Clavia Intros Nord Electro 4D Keyboard

Nord Electro 4D

At Musikmesse 2012, Clavia is introducing the new Nord Electro 4D, in time for the 10th anniversary of the first Electro.

Features:

  • 61-key semi-weighted waterfall keyboard
  • Drawbars as found on the Nord C2D
  • Support for Nord’s expanding Sound Libraries.
  • Sound improvements in the Nord Electro 4D include:
    • The Organ section features a brand new tone wheel engine, derived from the organ Nord C2D.
    • The Click-modeling has been improved.
    • Rotary Speaker simulation with new Drive.
    • The Nord Electro 4D supports Long Release suitable for legato playing and selectable String Resonance.
  • Handling programs is easy with 4 Program Banks and 4 Live Locations.
  • The Effect section now includes a new Delay Effect with tap-tempo, rate, amount and a stereo Ping-Pong mode.
  • The USB port doubles as a USB-MIDI interface.
  • Lightweight (7kg)

The Nord Electro 4D will be shown at the Musikmesse Frankfurt, March 21-24 at the Nord Booth B90, Hall 5.1. Pricing and availability are to be announced.

23 thoughts on “Clavia Intros Nord Electro 4D Keyboard

  1. People seem to be repeatedly disappointed when every new NAMM show doesn’t yield 10 new CS-80-level earth-shakers. Almost every keyboard is now a variation on mature themes. Build quality is a sore point with me. I have never played a Nord that clacked or shimmied and the sound has always been rich. The Modular did not sell all that well because too few wanted to sit and program it, but the Electros clearly hit a desireable mark. I WOULD like to see perhaps a smaller, hybrid Lead with a little bit of sample storage like the Wave. Perhaps that’s in the works. You have to give them credit for what they get right, which is no small thing.

  2. I expect that if you are a keyboard player in a band that does material outside of synth-pop this will be an exciting announcement. It is not a synth so it probably will have a limited appeal to people who are more interested in generating electronic sounds.

    So it isn’t a fail. It is an organ/piano/clavinet/tron.

  3. I hope they haven’t forgotten their synth heritage. Abandoning their DSP knowledge and absolutely massive work in the Nord Modular is almost criminal. I’m happy that they have found safely profitable product, but I pray the Nordish synth gods that they have their synth lines at least stewing at slow heat. Nord Modulars have not sold that much, but the synth world is a little different to day. It might never be quite as popular as these “basic” instruments(I love their sound too!!!), but the Nord Modular is such a unique and powerful monster that it is at least a staunch protector and flag bearer of the Clavias Nord brand.

    1. Basically, they did not abandon their DSP knowledge, as all their stuff are based on the same hardware. They just forgot to provide the customer with a “backdoor” alowing to add programmable patches ON TOP of their current hardware. It won’t be too difficult to expend a Nordwave with the G2 functions… if they wanted to. What I would like is any of their naice harware stuff, but with the computer software allowing to develop specific sounds based on the G2 tech…
      Come on clavia men, you can sell whatever Piano you want, as long as it offers the “G2 backdoor” 😉

    2. I think the only ‘problem’ with the Nord Modular is that it feels a lot like MAX, rendered on-screen only. The sound is quite good, but it takes more sweat to get to it. If they released a self-contained version that had a reasonable handful of knobs and patch jacks like the rest of the modular field, I suspect a fair number of people would leap on it. If it came in a sort of cut-down Korg MS-20 shape, with, say, 12 assignable knobs and 4 access jacks for the main modules such as “VCF”, people would surely embrace it as a worthy busy-box:P. Notice that NO ONE ever says their gear sounds BAD. I don’t own a Nord, but I have played them twice and brudda, that’s some classy synth goin’ on.

      1. you may be right about a lot of folks leaping on a semi patchable nord but, that still wouldn’t do much for the people who are clamoring for the modular to come back, the people who really want to dive into the programing. as an aside the modular feels nothing like MAX, it feels like a very well thought out virtual modular synth that just happens to have a kick ass hardware engine.
        a few years ago at NAMM i had a conversation with one of the developers from clavia and asked why they just didn’t release it as an app and he said that computer processors weren’t fast enough. that was about 5 years ago and i’d bet they are now. combine a modular app with your idea of a matching ms-20 style, clavia built controller and i think that could be a real winner.

  4. I was actually the one who photoshopped the “leaked” anordian photo and in retrospect I find it amusing that I actually find that more intriguing than this new Electro but hey, its a company and they have bills to pay so more power to them.

    And although it doesn’t change how I feel about Clavia (always a huge fan), I must say I am slightly bummed out at this debut. I was half expecting a new modular version but secretly I was really hoping for something completely new… like a fully integrated synth module along the lines of what Access has done with the VirusTI, just with Clavia’s spin on it).

    Ah well, there’s always next year… oh wait… make that another 5 years 🙁

  5. They didn’t fail, but they are twice mistaken…
    1st mistake: Never tease a plain wrap instrument
    2nd mistake: If they did custumer research, they would find that analog modular is very big right now, instead, they decided to compete with Roland.

    Why can’t they produce an easy to use Synth that has lots of presets for the average customer and also have a hidden complex modular engine that can be accessed through software. That would be something that both newbies and programmers would love.

  6. Synth Heads are and will always be minority to keyboardists. Though Nord 2X is still on sale, so you can couple it with this anyway

  7. Not again… Clavia developers are again playing with their lego blocks (“let is mix these old blocks and give new electro this and that”) instead of really making new things. Now they have too many products with just minor differences.

    Also, I could tolerate this better if new E4d was a success to me, but it isn’t. It’s probably lacking internal memory to take use of those new XL-samplesets. It has not external midi panel and no pitch bender to control external synth for example. Motst crucial, it’s just monotimbral like it’s precedessors. You cannot play it’s organ with it and same time it’s piano with some midi-controller… A very big limitation in my opinion.

  8. PITCH BEND AND MODULATION WHEEL!!!!!!!!
    PITCH BEND AND MODULATION WHEEL!!!!!!!!
    PITCH BEND AND MODULATION WHEEL!!!!!!!!
    PITCH BEND AND MODULATION WHEEL!!!!!!!!
    PITCH BEND AND MODULATION WHEEL!!!!!!!!
    COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. 10 years to finally add drawbars! The lack of drawbars has always been ridiculous, but the size and weight plus the great Rhodes/clav sounds has always made this board win out over the Rolands for me. But at 61 keys I see no reason to move on from my electro2 at this point. sigh. I really want a better keyboard, but unfortunately there still isn’t one.

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