IMO. So no companion for my Nord Piano.
Nord lead 2X was my baby... loved that instrument. So immediate and player-focused. My later lead 4 was... better in some quality-of-life ways, and different. I also had an electro 5d which was a total joy to play. I really wanted to be excited when wave 2 was announced, but I just didn't feel it. (All my Nords are gone now, BTW.)
What are you playing now?
@@improkeys2636 I’m primarily a bassist, but I re-introduced synths/keys into my playing years ago. Waldorf Iridium, Dreadbox Typhon, Buchla 208C, and Black Corp. Deckard’s Dream MK2 are my synth voices now.
if your looking for a great keybed check out rolands new synth action on the new fantom and jupiter x. also yamahas FSX is pretty good. tp8/O on the nord wave is great but the keys are much smaller
Sometimes it’s just about enjoying an instrument. I have had pleat of synths that are feature packed yet I never use them, because I don’t enjoy them.
ciao grazie per il tempo che usi per farci conoscere onestamente alcune tastiere. ma volevo un consiglio se puoi, dovendo comprare una tastiera, sono indeciso se prendere la roland fantom 7 oppure la nord wave 2. i sint mi interessano tanto, ma anche in generale tutta la macchina. mi puoi dare il tuo parere? grazie e buoni suoni
Wow weird I just ordered one of these. I am glad you are reviewing this. Would you prefer the Prophet X over this synth? Does it have a better key bed?
The NW2 has more tone generation options and is easier to load samples into, but I think the PX is a better synth all round. But for me, having had a PX go badly wrong and hearing other people's horror stories, I'd be nervous owning a PX today.
@@TimShoebridge Thanks man you rock your synths. Do you still have your Moog One? How do you feel about it today?
Love your videos! But you're missing the point, the Wave 2 is designed for live work where this can serve as the only "synth" and "piano" you use and is meant to cover as much sonic territory as possible in a 61 key format.
Yes that's perhaps so but I'd wager that 99% of people buying one will never play it live
@@TimShoebridge Perhaps, I've seen Nord primarily used for live work in Canada and the USA. I saw the band Mildlife with one on stage - check them out, they're awesome!
I see this keyboard very practical for a gigging musician who wants to bring only one keyboard every night to a diffefent club, and play different music, not something very special for a studio or making an album. There are way better software samples or digital/software synths.
I understand the frustration … actually you pay for the available sounds that you can download … those are all “free” … I hope 😊 … they deliver very good quality sounds but the hardware … hmm , I use the synth A1 … sounds nice but the keys are very bad ! For a synth, no AT , low quality feel … and yes, the wave 2 with only 1 GB … 20 years ago, I should understand this but now these days …
I agree. Nords memory space is ridiculous. Over priced too for what you get.
Nord stage is quality touring gear 👍
Yeah....I think I'll stick with my Prophet X
I decided I'd give your video a look see cause.. I just sorta haven't felt like I've appreciated what Nord does... and I thought.. maybe you'd be the guy to help me out.. . err, not so much?
Yeah.. like I have big bias in favor of analog over virtual analog.. and for me to get interested in a virtual analog synth, especially one that''s at the upper end of the market.. I really have to feel like it's going to give me something special.. maybe more features then could be easily done with real analog..
I mean I'm thinking "err, my Medusa does FM, Wave Tables, and Real Analog.. has way more modulation and was way less money?"
I thought Nord was KINDA for gigging keyboard players.. and maybe that explains it's jack of all trades because... I can imagine that's really useful in a whole lot of live situations where you don't want to bring your whole studio... but like.. then my expectations for build quality are a whole lot higher?
So I guess I'm just feeling a little lost on the subject?
These are not actually analog right ? To me analog means voltage controlled oscillators .
Interesting review. I’ve picked up a Roland Juno DS-88 for under $900, mainly as a MIDI controller, but it seems as capable, in a better built.
if Korg upgraded the Modwave to a decent 73 Key Keybed, Poly AT and decent Case/Knobs etc, t would knock the Wave 2 out of the park
For that price you'd get a te op-1 Field. Now that's also swedish
2000 smackeroos and the fader caps fall off? i dunno peeps. I know people keep saying they are cheap to replace but I cannot really get behind that outlook. It is a bit unforgivable. I have used cheap af sliders that have worked flawlessly. A bit unforgivable really. And Tim... I too dislike that metal weirdness. What the...? A bit of a shame in my opinion. Think I will stick with my midi controller keyboards. Lmao.
Seems my hunch wasn’t far off, never owning one but sounds described as a overpriced rompler. Lest yould be playing a gig steady at a 90’s soft rock pub or cruise ship then, it may be worth the price.
As much as I like the sound of Nord keyboards (The acoustic pianos in particular), the reliability of their keyboards has not been good by reputation. This is where Yamaha does a much better job typically. You do not expect Yamaha keyboards to fall apart. The only thing that ever went wrong on four Yamaha keyboards I have owned is the keybed on one of them, where I spilled drinks on it - i.e user error.
Nord build quality is second to none. I don't know where you got the idea that they are not reliable.
Great review and honest,thank you
Thank you Tim for this video. Always very well done.
I will never understand this popularity of the Nord keyboards, even among the professional musicians. We often see one on stages or shows.
Yes, sounds quality is good but there are so much others synths with the same sound quality (or even best) and far more sounds design possibilities, and for a lower price !
Some of the poor specs of the Nord Wave 2 :
- 1 Osc only !
- Static wavetables
- 1 LFO only
- No true modulation matrix
- No AUX outputs
- etc....
I don't say the Nord Wave 2 is a bad synth, not at all. But in my opinion, it doesn't worth 2,500 €.
I'm really surprised how many reviews I've heard talking about the poor build quality of Nord equipment
😎👍🏻
Sounds like you need to move it on!
Maybe they sent you a testing unit?.
All Nord front plates are bent/built like that. Worrying about the volume sliders disintegrating. Good point with the memory but is probably related to that you wouldn't be able to scroll through all sampled patches with an external memory since they need to be in RAM memory. With that said, 1GB is small if you can´t delete the factory presets. Looks like you are not going to keep it considering the protective film and sticker on in a review video. I´m happy with my NLA1 even though it has some shortcomings. The power of the nords is the layering, at least the A1.
Very heavy keyboard for performance... not transportation friendly
Good video 👍.
2:32 I can understand the steel top for robustness and light weight but those big ugly holes don't look like they'd pass the "Pint-sloshing drunk punter" test. The weedy end cheeks and those cheap fader knobs seem to be a case of ha'porth of tar - I've got 40 year old gear with slider knobs that are as robust as the day they left the factory! At that price, customers shouldn't have to be sourcing parts no matter how inexpensive. If anything the fact of replacing the knobs so cheaply makes it even more insulting.
I'm not the target demographic for this kind of product so my thoughts are mostly irrelevant but some of those patches are pretty usable - not everything has to leap out of a mix.