Nord Lead 3vsNord Lead 4
Summary
Nord Lead 3 and Nord Lead 4: 2 Nord synthesizers compared side by side. They differ on 10 of 17 compared specifications.
Key differences
- Voices: 24 on the Lead 3 and 20 on the Lead 4.
- Released: 2001 on the Lead 3 and 2013 on the Lead 4.
- Polyphony: 24 voices on the Lead 3 and 20 voices on the Lead 4.
- Oscillators: 2 oscillators (triangle, saw, pulse, sine, noise, Dual Sine FM) plus sync oscillator; distortion, FM, AM/RM modulation on the Lead 3 and 2 oscillators (sine, triangle, saw, pulse, noise) plus 128 wavetables on Osc 1; hard/soft sync, 3 FM types on the Lead 4.
- Filter: 6/12/24 dB low-pass and high-pass, band-pass, band-reject, classic and distorted low-pass; dual multi-filter modes on the Lead 3 and Multimode: 12/24/48 dB low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, Ladder M and Ladder 303, with filter distortion on the Lead 4.
- Aftertouch: Channel on the Lead 3 and None on the Lead 4.
Both are the same on engine (Analogue modelling) and keys (49).
| 2 items |  Nord Lead 3Discontinued 2007 |  Nord Lead 4Discontinued 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Manufacturer | Nord | Nord |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Released | 2001 | 2013 |
| Sound engine | ||
| Engine | Analogue modelling | Analogue modelling |
| Voices | 24 | 20 |
| Polyphony | 24 voices | 20 voices |
| Oscillators | 2 oscillators (triangle, saw, pulse, sine, noise, Dual Sine FM) plus sync oscillator; distortion, FM, AM/RM modulation | 2 oscillators (sine, triangle, saw, pulse, noise) plus 128 wavetables on Osc 1; hard/soft sync, 3 FM types |
| Filter | 6/12/24 dB low-pass and high-pass, band-pass, band-reject, classic and distorted low-pass; dual multi-filter modes | Multimode: 12/24/48 dB low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, Ladder M and Ladder 303, with filter distortion |
| Multi-timbral parts | 4 | 4 |
| Effects | — | Drive, Bit crusher, Talk box, Compressor, Comb filter, Delay, Reverb |
| Keyboard | ||
| Keys | 49 | 49 |
| Key size | Full | Full |
| Aftertouch | Channel | None |
| Format | ||
| Format | Keyboard | Keyboard |
| Motorised knobs | No | No |
| Features | Pitch Stick, Arpeggiator, Keyboard split, 4 morph groups, Encoders with LED rings, Stereo unison, 4 audio outputs | Pitch Stick, Arpeggiator, Impulse Morph, Mutator, Master Clock, LFO patterns, 4 audio outputs |
| Connections | ||
| MIDI ports | DIN in, DIN out, DIN thru | DIN in, DIN out, USB |
| CV / Gate | No | No |
| Size & weight | ||
| Dimensions (W × D × H) | 870 × 278 × 100 mm | 864 × 272 × 94 mm |
| Weight | 6.3 kg | 5.3 kg |