Nord Rack 2X Now Shipping

(Click for a close-up)

Clavia has announced the release of the rack mountable table top version of the Nord Lead 2X, the Nord Rack 2X. The concept behind the Nord synthesizer hasn't changed, but Clavia has improved upon the concept and upgraded the hardware to make it possible for the Virtual Analog sound to live on for many more years to come.

The Nord Lead 2X and Rack 2X has the same characteristic sound and functions as the Nord Lead 2/Rack 2, except for some very nice improvements:

X-tra polyphony: The Nord Rack 2X comes with 20 voices polyphony - very useful when creating layered sounds, "power pads", leads and booming basses. 20 voices are also very beneficial in sequencing situations when you use more than one sound at a time.

X-tra memory: The Nord Rack 2X comes with a large internal memory holding 4 x 99 user Programs, 100 user Performances and 4 x 10 user Percussion Kits plus 6 x 99 factory Programs and 3 x 100 factory Performances. The Nord Rack 2X is 100% patch compatible with the Nord Lead 2 and Nord Rack 2 which means that you can transfer sounds directly between the models via MIDI.

X-tra high resolution: The sound in the Nord Rack 2X is refined even further thanks to the new 24-bit DACs running at 96kHz.

Technical specifications Nord Rack 2X

Polyphony

• 20 voices. 4 part multi-timbral.

Special features

• Velocity programming: Each function that is controlled by a knob, can be programmed to be controlled by MIDI Keyboard Velocity.
• Morphing: Each function that is controlled by a knob can also be controlled by Modulation Wheel MIDI data or control pedal to continuously fade between two sets of values.

Performance controllers

• Octave Shift buttons (+/-2 oct.)
• 1 pedal input for sustain and 1 for control/expression pedal.

User interface

• 3 digit LED display, 26 knobs and 27 buttons for program editing.

Oscillator section

• Oscillator 1 generating sine, triangle, sawtooth or pulse wave with adjustable width. Oscillator 2 generating triangle, sawtooth or pulse (with adjustable width) and can also generate noise with a color control. Oscillator 2 can be hard synched to oscillator 1. Linear deep frequency modulation of osc 1 from osc 2. A wide range of new waveforms with a strong formant character is achieved with the synchable noise, where noise can be synched to Osc. 1.

Filter section

• 12 dB "2 pole" lowpass, 24 dB "4 pole" lowpass, bandpass or highpass, Notch + Lowpass. Cut off, resonance, envelope amount, envelope amount controlled by velocity. ADSR envelope. Filter keyboard tracking can be set to full, 2/3, 1/3 or off. Filter distortion.

Amplifier section

• ADSR envelope, gain control.

Modulation section

• Lfo 1 generating triangle, saw, pulse, LF filtered noise and random staircase routed to Osc 1+2, Osc 2, filter, pulse-width and FM amount. Lfo 2 produces a triangle waveform, routed to Osc 1 and 2 or amplifier. It also controls the rate for the arpeggiator. Arpeggiator: Range: 1 - 4 octave. Modes: up, down, up/down, random. Echo can be set between 1 and 8 repeats. Modulation envelope (attack, decay) for Osc 2 pitch, FM amount and pulse width.

Performance section

• Play mode: Poly, legato, mono, unison mono, unison poly. Manual mode. Four program slots for layering possibilities. Portamento/Auto portamento.

Percussion kits

• 40 user "analog" percussion kits. Each percussion kit holds 8 independent sounds, configured in 8 zones across a 4-octave MIDI Note range.

Internal memory

• Programs (single sounds): 990 (396 (4 x 99) user, 594 (6 x 99) factory).
• Performances (multi sounds): 400 (100 user, 300 (3 x 100) factory).
• Percussion kits (multi zone sounds): 40 (4 x 10) user.

Audio Out

• 4 outputs. Each slot can have its own output. Modes: Stereo, mono and multitimbral mode. Headphones output. High resolution, low noise 24-bit DACs running at 96kHz.

MIDI features

• All control knobs and switches for program editing transmit and receive Control Change messages. System exclusive bulk dumps. One Program/Performance or all Programs/Performances in a bank. MIDI clock synchronizing LFO 1 and LFO 2/arpeggiator restart. Triggering of the filter and amplifier envelopes and velocity control from separate programmable MIDI channel and note numbers. Fully patch compatible with Nord Lead 2/Nord Rack 2.

Dimensions

• Width: 19", Height: 4U, Depth: 115 mm.

(Specifications subject to change without notice)

Price: Approximately USD/Euro: 999.-