The ultimate soft synth in a beautiful red case.

No doubt, computers have become a natural part of today’s music production. The process of editing sounds and sequences is so much easier from a computer screen. Still keyboard players have the need for portable instruments. Nord Modular G2 offers you the best of both worlds and provides an effective solution for the working musician. While remaining true to the traditional modular synthesis concept it manages to go where no modular synthesizer has ever gone before.

Download the free Richard Devine Modular G2 soundbank.

THE BEST OF TWO WORLDS

The G2 concept is based on a stand alone hardware keyboard with a freely configurable sound synthesis architecture and a software user interface (Editor) made for Mac OSX and PC. The sound engine in the G2 synthesizer runs on a group of digital signal processors (DSP’s), together with high resolution AD and DA converters. A G2 sound is named a Patch and is made with virtual modules and cables. Simply ‘drag & drop’ modules and cables directly on the computer screen to create your own G2 sounds. A Patch can be modeled after an existing synth or it can be the synthesizer of your dreams.

THE MODULAR CONCEPT

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an 80’s retro fanatic or a producer of the most recent club music. With the G2 you can develop sounds similar to those created by old analog patch synthesizers or simulate acoustic instruments. You can also push yourself into a world of sounds that no single instrument has ever delivered before. While sample players remain cold as ice, the G2 modular architecture offers warmth and presence to your sound. Moreover, the average G2 patch uses about 3(!) kilobytes of memory, which makes sharing over the Internet a piece of cake.To get the feel of how it works, consider the way a guitarist connects his boxes and pedals. You build the sound piece by piece on the computer screen in a simple and intuitive way following your desired signal flow. Many of the G2 modules were also found in traditional analog synthesizers. Among the selection are well-known building blocks such as oscillators, filters, sequencers and envelope generators as well as more complex modules like vocoders, pitch tracker and the mystic Bode shifter. You can also build your own unique FX processors and run both internal and external signals through them. Future upgrades will be available for free from www.clavia.se. Combine all this editing power with a logical, user-friendly knob panel and you have the most flexible synthesizer ever seen – the Nord Modular G2!

LET THE FUN BEGIN

When you start building a new patch in the G2 computer editor you will see an empty desktop area divided into three major sections; the toolbar, the voice area, and the FX area. The voice area is the polyphonic part of the system and it is here you drag & drop your basic synthesizer building blocks, which we call modules. There are more than 160 modules to choose from and they are categorized under different tabs in the toolbar. Connect the modules you have placed on the desktop with virtual cables. In the lower section, the monophonic FX area, you drag modules mainly used for the effect part of your patch such as delay, reverb and so on. Tweak the knobs and buttons to refine the sound you have created. The G2 editor offers user-defined coloring of modules and color-coded module groups to make it easy to patch and layout your sounds.

You’ll be surprised by the flexible hardware integration. Assign various parameters to the instrument’s top panel knobs, buttons and controllers either via the Parameter pages or via the Morph groups. The Parameter pages give you general control of parameters from the instrument’s eight rotary encoders, which is especially handy when you’re in the process of creating patches. The Morph groups are designed to provide total control and flexibility to live performers. Whatever you choose we’ve made it easy for you – just drag & drop and you are ready to go. When you are satisfied with your setup, just disconnect the G2 from the computer and bring it to your gig. All your sounds reside in the G2 and are retrievable with just a push of a button.

STUDIO OR STAGE

Producers, DJ’s, musicians! – When you get into the G2 world, you’ll find that this is the ultimate tool for creating your own unique sounds and for reproducing any of the original classic analog synths as well. Furthermore, the G2 offers a number of previously unavailable opportunities particularly suitable for those of you performing live on stage. Just disconnect your synth from the PC/Mac and use it as a freestanding instrument. The G2 conforms exactly to your needs, allowing you to assign all controllers, inputs and outputs the way you want them, plus letting you control your external equipment through MIDI automation. Say goodbye to your effect rack. Design the setup from your computer and run it via the G2. – Let the G2 become the brain of your studio or live keyboard rig.

THE NORD MODULAR G2

The G2 has a three-octave keyboard with aftertouch, one modulation wheel, one Pitch Stick and eight rotary encoders, all easily assignable. Five separate LCD’s give instant overview and control of your patches. Four high quality analog inputs, one with a built in microphone amplifier, provide the connections for external sources. Four LED’s above the keys indicate the split-point configuration. The G2 is expandable with a voice expansion board.

THE NORD MODULAR G2 ENGINE

The G2 Engine is a one-unit high 19” rack version of the G2. Perfect for studios and computer studio environments. It has the same processing power as in the G2 three-octave version, but doesn’t feature top-panel control buttons, microphone- and pedal input. Connect the G2 Engine via the USB port to the PC/Mac and do all your editing from the intuitive and elegant PC/Mac editor. As the G2 three octave version, the G2 Engine is expandable with a voice expansion board.