Clavia Nord Lead 3

I'm using the latest software version.
The best interface I've ever used on a synth. Almost every knob has an LED showing where each value is set. Within a few seconds of calling up a patch I can see exactly what is going on. Indispensable in a fast paced creative environment. This is the area that really disappointed me on the Virus. That synth has a nice modulation matrix but programming in general is a chore, especially after using the Nord 3.
If you have any parameters assigned to the 4 morph groups the LEDs will move in real time when modulated to show you what is happening.
90% of the presets are uninspired, but since the interface is so fast it doesn't take long to make your own sounds.
I have the pdf manual and it's very clear and easy to follow with useful diagrams and photos.

Polyphony is fine for my purposes. I only notice notes dropping when using the chord stack with long release times. No big deal, just play the chords yourself.
Keyboard is fine, aftertouch takes some getting used to.
No built in effects which forces you to perfect the actual synth sound. It has made me a better programmer.
Has 4 assignable analogue outputs, stereo or mono. There's no analogue input which is disappointing.
The 4 morph groups provide astounding modulation possibilities. The groups are Mod wheel, aftertouch/pedal, keyboard, and velocity. Any rotary knob with an LED can be assigned to these groups.
Has 2 LFOs and an assignable envelope. The 2 LFOs can be switched to simple envelopes which can come in handy.
Performance mode enables you to layer up to 4 separate patches giving you a potential of 8 oscillators. Each of the 4 patch slots can be controlled individually by incoming MIDI.
It loses points for having to analogue input.

This synth was built for production. I don't care what a synth sounds like in isolation. It has to sound good in the mix and the Nord Lead 3 sits beautifully. Huge bass that doesn't have to overwhelm everything else, aggressive leads, lush pads, ect. It has a nice selection of filters with some creative modes, ie there's a filter mode that provides a phaser-like effect that you can modulate like any other filter. Even without any filtering the oscillators sound great; very big with lots of personality.
There's an oscillator modulation module that provides some highly creative options not found on many synths.
There's a Unison mode that spreads the oscillators across the stereo field with a control for detuning. Some say this provides bigger sounds, but I have to disagree in some instances. The biggest bass sounds are mono imho, and the Unison mode tends to wash out the bass frequencies when it spreads. However, this mode works really well for Pads and other synth sounds when you want a lush stereo spread.
I use this synth mostly for electro rock, but I've had great results layering with heavy metal guitars.
It has some basic functionality for creating organ sounds but I'm not really into that, and if I was I'd get one of Clavia's dedicated VA organs.
Another big addition is the FM module which really rounds out the synth's capabilities. I've had good results, but I haven't compared it to the Yamaha DX7.
I've heard people say it doesn't sound like the Nord Lead 2. I think that's great news. Everybody has a Nord Lead 2 and I'd hate to sound like everybody ;) The bottom line is it sounds amazing. Don't worry about what Joe Hater thinks.

I've had no problems with reliability.

I'd replace it without even thinking about it. It's a shame they're discontinued but you can find them on ebay fairly easily. It's an under appreciated synth but that may change in a few years. Clavia has abandoned the LED knob concept which makes this synth unique and highly valuable to me. I would never sell it.

Software V. 1.2, the last version before Clavia discontinued the product. Presets are mostly awful, but that's OK since all slots are overwritable, so I deleted them and have lots of space for making my own sounds. The editing interface is absolutely brilliant- the easiest synth I have ever used. Every parameter and value is visible at a glance due to the LED encoders, and there is no menu diving necessary aside from system functions and MIDI/arpeggio settings. Despite this great interface there are some really deep features that can be intimidating, but luckily Clavia's manual is fantastic. Easily the best music gear manual I've encountered.

24 voice polyphony is enough for me, and I do occasionally get some fairly complex things happening between the 4 performance slots. The only time I run into trouble is sometimes when using the "chord stack" function, but even then it's not been a problem for me. Keyboard is far better than my JP-8000 or cheap MIDI controllers, but it's not as good as some other high-end keyboards. In all, I think it's pretty good for "synth action." Aftertouch on my unit is not very responsive- I need to really lean on the keys and then there's a definite stairstepping of values as the aftertouch kicks in. No effects block per se, but chorus, phasing and several types of distortion are available as oscillator or filter settings. I do wish it had a delay onboard. Easy to sequence by external MIDI and the arpeggiators stay in perfect sync with external clock. Performance Mode is great, and makes it very easy to manage all 4 voices at once in real time. I can easily switch between and tweak for example an arpeggiated bassline, percussive sound, pads and a lead voice, or whatever else I need. Again, due to the interface everything I'm controlling is plainly visible and reachable.

Sounds are truly amazing. I love programming and playing this synth. It responds quite well to velocity (already mentioned the stiff aftertouch on my unit) and other mod sources and the "morph group" concept puts all sorts of dynamic and timbral changes within easy musical control. Very expressive, in that sense. I like making textures and sounds that evolve over long periods of time and react in subtle or aggressive ways to my playing and controls- the NL3 is exceptional in this area. It works for all sorts of sounds though- great lead and bass sounds and some pretty good percussion (though the lack of "drum kits" as in past models cripples this functionality somewhat as you can't assign a whole kit of sounds to one slot). Strange alien pianos and pads that start off as breathy wisps then end up screaming at me. A really great pallet of beautiful sounds available. People keep complaining that it's "thin" and I agree it's not a Moog, but using the stack function to double (or triple or sextuple) voices can add a nice fat bite when it's called for. Sounds are very clear and detailed, with great subtle nuances.

Metal build (though small and lightweight), very well-constructed, knobs and buttons are solid. I take very good care of mine so I'm not quite sure how to gauge reliability. Unfortunately it's discontinued so any problems might be very hard to fix.

I e-mailed Clavia USA once with a question concerning a bug I encountered when using the "glide" function with stacked voices (the voices don't always glide together if there's an arpeggio running on another voice- this is a problem). Never heard back from them. This combined with their abrupt dropping of the NL3 product line really turns me off. Brilliant engineers but service seems nonexistant. I give them a mercy point just for the quality of their manual.

Again I love this synth and if anything happened to it I would definitely seek out a used one. I am using it for artsy dance-orieted stuff as well as more abstract textural soundscapes and "serious" compositions. While not primarily a keyboard player, I do get deep into the sound design aspect of composing and the NL3 is just a beautiful instrument for this. It has replaced a JP-8000 and I use it more than my hard drive full of softsynths. Some software sounds great but even the best MIDI controllers lack the immediacy and simplicity of the Nord interface. Other gear includes a Korg Electribe, Dave Smith Evolver. All work well together.

I use 1.20. The presets don't do this machine much justice, but with the very intuitive interface you can make your own after your liking.
The manual is ok.

The keyboard is ok for me, but I prefer the keyboard of the Virus, K5000s, etc. I do like the aftertouch, because you feel the span of the aftertouch mechanism.

The NL3 doesn't excel at one type of sound. It can do so many things: beautiful leads, basses, organs (real nice), analog brass/strings, Simmons electronic drums (oh yes..), yes: trance sounds! if you want them, even a very realistic violin sound, much better ones than you will find in most romplers.

With bass sounds I use some EQ to shape the sound I want and is on some sounds necessary. The NL3 doesn't have the same pressure in sound as the NL2. The NL2 (I had one) is a great bass/lead synthesizer and not so usefull as a polysynth.

The review below me is obviously one of some spoiled 12 yo kid who want instantly trance sounds with reverb, EQ, compression and a sea of reverb. The NL3 is a real synth without menu-diving so you can sculpture your sounds by using knobs and switches. If you are into trance AND don't like to make your own sounds (like the kid): get the Virus, which is also a very nice synth except the lame sounding oscillators but very nice filters.

I had no problems yet.

Didn't have to deal with Clavia yet.

It's a workhorse and the interface makes you want to tweak and built new sounds. The combination excellent sound - excellent interface would make me buy it again if it got stolen.

just one comment: I went once again to the music store, I tried all stuff, including Motif ES, Roland Juno G, Phantom X, and when I put the headphones on and listened to the presets of the Nord 3: what a difference! Where the old presets in the Nord I and II were total crap, the new presets are amazing. The sound is organic and rich. Really fat vintage like basses, very very good pads (a weak point on the Nord2 in my opinion). I own the Nord Rack, the Nord Lead, MKS-80, Juno 60, 106, Polysix and lot more. I hate the cold sound character of the Nord Rack. Could it be, that the new machine sounds warmer?

I am using version 1.2 software. I put a 9 on this because sometimes the panic button doesn??t work, it seems a "sw" problem... I can live with it I hope more "sw" revisions.
The preset sounds, in my opinion are too basic. I can??t understand the reason from Clavia to do this.
Editing patches is very, very, easy. I am learning substractive syntesis techniques and in one year I can do a really wide range of nice sounds. FM on this synth seems nice to use also.
Manual is cool, I recognize this is my first hardware synth(only 3 years making music) but everything I need to know is in the manual, clearly answered and easy to find.

Other users described well below the main features of nord lead 3. I have only one opinion about the effects; for the price I paid, four or five basic effects would be good for a better "hands on" sound creation.
As a MIDI controller for v/analog soft synth is perfect!
The lights on the front panel are really good idea of the designers, the knobs are not so strong I hope they still be solid in the future...
The arpeggiator+subarpeggio+mask is the only kind of sequencer of nord lead 3... I prefer to work with a dedicated one.

This is the strongest point on this synth for sure. The combination of substractive+FM on a high quality sounding machine is nice for futuristic sounds. Is also valid for classic analog souds. I like to create complex and atmosferic pads and it reacts perfect on this. I can understand other users saying it sounds "organic". I am agree, this is the word! Bass sound is very strong. what does matter the difference with an analog? In my opinion some people should be more concerned in music creation and not in the perfect and warmer sound. Well, this is another discussion...
The frequency modulation sounds could be classics but I think the idea of the manufacturer is to make an easy FM to be mixed with substractive. FM can be more complex than on nord lead.
It reacts well to my playing, suitable for all kind of music.

I am confident on this machine. Everything I??ve heard of clavia is good. I hope on next sw revision they will solve the problem with the panic button, sometmes it doesn??t work.

Never dealt with them.
I would like more sounds on internet.

As I said before I am only playing for 3 years.
If it were lost I would buy the rack unit for space an price..
Maybe an overpriced instrument but if you don??t like nice cars, you prefer to rent than buy, you love music, and you have the money... I don??t know... it is your decision. As a non expert I can suggest you this instrument in this case:
a) You complain with all the above mentioned
b) You really like Nord Lead 3
c) You really have the opotunity to test it.
d) You want good result with an easy to program.
Some people says about soft options, ok they are valid! Choose what you want but please... make music!

Vers. 1.20. Editing on this thing is a snap, totally intuitive. Any problems I have had were covered by the manual. Clavia has the most user friendly manuals on the market, and anything you cant figure out directly (which is very little) will be easily covered in the manual.
No need for a patch editor, everything is clear and conciser, and the light up bars really assist in helping you program.

I wanted this, so I could really emulate those old analog beasts such as the Pro5, JP8, and OBXA. So 24 voices is more than enough.
The key action is disappointing. Very spongey, and almost toylike, and aftertouch triggers too easily. I learned on hammer action keys, so I play a bit harder than someone who learned on synth action keys. 49 keys limits it as well. However I just midi'd it up to my Yamaha EX-5 and Roland Fantom X8, and all complaints were easily solved.
Alot of people have complained about the lack of effects, START PROGRAMMING. I find effects to be a crutch, something I relied heavily on when I first started fiddling with synthesis several years ago. The better you get at programming, the less effects you'll need. The Unison Mode is fantastic, and it doesn't even eat up the polyphony:-)
The MIDI Capabilities are fantastic. Every knob sends and receives MIDI. I had a D-Beam and Ribbon Controllers running resonance and cutoff with no problem.
I haven't fiddled with the arpeggiator much, seems rather limited. I just use the arpeggiators from either of my Master Boards.

Its Analog Emulation, and a damn good one at that. Alot of people are complaining about the sound of the Lead 3 versus the Lead 2, and some of the complaints are valid. However I still love it. If you want real analog, then why are you getting an emulation? Go buy a Andromeda or a vintage board!!! However the Lead 3 will convince everyone but the Veteran Analog Synthesist.
Its really good old school new wave, synth pop, trance, techno, etc. I could find a dozen uses for it. However if you wan't bread and butter sounds, stay away from it.
No onboard effects, which is one of the reasons I bought it.
Once again, key action can tend to be preferential. As far as I am concerned I dont care for it much. However give it a try.

I find it very dependable. I don't gig very often, but I would feel very comfortable traveling with it as long as I had a sturdy case.

Never had to deal with Clavia. However I have heard great things about them.

If it were stolen I would definitely get another. Its a great machine. I have a Roland Fantom X8, Yamaha EX-5, Korg Wavestation, and a Korg M1. The Lead 3 complements those boards perfectly, giving me that analog bite I really wanted. It'd definitely my go to board at the moment, its the most fun, and any wild idea in my head translates easily to the board.
I do have a small list of complaints.

1. The key action. Once again I found it weak.
2. 49 keys is limited, boosting the Eventual Nord Lead 4 to 61 keys would be a step in the right direction,
3. An X/Y Pad would be awesome.

By far the best hands-on editing synth on the market. Clavia has always taken home the prize for this. The Nord Lead 3 doesn't fall short. I am using v1.20 OS and the 1024 Program presets and 163 Performance presets are fantastic. The manual is extremely intuitive. It's easy to look up something in the index and find your answer fast.

Last year I made the decision to go all soft-synths (like many artists) but after 10 months I couldn't do it anymore. When my energy is flowing and the creativity is bursting I need to know I can keep moving. Soft synths didn't cut it for me. Sitting in a chair playing with a mouse for hours really feel like I'm doing the opposite of what I'm trying to accomplish. I won't argue there are many great sounding soft synths, but the tactile feel of a keyboard such as the Nord Lead 3 cannot be replicated using software and so I'm re-building my studios. I really find the perfect blend to be using hard synths with a mixerless setup and using the DAW as my digital mixer.

Calvia has never added effects such as Reverb, Delay, etc., to the Nord Lead product line. I've used quite a few synths and typically as soon as I turn off the effects I lose my mojo. I have the opposite feeling the Nord Lead 3. It sounds fantastic without effects, and even better when I use the effects in my DAW. The point is that when it comes down to raw power with no band-aid to make something sound like more than it is, the Nord Lead really stands out as one of the industry's TOP synthesizers.

I'm going to be as short and sweet as possible. The Nord Lead 3 sounds fantastic. Despite what a small few say about the Nord Lead 3 compared to the Nord Lead 1 and 2, the Nord Lead 3 is in fact like the other two...and more! True, the NL3 does have a new sound engine, but that lovely Nord "bite" is still there. The brittle metalic sound you would sometimes get from the old boards is what I would say is missing (but not entirely), but all the original reasons I fell in love with on my Nord Lead 1 keyboard still exists in the Nord Lead 3, and then some. The 1024 presets are good and so are the 160 perforamcne presets with plenty of room to store your own. Clavia offers a free tool to easily manage the sounds it your Nord. It uses your midi ports and talks directly to it.

No effects are included, but there is so much character in this board that effects would only take away from its richness. I have no problem using my studio's effects for reverb, delay, etc..

Built extremely well. Chassis is sturdy, knobs glide well, and I would gig with it if I had the opportunity. Any synth that is worth more than $300 should be kept in a travel bag or case. Luckily Clavia makes gig bags for the Nord Lead products.

Before making the purchase I emailed Clavia with a couple of pre-sales questions. They responded within 24 hours both times and were very detailed in their answers. A+

As a long time Clavia customer and I can't recommend enough that this synth be your first choice for anyone look for a good subtractive synth with lots of hands-on control and very rich sound.

If you want an extremely intuitive, fulfilling, flexible synth for your studio or live perforances then I highly recommend the Nord Lead 3. Do not fear the people who say this doesn't sound like a legacy Nord. It does and you won't be disappointed. This is the only synth where I haven't lost my mojo..

If you know subtractive synthesis, this will be a breeze. Otherwise, give yourself a good 6 months to figure things out.

No FX. Doesn't really need them. Plug-ins, baby.

Amazing sound for a VA. The fact that peopple complain about this sound is hilarious. You need to start PROGRAMMING!!! It may not have a true analog sound, but it is really damn close.

I would absolutely gig with this thing without a backup. It's digital afterall...there ARE no problems with these babies.

I would give it a 9 out of 10 for the best user interface on the synth market, with a good analog type sound, and the reliability of a digital OS. The single most programmable non-modular on the market.

I am giving this submission cause i have some minor disagreement about the 'perfomance synth' called by the company.This synth said to be perfomance but it luck some important features for perfomance!It dont have on board fx( delay at least!),it dont have on board sequencer which are very very usefull for perfomance.It said to have many knobs and buttons,well so do and my other VA synths.It is also said that the morph wheel control simulateniously more that one sound parameters,this can be done also to other VA synths by assining the midi control 2 ( modulation wheel )to be modulator for other destinations thru a modulation matrix.And i have a question here what are the specifications that tell the difference between a VA synth and a performance VA synth?Also the program changes could be done with a foot pedal.My point here is not that i hate the lead 3 it is just that there is too much noise about it,that it shouldnt and the price is too high and at the end of the day you dont get what you pay!A perfomance VA synth!

questionnable (see blow)

Sent 3 emails concerning MIDI implementation . Still haven't heard back . But this is the best . The LFO1 control is sticking and not working properly . I took the unit back to the store where I purchased it (very dependable and reliable shop - Long & McQuade in Toronto - ) . It's been over 3 MONTHS . YES 3 -THREE-TROIS-TRES-TRE- MONTHS . AND THEY ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE PARTS !!!!!!!! I just had it . I paid $2000 for this thing and this is what you get when it needs a (very minor) repair .
As soon as I get it , it's going on Ebay . I really don't need the aggravation . I'll stick (not that I really want to) to the Japanese stuff . And Clavia, Waldorf, Novation and Co , I don't care how amazing your instruments are . You can keep them . A relatively recent piece of gear in the shop for over 3 months for a faulty pot ? You must be kidding . This is worthless to me .

Terrible service , questionnable reliability , no FX , limited storage and expendability , expensive and not really that well built . My 20 years old Multimoog and my 12 years old K2000 are still humming like day one and feels so much well built than this Nord . I have more fun to use the K and the Moog for leads than I ever had with this Nord 3 . And one more Nord 3 for sale . One .

Probably the all-around best user interface on a VA or analog synth currently being produced. I loved the NL2x but the NL3 has an even better interface. The endless knobs and graphical LEDs tell you exactly what you're working with and hearing (except for the appegiator and glide knobs... those are still "analog" without LEDs.) Unlike the earlier Nords, you can name your patches and even file them into categories, so pulling up your own custom sounds is a snap. No need to remember cryptic banks and numbers on a tiny two-digit display. If you are at all knowledge at subtractive synthesis, you shouldn't have any problems with this synth. The only thing that threw me was the Sync feature: Instead of syncing Osc 2 to Osc 1, each Osc generates its own carrier sync wave when the sync parameter is engaged. So, you sync Osc 1 to a "hidden" carrier Osc, not to Osc 2 or vice versa.
The manual is excellent, as are all of Clavia's manuals. Newbies can also learn a thing or two (or more) about basic synthesis.

There are plenty of modulation sources for the NL3. 2 LFOs that can be set to trigger in various ways and one Mod Envelope with AD/AR (can also be used in an LFO mode), 2 Osc, FM, Sync, an Osc Mod parameter, ADSR envelopes for the Amp and Filter, and several new Filter modes, including multi-filters. If you're new to synthesis, basically this synth has everything you'd need to create very complex and unique sounds. The presets were useless for me; mostly dance-oriented stuff. I love the Nord pitch stick/mod wheels. Once you get used to them, going to another synth is a drag. The keyboard action isn't great but it isn't terrible. The NL3 is a full-featured VA synth, so if you want to know every feature, go to clavia.com and check out the specs. For all intents and purposes of this review, I'll leave it at saying that the features of this synth aren't its weak point. No onboard effects but no Nords have effects (unless you count Unison as chorus.) One note: The NL2's 2nd LFO could produce a delay effect. I don't believe that the NL3 has that capability.

Here is where the NL3 falls short of the mark. While the earlier Nord Leads are fat, warm, raw, and so analog-sounding that you forget they're digital, the Lead 3 has a very cold, thinner sound. I'm a decent programmer and I spent hours trying to fatten up the NL3 (listening over headphones.) I compared my NL2x and NL3 side by side using the same headphones and later, the same amp (Roland KC500.) There isn't any stepping or aliasing of the filter or other parameters, but there is a digital sheen coating the NL3's sound. There isn't a lot of presence, either. Perhaps through an EQ or with some FX the NL3 can sound warmer and bigger, but I didn't bother trying. The NL2x and original Nord Lead didn't need anything to beef up its sound. A touch of reverb or better yet, old-school delay was all that was needed. Many times I played live shows and left my NL2x completely dry (fusion band) and I never missed any FX. With the NL3, I was hoping for the same ballsy, rich tone that the earlier Leads generate, but with the improved interface. Unfortunately, I didn't get that. I'm pretty picky when it comes to sound and rightly so: if I'm going to spend a few thousand dollars on an instrument I'm going to expect to be satisfied. I later discovered that the NL3's sound engine is different than the previous Leads. I then tried using different programming methods so as not to get caught up in a "pattern," but I really couldn't get the same audience-grabbing pure analog sound that I want.
The oscillators sound a bit weaker than on the previous Nords, but I really feel that the culprits here are the FILTERS. Clavia added several new filters such as the "Classic" (meant to emulate the Minimoog) and "Distorted LP" as well as multi filters. Even with these tools, the filters on the NL3 are lacking in depth and musicality. It's very hard to get funky, formant-style synth leads out of the NL3 and even when you do, they still don't have the growl that the original Leads do. The ADSR envelopes don't affect the filters dynamically enough, either. The NL3 sounds a lot like my Triton Pro... a decent sound but not what I'd want to use as a solo,bass, or even pad instrument.
In my opinion, the NL3 is a new case of, if it's not broken, don't fix it; not only did Clavia miss the mark by deviating from the proven sound of the smash-hit NL1s and NL2s, but I myself bought an NL3 to replace my NL2x. Luckily for me, after trying out the NL3 for many hours in the studio and live performance situations, I was able to return it for a full refund. If you play music that centers around techno/dance you might be able to get away with the it, but even then there is much better stuff out there than this. The one strength that it does have is the basic FM 2 and 4-operator sounds, but for me, that's just icing on the cake, not a reason to buy a synth. If you're a demanding professional keyboardist like myself and want a warm, fat-sounding synth that is capable of generating classic tones and wicked modern sounds as well, don't buy this keyboard. As amazing as the interface is, sound is what matters the most, and this keyboard is lacking in that department. Get a NL2x or try out the other fine VAs out there (Alesis Ions and Microns, Viruses, Korg MS2000.)

All of Clavia's products are built rock-solid and I've depended on my Nord Electro and Nord Leads for hundreds of gigs. As long as you treat them well, all Nords will last a long, long time.

I've never dealt directly with the company, but their website is helpful. There is a software utility program for managing NL2 and NL3 sounds but I don't believe you can edit them with it.

It was so hard to say "no" to this synth because of the inviting interface. I had such a great time tweaking with this synth, but unfortunately I was never satisfied with the sound. If you are considering buying this keyboard DEMO IT FIRST! It may not work out for you. If you own an older Nord Lead and are happy with it don't think that the NL3 is an "upgrade." It's a totally different animal with a fiercer exterior but a much tamer growl.

total cakewalk. even a novice would have little trouble learning the ins and outs of it.

no fx (well unison, but that doesn't really count). the 2 oscs can sound great, and with chord memory it's easy to beef stuff up. considering today's competition, a 3rd would be nice.

the filter section sounds decent, although i was expecting a little more "scream". you can still get it, but it's a little trickier than w/ the NL2. resolutely, you have WAY more ability to shape the sound with the multifilter setups. i would have liked the ability to screw with the poles in this mode though.

pretty decent modulation ability, certainly nothing phenominal at this point, any VA can do this now; osc mod features are one of the best parts of squeezing the most out of this synth. you can really go wild. other VA synths could probably do something similar, but i'm not sure they'd get it down as well.

this thing does VA very very well. it can sound like a myriad of vintage gear (and FM gear for that matter). Alesis ION is really the only real VA competition out there IMO. Viruses sound awesome, but only after you throw ten thousand fx over the oscs.

Being able to mutate the sounds via Morph function really opens doors to evolving patches and the like. nothing else does this on the market.

after 60 days or so of very little use, and very gentle use, it's having some serious issues booting up (takes about 10 minutes). possibly a bad chip. still works, but after blowing $1750 on this thing, i'm angry.

you'll see why in the next section..

support? what support? two emails and 3 months later i've gotten ZERO response. very clearly stated questions for them.

again, pissed.

if i were to start all over again, with the experience i've had with this synth, i'd probably get a Nord Lead 2/Alesis ION and some random analog monosynth.

the features on this thing are great, but not entirely that endearing. the FM section is limited, and really not as useful as i was hoping. it does VA vert well though, and it definitely sounds better than an ION in some ways. if you can find one at a reasonable price (THAT WORKS :p), check it out! just keep in mind you're paying for playability and play-focused features. its sonic ability by today's VA standards are maybe "above average", but not alot higher.

Straightforward patch editing is this keyboard's crowning glory. It could not be any easier. Every single parameter has a dedicated knob or button, and every setting is indicated in real time by an LED. You never have to guess at anything and you never have to dig around in any menus. Sound creation is so easy that it really becomes just part of playing the keyboard. You don't have to stop playing and think; you just reach out and grab the right control as you go. Sharpening up the attack, or slowing down an LFO, or opening up the filter, or whatever you want to do is as simple as adjusting the volume. Even assigning parameter morphs is easy. This synth is begging to be programmed; it really eliminates the distinction between programming and playing. You can improvise new sounds as easily as new melodies.

You mostly need the manual to understand how the patch banks work, how to do splits and layers, how to store new patches, and all that sort of housekeeping stuff. If you don't already understand audio synthesis, it can serve as a decent primer; it's interesting to read about all the controls while looking at diagrams of the ways they affect sound waveforms. The manual goes into thorough detail about the controls and the ways they interact with each other.

NL3 has 24 voice polyphony. I don't know of any expansion options. The MIDI implementation is good - it supports velocity and aftertouch, and all the knobs seem to send and respond to MIDI CC commands.

The keyboard action is just OK. The keys are not weighted and can feel a bit springy. It's no worse than any other synth in its class, but the rest of the package is built to such a high standard that the keyboard feels lackluster by comparison. Still, I would recommend the NL3 keyboard over the NL3 rack plus a controller; it works well as a single integrated instrument.

There are no built-in effects or sequencer, and that's really just fine. This is a pure audio synthesizer; it's not trying to be an all-in-one workstation, and I'd rather use my outboard effects anyway. The quality of the sound is so good you don't necessarily even need any effects.

There is a basic arpeggiator with three patterns (up, down, up/down), but there are a couple of added features that make it much more interesting: you can "mask" out arbitrary notes in the pattern, to get a more interesting rhythm, and you can interleave notes from a "sub" arpeggio pattern. With the combination of the three patterns from the main oscillator, plus a separate sub-pattern butting in every few notes, you can make some very complicated-sounding patterns.

There's no sampler, vocoder, or sequencer; this is a pure synthesizer you buy for its sound quality and phenomenally good user interface, not for its features. It is an instrument you incorporate into your studio, not the center of the studio itself. From that frame of mind, its feature set is great, but if you are looking for an all-in-one audio workstation you are going to be disappointed.

This is a purely electronic instrument; it is not even trying to reproduce acoustic sounds. "Realistic" simply does not apply. The Nord Lead started out as a "virtual analog" synth, and you can do a lot of things that sound like old '70s analog subtractive synths, but the NL3 also offers some basic FM operations and has a whole new bite all its own.

The built in patches were somewhat disappointing. I bought this keyboard because I wanted a big bold lead instrument, with lots of the exciting, arresting, energetic sounds the Nord Lead series is famous for. But most of the NL3 presets seem to focus on the new FM features or the softer, more atmospheric sounds that were apparently harder to create on the older Nord Leads. But it's so easy to create patches that the weak presets don't really matter; you can dial up a big cut-through-the-noise lead patch from scratch in ten minutes or less, so I am content. The bass sounds completely kick ass - it's not exactly a Moog, but you can make some amazing powerful basses that take over just as much or as little of the mix as you want.

The Nord only makes sense for music that wants a modern electronic sound. I guess you could also use it to do electric pianos and organs for classic rock, but that's really a waste of the machine's talents; you might as well go buy the Electro. This machine wants to get out there and tear things up: use it for techno, trance, industrial, even pop or new age jazz.

I have no complaints about the velocity and aftertouch response. The responsive feel was what caught my eye about the Nord series in the first place: it felt like actually playing a musical instrument, instead of punching keys on a digital sound-machine. Every nuance of my touch seems to come out in the sound - it's a lively, complex feeling, not at all like a simple sample-player.

Built like a tank: metal everywhere. Never taken it out of my studio, but I don't feel like I will have to baby it when I take it on the road.

It's definitely worth what I paid, and I'd buy another if I lost this one. It's a beautiful machine and a great creative tool. It makes sound design easy and fun. It feels like a real musical instrument. In the past I did all my composition on the piano, because it got all the technology out of the way and let me focus on the music. With the Nord Lead, I feel like I can focus on the music anyway, because its technology doesn't get in my way; I can just play. It has finally made patch programming feel like play.

Wow what an excellent sounding synth. Studied the manual before the test drive and found it extremely easy to move about.

Wow again, no effects and it sounds brillant. The features are perfect for my style.

Supersynth. Make no mistake about it this instrument is special in so many ways. It can be used for any style of music. The reviews I read said NO EFFECTS- some good and some bad. IMO after demo this synth does not need onboard effects. After some time with this board I warmed up to its feel. The keys were a disappointment at first but it all fell into place.

Here is where I lost interest. This synth sounds immaculate for my style of music but it looks and feels cheap for the price. I do not abuse my equipment but if this synth is not handled with extreme care the road would kill it quickly IMO.

I will buy this synth some day. If it had a better casing I would have bought it. It's competition got the buy instead.

I must agree with other users: The NL3 has probably the best user-interface there is. This menas something! I'm blind and I could use most of the functions a few days later. A guy in the store explained the general layout and the rest was peanuts. Fantastic! The manual helps a great deal with the more advanced functions, which are a bit hidden (if you can't see.) But still there aren't much. Only two menus. Editing existing sounds is "as easy as pressing a button or turning a knob" :-) Really a heaven for old analogue freaks as well as "hands-on"-people!

This baby is full of fantastic features. I has a really neat arpeggiator. It is even more easy to program if you can see. But rest assured: You could do it blind! :-) It combines good, solid subtractive synthesis and fm-synthesis with some amazing, advanced features.
It has no effects, but it really doesn't need them. If you wish you can still add some fx afterwards. Now my first ever synth was a yamaha an1x (virtual analogue WITH effect) and I was very used to have them around. But after looking through the presets I discovered a whole new world of pure SOUND-programming. I sank into the world of: How can I get my own effects without really having them onboard? There are loads of ways. This instrument with its presets is a nice teacher for a start!
It has midi IN/OUT, 24 polyphony, an impressive unisono mode, which DOESN'T cut down polyphony. The keyboard is touch sensitive, has aftertouch, there is a superb pitchstick and a modewheel. (You can get a good, naturalsounding vibrato with the pitchstick, that's my only synth/keyboard where this is possible.
You can sync the nordlead to an external midi-clock, sync the LOFs and pretty much everything else, which can be synced to your internal midiclock. In performance mode the NL3 is multitimbral (four parts). It has four audio outs! You can route audio to the different outputs!
The one and only thing not so cool is the keyboard itself. It feels a bit like plastic, if you know, what I mean. Besides that it is noisy. This is extremingly annoying if you do a glissando from bottom to top.

The sounds - as mentioned before - are MURDR_SOUNDS! Alright, some of the factory presets aren't that good. But it is nice, that they aren't, so you know at least which sound to oeverwrite! :-) No really this Babe covers it all from techo (it's used by the Safri Duo), to Pop (Madonna) to progressive and art rock (Flowerkings Sweden, Peter Gabriel - I'm not sure). Well I've used it for metall, dance, art/prog rock and classic. There seem to be not many limitations. It is not confined to one genre! And I love this VERY much about this instrument!
While playing you feel it playing with you! It seems to react to the way you play it! It lets you play in different ways. To me it looks like a two-way connection: You get it to react and it let's you react! - what I wanna say is: It's alive!
It's perfect for use in live playing and recording in your studio!

I have never had any problems with it. It was said that the old software version could freeze it under certain extraordinary conditions... But not any more. I would depend on it on a gig WITHOUT a backup! You can't get into stupid menus and suddenly be lost and your sound is stuck. Nothing to worry about. If it is build as solid as the nord Electro (which it certainly looks like), it is virtually unbreakable!

I've asked Clavia for the manual in HTML, because I just can't read pdf and naturally I can't read the printed version (being blind and all :-)). They send me an HTML version without further ado. Great as far as I know! Since this instrument is very robust, I think I'll never have to use their support.

What can I say in addition: Just GRAND! PERFECT! Nice to edit, expressive sounds, loads of advanced features, which are easy to find! Overall robust, dependable! Only the keyboard could be better and have MORE keys! But well, in the age of midi and other synths...

I have never used an easier synth. All of the sound parameters are controlled by individual rotaries or buttons on the front panel, nothing is hidden in menus. The circle LEDs move to show the current setting of each rotary when you call up a patch or move one of the modulation controls. This makes the synth even easier to use than the classic analog synths, as well as a great learning tool. Call up a preset and you can immediately see how it was programmed. Parameter values, morph groups, and layer slots can be copied and pasted, making it very fast to set up performances and initialize new patches.

Most performance features (and this synth is packed with them), such as setting up morph groups, layers, octave shift, etc., are one or two button operations at the most. The only time you have to go to a menu is to setup the arpeggiator pattern, for MIDI functions, tuning, and sysex transfers.

The synth comes with a great software soundbank manager, with an easier and smoother integration than any other synth I have used.
I could go on and on.

The presets are very good and very numerous. With 1024 preset programs and 256 performances there are too many to walk through in a month, let alone a half hour at the music store. Many of the patches use FM and the new oscillator modes, which means that they don't tend to show off classic analog sounds. But this synth has them. More experienced programmers should start with an initial sound (Shift+Sound Init) and play with the oscillators, filters, and envelopes to get an idea of the basic sound possibilities.

The manual is complete and well written. It explains everything. The only thing more I could wish for would be a good tutorial.

One other thing I wish Clavia supported was a translator from NL and NL2 patches to NL3 patches. I am sure they must have an internal tool that can do this. At least they should have brought all of the analog patches forward so they could be downloaded and used in the NL3.

24 voice polyphony. I have no complaints about the keyboard action. Velocity and aftertouch sensitive. All controls, including aftertouch and velocity are MIDI sensitive.

No built in effects, the synth doesn't need them. It sounds punchy, deep, rich, fat, smooth, raw, etc. all without effects. Clavia did not want to compromise the sound by taking up engine processing power with effects and I applaud them for it. External effects can be used to great effect, but with this synth they are the icing on the cake, not the cake itself.

The OS is software upgradable. It already has a huge memory with 1024 programs and 256 performances.

No sequencer or sampler, it wouldn't make sense in a product like this.

This synth has tons of performance features including 4 program layering, keyboard split, octave shift, note stack, chord memory, unison, mono/poly, single and poly glide, single and poly legato, arpeggiator, built in vibrato that can be assigned to aftertouch or the wheel without using up an LFO, syncable vibrato + LFO + arpeggiator, keyboard hold, program categories, program sorting, control of active device (for use in splits, each program can turn on or off the pitch stick, sustain pedal, kb hold, or wheel), copying and pasting of parameter values + morph groups + programs. The synth architecture is fixed, and perhaps limited in some ways, although it can still produce a HUGE range of sounds.

It sounds like a classic analog synth, and like a FM based synth, and like a totally unique synth. It is a VA, so it isn't quite really analog, and yet it sounds so good you don't care. Emulations of mini, prophet, DX, Jupiter, Oberheim (to a lesser extent) can be coaxed out of it and are extremely convincing. But the obverall sound quality is what sets it apart. Even without effects it is deep, rich, punchy, fat, or soft and airy. No matter what the sound quality is professional and good enough to use in recording.

It is a highly expressive synth and responds well to velocity, aftertouch, pitch bend, and the modulation wheel. The pitch stick rocks (so to speak). The morphing is extremely smooth and high quality even when you have assigned a ton of parameters to a morph group. It is actually flawless - I have not been able to make it glitch. The performance features add to it's expressive potential in performance, and the placement of the wheel in particular allows bass notes to be held while doing manual sweeps and other morphing effects.

I compared this with a friend's Prophet 5 and after 10 minutes with the NL3 my friend actually asked if he could trade for it. My friend has owned the Prophet 5 since 1981 and has been gigging in cover bands since the 70's.

I have heard some say that the NL3 cannot sound punchy and biting like the NL2. This is false and I have proven it in side-by-side comparisons. Those who say that are locked into programming patterns when they use the two synths.

For previous reviewers who say the NL3 is weak, I say that they are "
"preset weanies". Learn how to program an analog synth and then give try again. It took my friend with the Prophet 5 about 10 seconds to dial up a ripping lead on the NL3, but then he knows what he is doing. I am slower, but can still come up with some powerful sounding programs in minutes.

So far I have had no problems. I would (and have) use it without backup in the right situation. In other words, if I was too lazy to carry around another synth.

Clavia has a good track record with product updates. I have not dealt with the company directly, but spent an hour chatting with a rep at the US distributor. They were very friendly and answered my questions. He even talked about other synth manufacturers in an honest manner as I was trying to decide what synth to buy at the time.

I will always have this synth. It was totally worth what I paid. I will (and have and do) own other synths, but this will be a staple of my setup for many years to come. I have been playing off and on for 20 years and have played a variety of classic analog, FM, and PCM ROM based synths. I have also played the Novation synths, the Waldorf MicroQ, the Alesis Ion and Andromeda, the Korg MS2000, and the Yamaha AN and DX plg boards. For my money the NL3 is the best of the lot. It doesn't hide behind effects and doesn't need too. When I play it it never even occurs to me that it is lacking anything. I currently own a Yamaha S90, which is my only other synth, having sold a bunch of other gear to get the NL3. I love everything about the NL3 and so far don't hate anything, which is not a common experience for me. Most products I hate in about a few minutes of use. It helps me create music and never gets in the way. Although I often find myself improvising to the different presets more than I do writing music or preparing for the next performance! For anyone looking for a VA with top quality sound this is the one. The only thing I would like to add might be Prophet 5 or 10 and another synth dedicated to pads just because it is always good to have more variety.

Finally at least there are many knobs. Still, many of them have more than one function (using the Shift button) because this synth has a MASSIVE amount of parameters, but it's a good compromise that Clavia did here. Parameters are very accessible, but you should have a thorough understanding of the synth's structure.

Poly=sufficient. Unisono mode doesn't cut polyphony! Key action is average, i prefer my XP80 or Casio VZ1, and the contacts inside are not of the greatest quality, but OK.
No FX and no expansion.
Has Aftertouch/Pressure sens and is of course velocity sensitive.
No seq but an advanced Arpeggiator that can not only snap >1 octaves but you can deactivate single arpeggiator steps to get more unique patterns. U have 2 get into the LCD menu to modify.
I should note that performances (the multi-timbral or layer mode) contain their own patches saved together with the performance itself. Those patches are independent from the ones in the patch area. Very nice. Doing a MIDI Sysex dump of the current performance hence contains everything that you hear, which is important when working with sequencers.
BUT, the NL3 has a poor program change implementation. With more than one bank of presets or performances, how do you implement proper program selection e.g. for external effects?? There is no mapping/PG change table setting like found in MANY other synths, so you'd always have to set external efx manually when changing a program. Annoying.

This thing is VERY flexible. As said before, it is a rather feature-rich synth and you just have to read the manual, especially the description of the different modules. The Oscillators alone are worth mentioning - not only do they offer the basic waveforms including SYNC, but also AM, FM, filtered noise (!), ... did I forget anything?
Sounds get better when you LEARN how to use it.
Being able to layer 4 different patches is a very easy way to find new sound combinations.
Factory presets are fairly boring IMHO.

Seems reliable, but haven't used it gigging nor for a long time.

Well, the guys at Clavia tend to respond very delayed to emails, if at all. Nice guys, though... ;-)

I own it for 3 months now, and I'd buy it again and again - hope it doesn't get stolen anyway ;-)
My NM Keyboard is a good add-on synth since it is a lot more flexible and can do the ultra-fat stuff the NL3 sometimes can't do.
I love the design, user i/f, the pitch stick and mod wheel, the small 49-key kbd and the 4 outs.
Clavia have really put a lot of good ideas into the system and user interface. What I really miss are:
- Adjustable velocity curves
- A program change map, e.g. allowing for automatic selection of the correct FX preset when using external efx (and you'd have to!)
- A more expressive pressure sensitivity curve (see velocity curve..)
- The ability to send user-definable MIDI sysex data when changing Programs (very nice when gigging live!)
- more to come as I get inside this li'l monster ;-))

I'm using OS 1.20, and it works great. I find some of the presets inspiring, others not, but the presets don't really matter on this synth; the interface is simply begging to be tweaked, and the results are amazing; I've never worked on anything this musical and easy to handle. The manual is not really nescessary for basic editing, but it can come in handy for more advanced synthesis operations.

24-voice poly, which works great for me; my OB-Xa and Super Jupiter both have 8 voices, and that is plenty. no built-in fx, which I find very helpful, since I do not have to switch the FX off all the time or, like on my Triton, on all the patches... outboard fx is the way to go for me, and I do not miss fx here at all. MIDI velocity is my only problem; there is only one curve, and it does not work for me. If Clavia fix this in an OS update, I would be very happy.

Amazing sound; anything from warm, analog pads and basses to crispy cold FM sounds is possible, and sometimes a little bit of both. It does not have the gut-wrenching bass fatness of my Jupiter, or the screaming leads of the OB-Xa, but then again, nothing else does... ;-) Setting up controllers is a breeze, and I would recommend everyone to use an expression pedal.

Built as tanks, I'm sure these synthesizers will be found by future archaeologists, who will dig them out of the ground a thousand years from now, power them up and play them like nothing ever happened...

The Clavia customer support is one of the best.

I've been playing semi-professionally for the last ten years, and this is one of my best purchases. I own the aforementioned OB and Jupiter, an upright piano, a Rhodes mark II 73 and a Rhodes mark II 88 in pristine condition, an Oberheim Matrix-1000, a Triton rack, a Nord Electro, a Roland A-50 and a Studiologic SL-161, along with some outboard fx, mixers and midi equipment. I bought the Lead 3 about a year ago, and I've been using it ever since. I play loads of soul, gospel, jazz, northern african music, MPB, pop, rock, electronica and just about anything that comes along. I've written music for films and played musicals and theatres, and this is a great instrument, that fits well into any of these situations. Please, do not base your opinions on anything you read here, instead make sure you get to try your future purchases in the situations where you'll likely use them. I'm not gonna try and tell you to buy this synth, but I can warmely recommend that you try it out.

Well this must be the easiest to use modern synth. It has the best user interface of any synth. Results can be achieved fast and you always know where you are. Excellant

by now everyone knows what features it has. If not go to www.clavia.se

All features are very well implimented.

Wonderful expressive sounds are the Nord 3's strongest attribute. Although it emulates analog,it does, to my ears not sound analog. This is a digital synth that just sounds absolutely phonominal.

This is in the same league as my Prophet 5 and Jupiter 8. The NL3 is best sounding digital synth in my opinion.

One of the best engineered synths available in the world today. I should imagine it will last at least 20 yrs.

Never had to deal with them. Their website is very good.

I look at modern VA synths as wounderful sounding digital synths. To my ears no VA's sound like a true analog does....but who cares. The current crop of VA's are excellant instruments in their own right. Try not to compare VA's to true analog......its futile.

10 out of 10 for a superbly crafted, reliable and expressive synth.

I've had the Lead3 (v1.2) for about a month now. It's quite easy to use - a real no brainer. You see it, you tweak it. The presets are
a standard tour of the range, with classic sounds to unique Nord layerings in "Performance Mode."

There are a few menus to set specific arpeggio settings, midi control settings, global synth settings and presets... but most functions are right under your eyes. Assign buttons for everything you would want are right in front: wheel and aftertouch, mono/poly, glide, and the Nord's "Unision Mode." (Amongst others, for which a pic is more sufficent)

The 24 voice polyphony is enough for just about any task, the action and aftertouch are pretty standard as keyboards go.. The brain of the Nord offers controls for just about every MIDI setup you can imagine,
however there are no effects, no sequencer, only 4 octaves - things that can easily sour the experience.

Most of the presets are weak, as are many. With no onboard effects, I required the use of external rack effects. Atmospheric patterns are well passable, as well with low frequency rhythmic patterns, but this is billed as a "Lead" instrument, right? Though the overall feel of playing is right on, and the sounds have the timbre that cuts to foreground, most fail to really spark or surprise.