Keyboard Magazine - March 2008 - (Page 48) AUDITION CLAVIA NORD WAVE SYNTHESIZER by Stephen Fortner In additon to modeledanalog triangle, sawtooth, and pulse waves, the first oscillator can play single-cycle digital waveforms; the second can play fulllength multisamples. If there’s a green LED below a knob, it’s morph-able. If that LED is lit, the parameter is an active “morphee” in the current program. Some Nords don’t have onboard reverb, but the Wave does. The delay has tap tempo, but doesn’t sync to MIDI tempo. Go ahead, play “Fly Like an Eagle” . . . you know you want to. While the Wave doesn’t contain a vocoder, the filter’s Vocal mode is great for getting Frampton-eqsue vowels out of synth sounds; very analogsounding indeed. Depending on what each oscillator is doing, it’s Shape knob can vary pulse width, increase FM amount, or control an extra envelope decay segment for samples. The modulation envelope is what you’d use for a pitch envelope, as well as one-shot, keytriggered tweaks to the filter cutoff or a handful of other parameters. A separate pitch vibrato affects both oscillators in common, responds to the mod wheel or aftertouch, and leaves both of the “real” LFOs free to do other things. 48 keyboard 03-2008 Each Wave program is really two full patches, or slots. Select which slot the panel controls with these buttons, or press both to be able to play a layer of both slots. Clavia’s wooden pitch stick is still the most expressive, best-feeling pitchbender around — its range is adjustable in the system menu, from one to 12 semitones. Virtual analog and sample-playback synthesizer. PROS Virtual analog waves and filter are best-inclass, second only to real analog synths for sound quality. Generous sample memory is userwritable, but retains content with power off. Morphing provides endless ways to mutate multiple aspects of your sound at once, using a single performance motion. Dual-slot architecture makes it two complete synths in one. CONS USB is for updates and communication with Nord Wave Manager software only, not MIDI. Aftertouch is implemented only for vibrato effect. No inputs for external audio. $3,300 Clavia DMI, www.clavia.se, U.S. dist. by Nord USA, www.nordusa.com http://www.clavia.se http://www.nordusa.com
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