Nord Drum 3 & 3P




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Great find champ!
Was an insta-buy until I realised it brings nothing new to the synthesis engine apart from reverb and delay.
One could argue those features are already present on the ND2 with a little tweaking.

Iā€™m disappointed in Nord to be honest, the NDs are the best drum synths on the planet in my opinion and it seems this release doesnā€™t further that. Some parameters are missing too.

Maybe they will drop some update that blows the machine right up, like turning the ND2 into a fully fledged 6 channel synth way backā€¦

Looks like Iā€™ll stick to my OT and ND 1+2 set-up!

Althoughā€¦ Itā€™s been hard not to buy another ND1 lately so Iā€™ll probably get a 3 in the end because Iā€™m a Nord Drum slut and I am not ashamed to admit it!

That will bring me up to a full 16 channel Nord Drum megaplex!
She-it!

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I was going to ask about differences between the ND2 and ND3, but if the reverb and delay are really the only changes then Iā€™ll definitely be keeping my eyes open for a ND2 as they go on clearance.

Nord Drum 2 has an ā€œAttack sectionā€ with LFO and stuff:

Nord Drum 3 - no mention of Attack Section. Might have even taken it away.

Side note: Some people will interpret ā€œimproved output levelā€ as ā€œwe cleaned up the sound so much that thereā€™s less characterā€. ā€œSimplified user interfaceā€ might be interpreted as ā€œwe dumbed it down by taking away editing optionsā€.

Iā€™ll start watching the market for price drops on the ND2 and Nord Pad.

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The new sound bank feature is intriguing. A bit like having an A4 style patch browser vs a Monomachine style ā€œcopy sounds out of existing lotā€ system that the ND2 had.

Still, not as much of a leap that ND2 was from ND1. More of a product for new ND users than existing ones.
On the bright side, this will drive down ND2 used prices for the budget minded.

Iā€™ll stick to my TM-2 for A4ā€™s CV triggers. It already has FX.

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More differences. Less synth parameters in ND3. (WHY Nord, Why!?!?)

In the Tone section:
Dyn Timbre / Timbre is now Dyn Filter / Freq
No more Punch / Hi Decay

In the Noise section:
No more Attack/Rate or Envelope mode.

So it looks like the ND2 is like the Nord Lead 3.
Older, but a more complete synth.

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@Adamjay Exactly, there were omissions from ND1 to ND2 which is why I need both but the ND3 strips back even further.
Iā€™m not sure if this makes the sound synthesis exclusive or restrictive, Iā€™ll be aaaaaaaallllllll over that manual when it drops.

Seems like the ND2 is the NL3 and the ND3 is the A1 in terms of approach for sure.
( Loosely speaking )
Simplification is great but if itā€™s at the expense of exploration it is a bad move.

Iā€™m sure Nord know what they are doing but if feels like the ND3 proves the end of the road for drum synthesis in a red wedge!
No new models, waveforms or synthesis methodsā€¦ Mmmmm

Still though the previous two have altered my life so Iā€™m not complaining!

Iā€™d take the NL3 over NL4 or A1 any day.

Can always add your own FX. But you canā€™t add in synth parameters that have been omitted.

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From http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2016/04/04/messe-2016-new-version-of-nord-drum/

[ul]
[li]Stereo Output with improved output level[/li]

[/ul]

Now that is a new feature that I can definitely support. I had to run mine through a boost pedal to get a good input level in A4ā€™s external input.

So thatā€™s nice.

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ā€œSimplified user interfaceā€ might be interpreted as ā€œwe dumbed it down by taking away editing optionsā€.

ā€œimproved output levelā€ could also be interpreted as ā€œwe cleaned up the sound so much that thereā€™s less characterā€.

@Ocobus you are quite right, I have the pad for the ND2 but enjoy the fact I can just take the brain somewhere, fits just right in a combat pocket!
Donā€™t get me wrong the ND3P looks neat but you canā€™t detach it so itā€™s a footprint that needs dealing with. I sometimes like the ability to program the sounds as another person plays them also, bit like the SFX-6! Itā€™s all about the synthesis! Oh yeah and the sequencingā€¦
I truly feel the two NDs before may well have been neglected in ā€˜electronicā€™ circles, the ND2 in particular being more than capable in many ways, 101 bass? Blip blop? Boom bam spillip? Rrrrrrrrr
Best 6 x digi mono going for my needs. Kerzapp!

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Just separate outputs would have created a sufficient gap I guess.

ā€œimproved output levelā€ could also be interpreted as ā€œwe cleaned up the sound so much that thereā€™s less characterā€.[/quote]
As long as it is at least 3dB hotter.

Really like the look of that! But like others have said, may be an idea to pick up a bargain on a ND2 + pads instead. Very tempting!

looks like retrig is gone no?
maybe replaced by the new (individual?) delay.
suppose the only good news here for me is that getting a second nd2 seems less crazy. long live the nd2

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Sweet, ND2 will be cheaper and thereā€™s not even a GAS tradeoff for the newer model.

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All of you convinced of lower prices on ND2s, why would anyone in their right mind downgrade to an ND3 and sell their ND2?