Page 2 - IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS; SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS; Additional Safety Information
CAUTION - ATTENTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN RISQUE DE SHOCK ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. ATTENTION:POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE,...
Page 3 - Nord Lead A1 User Manual
| 3 1Introduction The Lead For Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2 models - keyboard and tabletop . . . . . . 5 2Overview The Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Oscillator, Filter & Amp Env . . . . . . . . . . . 6Modulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
Page 5 - Chapter 1 IntroduCtIon; The Lead For Speed; Our best-ever analog modeling ...; models - keyboard and tabletop; Introduction
Chapter 1 IntroduCtIon | 5 The Lead For Speed Producing stand-out sounds for live or for the studio, the Lead A1 is ideal for all musical genres. Thanks to its carefully thought-out user interface, the Lead A1 encourages experimentation, allows for far speedier programming than would otherwise be po...
Page 6 - The Panel; Overview
6 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x The Panel We will familiarize ourselves briefly with the controls on the panel here. 1 Oscillator, Filter & Amp Env The Lead A1’s new Oscillator section generates 47 different waveforms from classic analog to digital harmonic and inharmonic waves, whilst uni...
Page 7 - Chapter 2 overview; Editing
Chapter 2 overview | 7 Editing Grab a knob or press a button, it is that easy to change a sound in the Nord Lead A1. There are a few different types of buttons, and some of the controls change their behavior depending on overlying modes that may be activated. Let’s look at some of the things you...
Page 8 - MIDI Connections
8 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x Rear Panel Audio Connections Headphones A 1/4" stereo connector for headphones. E Playing at a high volume level can result in hearing impairments such as permanent hearing loss. M Only Slots that are routed to outputs 1 & 2 are present at the headphone ...
Page 9 - Chapter 3 GettinG Started; Getting Started
Chapter 3 GettinG Started | 9 Slots The Nord Lead A1 has four Slots labelled A, B, C and D. Each slot represents a complete synthesizer setup, a program. Slots can be used for layering sounds or quickly switch between programs. Selecting a Program 1 Press the Perf Mode button so that the Perf Mode L...
Page 11 - Chapter 4 SlotS and MeMory; General Overview; Slot Handling; Slots and Memory
Chapter 4 SlotS and MeMory | 11 General Overview The Nord Lead A1 is a four part multi timbral synthesizer. This means that you have four independent synthesizers to be used simultaneously. The synthesizers are divided into Slots, where each Slot contains one synthesizer. The Slots are called A, B, ...
Page 13 - Chapter 5 Morph; Morphing; Velocity; Morph Destinations; Morph
Chapter 5 Morph | 13 Morphing Morphing allows you to be creative in your sound design, and is all about being able to control virtually any important sound related parameter, in real time from the two Morph sources: the Modulation Wheel & Control Pedal and the velocity of the keyboard. There are...
Page 14 - Editing Morphs; Morph Programming Latch
14 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x Editing Morphs Edit a parameter’s Morph range: • Hold the Morph Source button and turn the destination knob to a new position. Clear all parameters assigned to a Morph Source: • Hold Shift and press the Morph Source button that is to be cleared. Clearing one param...
Page 15 - Mutator; Executing the Mutation; Randomize
Chapter 6 Mutator, randoMize & Like | 15 Mutator The Nord Lead A1 Mutator is a great and easy-to-use tool to spark the creative process by creating totally new or slightly changed sounds. Executing the Mutation 1 Hold Shift and press Mutate Sound. The Nord Lead A1 Mutator uses probability and de...
Page 16 - Like; Program Likes
16 | nord Lead a1 user ManuaL v1.3x Like 1 Hold Shift and press Like. The Like button lets you save programs or entire performances to the Like memory. The Like mem-ory acts like a scratchpad that can be used during the creative process so save sounds that you might want to keep. Performances and pr...
Page 17 - Chapter 7 panel referenCe; Panel Reference; Master Level; MIDI LED; LED Display; Performance Mode/Execute; Store; Paste
Chapter 7 panel referenCe | 17 7 Panel Reference Master Level The Master Level knob controls the overall ampli-tude for the audio outputs - the line level outputs and the headphone output. The knob’s physical position indicates the output level and is not stored in a Program or Performance. If you n...
Page 18 - Master Clock; Octave Shift; Keyboard Octave Shift; Split; Hold; Hold Enable; Pitch Stick
18 | nord lead a1 User ManUal v1.3x Slot A - D The Nord Lead A1 has 4 Slots, labeled A to D. Each Slot can be loaded with one program. Slots can be used one by one in Program Mode or together in Performance Mode. M Slot LEDs are red in Program Mode, green in Performance Mode and yellow when you ente...
Page 19 - Arpeggiator; Division; Voice Mode; Bend Range; Vibrato
Chapter 7 panel referenCe | 19 Modulation Wheel The Modulation Wheel can add vibrato if the Vibrato Voice Mode set-ting is set to “Wheel” and/or act as a Morph Control, to control one or several parameters while you perform. The Modulation Wheel will transmit MIDI CC 01. Arpeggiator Use the arpeggia...
Page 20 - Modulation Envelope
20 | nord lead a1 User ManUal v1.3x Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO/ENV) The Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) produces a waveform that can be used to create cyclic modula-tions to the oscillators and filter. The Nord Lead A1 LFO can also be set to an envelope mode. The amount of modulation is set with t...
Page 21 - Oscillators
Chapter 7 panel referenCe | 21 Inverted Envelope Hold Shift and turn the Decay knob to invert the polarity of the Modulation Envelope. Env Vel Hold Shift and turn the Release knob to make the amplitude of the Modulation Envelope velocity sensitive. Oscillators The oscillator is the foundation of the...
Page 22 - Oscillator Configuration; Single Oscillator Configurations; Pitch; Dual Oscillator Configurations; Detune
22 | nord lead a1 User ManUal v1.3x Digital d1 Saw spectra with random phase. d2 Square spectra with random phase. d3 Spectra with only even partials. d4 Spectra with only every third harmonic. d5 Spectra with only every fourth harmonic. d6 Spectra with only every fifth harmonic. d7 Tripplets. d8 Ic...
Page 23 - Chapter 7 panel referenCe | 23; Modulation Configurations; Amp Envelope; Attack
Chapter 7 panel referenCe | 23 Sine, Tri, Saw and Pulse Mix There are four Mixed configurations that add a second oscillator with a waveform and a harmonic partial relationship to oscillator 1. The Mixed configurations are presented with the waveform and a numerical value of a harmonic partial in th...
Page 24 - Filter
24 | nord lead a1 User ManUal v1.3x Filter The Filter is one of the most impor-tant components to create the overall timbre of the sound. The harmonic content that the oscillators produce can be shaped with the filter and the filter frequency can be modulated with several functions. The Nord Lead A1...
Page 25 - Chapter 7 panel referenCe | 25; FX; Delay
Chapter 7 panel referenCe | 25 LP TB Low Pass TB is an emulation of the diode ladder filter from the vintage Roland TB-303 from 1982. This is a four pole, 24 dB/octave design but it does not sound anything like the similarly spec’d LP M. The Low Pass TB has a nice, quirky character to it and will no...
Page 26 - Sound Menu Delay Mode; Output; Setting
26 | nord lead a1 User ManUal v1.3x Tap Tempo Tap repeatedly on the Tap Tempo button to set the tempo for the delay. You need four consecutive taps to set a tempo, but the tempo can be fine tuned with additional taps after those initial four. Mst Clk Enable Mst Clk to synchronize the delay to the Ma...
Page 27 - Chapter 8 Master CloCk | 27; External Sync; Arpeggio with Mst Clk
Chapter 8 Master CloCk | 27 Master Clock The Master Clock is a feature that can synchronize three functions in the Nord Lead A1 to a common tempo; the arpeggiator, the LFO and the delay. The Master Clock tempo has a range between 30 and 300 beats per minute. This tempo can be set manually with the P...
Page 28 - Synced Delay repeats; Sync the LFO; Across the Slots
28 | Nord lead a1 User MaNUal v1.3x Synced Delay repeats Keep the arpeggio running and we’ll add more things. 1 Turn both Delay knobs (Tempo & Dry/Wet) fully counterclockwise, press Feedback to light up the “1” LED. 2 Turn on the Delay, hold Shift and press the Delay Tap Tempo but-ton to enable ...
Page 29 - Nord Sound Manager; System requirements; Chapter 9 Nord SouNd MaNager | 29
9 Nord Sound Manager Nord Sound Manager is a free application that allows you to organize the various memory areas, the partitions in the Nord Lead A1. It is also used to download performances or programs to the Nord Lead A1 or to upload any of these items from the Nord Lead A1 memory to the compute...
Page 30 - System Menu; - Sustain Pedal Polarity; The Menus; 0 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL os v1.3x
System Menu 1 - Memory Protect The Memory Protect setting determines if Programs and Performances can be stored to the Nord Lead A1 memory or not. The setting is On when the Nord Lead A1 leaves the factory. M System, MIDI and Sound menu settings are not protected. Range: On (default), off 2 - Transp...
Page 31 - MIDI Menu; G - Global MIDI Channel; Sound Menu; Chapter 10 the MeNUs
MIDI Menu G - Global MIDI Channel The Global MIDI Channel transmits all keyboard, pedal and panel ac-tions. It can also be used as a receiving channel. Range: 1 - 16, Off (default = 1). A, B, B, D - Slot MIDI Channel Set individual MIDI Channels for the Slots when they should respond to MIDI events ...
Page 32 - Nord Lead A1 MIDI operation; MIDI Settings; Sequencing: Global MIDI Channel; Recording parameter changes; Sequencing: Slot MIDI Channels; MIDI
32 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x Nord Lead A1 MIDI operation The Nord Lead A1 is designed to be very flexible in a MIDI setup. You can use it as a keyboard to control its internal sounds and other hardware or software sound sources. It can also be used as a set of individual sound engines to b...
Page 33 - Chapter 11 MIdI; Control Slots with another keyboard
Chapter 11 MIdI | 33 Control Slots with another keyboard Use a Performance with some of the Slots controlled from the Lead A1 itself and other Slots from an external keyboard or sequencer, set to corresponding Slot MIDI channel(s). Active Slots will be controlled from the A1 keyboard, inactive S...
Page 34 - MIDI Controller list; Nord Lead A1 parameter
34 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x MIDI Controller list These are the MIDI Control Change numbers used for the Nord Lead A1 parameters. • Buttons that control “on/off” functions have a Controller value of “0” at the “off” position and a value of “127” at the “on” position. • Buttons that step th...
Page 35 - MIDI Implementation Chart; Function
Chapter 11 MIdI | 35 MIDI Implementation Chart Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks Basic ChannelDefault Channel 1 - 161 - 16 1 - 161 - 16 Indiv. channels for Slot A, B, C & D Mode Default Message Altered Mode 1, 3X*************** Mode 1, 3X NoteNumber True Voice 0-127 0-127 Velocity Note...
Page 36 - Specifications; Appendix
36 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x Specifications General • 49-key octave velocity sensitive keyboard with octave shift buttons (+/-2 octaves). • 26 voices. • Keyboard Split with 2 slots for the upper and lower sections. • Modulation Wheel (keyboard version only). • Pitch Stick with no dead zone...
Page 37 - Chapter 12 appeNdix; Display Messages; Message
Chapter 12 appeNdix | 37 Display Messages Message Description Storing Pro Memory Protected. Mst Clk Tempo E . Cl Master Clock is synchronized to external MID Clock, tempo cannot be manually set on the Nord Lead A1. Mutator, Randomize, Init Sound nvt Press Execute to Mutate Sound. rnd Press Execu...
Page 38 - Index
38 | Nord Lead a1 User MaNUaL v1.3x 13 Index Index A Amp Env 23 Amplitude Modulation 23 Arpeggio 19 Arpeggio directions 19 Arpeggio range 19 Attack 23 Audio Connections 37 B Band Pass 25 Bend Range 19 C Control Change Mode 31 Control Pedal 8 Control Pedal Mode 30 Control Pedal Type 30 Copy 17 Ct...
