Overview
The Nord Electro 7 front panel is laid out with all related features and controls logically grouped in individual sections. Let’s have a quick look, from left to right:
1. MASTER SECTION
At the far left is the Master Level control for setting the overall volume level, as well as a Synth Vibrato button for controlling the Synth section Vibrato in real time.
2. ORGAN SECTION
The dedicated Organ section, with its nine LED equipped drawbars for real-time adjustments to the Organ sound, uses our latest B3 tonewheel Organ model, as found in the acclaimed Nord Organ 3.
The B3 model is based on the analysis of the signals generated by each of the 91 spinning discs inside several original instruments, and its virtual circuitry reacts not only to the panel settings but also to the real time performance, simulating important foldback, compression and energy robbing characteristics.
The Rotary Speaker simulation, also derived from the Nord Organ 3, brings Organ sounds to life with remarkable realism, and comes with 3 distinct Microphone Positions for variations in tonal character and stereo movement.
Two carefully modelled emulations of famous transistor organs from the 1960’s – the Vox and the Farf – are also included. Finally, there is a “Principal” Pipe model that delivers a wide range of versatile pipe/church organ sounds, as well as a Soft B3 model which provides the sound of the B3 organ without key click and other artifacts.
The Organ section comes with two distinct drawbar Presets, as well as a drawbar Live button for instant use of the physical drawbar positions.
3. PIANO SECTION
The Nord Electro 7 includes a wide range of piano and keyboard sounds from the ever-growing Nord Piano Library right out of the box, and new sounds are regularly made available free of charge on www.nordkeyboards.com. The Piano section has controls for adjusting the keyboard velocity response or quickly altering the character of a piano sound using the dedicated Timbre, Dynamic Compression and Unison settings.
4. PROGRAM SECTION
A program on the Nord Electro 7 contains settings for the Organ, Piano and Synth sections, as well as for effects and any split or transpose configurations. The middle area of the instrument – the Program section – is where programs are navigated and stored, and various performance features and settings menus are accessed. All this is aided by the color display, which also shows details about the selected sound for each section.
5. SYNTH SECTION
The Nord Electro 7 Synth section delivers a vast range of sounds, thanks to its dedicated Virtual Analog (VA), FM (Frequency Modulation) and Sample engines.
The Virtual Analog Synth features dual oscillators, dual envelopes and a resonant filter, and the FM Synth comes with a selection of different Algorithms and creative controls for fine tuning the sound. A large library of Presets provides ready-to-go sounds from a wide range of categories.
The Nord Sample Library gives Electro 7 owners access to a huge, free library of world-class sounds, including the famous vintage Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds, the acclaimed Spitfire String Quintet samples and much more. A large selection of samples are included from the factory, and their character and response can be adjusted in a variety of ways, directly from the panel.
In additon, the Mono and Legato options, with adjustable Glide (portamento) amount allows for a variety of classic monophonic synth sounds to be recreated.
6. EFFECTS SECTION
The Effects section puts a wide selection of classic effects at your fingertips. Each section – Organ, Piano and Synth – on the Nord Electro 7 has its own, dedicated effects chain, giving full freedom to creative sound design when combining multiple sounds. Most of the effect parameter controls can be controlled by an attached Expression Pedal, allowing for extensive real-time control during a performance.
The Mod 1 and 2 units provide essential modulation effects such as Tremolo, Chorus and Phaser – modelled after legendary stomp boxes and effects units. The Mod 2 effects all come with a Wide (stereo) option, significantly expanding the range of available sounds.
The Delay effect can be used for anything from subtle ambience or slap-back effects to almost endless soundscapes. The three different feedback filters, multiple Ping-Pong options and an Analog mode provide a wide range of tools for sonic variation.
Classic amplifier simulations, including “British” and Suitcase models, as well as tube-like overdrive which ranges from subtle crunch to all-out distortion are found in the Amp section.
A versatile Equalizer with a sweepable middle band can be applied to any of the Nord Electro 7 sections.
The Compressor effect allows for both subtle adjustments of dynamic response as well as more extreme and obviously compressed sounds.
Finally, the Reverb effect provides a wide range of small and large room simulations, as well as the new Spring reverb type, for instant atmosphere. Each Reverb type comes with optional Bright or Dark modes as well as a lush Chorale mode for additional modulation.