Everything you need to know about our product install, setup steps, configuration and usage of various features
Custom Added Functions
Our plug-in includes a lot of custom added functions as requested by the users.
In this part we will walk you through each of the functions and how they can improve your workflow.
MODEL SELECT
You can choose your hardware model from the dropdown menu.
- If you use Nord Lead 1 or Nord Rack 1, choose Nord Lead 1
- If you use Nord Lead 2 or Nord Rack 2, choose Nord Lead 2
- If you use Nord Lead 2X or Nord Rack 2X, choose Nord Lead 2X
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Hardware Model
When Nord Lead 1 is chosen, user interface will have slight changes to reflect the available hardware options. See images below for difference.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Main Edit view – NL1
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Main Edit view – NL2
USER INTERFACE SIZE
You can adjust the plug-in user interface size with * 0,75 / * 1,25 zoom function. Click * 1,00 [1] in the plug-in and choose a different size. Note that our graphics are not yet vector based, which means the plug-in will zoom the graphics making them a bit blurry if I may say so.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – User Interface Size
Basic user interface size is 1500 pixels by 667 pixels which is more than enough for modern setups.
Note #1: You must reload your project / session in order to reload the plug-in graphics with new size option.
MASTER KEYBOARD SWITCH (deprecated)
Always keep it Disabled. This is deprecated function and no longer needed. 😆 We will remove this function and UI elements in the upcoming release later on.
EXPANDED / SYSTEM SETTINGS
Click PERFORMANCE SETTINGS [1] button to open expanded settings window. From this view you can access some of the NORD System Settings and modify them as needed.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Expand Settings View
Performance Settings Expanded in image below
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Performance Settings Toggled On
Performance Settings can not be viewed while Browser is toggled on.
RANDOMIZE PROGRAM / PERFORMANCE
With RANDOMIZER [1] button, you can trigger either single slot randomizing process or full performance randomization based on your current mode.
If plug-in UI is in Program mode, currently selected slot will be randomized.
If plug-in UI is in Performance mode, full Performance will be randomized.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Randomize Button
TIP #2: To make the most out of Randomizer, use Section Locks [1] in conjuction with Randomizer to get better results. i.e. If your randomized Patch has a great Pitch Envelope & Oscillator setting, toggle on the Section Lock for those sections in order to prevent them being randomized! Read more about the Section Locks further below.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Section Locks
SECTION LOCKS
We added functionality to lock certain sections of the plug-in to prevent changes up on slot program and performance changes. If you find a perfectly adjusted filter or lfo modulation you can lock the section to keep those settings while browsing other patches.
You are able to lock any of the sections which has the LOCK [1-8] symbol in it
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Section Locks
Locking any of the sections above, will also lock the corresponding velocity / morph values as well.
Note #1 While you have sections locked, there will double the amount of SysEx traffic in the MIDI stream due to the fact that the plug-in has to send the ”locked” info back to hardware after the patch is requested. If you scroll patches from librarian, then the data stream is normal.
SLOT SELECT
SLOT [1] select buttons are normal NORD function, which will change the current SLOT of the synthesizer. Based on the currently set SLOT, data from the plug-in user interface will be sent to it. i.e. if you move Filter Cutoff from the UI while SLOT B is selected, then Filter Cutoff in the SLOT B of the synth will change.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Slot Switches
ALLOW PART CHANGE
When ALLOW PART CHANGE [1] is toggled on, anytime you select a different SLOT with the SLOT selector buttons, hardware will reflect that change.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Allow Part Change Switch
Note #1 While Allow Part Select is toggled on, the amount of outgoing DATA is increased and could cause delay in outgoing note / controller data. It is useful when editing sounds, but not ideal when live playback is used.
SLOT LINK
SLOT LINK [1] button is additional feature we build in to allow you to make layered sounds. This will allow you to play linked slots at the same time via Global MIDI Channel.
You can use link to combine:
- Slot A & B or
- Slot B & C or
- Slot C & D or
- Chain slots A to D
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Slot Link Toggle
Experiment with the link function as you wish.
LINK SOLO SWITCH
Link SOLO switch is handy if you wish to solo momentarily a certain slot for editing purposes.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Slot Link Solo Toggle
REQUEST DATA ON PROGRAM CHANGE
This means is that if the plug-in receives program and/or bank change message from MIDI input, plug-in will initiate Program / Performance request from the NORD to the plug-in user interface.
Inputs valid for this function:
- Plug-in MIDI In port (Plug-in).
- DAW gateway (Plug-in).
- Plug-in Program Change [1] & [2] buttons (per slot) (*1).
- Plug-in Bank Number display [3] (per slot) (*2).
- Plug-in Program Number display [4] (per slot) (*3).
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Request Data on Program Change
(*1 See below for Program Change Buttons).
(*2 See below for Bank Number Display).
(*3 See below for Program Number Display).
LIB CONTROL SWITCH
LIB. CONTROL [1] switch allows you to take control of your library patches / performances with incoming program changes via MIDI or with the plug-in user interface DEC / INC buttons and Bank Number Display / Program Number Display menus.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Lib. Control On Program Change
If the LIB CONTROL switch is toggled on and you send a program change message from your master keyboard / controller to the plug-in, it will send the corresponding program from the librarian to the hardware – isn’t that just neat?!
You can also quickly view the banks located in your Patches folder and programs contained in the current bank with the Bank / Program Control Displays. See below for instructions.
Note #1 Patches are sent to the hardware only to the currently selected slot. If Slot Link is toggled ON, patches will not be sent. Make sure to toggle off the Slot Link if it is active before sending any data.
Note #2 Program Change message received on slot channel, will change the corresponding slot program. Otherwise no action is taken.
Note #3 If the program change message is received from MIDI channel 1 and all slots are set to channel 1, no action will be taken. Change the MIDI channel temporarely to different value.
PROGRAM INC / DEC BUTTONS (*1)
INC [1] button will change to next program.
DEC [2] button will change to previous program.
This will trigger MIDI Out message with appropriate program number based on the Program Number Display [3] value.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Program Change Switches
PROGRAM NUMBER DISPLAY / SELECTION MENU (*3)
Program Number Display [1] acts as a menu as well as a display to show the current Performance or Slot Patch program number depending on the currently set mode. You can quickly navigate to different banks of programs without having to click INC / DEC buttons like crazy.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Program Dropdown Menu
In default status, this popup menu [1] will display program numbers in different banks of programs. See image below.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Slot Program Menu without Lib Control
But things get exciting when you toggle on LIB CONTROL [1] switch: You can now view currently active Program / Performance Bank program names being listed on the popup menu [2] and browse them directly from the main UI!
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Slot Program Menu with Lib Control On
Check above for further details about the Library Control function.
BANK NUMBER DISPLAY / SELECTION MENU (*2)
Bank Number Display [1] acts as a menu as well as a display to show the active Slot Program bank number. You can navigate to different banks based on your selected NORD model.
If your model is set to Nord Lead 1, Bank Menu [2] does not have as many options as when Nord Lead 2X is set as a current model. This is because other Nord models has a lot bigger memory capacity than Nord Lead / Rack 1.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Slot Bank Select
Like with Program Number Display, this menu will behave completely different when LIB CONTROL [1] is toggled on. You can now view all available Program / Performance Banks located in Patches folder.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Slot Bank Select Menu with Lib Control On
PROGRAM / PERFORMANCE LIBRARIAN
LIBRARIAN [1] tab allows you to send, request, store and manipulate your program and performance banks.
Double click any item to send it to currently active slot. Drag and drop patches from one slot to another and save your custom bank as you go. Rename patches directly in librarian view.
Read more about program / performance librarian functions in its own section.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Librarian
PROGRAM NAME DISPLAY
Program Name Display [1] is activated only in program mode. Display will show you the current Slot (A / B C / D) program name. Click the name field to change the slot patch name. Slot data will be sent to the hardware after the name is changed or if it is changed at all.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Slot Patch Name
NOTE #1: Renaming single program from the “Control Display” does not change the name in the librarian. If you want to rename librarian items, check further down the manual for librarian functions.
PERFORMANCE NAME DISPLAY
Performance Name Display [1] will show you the performance name. Click the name field to change the performance name. All performance data will be sent to the hardware after the name is changed or if it is changed at all.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Performance Name
NOTE #1: Renaming performance from the “Control Display” does not change the name in the librarian. If you want to rename librarian items, check further down the manual for librarian functions.
TOTAL RECALL
This is one of the best features we can think about our plug-in, total recall. It does what it says: recalls your saved session data from the plug-in user interface to your synthesizer, without the need of doing it manually! It is all automated, if you have the same MIDI device hooked into your setup as it was when saving the project.
It there are any trouble with the total recall, please check below for further instructions how to Push Data to HW manually.
Possible reasons for failure of total recall are:
1) Your MIDI interface is no longer in the system, or it is hooked into a different USB port.
2) Plug-in update does not fully support the previous version data package. There is a work-around for that as well, so be sure to check out our knowledge base for more details about that.
ABORT PROCESS
Cancel current request / writing task by clicking ABORT PROCESS [1] button, if process is taking too long, or if you get constant Device ID checks while any data request is active.
NL2xR User Manual – Abort Process in Librarian View
Abort Process [1] button appears next to plug-in control display when Librarian tab is not open.
NL2xR User Manual – Abort Process in Main View
Abort Process button will disappear after plug-in has scanned Device IDs and if the request process has timed out.
PROGRAM / PERFORMANCE MODE SWITCH
Programs are single slot sound files whereas Performances include sound data from all slots and some extra settings too. You can toggle between Program and Performances with the PERF / PATCH [1] mode button. This will have several effects in the plug-in user interface and how the plug-in behaves.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Data Mode Switch
- When in Performance mode;
- Program DEC and INC buttons will send program change commands to GLOBAL MIDI CH.
- Librarian will display Performance files found from the Patches folder.
- Bank Number Display menu will show options for different Performance request locations.
- Program Number Display menu will send program changes to GLOBAL MIDI CH.
- When in Program mode;
- Program DEC and INC buttons will send program change commands to currently selected SLOT MIDI channel, i.e. SLOT A MIDI CHANNEL.
- Librarian will display Patch files found from the Patches folder.
- Bank Number Display menu will show options for different Patch request locations.
- Program Number Display menu will send program changes to currently selected SLOT MIDI channel, i.e. SLOT A MIDI CHANNEL.
VELOCITY / MORPH MAP
As you know, you can set Velocity sensitivity level / morphing level for almost every knob. To access these parameters, you need to click the Vel/Mrph map [1] button.
From this tab, you can choose the level of your Velocity / Morph amount for knobs per section. This amount can be negative or positive. When the knob is at 12 o’clock, amount is 0. When you move the knob counterclockwise, you will apply negative amount of sensitivity and when you move the knob clockwise, you will apply positive amount of sensitivity.
NL2xR Editor User Manual – Velocity Morph Layer
Learn more about Velocity / Morph function from the Clavia Nord Lead User manual.
Loading patches between different models?
You can load patches and performances created on either model. When Nord Lead 2 programs or performances are loaded to Nord Lead 1, some other features are not available in the Nord 1.