Nord Modular English User Manual v3.0 Edition 3.0

NORD MODULAR V3.0 Table of contents Table of contents Li IMtrOduction ........ccccceccccccseceeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeseeeeaeeesenenes il Wel Come! nwa einai wi About the Nord Modular system 1 About this manual .... 1 Editor handling definitions in PC Reading the manual in Adobe Acrobat Readev..... Windows 95/98/NT4.0 and Mac OS 8.6 Clavia on the Internet 2. OVEPVICW Lice eee te teeter e renee reese reas eae eeesaaeeeeaae ees 3 Nord Modular Front panel Left panel section... Right panel section Nord Modular Rear Panel Nord Micro Modular Front panel . Nord Micro Modular Rear panel 3. Getting Started cesses 6 Editor systemrequirements Installation of the Editor software On PC.. On Mac... Starting p. USB MIDI interfaces. Multiport MIDI interfaces. Sound system.......... Launching the Editor Help files in the PC version of the Editor Loading a patch fromthe internal memory Nord Modular... Micro Modular.. Creating a patch fromscratch Other useful functions Table of contents NORD MODULAR V3.0 AvcBraSie: (WN Chie WS scsgeressiacssscaensyeraen crear maeepucaencees 10 introduction to Nord Modular . Modules Connection: Parameters . Display boxes and graphs LEDs The patch Slots (not Micro Modular) PAECMEStscscorenscansse Poly and Common Voice Areas Create a new patch. Download a patch to the synthesizer Store a patch Add modules to a patch Patch connections... Edit parameters in a patc! Signals in the patch Definiitionisnss rccieecercceven Audio signals, red connectors. Control signals, blue connectors Logic signals, yellow connectors Slave signals, gray connectors. Bandwidth considerations Experiment Modulation... Modulation inputs Mod-amount knobs (attenuators) . Modulation examples Maximum modulation Knobs and controllers Assign a knob to a parameter . The Knob Floater MIDI controllers . Morph groups. Voices, mono- and polyphonic patches Poly and Common Voice patch sections .. The Mono parameter. The KBT parameter ... NORD MODULAR V3.0 Table of contents Si Panel PERerenc@acnenesan wae 6 Knobs and buttons of Nord Modular 46 Master Volume AG Panel Split 46 Find/Panic AT 47 AT Oct shift (keyboard version only) MIDI trig LED (rack version only). Knobs...... 47 Slot buttons . 48 Shiftsccsesxs 48 Assign/Morph. 49 49 49 50 SL Dl 22. Navigator button: Save Synth Settings System button. Synth settings in the system menu Patch settings in the system menu. 56 Edit 59 Patch/Load 59 Knobs and buttons of Micro Modular. 61 61 Volume 61 1/Master Tune. 61 2/MIDI Channel 61 3/Patch Select. 62 Display 62 Patch Increment/Note Trig . 62 dee srastd ferptas ah CVE Pmere DPE TE MOOR Frere core ERY Terre me RT TE Tae PRY oer ee Oa aC 62 6. Editor reference ........cccccccccsceseeeeesceeeeeeeeseeseeee es 4 Files 64 64 64 64 65 65 Save As . 65 Save All. 65 Quit.. Edits... Undo Redo Cut Cop Paste. Clear. Table of contents NORD MODULAR V3.0 Patch. Patch Settings Download To Slot Save In Synth Synth Synth Settings Upload Active Slot Send Controller Snapshot Bank Upload (From Modular) Bank Download (To Modular) .. Setup Options MIDI.. Tools.. Knob Floater Keyboard Floater . Notes Floater Browser.. Windows Cascade. Tile horizontally Tile vertically .... Currently open patches HIP c.cceseeeeeeeee Contents (PC only).. Toolbar... Patch (name). Connection indicators. Useful functions in the Editor . Patch window split bar: Patch window popup .. Module popup.. Parameter popu Cable popup . Computer keyboard short-cuts. “Special functions” keys sd ‘Thiel Fuinetl onilleeysprursscccnmecsmeanin succes gone mara carn urepentecestansanarvscs amare NORD MODULAR V3.0 Table of contents T<Module Feferenc éxcasnanmsainernnm eno 3 In/Out group Keyboard KeyboardPatch MIDIGlobal Audioln... PolyArealn. Aword about the Output module: 96 1 output 2 outputs . 4 outputs . NoteDetect KeybSplit. Oscillator group MasterOSC . OscA A word about slave oscillator: OscSlvA. OscSlvB OscSlvC. OscSlvD OscSWE... OscSineBank OscSIvEM..... Noise... PercOsc DrumSynth . LFO group LFOA LFOB LFOC A word about slave LFO; LFOSIVA . LFOSIB . LFOSIvC . LFOSWWD. LFOSIVE. ClkGen. ClkRndGen. RndStepGen RandomGen RndPulsGen PatternGen.. Table of contents NORD MODULAR V3.0 VI Envelope group. wale 2i9) ADSR-Env. 129 AD-Env. 131 Mod-Env... 132 AHD-En 133 Multi-Env.. 135 EnvFollower aa Filter group 137 FilterA lS7 FilterB 137 FilterC 138 Filter(D 139 FilterE. 140 FilterF. 141 VocalFilter. 142 Vocoder .. 143 Filter Bank. 144 EqMid... 145 EqShelving. 148 149 149 150 150 150 151 151 152 152 153 153 GainControl . Ring-/Amplitude modulator patch example 4-1Switch .. 1-4Switch Amplifier ... NORD MODULAR V3.0 Table of contents Audio Modifier group. Clip. Overdrive. WaveWrapper. Quantizer Delay..... Sample&Hold Diode...... StereoChorus Compressor .. Expander . RingMod. Digitizer .. Control Modifier group. Constant Smooth. PortamentoA PortamentoB NoteScaler PartialGen ControlMixe: NoteVelScal. Logic group. PosEdgeDelay. LogicDelay LogicInv LogicProc CompareLev CompareAB. ClkDiv « ClkDivFix. Sequencer group EventSeq. CtrlSeq . NoteSeqA NoteSeqB Sequencing examples . Vil Table of contents NORD MODULAR V3.0 8. Synthesis basics ...... re re eee aves 19:0 SHUDIE TAGE IVE VN GiOsus ives ai sas ieestcaeedysssagceNemeceiahashoiaaeteasacaaseahs 190 Modules - the building block 5 Connecting modules... The oscillators and waveforms The Filter. The Amplifier Envelope: LFO... Additive synthesis Creating a waveform... Other synthesis and modulation methods FM synthesis. AM synthesis Ring modulatio! 9 .cAD DEN CiXinemsannsmemmmns Serre rer reer eee 210 Voice definition.. Sound engine.. Patch and voice allocation Headroom... Troubleshooting Editor and synthesizer communication problem: 216 Running the Editor and other MIDI applications MIDI implementation chart [8G OX cnswsasnsansasaanmansapamaenmnasmsamenanmannseroseneanawameas 1 9 VII NORD MODULAR V3.0 1. Introduction 1. INTRODUCTION WELCOME! Thank you for purchasing Nord Modular. We would like to welcome you to the fascinating world of virtual-analog, modular synthesis. Prepare yourself for a journey where your creativity can reach new lev- els, in a way that has not been conceivable with synthesizers before. Nord Modular is a digital instrument that remains true to the traditional analog concept and, as you will find out in a few minutes, it manages to go where no analog synthesizer has ever gone. ABOUT THE NORD MODULAR SYSTEM The Nord Modular system consists of two parts. The first part is the synthesizer, which will be called Nord. Modular from now on, and the second part is the software editor, which will be called the Editor. Nord Modular comes in three different models, Nord Modular Key with a two-octave keyboard, Nord Modular Rack and Nord Micro Modular. It is possible to load Nord Modular with patches from the Ed- itor, disconnect it from the computer and then use Nord Modular as a stand-alone instrument. ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual contains a lot of useful information. Please take some time and read it. The manual begins with the necessary information for installing the software and connecting the system parts together. The Getting started section is a quick-start guide on how to create your first sounds and patches. The Basics section explains the fundamental components and how the different parts interact with each other. The Reference section contains information about every function and parameter of the Nord Modular system. Every time this manual wants your attention to an object on the synthesizer panel, the name of that object will be printed LIKE THIS, e.g. ‘click on the STORE button’. The LCD display on Nord Modular is always referred to as the DISPLAY and the computer monitor is always referred to as the ‘screen’. Whenever there is a reference to the ‘keyboard’, that reference will also apply to any incoming MIDI notes of the Nord Modular instrument. Most of the functions described for Nord Modular in the text also applies to Nord Micro Modular unless otherwise is stated. EDITOR HANDLING DEFINITIONS IN PC AND MACINTOSH + A left-button mouse click in the PC Editor, and a mouse click in the Mac Editor is specified as a ‘click’. + A left-button double-click in the PC Editor, and double-click in the Mac Editor is specified as a ‘dou- ble-click’. ¢ A right-button mouse click in the PC Editor is equal to a Ctrl-click in the Mac Editor, and will be specified as a ‘right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click’. ¢ A Ctl-click in the PC Editor is in most cases equal to an Alt/Option-click in the Mac Editor, and will be specified as a “Ctrl[PC]/Alt{Mac]-click’. A Ctrl-click in the PC Editor when making a selection is Page 1 1. Introduction NORD MODULAR V3.0 the same as making a Shift-click in the Mac Editor and will be specified as a ‘Ctrl[PC]/Shift{Mac]- click’. * Menu selection sequences are described like this: ‘Select Patch|Download To Slot’, meaning first select the Patch menu, and from this menu select ‘Download To Slot’. READING THE MANUAL IN ADOBE ACROBAT READER This manual is also available in the digital PDF-file format. It can be downloaded, free of charge, from Clavia’s web site at www.clavia.se. When reading the manual as PDF-file, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 or later. This program can be downloaded, free of charge, at www.adobe.com. With Adobe Acrobat Reader it is possible to use special navigation features like hyperlinks. This means that you can click with the mouse on a word or sentence and automatically get to the location indicated by the word/sentence. To better show what words or sentences are hyperlinked in this manual, these words are written in magenta. Windows 95/98/NT4.0 AND Mac OS 8.6 It is beyond the scope of this manual to explain the functions of these operating systems. In order to run the Editor, you need to be familiar with the basic functions of the computer, like mouse functions, saving and loading files to and from disk drives, moving and closing windows, closing dialog boxes etc. It is also important that the MIDI interface connected to the computer is properly installed. CLAVIA ON THE INTERNET If you have access to the Internet, you can check out the Nord Modular section at Clavia’s web site. There you will also find a sound library with several thousands of patches for Nord Modular and Micro Mod- ular. Point your browser to http://www.clavia.se. Page 2 NORD MODULAR V3.0 2. Overview 2. OVERVIEW NORD MODULAR FRONT PANEL LEFT PANEL SECTION The MASTER VOLUME knob controls the level of the four OUT ports and the HEADPHONES output. Pressing the PANEL SPLIT button assigns the 18 KNOBS in four separate groups, one group for each of the Slots A, B, C and D. The 18 KNOBS can each be assigned to a parameter in Nord Modular. These parameters can then be con- trolled in real time. The KNOB LED(s) will be lit when a KNOB is assigned to a parameter. KEYBOARD VERSION You can quickly transpose Nord Modular keyboard in octave steps with the OCT SHIFT buttons. Any settings that you make with these buttons will be saved together with the other parameters of the patch. RACK VERSION The MIDI ACTIVE light will flash when Nord Modular is receiving MIDI messages. RIGHT PANEL SECTION The DIsPLay shows the name of the active patch, and the polyphony of the selected patch within paren- thesis. The polyphony of the other active patches are shown without parenthesis. The STORE button allows you to store patches in Nord Modular. The SYSTEM button gives you access to the Synth or Patch settings. The EDIT button puts Nord Modular in Edit mode. The PATCH/LOAD button activates the Patch mode, and is also used when patches are loaded from the internal memory to the slots. The Slot buttons A, B, C and D activate the slots for playing and editing sounds. The SHIFT button activates a secondary function on some buttons. The ASSIGN button lets you assign a parameter to one of the 18 KNOBS. The NAVIGATOR buttons are used to scroll and select different functions in the menus. The ROTARY DIAL is used to enter data. Page 3 2. Overview NORD MODULAR V3.0 NORD MODULAR REAR PANEL blk UN Surcin Consol Ou PC in MDI ou MIDI in Ped Pedsl Oued Out OZ Out! OR nput_L_—_Hedphoner y 4 v4 —a e0000000 e0000000 UM EY = Oj} |O “Audie equpment Editor software Use the POWER ON/OFF button to switch Nord Modular on and off. Connect the MIDI Interface of the computer that runs the Editor software to the PC IN and PC OUT ports. Connect any external MIDI equipment to the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports. This could be a sequencer, a master keyboard or another MIDI device. Connect a footswitch to the SUSTAIN PEDAL/ ON/OFF PEDAL input. The polarity of the input can be adjusted to suit different types of footswitches. Connect an continuous control pedal to the CONTROL PEDAL input. The audio outputs OUT 1-4 route the audio signals from the four virtual mix buses in Nord Modular. Use OUT 1 if you are going to use Nord Modular with a mono sound system. If only OUT 1 is connected, it will route the audio from OUT 2 as well. By connecting a sound source to the line level inputs INPUT L and/or INPUT R, you can patch audio from external sound sources and process in Nord Modular. The HEADPHONES output routes audio signals that are assigned to mix buses 1 and 2. Page 4 NORD MODULAR V3.0 2. Overview NORD MICRO MODULAR FRONT PANEL The SHIFT button activates a secondary function on some buttons and knobs. The MASTER VOLUME knob controls the level of the two OUT ports and the HEADPHONES output. The 3 KNoBs can each be assigned to a parameter in Nord Micro Modular. These parameters can then be controlled in real time. If SHIFT is pressed, the assignable KNOBS have the following functions: Master Tune, MIDI Channel and Patch Selector. The DIsPLay shows the patch number. The two buttons to the right are used for selecting patches. If SHIFT is pressed, the upper button is used for trigging notes and the lower button can be assigned to a switch function in a patch. NoRD MICRO MODULAR REAR PANEL LAHAT LAAT AY Audio in 928280 vA Editor software Connect the MIDI Interface of the computer that runs the Editor software to the PC IN and PC OUT ports. Connect any external MIDI equipment to the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports. This could be a se- quencer, a master keyboard or another MIDI device. The audio outputs OUT 1 & 2 route the audio signals from the four virtual mix buses in Micro Modular. Use OUT 1 if you are going to use Micro Modular with a mono sound system. If only OUT 1 is connect- ed, it will route the audio from OUT 2 as well. By connecting a sound source to the line level inputs INPUT L and/or INPUT R, you can patch audio from external sound sources and process in Micro Modular. The HEADPHONES output routes audio signals that are assigned to mix buses 1 and 2. Page 5 3. Getting started NORD MODULAR V3.0 3. GETTING STARTED EDITOR SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS The Editor software requires a PC running Windows 95/98/NT4.0 (a Pentium 133 MHz or better is recommended) or a Macintosh PowerPC running Mac OS 8.6 or later (a 120 MHz PowerPC or better is recommended), with a CD ROM drive and a mouse. The computer has nothing to do with the actual sound processing in Nord Modular - it is used only for visual patching and to send instructions to Nord Modular. The Editor is designed for minimum 800 x 600 pixels screen area but 1024 x 768 is recom- mended, and minimum 16-bit color (thousands). The computer must be equipped with a MIDI inter- face with previously installed driver routines. The Macintosh version of the Nord Modular Editor requires OMS, which must be installed and activated on your Mac. INSTALLATION OF THE EDITOR SOFTWARE On PC 1. Insert the Editor installation CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. Select Start|Run from the Windows taskbar. Type d:\Modular3.exe and press Enter (if your CD unit has another device letter, type that one instead of ‘d’). The setup program will start. 3. After the initial setup is complete, the Welcome window will appear. Click on the Next button when you are ready to move on with the installation. The Editor software will be installed in a folder named Clavia in the Program Files folder, on the hard disk. During the installation you will be able to select an alternative location for the software. 4, Confirm every window in the installation procedure by clicking on the Next button. The installation may be aborted by clicking on Cancel. 5. When the installation is complete, click on Finish and the computer will return to the Windows desktop. On Mac 1. Insert the Editor installation CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. Drag the files ‘Modular Editor 3.0°, ‘Modular Update 3.0” and ‘Micro Update 3.0” to the hard disk. The ‘Modular Editor 3.0’ file is the Editor file for both Nord Modular and Micro Modular. ‘Modu- lar Update 3.0’ is the update file for the Nord Modular synthesizer and ‘Micro Update 3.0’ is the update file for the Micro Modular synthesizer. Drag the update file(s) you need for your specific syn- thesizer model. 3. Double-click on the update file for your synthesizer model and follow the instructions. Page 6 NORD MODULAR V3.0 3. Getting started 4, When the installation of the synthesizer Update is complete, you are set to start the Modular Editor 3.0 program. STARTING UP Make all the audio connections before turning on any of the devices. The computer that runs the Editor must be connected to both PC IN and PC OUT of Nord Modular. OR ~ [=k Nord Modular Micro Modular Note! You cannot use the Editor software and the Nord Modular PC ports in a traditional MIDI set- up, using MIDI THRU-boxes or MIDI THRU connections on other instruments. The Nord Modular PC ports have to be used exclusively for the Editor software on the computer. USB MIDI INTERFACES MACINTOSH USB MIDI interfaces sometimes have problems handling MIDI data when AppleTalk is activated. Therefore, if you are experiencing communication problems when using a USB MIDI interface, disable AppleTalk. MULTIPORT MIDI INTERFACES The Editor needs a separate MIDI port (1 MIDI In and MIDI Out pair) for each connected Nord Mod- ular/Micro Modular to run properly. If you are using several Modulars and/or a sequencer software on the same computer as the Editor, you will need a multiport MIDI interface. You must configure the Ed- itor and the sequencer to use separate ports of the multiport MIDI interface. Most of the sequencer software automatically opens every port of a multiport interface. In this case you have to deassign one or more of the ports in the sequencer software and dedicate them exclusively to the Editor. See the MIDI setup/configuration/devices part in the sequencer program manual. MACINTOSH AND OMS Ifyou want to run one or several MIDI applications at the same time with the Editor, make sure you have selected ‘MIDI in background’ in the OMS setup. Page 7 3. Getting started NORD MODULAR V3.0 SOUND SYSTEM Connect the desired outputs of Nord Modular/Micro Modular to a sound system. We suggest that you start with connecting output 1 to a left channel and output 2 toa right channel of the sound system. Turn on Nord Modular first, followed by the sound system. OR gogpegelt peceeges tatTeld ene ] OO} JO Nord Modular Micro Modular LAUNCHING THE EDITOR 1. On PC: from the Start menu in the Windows taskbar, select Programs|Nord Modular 3|Editor. On Mac: double-click on the Editor icon in the Modular 3 folder in the Program Files folder. During the start-up procedure, the Editor software will search for the Nord Modular synthesizer(s). The very first time you launch the Editor, you need to tell it which MIDI port(s) to use for communication with the Nord Modular synthesizer(s). 2. In the Setup drop down menu, select MIDI. Nord Modular Editor File Edit Patch Synth | Setup Tools Window Help Patch: See Load: PVA a > i oie hoaiy ea Deas rear re Check in the Enabled box for Port 1. If the MIDI interface driver(s) have been properly installed, you will be able to select a MIDI port in the In- and Out dropdown lists. Up to four Nord Modular synthe- Page 8 NORD MODULAR V3.0 3. Getting started sizers are supported by the Editor. If you use several Nord Modular synthesizers, repeat the procedure for the following Ports. If the Nord Modular synth is not turned on, or if the connection between Nord Modular and the com- puter is not working properly, an error message will appear. In that case, check the MIDI connections and cables, make sure that the MIDI interface is properly installed and working, and that Nord Modular is turned on. Click on the Apply button. When the Editor has found the Nord Modular synth, the Name of the connected synth is shown in the Status line. When you're satisfied with the port selection, click OK. The port selection is automatically saved in the Editor, so the next time you start the Editor, you don’t have to redo the selection. If ‘Auto Upload’ is activated, which is the default setting in the Editor, the patch of the active SLOT will automatically upload and open in the patch window. Note! Each time you start the Editor and establish contact with the Nord Modular, information about all patches stored in the internal memory of the synthesizer will be sent from the synthesizer to the Editor. This will take a couple of seconds depending on how many patches are stored in the synthesiz- er. During this information transmission, the regular communication between the synthesizer and Ed- itor will be slower. HELP FILES IN THE PC VERSION OF THE EDITOR The PC version of the Editor comes with an extensive help section. To access the Help files, select Con- tents from the Help menu. Every module and module parameter has its own pointer to the Help file. The Help files can be accessed with the F1 key or by right-clicking on a module or parameter and selecting Help. Note that Help files are only available in the Windows version of the Editor. Page 9 3. Getting started NORD MODULAR V3.0 LOADING A PATCH FROM THE INTERNAL MEMORY A patch in Nord Modular can be considered the same as a “sound”, even though a patch is an entire syn- thesizer configuration that can often produce much more than just a single sound, but we will return to that later. Nord Modular has an internal memory of up to 9 banks (1-9), each containing up to 99 (1- 99) memory locations. It’s not likely that you will be able to fit in 9 x 99 patches at the same time in the internal memory. The total number of patches that can be stored in the internal memory depends on the patches’ size. Thanks to the advanced compression, the internal memory can hold several hundreds of patches (one bank of 99 patches is maximum in Micro Modular). A patch always has to be loaded to a SLOT (A, B, C or D of Nord Modular) before it can be played. This is how you do: NORD MODULAR 1. Activate a slot with one of the four slot buttons (A-D) on the Nord Modular front panel. The corre- sponding LED starts flashing. A B c D ees (ues (ees (a 2. Press the PATCH/LOAD button on the panel. The PATCH/LOAD LED starts flashing Store System Est PatchiLoad ome (ue (cous (Co 3. Select desired bank with the Up and Down NAVIGATOR buttons. Turn the ROTARY DIAL and select a patch to load. The names and locations of the patches appears in the DISPLAY. (It’s possible to scroll through the entire internal memory using only the ROTARY DIAL, but it will take a little longer of course.) Page 10 NORD MODULAR V3.0 3. Getting started 4. Load the patch by pressing the PATCH/LOAD button again. The patch is now loaded in the active slot. The number within parenthesis indicates the current polyphony of the patch. It is not necessary to have the instrument connected to the computer if you only want to play the patches from the internal memory or change module parameter values. The computer and Editor is needed only when you want to add or remove modules in a patch, change “cable” connections in a patch or create new patches. MicRO MODULAR Micro Modular has only got one slot to load a patch into, and it’s always active. The patch number shown in the DISPLAY is always active and ready to be played and edited. To select patches, either press the upper or lower button to the right of the DISPLAY, or press SHIFT and turn KNOB 3 (Patch Select). = cc It is not necessary to have the instrument connected to the computer if you only want to play the patches from the internal memory or change the assigned module parameter values. CREATING A PATCH FROM SCRATCH When you want to create new patches in Nord Modular you always have to do this in the Editor software on the computer. In this example you will create a basic synthesizer patch. Open the Modular Editor V3.0 on your computer. Make sure the Editor has established contact with your Nord Modular synthe- sizer. If it hasn’t, please see “Launching the Editor” on page 8. 1. In the File menu, select New. Nord Modular Editor File Edit Patch Synth Setup Tools Window Help Voices: REM <>) CHIE Load: PvA MEA >I Open...” Ctr+0 Glose Ctrl ‘| don db de | Page 11 3. Getting started NORD MODULAR V3.0 2. The “Slot Selection” dialog box appears. In this example, select slot B. Click OK. A new, empty patch window appears. If you use Micro Modular, the dialog box looks a bit different. Select “Slot” and click OK. Slot Selection - New patch 3. An empty Patch window is opened. The Patch window is divided into two sections: the Poly Voice Area at the top and the Common Voice Area at the bottom of the Patch window. The difference between these areas will be explained later in this example. We will begin using the upper section, the Poly Voice Area. 4. Locate the Module tabs in the upper left part of the patch window (In/Out, OSC, LFO etc.). Select the In/Out tab. A brief description appears when you place the cursor over a module icon (PC ver- sion only). The % figure indicates how much Sound engine power (Load) the module will use Keyboard - voice (0.00%) 5. Click-drag one ‘Keyboard - voice’ module and one ‘1 Output’ module to the Poly Voice Area. As you will notice, the modules will self-align when placed near each other. It doesn’t matter where in the Poly Voice Area you put your modules, but a good idea is to place them in a “natural” flow so it becomes easier to follow the signal paths visually. 6. Click on the Osc tab, and click-drag one “OSCA’ module to the Poly Voice Area. 7. Click on the Env tab and click-drag one ‘ADSR envelope’ to the Poly Voice Area. Page 12 NORD MODULAR V3.0 3. Getting started 8. Click on the Filter tab and click-drag one ‘24 dB classic filter’ to the Poly Voice Area. Now your patch should look something like this: 9. Let’s settle with these modules for now and start with the cable connections. First of all, let’s connect all audio cables between the modules: Place the cursor over the red square output of the “‘OscA1’ module. Click, hold and drag the cursor to the red circular input of the ‘FilterF1’ module. Release the mouse button. Now, a red audio cable appears between the two modules. Repeat the procedure and connect the ‘FilterF1’ output to the ‘ADSR-Env1’ input and the ‘ADSR-Env1’ output to the ‘1 output!’ input. If you should accidentally connect wrong, simply double-click-hold on one of the connectors, drag the cable away from the connector, and release the mouse button. The cable disappears. Finally, click on Destination button 1 of the ‘1 outputl’ module to route the audio signal to the phys- ical OUT 1 jack of Nord Modular. Your patch should now look like this. 10.Even though all audio cables have been properly connected, no sound is heard. You have to make the envelope generator “open up” for the audio signal. Place the cursor on the yellow Voice gate output Page 13 3. Getting started NORD MODULAR V3.0 of the Keyboard Voice module. Click and drag the cursor to the yellow Gate input of the ‘ADSR- Envl’ module. A yellow cable appears between the two connections. If you play on Nord Modular (via the keyboard or MIDI IN), the envelope Gate LED lights up and the patch will sound. 11.Now, let’s add an “LFOA’ module from the LFO tab to the patch. Connect a cable between the square, blue output of the ‘LFOA1’ module, to the red, circular Pitch input of the ‘OscA1’ module. Play the Nord Modular and turn the Pitch input attenuator knob next to the input of ‘OscA1’ by click-holding and moving the mouse. This makes ‘LFOAI’ modulate the pitch of the oscillator, add- ing vibrato to the patch. Your patch should look something like this: If you like, you can connect a new cable from the Pitch input of the ‘OscA1’ module, to the circular, red input in the Pulse Width section, located to the right in the same module. This will route the LFO to both the Pitch and the PWM inputs. Select the square wave on the oscillator waveform selector and turn up the modulation attenuator knob, next to the PWM input. Also, increase the cutoff frequency of the ‘FilterF’ a bit to make the sound brighter. (One single modulator can be connected to several different destinations, either by making a “branch connection” from the original output to every in- put, or by making a serial connection from the first input to the second input, to the third etc.) 12.Now that we are satisfied with the modules and connections, let’s make the patch polyphonic. Since all modules are used in the Poly Voice Area, it is possible to play the patch polyphonically. Locate the Voices buttons, to the right of the Patch name display box in the toolbar. Set the requested number Page 14 NORD MODULAR V3.0 3. Getting started of voices by clicking on the right arrow button. In the C display box, the current number of voices for the patch is shown. In this example, we request 4 voices. 13.In the bottom section of the patch window, the Common Voice Area, you can place modules that should act equally on all voices in the patch. Modules used in the Common Voice Area will act on the sum of the signals from the Poly Voice Area. Let’s say we want a stereo chorus acting on all voices in our sound, but we don’t want the stereo chorus module to be duplicated for each voice like the other modules. First we need to tell the ‘1 output’ module in the Poly Voice Area to route the signal to the Common Voice Area instead of the physical OUT1 of the Nord Modular. Do this by clicking the CVA L destination button on the module. Click on the In/Out tab and click-drag one ‘Poly Area In’ module and one ‘2 Outputs’ module to the Common Voice Area. Click on the Audio tab and click-drag one ‘Stereo chorus’ module to the Common Voice Area. Your patch will now look like this: 14.Now, connect the red L audio output of the ‘Poly Area In’ module to the red circular input of the “Stereo chorus’ module. Then, connect the two outputs of the ‘Stereo chorus’ module to the inputs of the ‘2 Outputs’ module. As you play, you can see the LED chain of the ‘Poly Area In’ module dis- play the signal level from the Poly Voice Area. If you need to, increase the level on the ‘1Output’ Page 15 3. Getting started NORD MODULAR V3.0 module in the Poly Voice Area, and click the +6dB button on the ‘Poly Area In’ module to amplify the signal even more. 15.Finally, to make the patch editable and controllable from the Nord Modular front panel, you can assign any parameter in the patch to any of the 18 KNOBS of Nord Modular (3 KNOBS + 1 button on Micro Modular). Simply right[PC]/Ctrl{Mac]-click on a module parameter, for example, the Attack knob of the ‘ADSR-Env’ module, and select which KNOB to assign it to. Page 16 NORD MODULAR V3.0 3. Getting started Let’s say you want to assign the ‘ADSR-Env’ Attack to KNOB 1. Now, when turning KNOB 1 on the synthesizer front panel, the attack time will change. Proceed with the knob assigning until you are sat- isfied. Note that you can also assign KNOBS to selector switch parameters (buttons), such as the wave- form selector of “OscA’, the dB selector of ‘FilterF’ etc. You can deassign any of the KNOBS by right{PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-clicking on the parameter and choosing No Knob from the knob popup. You can also reassign a parameter to another knob by right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-clicking and selecting an un- used knob number. 16.To (re)name the patch, click on the Patch display box to the upper left of the toolbar and enter a patch name. Press Enter on the computer keyboard and the patch name is changed in the Editor and in the DISPLAY (not on Micro Modular). Save your patch on the computer using Save As from the File menu. Note! patches that are saved from a PC Editor automatically gets the extension ‘.pch’. For patches saved in a Mac Editor to be readable in a PC Editor, you must manually type in the extension ‘.pch’ in the file name. To save the patch in the memory of Nord Modular (and Micro Modular), select Tools|Browser. Right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on a patch or a bank in the Synth tab and select ‘Save Slot B To:...’. Note that the original patch in the selected memory location will be overwritten by your new patch. Make sure you do not overwrite patches you want to keep! It is a good idea to save a backup of all your patches on the computer, just in case. OTHER USEFUL FUNCTIONS REMOVE CABLES To remove a cable, right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on a connection (input or output) and select Disconnect, or double-click-hold or Ctrl[PC]/Alt[Mac]-click on a connection (an extra wire appears next to the con- nector cursor) and “pull out” the connector by dragging the connector symbol away from the input/out- put and release the mouse button. —_ yop: aaa Pea Ze 8 naligal mp aQ LP filter 1 Break iol CY right{PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click | OR Double-click or Ctrl[PC]/Alt{Mac]-click > Eels <4 MOVE MODULES You can move the modules in the patch window by click-holding its gray “panel” and move the frame that appears. Other modules will move if you drop a module onto another. You can also move several modules at the same time by placing the cursor on the patch window background and click-hold and se- lect the modules you want to move. The names of the selected modules are highlighted to indicate that they have been selected. DELETE MODULES To delete a module from a patch, either click on the module background and press the Delete key on the computer keyboard or select Clear from the Edit menu. Alternatively, right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on the Page 17 3. Getting started NORD MODULAR V3.0 module background and select Delete from the popup. Please note that all cable connections made to the module will also be deleted or re-routed. You can also delete several modules by selecting them as de- scribed in the example above. Then, either press the Delete key, select Clear from the Edit menu or right[PC]}/Ctrl[Mac]-click on one of the selected modules and choose Delete from the popup. PUT A PARAMETER “IN FOCUS” Putting parameters in focus is possible only if the patch is active in the synthesizer. Put a parameter in focus by clicking on it. An increment and decrement button appears below the knob/slider parameter as you move the cursor over it, and the current setting of the parameter displays briefly in a yellow hintbox. When you click on the parameter, the increment/decrement buttons (or button selectors) are highlighted. To edit the parameter value, you can click-hold the parameter and move the mouse. Click on the incre- ment and decrement buttons to change the value one step at a time. You can also use the computer key- board + and - keys to increase and decrease the focused parameter value. sie bitin ‘DseAl [E4 KEY] e [eaKey] ior ab a sv Easa @& Press the EDIT button on the Nord Modular front panel (not Micro Modular). The parameter “in focus” in the Editor will also appear in the DISPLAY and you can now change the value of the parameter with the Rotary DIAL. Play on Nord Modular and turn the ROTARY DIAL to instantly hear what is happening with the sound. The Editor will echo any adjustments that you make from ROTARY DIAL on the Nord Modular front panel. Press the left or right NAVIGATOR buttons to change the parameter “focus” within the module. The Dis- PLAY will display the same parameter that appears on the computer screen. EDIT A FACTORY PATCH If you want to edit a factory patch from the instrument’s internal memory, load the desired factory patch into a SLOT in Nord Modular. In Micro Modular, select a patch with the Patch selector buttons. A new patch window will be created in the Editor containing the patch of the active SLOT. The patch window gets the same name as the patch in the uploaded SLOT when saved to disk. Page 18 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions 4. BASIC FUNCTIONS INTRODUCTION TO NORD MODULAR A modular synthesizer could be described as a flexible electronics kit. It contains a lot of parts, the mod- ules, which have various functions. You can build your own, customized synthesizer by connecting dif- ferent modules and functions with patch cables. A modular synthesizer has the advantage of being a very flexible instrument, leaving you in charge of the routing of the signals and functions in the synth. Nord Modular takes this concept several steps further, being programmable, polyphonic, and multitimbral. Nord Modular also features a very powerful editing system in the supplied Editor software. MODULES A module in Nord Modular can be, for example, an oscillator, an envelope generator, a filter or a step sequencer. There are over 100 different types of modules available in Nord Modular, and the number is constantly increasing with software updates. You are not limited to use only one module of a specific type ina patch. Several identical modules can be used together, creating, for example, really fat multi-oscillator patches. CONNECTIONS Every module and nearly every function of a module can be patched to other modules and functions, us- ing virtual cables. Each module has one or more connectors. These connectors come in two different shapes: circular inputs and square outputs, and four different variants: red audio-, blue control-, yellow logic- and gray slave-connectors. Most of the modules share the same basic layout, with the input con- nector(s) to the left and the output connector(s) to the right. PARAMETERS There are usually one or more parameters on each module. A parameter could be a knob, a slider or a selector switch (button). You change the setting of a parameter either with the mouse in the Editor soft- ware, with an assigned KNOB on the front panel or with the ROTARY DIAL (not Micro Modular). A knob parameter in the Editor is “turned” by click-holding it and moving the mouse. Click on the increment and decrement buttons to change the value one step a ta time. You can also use the computer keyboard +and - keys to increase and decrease the focused parameter value. A selector switch is toggled by clicking on it. DISPLAY BOXES AND GRAPHS Some modules feature one or more display boxes that display alphanumeric and/or graphical informa- tion. Some oscillator modules, for example, display the frequency. The read-out of the oscillators is se- lectable between Hz and semitones, by clicking on the display window. Graphical information in modules can be envelope curves, wave shapes, frequency diagrams etc. LEDs Some modules have one or several LEDs to indicate functions. The rate ofan LFO, the opening or closing of an envelope or the current step position in a sequencer module are some examples of where LEDs are used. Page 19 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 THE PATCH When you have connected a couple of modules together, you have created a patch. A patch can be saved on the computer and/or stored in the Nord Modular internal memory. A patch can produce one partic- ular sound, or several sounds at once, depending on how many sound sources you use in the patch. A patch could be anything from a copy of an existing vintage synthesizer, to a completely unique synthesizer configuration of your own design. SLOTS (NOT MICRO MODULAR) There are four SLOTS labelled A, B, C and D, in Nord Modular. You can load one patch to each slot. A B c D Cc ic ic ic ASLOT can be considered as a temporary memory location which can hold a patch for playing or editing. You activate a SLOT by pressing one of the SLOT BUTTONS on the Nord Modular front panel. The LED above the SLOT BUTTON will flash green to indicate that the SLOT is active. The DISPLAY shows the name of the patch and the current number of voices assigned to the patch within parenthesis. By pressing SHIFT while turning the ROTARY DIAL, you can change the number of requested voices for the active SLOT. PLAYING MULTITIMBRALLY The slots can receive MIDI information on separate MIDI channels, making Nord Modular multitim- bral. If you want to use Nord Modular multitimbrally you first have to load the patches you want in each SLOT. Then, simultaneously press the SLOT BUTTONS for the slots you want to use. If several SLOT BUT- TONS have been pressed, the active SLOT LED will flash, the others will be solid green. You can change the active slot by pressing the corresponding SLOT BUTTON. To deactivate and reactivate slots in a multitimbral setup, press SHIFT and the desired SLOT BUTTON(S). The DISPLAY shows the name of the patch in the active slot and the current number of voices of that patch within parenthesis. The other numbers in the DISPLAY show the current number of voices assigned to the other patches in the setup. By pressing SHIFT while turning the ROTARY DIAL, you can change the number of requested voices of the active SLOT. Page 20 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions PATCHES New patches must be created in the Editor. You can, however, store several hundreds of patches in the Nord Modular internal memory (not Micro Modular, which has 99 memory locations) and play these patches without having the Editor running or even the computer connected. When you put Nord Mod- ular in Edit mode (the EDIT BUTTON pressed), you can edit a patch from the synthesizer by navigating among the parameters with the NAVIGATOR buttons, and adjusting the values with the ROTARY DIAL (not Micro Modular). POLY AND COMMON VOICE AREAS A Nord Modular Patch can consist of two parts: one part that affects each voice in a patch separately, and one part that affects the sum of all voices in a patch. In the Editor, these two parts are represented by two sections of the patch window. The upper section is called the Poly Voice Area and the lower section the Common Voice Area. In the Poly Voice Area you place modules that should be duplicated for each voice, e.g. oscillators, envelope generators, filters etc. In the lower section, the Common Voice Area, you can place modules that should act equally on all voices in the patch, e.g. different types of Audio modules. Modules used in the Common Voice Area will act on the sum of the signals output from the Poly Voice Area, and consequently will not be duplicated for each voice in the patch. This gives two big advantages: ¢ A module is able to process whole chords, and not just a single voice, affecting the sound the same way an external audio processor would. + In most situations you will be able to free up Sound engine power (Load) so you could increase the polyphony of the patch. Cables cannot be connected from modules in one patch window to modules in the other. The only signals that can be routed from the Poly Voice Area to the Common Voice Area are two separate audio signals. The routing is one-way only; from the Poly Voice Area to the Common Voice Area. See an example on page 44 of how to use the two patch sections. CREATE A NEW PATCH Create a new patch by selecting File|New. | File Edit Patch Synth Setup Tools Window Help Voices: REE <>) CME Load: Pv MIURA; Open..." Ctrl+O Close tray don dbo dba | Select a slot in the dialog box that appears and click OK. This opens up a new, empty patch window in the Editor and clears the selected SLOT in Nord Modular. You can also choose not to select any SLOT by Page 21 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 selecting Local. This means that you work “off-line”, i.e. you cannot play the patch, only edit. You may then later download the patch to the synthesizer. DOWNLOAD A PATCH TO THE SYNTHESIZER If you selected Local in the example above, you can easily download the Editor patch to the synthesizer by doing either of the following: 1. right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on the patch window background and select a slot from the bottom of the popup. This will download your Editor patch, overwriting the patch that is currently in the destina- tion slot. 2. Select Patch|Download To Slot and select slot in the dialog box that appears. STORE A PATCH A patch can be stored in two different locations: in the internal memory of the synthesizer, and/or on disk on the computer. The examples below describes three different ways of saving/storing a patch. 1. Save a patch only on the computer by selecting File|Save. File|Save As will let you rename the patch before saving to disk. File|Save All will save all open Editor patches. Note! patches that are saved from a PC Editor automatically gets the extension ‘.pch’. For patches saved in a Mac Editor to be readable in a PC Editor, you must manually type in the extension ‘.pch’ in the file name. 2. Store a patch in one of the Nord Modular internal memory locations by pressing the STORE button on the front panel once. The LED above the STORE button will flash. Select a bank (1-9) with the up/down NAVIGATOR buttons and a memory location (1-99) with the ROTARY DIAL. Confirm by pressing STORE again. Abort by pressing any other button. (This example is not valid for Micro Modular.) 3. To store a patch in Nord Modular internal memory from the Editor, select Tools|Browser. Right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on a memory location or a bank in the Synth tab and select ‘Save Slot X Page 22 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions To:...’. Note that the original patch in the selected memory location will be overwritten by your new patch. Make sure you do not overwrite patches you want to keep! There is a memory protect function to minimize the risk of accidentally overwriting patches (not in Mi- cro Modular). Read more about the internal memory protection in the section “Memory Protect” on page 56. ABOUT THE NORD MODULAR INTERNAL MEMORY As mentioned above, the Nord Modular internal memory is divided into 9 banks with 99 memory loca- tions each. However, it may not be possible to fit in 891 (9x99) patches at the same time in the Nord Modular memory due to the total size of the patches. The dynamic structure of the internal memory makes it suitable to consider it a storage device similar to a computer hard disk, with banks representing folders and patches representing files. When you want to store a patch in a memory locations that don’t contain any patches are indicated in the DISPLAY as shown below:. If you should run out of internal memory when trying to store a patch, this will be indicated by the fol- lowing message in the DISPLAY:. You will then have to delete one or several patches to make room for new ones. This can be done using the Patch Browser tool. See “Browser” on page 77 for more info. ADD MODULES TO A PATCH The modules are grouped together in module groups. You access these groups by clicking the tabs in the toolbar located above the patch window. The various modules in each group are distinguished by icons. Patch: ENEET eM Voices: RERM <>) CHR Load: PVA MIRIAM s [Keyboard - voice (0.00%) Select a group tab, click-hold on a module icon and drag it to the patch window. When you place the cursor over any of the module buttons, a brief description of the module appears together with informa- tion of the amount of patch Load (Sound engine power) it will use (PC version only). Page 23 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 Drag the “phantom frame” of the selected module to the patch window. The other modules will move, if necessary, when you drop a new one. The modules will automatically snap to a grid in the patch win- dow. The patch window will expand when needed and scroll-bars will appear at the bottom and to the right if the patch window becomes larger than the available screen space. As you add modules to the patch window, the patch Load indicators on the toolbar will expand, indicating the total use of the Sound en- gines. Maximum ¥ patch Load is 100%. See more in “Patch and voice allocation” on page 211. Another way of adding modules to the patch is by right[PC]/Ctrl{Mac]-clicking on the background of the patch window. A popup of the module groups appears. Select desired module by selecting it from the popup. The cursor gets a plus sign next to it. Place the cursor where you want the module to be placed and click to drop the module. RENAME A MODULE Double-clicking on the name of the module lets you rename the module. You can also right[PC]/ Ctrl[Mac]-click on the gray background of the module and select Rename. MOVE A MODULE You can move the modules in the patch window by click-holding on its gray “panel” and move the frame that appears. Any connected cables will extend themselves and other modules will move out of the way automatically. You can also move several modules at the same time by placing the cursor on the patch window background and click-hold and mark the modules you want to move. Another way of selecting several modules is to Ctrl[PC]/Shift{Mac]-click on the desired modules. The names of the selected mod- ules are highlighted to indicate that they have been selected. DELETE A MODULE To delete a module from a patch, either click on the module and press Delete on the computer keyboard or select Clear from the Edit menu. Alternatively, right{PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on a module’s background and select Delete from the popup. Note that all cable connections made to the module will also be delet- ed. You can also delete several modules by selecting them as described in the example above. Then, either press the Delete key, select Clear from the Edit menu or right{PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on one of the selected modules and choose Delete from the popup. Page 24 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions PATCH CONNECTIONS INPUTS AND OUTPUTS There are two types of main connectors on the modules in the Nord Modular Editor: inputs and outputs. The inputs have circular, and the outputs have square connectors. CONNECTOR TYPES There are four different types of connectors that are used for different signals. These connectors are dis- tinguished by different colors: + audio signal connectors: Red (96 kHz sampling frequency) * control signal connectors: Blue (24 kHz sampling frequency) ¢ logic signal connectors. Yellow (24 kHz sampling frequency) ¢ slave signal connectors: Gray (24 kHz sampling frequency) CONNECTING CABLES IN A PATCH Place the cursor on a module connector and click-hold. The cursor will change to a plug. ana Drag the cursor to a suitable connection elsewhere in the patch. As you drag the cursor away from the source connector, a line will appear between the cursor and the connector. When you reach the destina- tion connector, the cursor will change to a cable with a white dot instead of a plug. As you release the mouse button, a cable will appear between the two connections. The color of the output connection will determine the color of the resulting cable. You can later change the cable color if you like. It is also possible to connect cables between connectors of different colors, e.g. connect an audio signal output to a control signal input etc. This depends on the actual application. Ifa connection is not possible to make, this will be shown; the cursor will not change to a cable with a dot as you reach the “illegal” destination connector. It is not possible to damage the system in any way by connecting “wrong” - feel free to experiment! You can connect one output to several inputs to make a branch connection. Page 25 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 You can also make a serial connection, from input to input, provided that the first input in the chain is connected to an output. The result is exactly the same as in a branch connection. Ifa module within a serial cable chain is removed, the remains of the cable chain will be re-routed. useo usuomeparn! aa cin aie Sint i Bead a sansa ane poke Ts BURL RS It is also possible to make a serial connection between several inputs, without connecting to an output. This won’t result in any signal flow, but can be useful if you want to choose an output after having con- nected all inputs. These “non-functional” input-to-input connections are indicated by white cable color. When you connect such a chain to an output, the cable color will change to the output’s color. It is also possible to combine branch and serial connections in several ways. For example, you could have a serial connection branch off anywhere in the chain. HIGHLIGHT CABLES AND CABLE CHAINS To make it easy to follow cable connections and signal paths visually in the patch, click-holding a con- nector will highlight any connected cables or cable chains. DISCONNECT OR RE-ROUTE CABLES IN A PATCH To remove a cable, right{PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on a connection (input or output) and select Disconnect, or double-click-hold or Ctrl[PC]/Alt[Mac]-click (left mouse button) on a connection (an extra wire ap- pears next to the connector cursor) and “pull out” the connector by dragging the connector symbol away from the input/output and release the mouse button. oe right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click OR Double-click or Crl[PC]/Alt{Mac]-click If you place the “disconnected” plug on another connection instead, the cable will be rerouted. Page 26 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions EDIT PARAMETERS IN A PATCH Focus A parameter can be a knob’, slider or a selector switch (button). Put a parameter “in focus” by clicking on it. An increment and decrement button appears below the knob or slider parameter as you move the cursor over it, and the current setting of the parameter displays briefly in a yellow hintbox. When you click on the parameter, the increment/decrement buttons (or button selectors) are highlighted. Note that to be able to put a parameter in focus, the patch has to be active in the synthesizer. a 1 ine a ily a \ Fran a s If Nord Modular (not Micro Modular) is in Edit mode (by pressing the EDIT button), the parameter will also be active in the Nord Modular DIsPLAyY, and you can adjust it with the ROTARY DIAL. You move the focus with the left and right NAVIGATOR buttons, or with the left and right arrow buttons on the computer keyboard, or by clicking with the mouse. The left and right NAVIGATOR and arrow buttons will only scroll through the parameters of one module. To move the focus to another module in the patch, press and hold SHIFT on Nord Modular, then jump between the modules with the up/down/left/right NAVIGATOR buttons. The Ctrl[PC]/Alt[Mac] key on the computer keyboard together with the arrow buttons have the same function. Note that you have to use the up/down arrow or up/down NAVIGATOR buttons to jump between modules that are placed above/below each other in the patch window. By the pressing the up/down NAVIGATOR buttons or the up/down arrow buttons on the computer key- board, you can move the focus between the Morph group in the toolbar, the first module in the Poly Voice Area and the first module in the Common Voice Area. EDITING You can edit the parameters with the mouse. Place the cursor over a knob, click-hold it (put it in focus) and then move the mouse. The knobs have no end stops; you may jump from maximum to minimum by turning past the 6 o’clock position (if Knob control is set to ‘Circular’ in the Setup|Options dialog box). When a knob is in focus, two small buttons will appear beneath the knob. Clicking on the ‘up’ but- ton will increase the value for each click and clicking the ‘down’ button will decrease. You can also use the computer keyboard + and - keys to increase and decrease the focused parameter value. Click on a se- lector switch to select e.g. a waveform of an oscillator. The selected button will be “depressed”. If Nord Modular (not Micro Modular) is in Edit mode (by pressing the EDIT button), the highlighted parameter will also be active in the Nord Modular DIsPLay, and you can edit it with the ROTARY DIAL. Editing a knob Editing a button Page 27 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 SIGNALS IN THE PATCH DEFINITIONS Just as in a traditional analog system, modules and parameters in Nord Modular interact with each other by means of signals being patched from one place to another. In a typical analog system, these signals are represented by voltage ranging from e.g. -10 to +10 volts. The signal levels in the Nord Modular system are represented by “units”. These units have nothing to do with the internal resolution of the Nord Mod- ular system which is 24-bit, but is used to more easily indicate levels in the system. Nord Modular uses four types of signals in its patches: * bipolar audio signals (-64 to +64 units) * bipolar and unipolar control signals (-64 to +64 units, 0 to +64 units or 0 to -64 units) * logic (high or low) control signals (0 or +64 units) * slave module control signals (fix the coarse pitch between master and slave modules) The illustration below shows the levels and the polarity of the signals from the keyboard, an LFO, an envelope, an audio signal and a logic signal. Envelope (unipolar) Logic Eo +64) 9 time Audio (bipolar) LFO (bipolar) The LFO is an example of a bipolar modulator. Bipolar means that it sends both positive and negative levels (peak to peak —64 to +64 units). The keyboard is another example of a bipolar modulator. The key E4 (MIDI note number 64) represents 0 units in the Nord Modular system. The ADSR envelope generator is an example of a unipolar modulator. It will only modulate in one di- rection, either positive or negative. In the case of Nord Modular ADSR envelopes, they range from 0 to +64 units. Page 28 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions The Clock generator is an example of a module that sends logic signals. A logic signal is also a unipolar signal but it has only two possible values, two states: low (0 units) or high (+64 units). The types of output signals of each module in Nord Modular will be described further on in this manual using the definitions: bipolar, unipolar and logic. RESOLUTION AND HEADROOM The internal resolution of the Nord Modular system is 24 bits. This ensures a supreme audio quality. The headroom of the audio signals in Nord Modular is -12 dB for every sound source. This means that if you mix more than 4 sound sources in a voice, at very high or un-attenuated levels, distortion may occur. This is easily dealt with by attenuating the levels of the sound sources. The mix bus headroom of the output modules is -6 dB per bus. See the headroom diagram in “Head- room” on page 215. The amplitude of the audio signals increases for each voice you play. A monophonic patch with an am- plitude that is perfectly within the headroom, might produce distortion in the Output modules if more voices are added and played together. To determine where any unwanted distortion occurs, first try to lower the level on the Output module(s) in the patch. This action removes any mix bus related distortion. If this does not help, check the input signals to the mixers in the patch for possible distortion AUDIO SIGNALS, RED CONNECTORS Audio signals are bipolar as described above. The audio signals in Nord Modular are 24-bit at 96 kHz sampling frequency for extremely high quality, and they have highest priority in the Sound engines. Au- dio connectors are distinguished by the red color. Do not let the description “audio” stop you from ex- perimenting with these signals. They can be used to modulate things too. You can, for example, patch the red audio output from an oscillator to a blue Pitch input of another oscillator. CONTROL SIGNALS, BLUE CONNECTORS Control signals are sent from envelope generators, LFOs, the keyboard, sequencers etc. The control sig- nals can be either uni- or bipolar. They are used to control or modulate parameters in a patch. The control signals are 24-bit at 24 kHz sampling frequency, i.e. a quarter of the audio signal bandwidth. This is be- cause they are often low-frequency signals by nature, and do not require a high bandwidth. The control signal connectors are distinguished by the blue color. LOGIC SIGNALS, YELLOW CONNECTORS Logic signals are used to clock, trig or gate different functions. They have two possible levels, low (0 units) or high (+64 units). The logic signals use the same bandwidth and resolution in Nord Modular as the control signals. Logic signal connectors are distinguished by the yellow color. The state when a logic signal switches from 0 units to +64 units, is called the positive edge. When the logic signal change back to 0 units again, is called the negative edge. The logic inputs in the system can react to an incoming signal in four different ways. These are easily recognized by one of three symbols or the absence of a symbol, next to the input. Page 29 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 A logic input that responds to both edges of the logic signal has no symbol next to it. Please note that even though they respond to both edges, the response is not the same for the positive and the negative edge. An example of this is the Gate input on the ADSR envelope generator. This input "starts” the en- velope when the positive edge of a logic signal appears and “releases” the envelope when the logic signal switches back to 0 units again. pve Env1 Come eae A logic input that reacts only to the positive edge has an arrow, pointing upwards, next to it. This is a 8} y Bi 8 typical behaviour of a clock input on a sequencer module or a clock divider. This input is only interested in the positive edges of a logic signal. EventSeql cir] [> Step + Link [@] Clk '® 1234567 8 9 101 12 131415 16 r= 024444440444444000 tut There are some logic inputs that will react to the positive edge of a logic signal only if there is a clock signal coming in to the module as well. These inputs have an arrow, pointing upwards towards a hori- zontal marker, next to them. The Rst input on the various sequencer modules is an example of this. These modules will reset in sync with the next clock signal (on the Clk input) when they receive a positive edge at the Rst input. © oeeees 3 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ©0000 2 as The logic Clock input on the Clock divider module is an example of an input that reacts the same way to both of the edges of an incoming logic signal. This input has a double-sided arrow next to it. CkDiv1 Clock }@) Rstt®) Pr Do The different behaviors of the logic inputs are important to remember. It is possible to patch other signals than logic ones to the logic inputs. The output of a LFO, for instance, can be a good clock source or could be used to start envelopes. The logic input will not mind having a control or an audio signal connected to it. The logic inputs interpret any signal with a level of 0 units or less as a low signal and any signal with a level greater than 0 units as a high signal. Page 30 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions SLAVE SIGNALS, GRAY CONNECTORS There are two types of oscillator and LFO modules in Nord Modular, masters and slaves. These two types of modules are equipped with gray connectors. A slave module must be connected to a master module to receive a frequency reference (the coarse pitch). In practice this means that the slave will follow the master as the frequency changes. A slave module can, however, act on its own without having to be connected to a master. In these cases the slave module transmits a steady frequency. This signal is not particularly suited to connect to anything else in Nord Modular except another gray connector. The outputs are labelled “Slv” and the inputs are labelled “Mst”. THE MASTER AND SLAVE CONCEPT The concept of the master and slave modules is to help you reduce the load on the Sound engines. A slave module requires less Sound engine power, allowing for more modules in the patch, or more voices. They can also make your work a lot easier when building a multi-oscillator patch with one master oscillator and a couple of slaves. If you need to change the over-all tuning of the sound, this can be done for all the oscillators by just changing the master oscillator. BANDWIDTH CONSIDERATIONS The two different bandwidths of the signals in Nord Modular are important to keep in mind. You can patch a red audio output to a blue control input and vice versa but sometimes the results might be sur- prising. Some of the LFOs are capable of producing audible frequencies. Since the output of an LFO is a control signal, updated at the quarter-speed of an audio signal, the quality of an LFO generated signal might not be good enough to be used as an audio signal. If high audio quality is important in a patch, use oscillators as audio signal generators instead. The LFOs can, however, provide excellent signals to be used as a frequency modulators in an FM-type patch. Another example could be the Control Mixer, which could be used to mix audio signals, but with a lower sound quality. EXPERIMENT You can always try to patch the three different types of signals to wherever you want. You may run into situations where the result of a connection will not be what you expected, but that is part of the beauty with a modular system like this. A blue control signal output can be very useful modulating on a yellow logic signal input, and an audio signal output can certainly produce interesting results connected to a con- trol signal input. The colors are only there to help you identify the various signal types, not to restrict any experiments. Page 31 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 MODULATION The method of controlling one function in a module with another function is called to “modulate”. When you play on a keyboard and the oscillator changes its pitch, you are modulating the pitch with the keyboard signal. Another example is an envelope opening up a filter when a key is pressed. Logic signals from the keys tell the envelope to start modulating the cut-off frequency of the filter. Modulation can be positive or negative, e.g. the cut-off frequency of a filter can increase with positive modulation and de- crease with negative modulation. As you will see, there are some modules in Nord Modular that can change the polarity of a modulator signal. Some modules can be set to send either bipolar or unipolar control signals, like the Constant mod- ule or the Control Sequencer module. MODULATION INPUTS A module parameter that can be modulated from an external source has a modulation input, often in combination with modulation amount control. This is called a mod-input. The modulation amount con- trol attenuates the incoming signal. The mod-inputs can be red, as in the OscillatorA module, which means it is capable of handling signals at full audio bandwidth, or they can be blue, as in the FilterF mod- ule, working at 1/4 audio bandwidth. MOD-AMOUNT KNOBS (ATTENUATORS) There are three different response behaviors of the mod-amount knobs next to the modulation inputs: linear [Type I], exponential [Type II] and amplified linear [Type III]. The different response type(s) will be indicated for each module in the module reference section starting on page 93. [Type I] The mod-amount knobs attenuates the incoming signal in a linear fashion. A setting of 127 (maximum) leaves the incoming signal unaffected, a setting of 64 attenuates the incoming signal by a factor 0.5 (leav- ing half of the level of the incoming signal to modulate). A setting of 0 shuts off the modulation com- pletely. The pulse width in the aforementioned scenarios is an example of Type I attenuation. [Type It] The mod-amount knob attenuates the incoming signal in an exponential fashion. A setting of 127 (max- imum) leaves the incoming signal unaffected, a setting of 64 attenuates the incoming signal by a factor considerably less than 0.5 (leaving less than half of the level of the incoming signal to modulate). A setting of 0 shuts off the modulation completely. The pitch mod-input on the various oscillators are examples of Type II attenuation. Page 32 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions [Type I1] The mod-amount knob affects the incoming signal in an attenuated and amplified, linear fashion. A set- ting of 127 (maximum) amplifies the incoming signal to twice its original level, a setting of 64 leaves the incoming signal unaffected and a setting of 32 attenuates the incoming signal by a factor of 0.5 (leaving half of the level of the incoming signal to modulate). A setting of 0 shuts off the modulation completely. The frequency mod-input on the various filters are the sole examples of Type III attenuation. Signal attenuation/ 2.0 ----------------------------- amplification [ TYPE Il 1.57 ‘ TO oseectecesoee Fee eeseeeeees: H F TYPEL H 05+ ‘ re TYPEIL ‘ 0 ‘an j L L 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Mod-amount setting MODULATION EXAMPLES PULSE WIDTH MODULATION Let us use the pulse width on the OscillatorA module as an example in two scenarios: Page 33 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 1. If you want to modulate the pulse width from the minimum value (1%) to the maximum value (99%) with a positive envelope (that produces a control signal with a peak to peak level swing from 0 units to +64 units), set the initial pulse width to 1% and the mod-amount to 127. 2. Ifyou want to modulate the pulse width from the minimum value (1%) to the maximum value (99%) with an LFO (that produces a bipolar control signal with a peak to peak level swing from —64 units to +64 units), set the initial pulse width to 50% and the mod-amount to 64. Increasing the setting of the mod-amount can not push the pulse-width beyond the limits (1% — 99%), but it will make the modulation signal reach the maximum/minimum pulse-width earlier. A mod-amount setting of 127 would result in maximum pulse-width modulation at a control signal of +/— 32 units. Note the difference between the total amount of modulation from an envelope (unipolar, 64 units) and from an LFO (bipolar, -64 to + 64 units = 128 units). This explains why the first scenario has the mod- amount set to 127, and the second scenario set to 64 for maximum modulation. PITCH MODULATION ba aa 3/5 3 A signal routed to a Pitch input on a module affects the pitch by modulating it linearly in the note scale (sce figure below). The figure shows an A4 note being pitch modulated by a symmetric bipolar signal. amplitude| A3, 220 Hz AS, 880 Hz 1 1 i 1 1 1 L 5 pitch A4, 440 Hz Page 34 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions FREQUENCY MODULATION (FM) A signal routed to an FM input on a module affects the pitch by modulating it linearly in the frequency scale (see figure below). The figure shows an A4 note being pitch modulated by a symmetric bipolar sig- nal. amplitude) 140 Hz 740 Hz A4, 440Hz As you can see, FM modulation results in equal pitch shifting, in Herz, on either side of the basic pitch, whereas Pitch shifting results in equal shifting in the note scale. SYNC B55 i tatatat. A waveform of an oscillator with a Sync input can be synchronized with a wave of another oscillator. The synchronization forces the wave to restart each time the modulating wave raises above 0. This results in a complex waveform that depends both on its own pitch and on the modulator pitch. When sync is used, the oscillator pitch is locked to the modulator pitch. If you change the modulator pitch, you will affect Page 35 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 the overall pitch, and if you change the oscillator pitch, this will create changes in timbre rather than in pitch. amplitude Modulator wave time amplitude : q Synchronized La * time oscillator wave / 1 / / 1 / If you let the synchronized oscillator pitch vary continuously, from an LFO or other modulator, you will change the timbre of the wave in a very interesting and characteristic way. MAXIMUM MODULATION The maximum amount of modulation that a module (with one exception) can accept is +/—64 units from the initial setting of the parameter. The exception to this behaviour are all the Filter frequencies with a mod-input. These can accept +/—128 units of modulation. The modulation amount is the sum of all modulation appearing at the modulation inputs. Let us use the Master Oscillator module as an example: there are two pitch modulation inputs and the KBT function (see “The KBT parameter” on page 45). The total modulation amount of these three in- puts can not be greater than +/—64 semitones. If you turn the coarse tuning down to e.g. EO, add a trans- pose value of +64 with a Constant module to the first pitch-mod input, you will reach a point, when playing on the keyboard, where the pitch of the oscillator will be fixed. Any additional, positive modula- tion will have no effect, which could lead to interesting effects. For example, an LFO would be able to modulate the pitch of the oscillator downwards, but not upwards. Page 36 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions KNOBS AND CONTROLLERS The 18 KNoBs on the front panel of Nord Modular (3 KNoBs + 1 button on Micro Modular) are useful sources for modulation. Also control- and on/off pedals can be used for modulation (not on Micro Mod- ular). The KNOBS and controllers can be assigned to almost any parameter in Nord Modular. They can also become an important part of the patch itself, controlling, for example, a mod-amount in real time, or affecting the entire path of a signal by controlling a switch module or a mixer. ASSIGN A KNOB TO A PARAMETER A parameter can be either a continuous parameter (knob), or a selector switch (button). There are two ways of assigning and deassigning a KNOB to a parameter. 1. right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on a parameter in the Editor window, select Knob from the popup menu and select one of the Knobs in the menu. To deassign a KNOB, select Disable at the bottom of the popup menu. You can also re-assign a KNOB by selecting another (unused) Knob in the popup menu. This method also allows you to assign the other available, external controllers (Pedal, After touch and the On/Off switch) to a parameter. These controllers are found at the bottom of the Knob popup. 2. (Not Micro Modular) Put a parameter in the Editor window in focus, press the EDIT button on the front panel, press and hold the ASSIGN button and turn a KNOB. The LED next to the KNOB will light up, indicating an assignment. To deassign a KNOB, press the SHIFT button and turn the KNOB A KNOB or a controller will always control the entire range of a parameter. If you need to control the range as well, use a Morph group instead. The Morph concept is described in “Morph groups” on page 40. Page 37 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 THE KNOB FLOATER The Knob Floater window is a graphical representation of the KNOBS of the Nord Modular front panel. The Knob Floater gives you both visual indication and the possibility to edit the parameters currently assigned to a KNOB. A lit LED next to each knob indicates that the knob is assigned to a module param- eter, and the name of the module and parameter is shown above the knob. When you edit a knob in the Knob Floater window, by click-holding and turning the knob, the corresponding module parameter in the patch window will be focused and change too. If you turn an assigned KNOB on the Nord Modular front panel, the knob in the Knob Floater and the corresponding module parameter will change, also vis- ually. At the bottom of the Knob Floater, any Control pedal, Velocity and On/Off Switch assignments are shown. These three parameters can’t be edited from the Knob Floater, only viewed. Bring up the Knob Floater by selecting Knob Floater from the Tools menu. The Knob Floater only shows the assignment for the current patch. It does not indicate assignment in a Panel Split situation. Page 38 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions MIDI CONTROLLERS Almost any parameter in the different modules can be assigned to a MIDI Controller. This is very useful if you want to record filter frequency adjustments to an external sequencer or if you want to control ex- ternal devices from the KNOBS. When a parameter is assigned to a MIDI controller, the parameter will transmit MIDI data when being edited, as well as receive data from external MIDI sources (sequencer, master keyboard, etc.). right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on a parameter and select MIDI controller from the parameter popup. Here you can choose either to assign the parameter to one four pre-defined controllers or to assign to another controller by selecting Other. gn MIDI Controller J i) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Some of the MIDI Controllers usually have designated functions, like Controller 1, Mod Wheel. These designated Controllers are just numbers to Nord Modular. You are free to assign up to 119 MIDI Con- trollers to module parameters. MIDI Controller #32 (Bank Change) and #64 (Sustain Pedal) cannot be selected from this list. Ifyou want to control external MIDI devices, these labels may have greater impor- tance. Page 39 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 When you edit a parameter that is assigned to a MIDI controller, it will transmit MIDI controller data. It does not matter if you edit the parameter from the Editor or on the synthesizer with the ROTARY DIAL (not Micro Modular). You may also assign a parameter to a KNOB as described earlier. In that a case, turning a KNOB will result in editing the parameter, which subsequently generates MIDI controller data. De-assign a parameter from a MIDI controller by highlighting a controller and clicking No controller in the dialog box. USING THE KNOBS AS MIDI CONTROLLERS If you want to use one or several KNOBS to exclusively transmit MIDI controller data to external devices, you will need to take a detour and assign the KNOBS to parameters on modules that are not used (con- nected) in the patch. Then assign the parameters to MIDI controllers. Very useful for this purpose is the Constant module (see page 168), which does not use any Sound engine resources. You determine which MIDI channel to use in the Synth Settings menu. Read more about MIDI channels in “MIDI channels” on page 55 and page 70. MORPH GROUPS The Morph groups concept of Nord Modular is a very powerful feature. To put it simple: the Morph groups lets you simultaneously control defined ranges of up to 25 parameters in a patch, using only one control source (a KNOB and/or a MIDI controller, for example). As you have figured out, this lets you produce radical changes in a sound in a very fast and easy way. The Morph groups and their corresponding knobs are located in the Editor toolbar. There are four Morph groups available in each patch and you may assign up to 25 different parameters, distributed as you wish among the four Morph groups. Each Morph group has its own color, making it very easy to see what parameters are mete to which Morph group. Here is an example on how to assign a parameter to a Morph group: 1. right{PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on a module parameter (knob or a selector) you wish to control with a Morph group. Almost any module parameter in Nord Modular can be morphed. Select Morph and one of the four Morph groups from the menu. The color of the selected knob will now change to the selected Morph group’s color. Alternatively, first click on any of the Morph group knobs in the tool- Page 40 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions bar to select it (the blue frame moves to the selected Morph group). Then double-click on the mod- ule parameter you wish to assign to the selected Morph group. Knob MIDI Controller * = Group 2 ig ——_—_ Group 3 ‘Amp & i itleg Group 4 _ Disable 2. Every parameter assigned to a Morph group should also be given a Morph range. Click and hold the Ctrl[PC]/Alt[Mac] key on the computer keyboard and place the cursor on the knob that you assigned to the Morph group. Click-drag the cursor as if you were turning the knob. A colored sector will appear, indicating the Morph range. The range will also appear in a yellow hintbox above the parameter. You can also double-click-hold on a parameter that is assigned to a Morph group to set the range. If you assign a selector switch (button) to a Morph group, the Morph range will be set by holding down the Ctrl[PC]/Alt[Mac] key and clicking on the button in the selector that should be the “last” (end limit) to be controlled by the Morph. 3. Turning the Morph group knob in the toolbar will now control the morphed parameter within the selected range. You can assign each Morph group knob to e.g. a KNOB on the front panel, a pedal (not Micro Modular), an external MIDI controller, or, as an exclusive feature of the Morph group knobs, to MIDI note values or keyboard velocity. You will find these two options at the bottom of the MIDI controller popup. To deassign a parameter from a Morph group, right[PC]/Ctrl[Mac]-click on it and select Disable in the Morph popup. EDITING THE MORPH RANGE The Morph range will always start at the current position of a knob, slider or selector. The relationship between the setting of the parameter and the Morph range will be fixed, even if you move the setting of the parameter after a Morph range has been set. Page 41 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 You can edit the morph range (the size of the sector) by double-clicking on the parameter or by using the mouse in conjunction with the Ctrl[PC]/Alt{[Mac] key on the computer keyboard. You can also use the computer keyboard + and - keys in conjunction with the Ctrl[PC]/Alt{Mac] key to increase and decrease the focused parameter’s Morph range. Another way is to put Nord Modular in Edit mode by pressing the EDIT button (not Micro Modular). Put the morphed parameter in focus and simultaneously press- hold the SHIFT and ASSIGN buttons and set the amount of Morph control with the ROTARY DIAL. You can also get a read-out of which Morph group a parameter is assigned to by pressing the F7 function key on the computer keyboard. Pressing the F5 key displays the Morph ranges (start and end values) of the assigned (morphed) parameters. VOICES, MONO- AND POLYPHONIC PATCHES A patch can be set to a polyphony between 1 and 32 voices, as long as there is enough Sound engine power available. It is not necessary to manually duplicate all the modules and settings for each voice to create a polyphonic patch, as it would in a traditional modular system. All you have to do is change the requested polyphony in the toolbar of the Editor, in the Patch|Patch Settings menu or in the Nord Modular syn- thesizer (not Micro Modular). To be able to make a patch polyphonic at all, you have to create the patch, or the part of the patch, you want to be polyphonic, in the Poly Voice Area of the patch window (see "Poly and Common Voice patch sections” below). The current actual polyphony of a patch is displayed in the display box next to the requested polyphony box in the toolbar, and in the Nord Modular DISPLAY (not Micro Modular) in Patch mode (press the PATCH/LOAD button). Should your request for polyphony exceed the current capacity of the Sound en- gine(s), the system assigns the highest possible amount of voices to the patch instead. Page 42 Patch Synth Setup Tools Window Help Voices: REEM <¢) CIE Load: Pva Gd ere Oe ee re Set the requested number of voices by clicking the left/right buttons. The re- quested number of voices is shown in the ‘R’ box and the current actual number of voices is shown in the ‘C’ box. See the current actual number of voices allocated to the patch NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions All patches must have a requested number of voices assigned to them (minimum 1 voice). The dynamic allocation method used by other multitimbral hardware synthesizers is not applicable with Nord Modu- lar. You can adjust the polyphony by selecting a SLOT, press the SHIFT button and turn the ROTARY DIAL (not Micro Modular). This can be useful if you have a couple of patches loaded to several SLOTS and wish to redistribute the polyphony among the patches. The Nord Modular note recognition system operates according to the “last note” principle. If you run out of polyphony and continue to play notes, the synthesizer will always add the last note played and re- move the first note, with one exception: it will try to keep the lowest note sounding. See also “Sound engine” on page 211 for more information about the relationship between voices and Sound engine power. POLY AND COMMON VOICE PATCH SECTIONS ANord Modular patch can consist of two parts: a polyphonic part and a monophonic part. In the Editor, these two parts are represented by two sections of the patch window, divided by a horizontal bar. The upper section is called the Poly Voice Area and the lower section the Common Voice Area. In the Poly Voice Area you place modules that should be duplicated for each voice, e.g. oscillators, envelope genera- tors and filters. In the lower patch window, the Common Voice Area, you can place modules that should act equally on all voices in the patch, e.g. different types of Audio modules. Modules used in the Com- mon Voice Area will act on the sum of the signals output from the Poly Voice Area, and consequently will not be duplicated for each voice in the patch. This gives two big advantages: ¢ A module is able to process whole chords, and not just a single voice, affecting the sound the same way an external audio processor would. + In most situations you will be able to free up Sound engine power (Load) so you could increase the polyphony of the patch. Cables cannot be connected from modules in one patch section to modules in the other. The only signals that can be routed from the Poly Voice Area to the Common Voice Area are two separate audio signals. The routing is one-way only; from the Poly Voice Area to the Common Voice Area. Page 43 4. Basic functions NORD MODULAR V3.0 EXAMPLE OF A PATCH THAT USES BOTH THE POLY AND COMMON VOICE AREAS This example shows a patch where both the Poly and Common Voice Areas are used: The ‘1Output!’ module in the Poly Voice Area is set to route the signal to CVA L, the left output of the “PolyArealn1’ module in the Common Voice Area. The sum of all voices from the Poly Voice Area is sent to the Common Voice Area to be processed in the ‘StereoChorus1’ module and output at OUT1 and OUT? jack of the synthesizer. A patch in the Poly Voice Area set to 1 requested voice would give the same result as having the patch only in the Common Voice Area instead. THE MONO PARAMETER If you change a patch with 1 requested voice in the Poly Voice Area to be polyphonic, there are a few things that you need to be aware of. All modules in the Poly Voice Area are independent from each other, performing their functions on a “voice” level. This provides you with a big advantage in comparison to almost any other polyphonic synthesizer. If a traditional polyphonic synth had e.g. 4 voices, it has been common practice to provide the user with only one LFO for all voices together. This is not the case with Nord Modular. An LFO used in the Poly Voice Area is unique for each single voice in the patch. If you want modules in the Poly Voice Area of a polyphonic patch, e.g. one LFO per voice in a 4-voice patch, to be synchronized and behave like one single LFO, this can be done with the Mono parameter. Page 44 NORD MODULAR V3.0 4. Basic functions The Mono parameter makes sure that certain functions in a polyphonic patch are “in sync” with the other voices. THE KBT PARAMETER KBT is short for KeyBoard Tracking. The KBT parameter controls the frequency step response from a keyboard to the module (e.g. the master oscillators, some of the master LFOs and some of the filters). In the oscillator modules, the pitch can track the keyboard, in the LFO modules the keyboard can modulate the rate of the LFO and in the filter modules, the cut-off frequency can track the keyboard. When the KBT parameter in these modules is set to Key (the 12 o'clock position), the keyboard controls the pa- rameter at the rate of one semitone for each key. OscA1 Freq Coarse Fine Fi 'Oo uv SQEQSAS Pwidth ~~ oD) am Any pitch bend appearing at the MIDI input will be added to the KBT tracking. Read more about scaling the pitch bend in “Bend range” on page 57. If you, for instance, set up a sequencer patch, with KBT active on the oscillators, you can transpose the sequence in realtime by pressing keys on the Nord Modular key- board. If any filters in a patch have the KBT parameter active, the cut-off frequency will also track the keyboard. Page 45 5. Panel reference NORD MODULAR V3.0 5. PANEL REFERENCE KNOBS AND BUTTONS OF NORD MODULAR MASTER VOLUME Adjust the master volume of Nord Modular with this knob. Note that this knob cannot be routed to MIDI Volume or any other controller. It is separated from the rest of the parameters of the synth. To affect the volume of a patch from MIDI, you have to assign a controller to any of the Level rotary knobs of the output modules (see more about these modules on page 96). MASTER vouume ar PANEL SPLIT Pressing the PANEL SPLIT button splits the 18 KNOBS in four groups, one for each of the Slots A, B, C and D. The A and the B slot will be given six KNOBS each, the C and D slot will be give three KNOBS each. Panel Spit cc The first six (or three) assigned KNOBS of the patch in each slot will be rerouted to the KNOBS of the different groups (see figure below). For example, a patch in slot C that originally had parameters assigned to KNoBs 1-3, will now have them reassigned to KNOBS 13-15. The Panel Split knob assignment is only temporary for as long as PANEL SPLIT is active. The original knob assignment in the patch will not be changed. Slot A SlotB SlotC Slot D Page 46 NORD MODULAR V3.0 5. Panel reference FIND/P ANIC When a parameter is assigned to a KNOB, the indicator next to the KNOB is lit. Pressing and holding FIND and turning the KNoB will show the parameter in the DISPLAY. The arrows that appears will help you to set the physical position of the KNOB to coincide with the actual setting of the parameter in the patch. As long as you hold down the FIND button, the value of the parameter will not change. If Nord Modular is in Edit mode, the parameter will stay in focus in the DISPLAY when you release the FIND button. Pressing SHIFT+FIND activates the panic function. This will send an internal MIDI Note Off message to all the voices in Nord Modular. Sound sources (oscillators, for example) that are connected directly to an output module will not be affected by the PANIC function. Find Cc OCT SHIFT (KEYBOARD VERSION ONLY) You can quickly transpose the Nord Modular keyboard in octave steps with the OCT SHIFT buttons. The total range of the two-octave keyboard can be extended to six octaves. You can transpose the patches in the four slots individually. This transposition is saved with the other parameters of a patch. The OCT SHIFT buttons are an exclusive feature on the keyboard version only. The MIDI output from Nord Mod- ular is also affected by the OCT SHIFT buttons. MIDI TRIG LED (RACK VERSION ONLY) The MIDI TRIG LED indicates incoming MIDI messages on the MIDI channels Nord Modular is set to receive on. KNOBS The 18 KNOBS can be assigned to parameters in a patch. The parameters will then be controllable in real time. When a KNOB is assigned the KNOB LED is lit. The KNOBS can also be set to send MIDI controller messages. If you want a KNOB to control external MIDI devices, without affecting any parameter in Nord Modular, assign the KNOB to a parameter in a “dummy” module (that is not a part of the sound in the Page 47 5. Panel reference NORD MODULAR V3.0 patch) and assign that parameter to the MIDI Controller you wish to transmit. Read more in “MIDI con- trollers” on page 39. SLOT BUTTONS Pressing the SLOT BUTTONS A, B, C and/or D selects the slots for loading, editing or playing. A patch always has to be loaded into a slot before it can be used. If you select only one slot at a time, the SLOT LED will indicate this by a flashing green light. The Editor software will follow the slot selection (change patch window), provided that the patch is uploaded or opened in the Editor. A B c D Cyc ic ic If several slots are selected, by simultaneously pressing several SLOT buttons, a solid green LED will in- dicate a selected slot and a flashing LED will indicate the currently active SLOT. Every selected SLOT will receive MIDI messages on their set channels, but only the active SLOT will transmit MIDI messages. To deselect SLOTS in a multi-slot setup, press SHIFT and the SLOT(S) you want to deselect. To deselect all SLOTS simultaneously, you can also press an unused SLOT button (if there are any). However, the un- used Slot will become active. It is also possible to play several Slots simultaneously (layered) from the keyboard. To do that you must first change keyboard mode to “Selected Slots” in “Keyboard mode” of the Synth Settings menu. See “Keyboard mode” on page 54. On the Nord Modular rack model this function works only when playing from the Keyboard Floater in the Editor. To play several SLOTS layered on the rack model from a master keyboard, the slots have to be set to the same MIDI channel. SHIFT The SHIFT button adds secondary functions to other buttons. om Page 48 NORD MODULAR V3.0 5. Panel reference ASSIGN/MORPH The AssIGN/Mor?PH button allows you to assign a parameter in a patch to be controlled by one of the KNOBS. Press and hold assign while the desired parameter is in focus and turn a KNOB. Nord Modular must be in edit mode when you make a KNOB assignment. To deselect a KNOB assignment, turn the KNOB while pressing SHIFT. SHIFT+ASSIGN allows you to edit the Morph range of the parameter in focus (if it is assigned to a Morph group). Edit the Morph range with the ROTARY DIAL. See more about Morph in “Morph groups” on page 40. NAVIGATOR BUTTONS The NAVIGATOR buttons can be used to select patches and banks or menus and parameters in the menus. When Nord Modular is in Load mode (Patch/Load LED flashing), you select patches with the left and right NAVIGATOR buttons, and change banks with the up and down NAVIGATOR buttons. When Nord Modular is in Edit mode, you select parameters within a module by scrolling with the left and right NAV- IGATOR buttons, and between the toolbar, PVA and CVA sections with the up and down NAVIGATOR buttons. Pressing the SHIFT+NAVIGATOR buttons sets the focus on different modules in a patch, on screen as well as in the DISPLAY. RoTARY DIAL The ROTARY DIAL is used to enter parameter values. Pressing either the left or right NAVIGATOR button while turning the ROTARY DIAL will scroll through the parameters of a module, one parameter for each step of the ROTARY DIAL. Scroll through the menus in Nord Modular by using the up an down NAVI- GATOR buttons together with the ROTARY DIAL. Page 49 5. Panel reference NORD MODULAR V3.0 STORE There are 9 x 99 patch memory locations and one Synth Settings memory in Nord Modular. The internal patch memory is divided into 9 Banks, each with 99 memory locations. Generally, there is not enough room for 9 x99 (891) patches in the internal memory at the same time. The number of patches that can be stored in the internal memory depends on the patch sizes. Typically, several hundreds of patches fit in the internal memory. The STORE button allows you to store patches and Synth Settings. System Edit PatctiLoad Co iC iC 1. Activate a SLOT with a patch by pressing the SLOT button. If the EDIT or SYSTEM LED is lit, press the PATCH/LOAD button once. You can not store any patches if Nord Modular is in System or Edit mode. 2. Press STORE once. The STORE LED will flash. 3. Select a Bank with the up/down NAVIGATOR buttons. Select a memory location with the ROTARY DIAL or with the left/right NAVIGATOR buttons and confirm by pressing STORE one more time. Pressing any other button will cancel the operation. It is possible to name your patch. The name can be set in the Patch menu (see “Patch name” on page 57). The Memory Protect function must be turned Off before storing a patch. If not, the following message will appear. Read about memory protection (de)activation in “Memory Protect” on page 56. Ifa memory location is occupied by a patch, you will see the name of that patch in the DISPLAY. Pressing STORE will overwrite an existing patch. Page 50 NORD MODULAR V3.0 5. Panel reference If you should run out of internal memory, the following message will be shown: To make room for more patches, you have to delete some patches from the internal memory. This can only be done from the Patch Browser in the Editor. See “Synth” on page 78 for details. SAVE SYNTH SETTINGS Pressing SHIFT+STORE will store any settings that you have made in the Synth Settings menus of Nord Modular or in the Editor. This function saves the SLOT selection including the patch locations that were loaded to the SLOTS, MIDI channels for the SLOTS and PANEL SPLIT activation. The settings saved with SAVE SYNTH SETTINGS will automatically be recalled when you turn on the Nord Modular. The Synth Settings menus will be described further in “Synth settings in the system menu” on page 52 and page 69. SYSTEM BUTTON Press the SYSTEM button below the DISPLAY, to activate the System menu. Store Scroll to the desired menu with the NAVIGATOR buttons and enter a value with the ROTARY DIAL. The System menu is divided in two main parts, Synth and Patch settings. SYNTH The Synth settings are global, affecting the whole instrument. If you want to keep any changes that you make in Synth settings, they must be stored in the Synth Settings memory by pressing the SHIFT and the STORE buttons simultaneously. If you use Nord Mod- ular in a multitimbral setup with a sequencer, it can be very useful to store the settings of the MIDI chan- nels etc. in the Synth Settings memory. PATCH The Patch settings affect the patches in the SLOTS individually and are stored together with the rest of the patch data when you store the patch in the Nord Modular internal memory or on a computer disk from the Editor. Page 51 5. Panel reference NORD MODULAR V3.0 SYNTH SETTINGS IN THE SYSTEM MENU As mentioned above, the Synth Settings are global. To alert you that you are editing Synth Settings, an S is always shown in the upper right corner of the DISPLAY. Navigate between the sub menus with the up/down NAVIGATOR buttons and within the sub menus with the left/right NAVIGATOR buttons. Enter data with the ROTARY DIAL. MASTER TUNE Use this function to tune Nord Modular to other instruments. The range is from +100 to -100 cents. 100 cents is one semitone. Only the tuning of master oscillators are affected by the Master Tune function. Slave oscillators that are not connected to a master oscillator module will not be affected. MIDI CLock Set the MIDI Clock source and, if the clock source is set to INT (internal), set the tempo. If EXT (external) is selected, any incoming MIDI clock can be used as a clock source in a patch. If INT is activated, the internal clock will be used. Navigate to the tempo indication and set the tempo with the Rotary DIAL. The MIDI clock will be present at the Clock output of the MIDI Global module and at the synthesizer’s MIDI OUT port. Page 52 NORD MODULAR V3.0 5. Pane