Percussion-Lead2x

[flabby]

Hey everyone!
Just got my hands on a nord lead2x (well past 2 months)!

I'm pretty interested in the percussion patches and the sounds it seems to produce.

I was just wondering if anybody has explored the percussion side of the nord lead?

Any tips, tricks, techniques?

Any patches about ?

Really into tribal, boomy and glitchy type sounds, somewhat like Autechre Confield etc.....if this helps
Cheers!

[Wout Blommers]

flabby.

NOTE! I don't own a NordLead2X, but I think, at least you have to try out, changing a parameter could destroy the original file. If you have lost some factory presets during working with the synth, all Percussion Programs are in the electro-music.com NordLead archive. (Using PCMCIA cards on the NL2 is the only way to store a Percussion kit, but how is this organized on the 2X?)

Yep, the Percussion Mode of the NordLead, the most neglected part of it...
This mode makes it possible to use 8 different sounds in one Slot, divided in fixed 'zones' over the Keyboard. There are 4 Slots, so in theory one has 32 Programs at hand, very useful when a sequencer sends notes using 4 Midi channels: it can be a hell of a drum box... Most of the time only one Slot is used, so let's keep it simple

The 4 octave range of the Keyboard is split into 8 groups of 3 or 4 white keys and the lines are drawn between e/f and b/c as said above.

Every sound (Program) possible in the NordLead can be loaded in each zone using the black keys of that particular zone. It's important to know the available notes (white keys) will act as the normal Keyboard and will play their normal notes. Octave Shift is really important using the Percussion mode.
Another important thing is the LFO's are global, which means all the 8 sounds use the value of the LFO loaded in the last played zone and react to the low note priority rule! This is to be considered when using the Arpeggiator in Percussion mode, special when creating patterns...
(This last remark is only for the 'die hard Percussion Mode users'. Simple said, when you like Sudoku puzzles, you love creating patterns in Percussion Mode without using an extern sequencer and the Arpeggiator-Hold function )

About tips creating sounds.
Every Program loaded into Percussion Mode has it's own parameters, also the LFO's! So, all the wave forms can be used every time, special modes like RingModulator and Sync... All is possible. So it can be used as an 'effect' mode too.

Important in creating 'short' sounds (blips & blobs) are the Attack and Decay of the two Envelopes, the ModEnv (special FM) NO Sustain in the Envelopes! Release could be important, special a long one, so when playing long notes the sound will 'choke' where a short (stacato) played note could result in an echo like release, like a pistol shot in a concert hall (When using a moderate low Decay time, that is)...

Some tips using the Arpeggiator.
The Arpeggiator is a keyboard function. When set to jump to the next octave, it will jump to that sound too, so in factory preset it means: jumping from 'bass drum' to 'hi-hat', skipping the 'side drum', just by pressing the low C. If you want to use 'bass drum' + 'side drum' combination, just replace the 'hi-hat' by the 'side drum' Program using the black keys and 'tune' using the OctaveShift.
When setting the Arpeggiator for all Programs to the same value, just press [Shift+LFO1-wave form] to enter the knob test. When tweaking the Rate knob the LCD screen shows the value. All Arp Rates can be set to the same value this way.
When creating a pattern, sometimes a no sounding Program (PatchGain set to '0') can be inserted to skip a beat in the pattern.

Special settings, like the Hold function (important in a pattern) have to be set by hand every time the Percussion file is loaded into the Slot.
Mostly I use only 7 sounding Programs in a Pattern and I silence the highest zone by turning the Gain down, simple to stop the pattern running. Hitting a sounding key will restart it.

Uhh, was I able to provide you some hints and to give you a little push forward?

Wout

[flabby]

Cheers for the pointers Wout!!

Yeah the info really helps, a few things there, especially the Arpeggiator I wasn't completely clear on.

Also I have found some other percussion patches you created in the NordLead archive. Haven't had a chance to test them out yet.

As far as storing a kit goes, on the NL2x its stored internally by pushing the store button twice. I haven't had to use PCMCIA cards.