The Nord Lead is a series of synthesizers that use virtual analog technology, made by the company Clavia. The first Nord Lead was introduced in 1995 and helped make the term "virtual analog synthesis" well-known. Clavia created this term when the Nord Lead was first released. This synthesizer is special because of its red color, surface covered with many knobs, and features such as a pitch-stick and modulation wheel. Over time, the model was updated with versions called the Nord Lead 2, Nord Lead 3, and Nord Lead 2X.
Models
The first Nord Lead was released in 1995 and received good reviews. Peter Jubel helped create it and also co-founded Propellerhead Software. Unlike synthesizers that use analog parts, the Nord Lead uses digital signal processors (DSPs) programmed to mimic both subtractive and analog FM synthesis (cross-modulation) to create sounds similar to traditional analog synthesizers. It was unusual for its time because it had many knobs, allowing users to adjust sound settings directly without using menus.
The Nord Lead could play four notes at once. A later upgrade increased this to twelve notes. This update also added storage for sound settings on PCMCIA cards and a feature for creating drum sounds.
The Clavia Nord Lead 2 was released in 1997, two years after the original. It increased the number of playable notes from four to sixteen. New features included a ring modulator, the ability to sync an oscillator with a white noise generator, a sine wave for the oscillator, more options for LFO and arpeggiator patterns, filter distortion, and four separate outputs. It also had more storage space and a PCMCIA slot for saving sounds.
The Nord Lead 3, introduced in 2001, had more advanced features, such as 4 operator FM synthesis (sinus modulation) and an arpeggiator. A major change was replacing the control knobs with endless rotary knobs that had a lighted ring to show the current setting. However, the Nord Lead 3 was more expensive than the Nord Lead 2, so the older model and its updated version, the Nord Lead 2X, were sold together. The Nord Lead 3 was discontinued in 2007, leaving the Nord Lead 2X as the only model in the series.
In 2003, Clavia released the Nord Lead 2X, an updated version of the Nord Lead 2. It had more playable notes (20), higher quality audio processing, and more storage for sound settings. The PCMCIA storage was removed, but it kept the same sound engine as the original Nord Lead 2.
In 2008, Clavia released a special limited edition of the Nord Lead 2X with black keys and white sharps/flats to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. Each of the 300 units came with a numbered certificate.
In 2013, Clavia announced the Nord Lead 4 at a music trade show in Germany. It had an updated sound engine, new filters, and a "True Voice Unison" mode that allowed up to four oscillators to play together. It also had a dedicated effects section with reverb, delay, crush, and distortion. The "variation" controls let users adjust up to seven parameters quickly during live performances. Like the Nord Wave, the Lead 4 supported MIDI input and output over USB 2.0.
At the 2014 NAMM Show, Clavia introduced the Nord Lead A1. This model aimed to make the Nord Lead series easier to use for more people, with a new oscillator interface and improvements to help users create sounds quickly and creatively.