Clavia Nord Wave User manual

Part No. 50303 Copyright Clavia DMI AB 2008
Print Edition 1.1
USER MANUAL
Software Version 1.0x

The lightning ash with the arrowhead symbol within an
equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated voltage within the products
enclosure that may be of sufcient magnitude to constitute
a risk of electric shock to persons.
Le symbole éclair avec le point de èche à l´intérieur d´un triangle
équilatéral est utilisé pour alerter l´utilisateur de la presence à
l´intérieur du coffret de ”voltage dangereux” non isolé d´ampleur
sufsante pour constituer un risque d`éléctrocution.
The exclamation mark within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the product.
Le point d´exclamation à l´intérieur d´un triangle équilatéral est
employé pour alerter l´utilisateur de la présence d´instructions
importantes pour le fonctionnement et l´entretien (service) dans le
livret d´instructions accompagnant l´appareil.
Instructions pertaining to a risk of re, electric shock or injury to persons.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION AVIS
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPE
N
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, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE.
AUCUN ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L´USAGER.
CONFIER L´ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFE.
AVIS : POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D´INCIDENTE OU
D´ELECTROCUTION, N´EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE A LA PLUIE
OU L´HUMIDITET.
Warning - When using electric products, basic
precautions should always be followed, including
the following:
1. Read all the instructions and observe the graphic
symbols above before using the product.
2. Do not use this product near water - for example
near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in a wet
basement, near or in a swimming pool, a swamp or
the like.
3. This product should be used only with a cart or a
stand that is recommended by the manufacturer.
4. This product, either alone or in combination with an
amplier and headphones or speakers may be
perfectly capable of producing sound levels that
could cause permanent hearing loss. Do not
operate for a long period of time at a high volume
level or at a level that is uncomfortable. If you
experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears,
you should consult an audiologist.
5. The product should be located so that its location
or position does not interfere with or obstruct its
normal ow of ventilation.
6. The product should be located away from heat
sources such as radiators, heat registers or other
products that produce heat.
7. The product should be connected to a power
supply only of the type described in these opera-
tion instructions or as marked on the product.
8. The power supply cord of the product should be unplugged
from the outlet when the product is left unused for a long
period of time.
9. Care should be taken so that objects do not fall, or liquids
are not spilled into the enclosure through openings.
10. The product should be serviced by qualied service person-
nel when:
A. The power supply cord has been damaged; or
B. Objects have fallen or liquids have been spilled onto the
product; or
C. The product has been exposed to rain; or
D. The product does not appear to operate normally or
exhibits a marked change in performance; or
E. The product has been dropped or the enclosure has
been damaged.
11. Do not attempt to service the product beyond those means
described in this operating manual. All other servicing
should be referred to qualied service personnel.
12. To completely disconnect the apparatus from the mains,
remove the mains plug.
13. Ensure possible protective earthing connections of other
equipment when the apparatus is connected to multimedia
systems.
13. Where the Mains plug is used as the disconnect device, the
disconnect device shall remain readily operable.
Trademarks: The Nord logo is a registred trademark of Clavia DMI AB. All other trade-
marks mentioned in this publication are the properties of their respective holders.
Specications and appearances are subject to change without notice.
Copyright by Clavia DMI AB, 2008

| 3
Contents
1 Introduction 5
Thank you! . . . . . . . . . 5
Development story . . . . . 5
Features . . . . . . . . . . 5
Synthesizer . . . . . . . . 5
Morph . . . . . . . . . . 5
Slots . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Programs . . . . . . . . . 5
Eects . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sample Instruments . . . . 6
NordWave Manager . . . . 6
Controls & connections . . . 6
More samples. . . . . . . . 6
2 Panel Overview 7
The Front Panel . . . . . . . 7
Program & Performance area 7
Synth area. . . . . . . . . 7
Eect area. . . . . . . . . 7
LCD . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Knobs & dials . . . . . . . . 8
Knobs. . . . . . . . . . . 8
The Rotary dial. . . . . . . 8
Master Level knob . . . . . 8
Buttons . . . . . . . . . . 8
On/O buttons. . . . . . . 8
3 Connections 9
Audio Connections . . . . . 9
Left and right out . . . . . 9
Headphones . . . . . . . . 9
MIDI Connections . . . . . . 9
MIDI OUT . . . . . . . . . 9
MIDI IN . . . . . . . . . . 9
USB Connection. . . . . . . 9
Pedal Connections . . . . . 9
Sustain pedal . . . . . . . 9
Control pedal . . . . . . . 9
4 Getting Started 10
About Programs . . . . . .10
Select a Program . . . . . .10
Edit a Program . . . . . . .10
Saving a Program . . . . .11
New name and/or category 11
Slots. . . . . . . . . . . .11
Switch between two sounds 11
Layering. . . . . . . . . .11
Deactivating Slots . . . . .11
Copying from one Slot . . .11
Focus . . . . . . . . . . .12
Adding an eect . . . . . .12
A quick MIDI Setup . . . . .12
Slot A/B on sep. MIDI CH. . .12
5 The Morph Function 13
About Morphing . . . . . .13
Morph Sources . . . . . . .13
Assign Morph source to dest. 14
Morph Mode. . . . . . . .14
Morph Destinations . . . .14
Morph Examples . . . . . .15
6 Nord Wave Reference 16
Master Level knob . . . . .16
Store Button . . . . . . . .16
Saving a Program . . . . .16
Program UP/DOWN buttons 16
Rotary Dial . . . . . . . . .17
Octave Shift buttons. . . . .17
Global Octave . . . . . . .17
Panic . . . . . . . . . . .17
Mono Mode . . . . . . . .17
Mono Mode button. . . . .17
Sound Init . . . . . . . . .17
Glide knob. . . . . . . . .17
Morph Buttons . . . . . . .17
Assign a Morph source . . .18
Morph Mode. . . . . . . .18
LCD Window . . . . . . . .18
Slot Buttons . . . . . . . .18
System button . . . . . . .18
MIDI button . . . . . . . .18
Chord Button . . . . . . . .19
Sort Mode . . . . . . . . .19
SAMP Init . . . . . . . . .20
Shift Button . . . . . . . .20
LFOs (LFO1 & LFO2) . . . . .20
Rate knob . . . . . . . . .20
Waveform Selector . . . . .20
LFO Destination Selector . .20
Amount knob . . . . . . .21
Poly mode . . . . . . . . .21
Single mode . . . . . . . .21
Modulation Envelope . . . .21
Attack knob . . . . . . . .21
DEC/REL knob . . . . . . .21
AR button . . . . . . . . .21
Amount knob . . . . . . .21
Destination selector . . . .22
Oscillators 1 & 2. . . . . . .22
Waveform selector . . . . .22
Pulse . . . . . . . . . . .22
Sawtooth . . . . . . . . .22
Triangle . . . . . . . . . .22
Wavetable. . . . . . . . .22
Sample Instruments . . . .22
Sampled waves . . . . . .23
FM-Synthesis . . . . . . .23
Sine. . . . . . . . . . . .24
Misc . . . . . . . . . . .25
Shape parameter. . . . . .25
Semi tones knob . . . . . .25
Fine tune knob. . . . . . .25
Oscillator Modulation . . . .25
Amount knob . . . . . . .25
Type button . . . . . . . .25
Oscillator mix. . . . . . . .26
Mix knob . . . . . . . . .26
Oscillator Sync . . . . . . .26
Amplier Envelope . . . . .26
Attack knob . . . . . . . .27
Decay knob . . . . . . . .27
Sustain knob. . . . . . . .27
Release knob . . . . . . .27
Filter. . . . . . . . . . . .28
Type button . . . . . . . .28
Low Pass . . . . . . . . .28
High Pass . . . . . . . . .28
Band Pass . . . . . . . . .28
Comb . . . . . . . . . . .28
Multi . . . . . . . . . . .29
Vocal . . . . . . . . . . .29
Filter Frequency . . . . . .29
Filter Resonance . . . . . .29
KeyboardTracking . . . . .29
Filter Slope . . . . . . . .30
Velocity button . . . . . .30
Filter Envelope . . . . . . .30
Envelope Amount . . . . .31
Attack knob . . . . . . . .31
Decay knob . . . . . . . .31
Sustain knob. . . . . . . .31
Release knob . . . . . . .31

4| Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
Output . . . . . . . . . .31
Level knob. . . . . . . . .31
Equalizer . . . . . . . . .32
Treble knob . . . . . . . .32
Bass knob . . . . . . . . .32
Chorus . . . . . . . . . . .32
Chorus button . . . . . . .32
Program Eects . . . . . . .32
Delay . . . . . . . . . . .32
Tempo LED . . . . . . . .32
Tempo knob . . . . . . . .32
Feedback button . . . . . .32
Stereo button . . . . . . .32
Amount knob . . . . . . .32
Tap tempo button . . . . .32
On/O button . . . . . . .32
Tube Amp . . . . . . . . .33
On/O button . . . . . . .33
Reverb . . . . . . . . . .33
DRY/WET knob. . . . . . .33
On/O button . . . . . . .33
7 Nord Wave Manager 34
What is ...? . . . . . . . . .34
Non-destructive editing. . .34
System Requirements. . . .34
Getting Started . . . . . . .35
Project, sample memory . .35
WYDIWUH. . . . . . . . .35
Working oine . . . . . .35
Sample, Zone . . . . . . .35
Sample Instruments . . . .35
Sample editing, . . . . . .35
Generate, up-, download . .35
Librarian . . . . . . . . .35
Installation. . . . . . . . .36
Installation, USB driver . . .36
Installation, Windows PC . .36
Installation, Mac OSX . . . .36
The Quick Tours . . . . . . .37
First Light . . . . . . . . .37
Download to the NordWave 38
Upload from the Nord Wave 38
Create a new Sample Inst.. .38
Adding Audio les . . . . .39
Single Sample Assign. . . .39
Editing . . . . . . . . . .40
Looping . . . . . . . . . .40
Generate a Sample Inst. . .41
Program management . . .41
Backup Sample Inst. . . . .42
Menu Reference . . . . . .43
File Menu . . . . . . . . .43
Instrument Menu . . . . .43
Settings Menu . . . . . . .43
Backup Menu . . . . . . .44
Help Menu . . . . . . . .44
Tab Reference. . . . . . . .44
Common area . . . . . . .44
Audio File/Assign Tab . . . .46
Single Sample Assign . . .47
Multi Sample Assign . . . .47
Manual Sample Assign . . .47
Sample Loop/StopTab . . . .49
Long Loop . . . . . . . . .50
Short Loop . . . . . . . .50
No Loop . . . . . . . . . .50
Sample Start Tab . . . . . .52
Sample Alt Start Tab. . . . .52
InstrumentTab . . . . . . .53
Sample Gain grid. . . . . .53
Keyboard Gain graph . . . .54
Detune . . . . . . . . . .54
Sample Zone. . . . . . . .54
Auto Map . . . . . . . . .54
Samp Init Program . . . . .55
Play Mode. . . . . . . . .55
NordWave tab . . . . . . .56
Instruments - Programs . .56
FileTypes and Names . . . .57
Program lists . . . . . . .58
8 Synthesis Basics 60
Introduction . . . . . . . .60
The“building blocks” . . . .60
Oscillators and waveforms . .61
Filter. . . . . . . . . . . .62
Amplier. . . . . . . . . .64
Envelopes . . . . . . . . .64
LFOs . . . . . . . . . . . .65
9 System Menu 66
System menu. . . . . . . .66
10 MIDI 67
MIDI menu . . . . . . . . .67
MIDI Controller list . . . . .68
MIDI implementation chart 70
11 Appendix 71
Specications. . . . . . . .71
Program categories . . . . .71
Mellotron Sound Library . . .72
Mellotron Story . . . . . .72
History of the sounds . . . .72
Use of the Sounds . . . . .73
Soundlist with comments . .73
Mk I Lead sounds. . . . . .73
MkII Lead sounds. . . . . .73
M300 Lead sounds . . . . .74
M400 Lead sounds . . . . .74
12 Index 75

1 INTRODUCTION | 5
Thank you!
First we would like to thank you for purchasing the
Nord Wave. The Nord Wave is built on Clavia’s legacy of
making virtual analog synthesizers for more than 15 years
and we hope you will have as much fun owning the instru-
ment, as we had developing it.
Development story
To us, details are everything - and an intuitive user inter-
face is just as important as the actual sound. We are musi-
cians ourselves, and know by experience how frustrating
it can be to have to wade through menus and page-plus
buttons to change a setting.
That is why we have a physical button or knob for every
sound related parameter on the Nord Wave front panel. We
also know the importance of building our instruments as
light as possible - some times it is a long walk to that gig.
Our vision in designing and combining our own hardware
and software is to have professional sound quality and
playability in every single component; from the moment
you strike a key to the audio output.
Our patented pitch stick is a perfect example on how dedi-
cated hardware and software extends playability. Once you
get familiar with it you are likely to dismiss all other pitch
controllers as a toys.
Since we are working in a digital domain, we can do a lot
of interesting stu with our virtual analog synthesizer that
would not be possible if it was analog-for-real. We have
provided the Nord Wave with a very impressive and useful
set of both analog and digital features.
Morphing is a Nord speciality; if there is one chapter in this
manual you must read - it’s the one about morphing. This is
very intuitive yet extremely powerful, and will change not
only how you play but also your entire approach to sound
design.
With the ability to use any kind of sampled waveform, the
Nord Wave is a sample player and an analog synthesizer in
one - and anything in-between.
Features
The Nord Wave is a virtual analog synthesizer with an ex-
tensive set of functions that allows you to shape the sound
in a variety of ways. The Wave is bi-timbral, it’s two slots are
independent of each other, making it possible to e.g. layer
two sounds on top of each other.
The Nord Wave is also a true stereo synthesizer, the signal
paths for the left and the right outputs are separated at the
very core in the sound engine.
Synthesizer
In an classical analog style synthesizer environment, each
of the Nord Wave’s two slots consist of 2 oscillators, 2 LFOs,
1 modulation envelope, 1 amplier envelope and a multi-
type lter section with an envelope as well.
Oscillator 1 can produce wavetable, FM, analog and
•
noise waveforms. The traditional analog waveforms
(Pulse, Triangle, Saw and Sine) can also operate in a
oscillator sync-mode.
Oscillator 2 can produce sampled waves, FM, analog
•
waveforms and multi-sample Sample Instruments,
and function as a modulation source for Oscillator 1.
The sampled waves are acoustic samples turned into
wavetables with the attack part of the sample intact.
Sample Instruments allows you to use any standard .wav
•
le as an oscillator source in a virtual analog environ-
ment.
The LFOs have a wide array of modulation destinations
•
several waveforms and the ability to run in Poly and
Single mode.
The Modulation Envelope also has a wide array of
•
modulation destinations and can function either as a
attack/decay or as a attack/release envelope.
The lter section has envelope and velocity control. You
•
have the option of resonant high pass, band pass and
low pass modes as well as comb, multi and vocal modes.
Morph
The Morph function lets you continuously control dened
ranges of several parameters in a Program, using only a
single control source. This allows you to produce radical
changes in a sound in a very fast and easy way.
Slots
Each of the two slots also feature a 2-band EQ, chorus, con-
trols for the output level, mono/legato, glide and vibrato
functions.
Programs
There are 1024 program locations, organized in 8 banks in
the Nord Wave where you can store your own programs.
Both the individual SlotS A & B settings are stored within
a program.
Effects
Each program can be processed with a tube style over-
drive, a stereo delay and/or a reverb.
1 Introduction

6| Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
Sample Instruments
User recorded samples can be downloaded as Sample
Instruments to the Nord Wave via USB. The capacity of the
Flash memory is 99 available memory locations, with a
maximum total size of 180 MB. Samples are compressed
before they are downloaded using a lossless algorithm that
Clavia has developed. This allows the sample data sizes to
be reduced to up to a third of its original size.
The memory is of the Flash type which means that the
Sample Instruments remains in the memory when the
synth is turned o. You do not have to use hard drives or
other types of storage media; once loaded into the memo-
ry the data will be there until you decide to remove it!
Nord Wave Manager
The Nord Wave Manager is the application that allows
you to edit, create and load collections of samples - called
Sample Instruments - to and from the sample memory area
of the Nord Wave synthesizer. This area is what we call the
Flash memory. The Manager will also act as a librarian util-
ity for the Program memory area.
The Nord Wave Manager will assist you in your editing ef-
forts; it contains powerful tools for various actions that can
be applied to a sample. These tools will for instance help
you in setting a start point of a sample, creating a loop and
other tasks that are essential in making the samples ready
for use in the Nord Wave. The Manager also has functions
for automatic mapping of samples across the keyboard
and much more.
The Nord Wave Manager is delivered free of charge with
every Nord Wave, and is compatible with computers run-
ning Windows XP or Vista. The Manager can also run on a
Macintosh with Mac OSX 10.4 or later.
Controls & connections
The Nord Wave has a 49-key keyboard which responds to
velocity and aftertouch. It is also equipped with a modula-
tion wheel and wooden pitch stick, 2 line level outputs, 1
headphone output, MIDI IN & OUT, a USB port and inputs
for a sustain pedal and a control pedal.
More samples
More high quality Sample Instruments can be downloaded
free of charge from the Clavia web site: www.clavia.se.

2 PANEL OVERVIEW | 7
The Front Panel
The front panel on the Nord Wave has three main areas,
which are identied by their background color. We’ll famil-
iarize ourselves briey with the panel here and describe
the functions in detail in the following chapters.
Program & Performance area
The Program and Performance area starts at the mASter
volume in the top left panel corner, and then sweeps
down right towards the keyboard.
The parameters and functions in this area are used to select
programs, to set global and MIDI functions and to add
expression to your performance with the Pitch Stick and
the mod Wheel. This is also where you nd the two Slot
buttons, which you use to activate one or both of the Nord
Wave synth engines.
We’ll describe the functions in this area in greater detail,
starting at page 16.
Synth area
The synth area is where all the action happens. Every vital,
sound generating function in the Nord Wave has a dedi-
cated knob or button, and they are all there for you to go
ahead and get crazy, to design the sound as you wish.
Each program in the Nord Wave contains two individual
synth engines. Both are controlled through the same panel,
one at a time. You choose which section to control by
pressing the Slot A or Slot B button.
We’ll describe the functions in this area in greater detail,
starting at page 19.
Effect area
The Eect area contains the param-
eters used for editing the program
specic eect parameters. The
functions here are common for both
slots. Please refer to page 32 for more
information.
2 Panel Overview

8| Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
lcd
The lcd is normally
used for displaying
the current program
bank, number, name
and category.
When operating a knob or button, the associated param-
eter name and setting will be displayed in the lcd.
Knobs & dials
Knobs
The knobs controls the
continuously variable param-
eters in the Nord Wave synth
engine.
A parameter value can be totally dierent from the
•
knob’s physical position when you load a Program. As
soon as you start turning the knob, the value will‘snap’
to the knob’s physical position.
Most of the knobs have a green LED indicator below them.
This LED is used for indicating when a parameter is con-
nected to a morPh source. Please refer to page 13 for
more information on morphing.
The rotAry dial
The rotAry dial is used for changing
the current setting displayed in the
lcd. Usually this means loading a new
program, but in the System or MIDI
menus, the rotAry is used to change
parameter settings.
led-dials
These dials in the oscillator section
have an associated led diSPlAy which
shows their parameter setting. They are
used to select wavetables or Sample
Instruments.
mASter level knob
The mASter level knob controls
the overall amplitude for the audio
outputs, the line level outputs and
headphone output. The mASter level
knob’s actual position indicates the
output level.
Buttons
Selector buttons
Selector buttons are used to activate one setting in an
array of two or more. Selector buttons have a set of round
or triangular LEDs to indicate the current setting. Press the
button several times to cycle through the possible options.
On/Off buttons
On/O buttons are used for activating
a parameter or a group of parameters
such as eects.
Shift button
Some buttons have a secondary func-
tion, which will be available if you hold
down Shift while pressing the button.
The name of the secondary function is
printed below the button.

3 CONNECTIONS | 9
Audio Connections
left out and right out
The left and right line level outputs from the Nord Wave are
unbalanced. Use 1/4”connectors to connect the Nord Wave
to an amplier or recording equipment.
The Nord Wave is a true stereo instrument, with separate
signal paths for the left and right audio channels. To prop-
erly experience the Nord Wave, always use both outputs in
a stereo operation.
Headphones
This is where you connect a 1/4” stereo connector from a
pair of headphones.
General guide on audio connections
Make all the connections before you turn on the power•
to your amplier.
Turn
•on the power to your amplier last.
Turn
•o the power to your amplier rst.
Playing at a high volume level can result in hearing
Fimpairments such as permanent hearing loss.
MIDI Connections
midi out
MIDI connection used for sending MIDI data from the
Nord Wave to other equipment such as sound modules or
computers.
midi iN
MIDI connection used to receive MIDI data to the Nord
Wave from other equipment such as keyboards, sound
modules and computers.
USB Connection
The USB connection is used for the Nord Wave to com-
municate with a personal computer. The computer can e.g.
run the Nord Wave Manager application, or be used if the
operating system in the synthesizer needs to be updated.
Computers running Microsoft Windows operating
Fsystems need a driver for the USB connection to func-
tion. The driver can be found on the enclosed Nord
Wave DVD, or at the Clavia web site.
Pedal Connections
The Nord Wave has two pedal inputs; one for a sustain
pedal and one for a control pedal (an expression type
pedal, which can be used to control various parameters).
SuStAiN pedal
1/4” connector for a switch type pedal. When a connected
pedal is operated, the notes you play will be sustained.
Two types of pedal polarities can be used, you select the
one that applies to your sustain pedal, in the System menu
which is described on page 66.
coNtrol pedal
1/4” stereo connector for pedals of potentiometer type
(also know as expression pedals). This can be used as a
source for the Morph function or to control the overall
volume. Please refer to page 13 for more information on
Morphing.
When connecting an expression pedal to the Control Pedal
input, you should use a stereo cable (Tip-Ring-Sleeve).
Please note that the pedal must have a stereo output jack.
The resistance range of the Control Pedal should be 10 to
50 kOhm.
To simplify setup, the most common pedal models (Roland,
Yamaha, Ernie Ball and Fatar) are pre-congured in the
Nord Wave, and you simply select the type of pedal which
you want to use in the System menu. The System Menu is
described on page 66.
3 Connections

10 | Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
About Programs
Complete sound settings are stored in the Program
memory of the Nord Wave. This memory area consists of
8 Banks with 128 Programs each which makes a grand
total of 1024 Programs. Every Program can be edited
and replaced as you wish. A complete set of the factory
Programs are available on the Nord Wave DVD and on our
website.
Select a Program
Use the1 rotAry diAl to
select a Program.
To switch between
2 Banks, press and hold Shift and then
the uP/doWN buttons that is located to the left of the
lcd.
The Bank is indicated by the
single digit to the left and the
program number by the digits
to the right in the LCD. Each
Program has a name and they are
also categorized in 17 dierent
categories.
If you reach the last or the first Pro-
3
gram in a Bank, you can switch to the
next bank by pressing the uP or the doWN button.
It’s also possible to browse or select Programs by Cat-
•
egory or in an alphabetical order. This is described in
detail in the Sort Mode section on page 19.
Edit a Program
Editing a Program is just as easy as grabbing a knob and
change a setting, or press a button to select a dier-
ent setting. The knobs physical position isn’t always as
the setting in the Program that is active, but as soon as
you start turning a knob, the parameter will snap to the
knob’s position.
Turn e.g. the
1 filter freq knob.
The parameter value will be shown briey in the
LCD.
4 Getting Started

4 GETTING STARTED | 11
When you have edited a Program, an asterisk (*) will appear
in the lcd next to the Program number to alert you to the
fact that the program has been edited but not yet saved.
If you select a new program without saving, any edits you
have made will be lost and the Program will have its origi-
nal settings the next time you select it.
Saving a Program
If you are happy with an edit that you have made, you
should probably save the Program.
Press the
1 Store button.
The Store button
LED starts ashing
and the original
Program location is
shown in the LCD.
There is a Memory Protect function that is set to On
•
when the Wave leaves the Nord Factory. This needs to
be turned O in the System Menu before you can save a
Program.
Press
2 Shift + SYSTEM and scroll to the Memory Protect
setting with the uP/doWN buttons and set this to Off using
the rotAry.
Select a new location where you want to store the Program.
3
Use the uP/doWN buttons and/or the rotAry dial to
choose a new Program location if you do not want to
overwrite the original Program.
To select another bank, press Shift and select an-
other bank with the uP/doWN buttons.
Press the
4 Store button a second time to confirm your choice.
Your edited Program has now replaced the previous
one in the location you specied.
To cancel the procedure, press any buttons on the panel
•
before you press Store the second time.
With Memory Protect set to O, a double tap on the
•
Store button will store a Program in its original loca-
tion.
Saving a Program with a new name and/or
category
Press the1 Store AS button (Shift + Store).
The Store button LED starts ashing and the Program
name and category is shown in the LCD.
Use the
2 rotAry diAl to select a category.
Give your program a name using the uP/doWN
buttons to change position, and the rotAry to scroll
between the available characters.
Press the
3 Store button a second time to confirm the new
name and category selection.
Use the
4 uP/doWN buttons or the rotAry dial to choose
the location where you want to store the Program.
Press the
5 Store button a third time to confirm your choice.
Your edited Program has now replaced the previous
one in the location you chose.
Slots
The Nord Wave has two Slots labelled A and B. Each slot
represents a complete synthesizer setup, a complete sound
if you wish. The Slots can be used for layering sounds or
quickly switch between sound settings. The Slots are also
used when the Nord Wave is controlled via MIDI.
Every Program contains the settings for each individual
slot. Program 1:11 can have a piano sound setting for Slot
A and a string setting for slot B. You can very quickly switch
between the two slots in a live situation by pressing a but-
ton. You can also layer the two slots, playing both sounds
from the keyboard at the same time.
Switch between two sounds
Select a Program.1
Press repeatedly on2
the Slot A and the
Slot B buttons to
activate the two dif-
ferent sounds in that
particular Program.
Layering
To play with both the slots in a selected Program is called
to layer two sounds.
Press both of the Slot buttons at the same time.
1
One slot LED will be steadily lit, the other will ash.
This indicates which of the two slots has the Panel
focus, more on this in a little while.
Deactivating Slots
To deactivate a Slot in a layer, press both1 Slot buttons, and
then release one of them.
The slot with the button you released will be the one
that is removed from the layer.
Copying a setting from one Slot to another
In order to be able to organize the sounds to suit your
needs, you can copy settings from one slot to another.
Press and hold a
1 Slot button.
Turn the Rotary dial or press the uP/doWN buttons
to scroll through the memory area.
When you have found the desired Slot and Program that you
2
wish to copy, release the Slot button.
The settings from the selected Slot and Program are
now copied to the Program/Slot in use.
If you want to keep these new settings, make sure that
•
you save the Program before you select a new one.

12 | Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
Focus
To be able to fully take advantage of the exibility of the
two slots and the knobs and buttons on the panel, the
Nord Wave uses a concept that we call Focus which means
“active for”.
When you select a Program in the Wave and play on the
keyboard with e.g. Slot A active (its LED being lit), that Slot
has the keyboard focus. This means that you use the key-
board, pitch stick, morph functions and other performance
controls on the Wave to control it.
This slot also has the panel focus; a solitary slot always has
both panel and keyboard focus. If you grab a knob on the
panel and turn it, the sound will change.
If you select both slots to create a layer as described earlier,
the slot with the ashing LED will be the one with panel
focus. Both slots will have keyboard focus.
To switch the panel focus from one slot to the other in a layer,
1
just press the Slot button of the slot you wish to put in
panel focus.
This makes it possible to play two sounds with the
keyboard, and edit one of them at a time with the
panel controls.
The conguration of the two slots in a Program will be
•
kept when a Program is saved. This includes the selec-
tion of the Panel Focus.
Adding an effect
The Nord Wave has two dierent sets of eects. The two
band EQ and the chorus are Slot eects which mean they
can be used with individual settings for each one of the
two slots in a Program.
The delay, the tube amp simulator and the reverb are the
Program eects, and they will process both the slots at the
same time, if both slots are active.
Dial up the Wurlitzer program, bank 1, number 30.
1
Play a few notes and notice the subtle reverb and the
panning. The panning eect is actually made with the
LFO; turn down the LFO1 AMOUNT knob if you want
to turn this o.
Press the
2 choruS button once.
This adds a subtle chorus eect.
Press the
3 choruS button again to
select the second chorus mode, and
a third time to select the third chorus
depth.
If you nd a sound to be to oensive in the overall mix, try
turning down the Bass EQ control a bit. The EQ is activated
as soon as you turn an EQ knob from its 12 o’clock position.
Press the
4 delAy oN button to add a delay to the Wurly.
You set the level of the delay signal with the AmouNt
knob and the feedback by pressing repeatedly on the
feedBAck button.
Press
5 Shift + Stereo in the delay section to get a stereo
delay with a panning effect.
A quick MIDI Setup
The default MIDI Channel on the Wave is channel 1 for the
transmission of the keyboard and performance functions,
and also for the reception of note on message for both the
two slots.
Every knob and button on the panel can send MIDI Control
Change messages. This makes it possible to record e.g. a
lter sweep to a sequencer.
Since the two slots combined have more knobs and but-
tons than the MIDI specication has available CC addresses,
the two slots can be set to two separate MIDI transmission
channels.
Press
1 Shift + midi to enter the MIDI Menu.
Use the uP/doWN buttons to select the MIDI Chan-
nel function.
This sets the MIDI Channel that is being transmitted from
the keyboard and also being used as the receiving channel
for both slots simultaneously.
Exit the MIDI Menu by pressing any button except the
2 uP/
doWN buttons.
Controlling Slot A and B via MIDI on separate
MIDI Channels
The two slots may receive MIDI note messages on individu-
al MIDI channels, in the bi-timbral mode.
Press
1 Shift and midi to enter the MIDI Menu.
Use the
2 uP/doWN buttons to navigate to the MIDI param-
eter.
Set this function to Bi-Timb.
This will not disconnect the Wave keyboard and perfor-
•
mance controls from the Slots. If you want that kind of
functionality, you also have to set the Local function to
O.
Use the
3 uP/doWN buttons to select the MIDI Ctrl A param-
eter and set this to the MIDI channel that you want Slot A to
respond to.
Use the
4 uP/doWN buttons to select the MIDI Ctrl B param-
eter and set this to the MIDI channel that you want Slot B to
respond to.
Exit the MIDI Menu by pressing any button except the
5 uP/
doWN buttons.
In the following sections you will nd a chapter about the
powerful Morph function, a function reference, a chapter
that is totally devoted to the Nord Wave Manager ap-
plication and also a chapter that describes a bit what this
synthesis thing is all about.

5 THE MORPH FUNCTION | 13
About Morphing
Morphing allows you to be very dynamic and creative in your
sound design, and is all about being able to control virtu-
ally any important sound related parameter from the Morph
sources. These three sources are: the Modulation Wheel &
Control Pedal, the Keyboard and the Velocity.
There are 26 available Morph destinations to choose from.
This gives you plenty of real-time control possibilities to aug-
ment your playing style. A Morph is very simple to set up and
use, and all Morph assignments are stored with the Program.
Many of the factory Programs have morph assigned param-
eters. If a Program uses Morph, one or more of the green
morPh Prog indicators on the panel will be lit to indicate
this.
If e.g. the•Wheel indicator in the
Morph Prog section is lit for a Program,
you can move the wheel and experi-
ence how the morph will inuence the
sound.
A Morph Source controls the range from
the parameter’s original position in the
Program to a position you dene when you set up the morph.
This means that you can control a very small range on one
parameter at the same time as you control a very large range
on a another parameter. One parameter can be controlled
clockwise, and another can be controlled counter clockwise.
Morph Sources
There are three Morph Sources available:
Note Velocity (velocity)
This Morph source uses the Note Velocity from the Nord Wave
keyboard and from any incoming MIDI messages.
A key velocity of 0 represents the parameters original
•
value.
A key velocity of 127 represents the parameters morphed
•
value.
Modulation Wheel and/or Control Pedal (Wheel/Ped)
Uses the modulAtioN Wheel and/or a pedal connected to
the coNtrol PedAl input as the Morph Source.
Incoming MIDI Control Change messages on CC 01 and
• CC 11will also act as a Wheel/Ped Morph source.
The bottom position of the
•modulAtioN Wheel or coN-
trol PedAl represents the parameters original value.
The top position of the
•modulAtioN Wheel or coN-
trol PedAl represents the parameters morphed value.
If the Control Pedal is set to control the overall volume of
• the Nord Wave, in the System Menu, the wheel will be a
solitary Morph source when Wheel/Ped is selected.
Keyboard Note (keyBoArd)
This sets the Keyboard Note Numbers as a Morph Source.
The bottom key of the
•keyBoArd (C2) represents the
parameters original value.
The top key (C6) of the
•keyBoArd represents the param-
eters morphed value.
When using an external keyboard controller connected
Fto the Nord Wave MIDI IN, or when the Wave keyboard
has been transposed, any incoming notes outside of
the keyboard range, will morph the parameter until the
parameters end position is reached.
5 The Morph Function
Press1 Turn2 Play and use the Mod Wheel3

14 | Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
Assign a Morph source to a destination
Hold down a1 morPh Source button.
If this source has any previously assigned Morph des-
tinations, these destinations LEDs will light up.
Operate a Morph Destination parameter.
2
The selected Morph Destination’s green LED will indi-
cate that a Morph is active.
The LCD will indicate the parameters original value and the
3
Morphed value.
Numerical sort order
Lead 2:17
Freaky Nord
Category sort order
F 2:17
Freaky Nord
Alphabetical sort order
In this example the lter cuto will be Morphed from
its original setting of 62Hz to 1.9kHz during the full
travel or range of the Morph source.
Release the
4 morPh Source button.
When the Morph source is operated, the parameter’s
value will change accordingly and the sound will
change.
To edit a morph range from a Morph Source:
Press the corresponding Morph Source button and turn
•
the destination’s knob to a new position.
To clear all morphs from a single Morph Source:
Press
•Shift + the corresponding Morph Source button.
To clear a single Morph destination:
Hold down the corresponding Morph Source button
•
and operate the parameter knob to its original position,
where the Morph LED will be turned o.
Morph Mode
Morph Mode provides you with a great overview that can
simplify setting up and adjusting multiple Morph Destina-
tions at once.
Double-tap on one of the Morph Source buttons.
1
The Morph Source button ashes continuously, and
the LEDs will show any of the associated Morph Des-
tinations.
Operate a Morph Destination parameter.
2
The selected Morph Destination’s green LED will indi-
cate that a Morph is active.
The LCD will indicate the parameters3
original value and the Morphed value.
Press any of the Morph Source but-
• tons to exit Morph Mode.
When the Morph Mode is active you can:
Operate any
•morPh deStiNAtioN to set-up or adjust
a morph.
Hold down the
•Shift button and operate a morPh
deStiNAtioN to clear it.
Morph Destinations
A Morph Source can control virtually any important sound
related knob, Each one of these Morph Destinations has a
green LED next to it, which will be lit when a Morph is ac-
tive for this parameter.
Parameter name
LFO 1 Rate OSC MOD Amount FILTER Decay
LFO 1 Amount OSC MIX FILTER Sustain
LFO 2 Rate OSC SEMI TONES FILTER Release
LFO 2 Amount UNISON FILTER Freq
MOD ENV Attack AMP ENV Attack FILTER Res
MOD ENV Dec/Rel AMP ENV Decay FILTER Env Amt
MOD ENV Amount AMP ENV Sustain OUTPUT Level
OSC Shape 1 AMP ENV Release DELAY Amount
OSC Shape 2 FILTER Attack

5 THE MORPH FUNCTION | 15
Morph Examples
New to morphing? No worries, let’s setup a Morph for one
of the Factory Programs.
Select the Grand Piano, Program 1:2.
1
Press the Slot B button and hold it down, and then turn the2
Rotary counter clock wise until you see FullStrings 1:1 A.
This will copy the string sound to Slot B for this little
exercise. Don’t activate Slot A just yet.
Press and hold Shift and then press Morph Velocity and also
3
the Morph Wheel buttons.
This will remove the Morph assignments in this string
sound and we can start with a clean slate.
Operate the Output Level knob all the way to the minimum
4
value.
This will make the string sound silent, enabling us to
be able to use the Morph to bring it back up in ampli-
tude again.
Double tap on the Morph Wheel button and turn up the
5
Output level to about 3.0.
The LCD will display the original setting of 0, and the
Morphed setting of 3.0. The Morph will be instantly
available, play a few notes and operate the Mod
Wheel to hear the result.
Press both the Slot A and Slot B buttons to activate these two
6
sounds in a layer.
When you operate the Mod Wheel, the string sound
will be gradually introduced in the layered sound.
You want more? Here is another example:
Dial up the Persian Santur Program, 1:41.
1
Play a few notes in the high, the middle and the low
part of the keyboard. Notice how the release is quite
long in every area of the keyboard.
Double tap on the Morph Keyboard button.
2
Turn the Amplifier Release knob counter clock wise and set3
the Morphed release to be about 250 ms.
You’ll notice that the release is long in the lower oc-
tave and gets shorter the higher up on the keyboard
you play.
Press the Morph Keyboard button again to exit the Morph
Mode.
The LFO2 doesn’t do anything in this Program so let’s give
it some work.
Select OSC2 for the LFO2 Destination.
4
Make sure that the triangle waveform is selected to
the LFO2.
Set the LFO rate to about 3-4 Hz and the amount to 0.
5
This will not produce any noticeable modulation on
the sound but wait, we are not done yet.
Press Shift and LFO2 Single to set the LFO to single mode.
6
The LFO will now run through one single cycle, acting
like a envelope.
Double tap on the Morph Velocity button.
7
Turn up the LFO2 amount to about 4.8
When you play with a bit of force, the velocity will
Morph the LFO2 Amount, and the pitch of the sound
will change according to the one cycle the LFO will
produce.

16 | Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
6 Nord Wave Reference
mASter level knob
The mASter level knob controls
the overall amplitude for the audio
outputs - the line level outputs and the
headphone output. The mASter level
knob’s actual position indicates the
output level. This is one of the very few
functions in the Nord Wave that is not
stored in a Program.
MIDI LED indicator
The midi led will indicate incoming
MIDI note messages by briey lighting
up.
If the incoming messages are on a
•
MIDI channel that the Nord Wave is
not responding to, these indications
will be short. If the incoming MIDI
channels matches the channel(s)
you select in the System menu, the indications will be
longer.
Store Button
The Store button is
used when you wish
to store a Program in
the Program memory
on the Nord Wave.
During the process,
you will get the op-
portunity to select a
location where you
want to store the
Program.
This button’s secondary function Store As can be used if
you wish to change the name of a Program or the category.
Press the
1 Store button.
The Store button LED starts ashing and the original
Program location is shown in the LCD.
There is a Memory Protect function that may need to
•
be turned O in the System Menu before you can save
a Program. Press Shift + SyStem and scroll to the
Memory Protect setting with the uP/doWN NAvigA-
tor buttons and set this to O using the rotAry diAl.
Select a new location.
2
Use the Program buttons and/or the rotAry diAl
to choose a new Program location if you do not want
to overwrite the original Program. To select another
bank, press Shift and the uP/doWN NAvigAtor
buttons.
Press the
3 Store button a second time to confirm your choice.
The Store LED stops ashing and your Program has
now replaced the previous one in the location you
selected.
To cancel the procedure, press any button on the panel•
before you press Store the second time.
Saving a Program with a new name and/or
category
Press the1 Store AS button (Shift + Store)
The Store button LED starts ashing and the Program
name and category is shown in the LCD.
Use the
2 rotAry diAl to select a category.
There are 17 categories to chose from. Look at page
19 for a complete list.
Give your program a name using the
3 uP/doWN buttons
to change position, and the rotAry to scroll between the
available characters.
Press the
4 Store button a second time to confirm the new
name and category selection.
Use the
5 ProgrAm buttons or the rotAry dial to choose
the location where you want to store the Program.
Press the
6 Store button a third time to confirm your choice.
The Store LED stops ashing and your edited Program
has now replaced the previous one in the location you
chose.
To cancel the procedure, press any button on the panel
•
before you press Store the third time.
Program uP/doWN buttons
The uP/doWN buttons allows you to
select Programs. Depending on the
selected Sort Mode, you may step
through consecutive numbers in the
Banks, step through the Programs in a
selected category or step through the
Programs in an alphabetical order.
If you press and hold any of these
•
buttons, Programs will be selected in
a rapid and consecutive order.
If you press and hold Shift, these buttons allows you
to change Banks, change Category or initial character,
depending on the Sort Mode. Read more about the Sort
Mode on page 19.
When you have reached the last Program in a Bank,
•
Category or alphabetical list, pressing Up will select the
next available Program in the next Bank, Category or
alphabetical list.
If a Bank contains empty memory locations, these will
• not be displayed when you scroll through the Banks.
They will however be displayed when you browse for
a location to save a Program.

6 NORD WAVE REFERENCE | 17
rotAry Dial
The rotAry dial is used
for changing the current
setting displayed in the LCD.
Usually this means loading
a new program, but in the
System or MIDI menus, the
rotAry is used to change
parameter settings.
The dial is endless, though
the array of parameter
settings are not. Once you
reach the rst or last pos-
sible setting, turning the
dial further will have no
eect.
The rotAry has an accelerator feature; when operated
swiftly you scroll through the values in larger intervals.
octAve Shift buttons
The octAve Shift
buttons transposes the
sound of the Slot that has
the Panel Focus.
Range: -24. -12, 0, +12,
+24
The center LED indicates
when no octave shift is
applied.
LEDs to the right of the center LED will indicate a higher
•
octave shift as you press the right octAve Shift button.
LEDs to the left of the center LED will indicate a lower
•
octave shift as you press the left octAve Shift button.
Messages from the Nord Wave’s MIDI Out will not be
• aected.
gloBAl octAve
By pressing the gloBAl button (Shift + octAve Shift
down) you can transpose the keyboard in even octaves.
The LEDs will be in a inverted state to indicate that you are
in the Global Octave Shift mode.
In this mode, both Slots as well as the note messages
•
from the MIDI output will be eected.
A combination of extreme
FoctAve Shift and oSc
2’s Semi toNe setting can produce sounds that are
outside the hearing range.
PANic
By pressing the PANic button (Shift +
octAve Shift uP buttons) any voices
that are producing a sound on the
Nord Wave will be silenced.
Equipment connected via
• midi
out will not be aected.
moNo mode
The Nord Wave is a polyphonic instrument with 18 stereo
voices. If the Mono Mode is activated, it will behave as
a monophonic synthesizer. Only one key will produce a
sound at any time.
moNo mode button
There are two available mono modes. These dier in how
the envelopes are triggered if you press a key without
releasing the previous one.
The
•moNo setting will re-trigger the envelopes; the
sound will “re-start” for each note you play.
The
•legAto setting will not re-trigger the envelopes;
the sound will “continue”with only a change in pitch.
SouNd iNit
By pressing the SouNd iNit button (Shift + moNo
mode buttons), the settings of the Slot in focus will be
initialized. This provides you with a neutral starting point if
you want to program a sound from scratch.
The settings of the oscillator waveforms, oscillator mix
•
and the program eects will be excluded from the ini-
tialization. The eects will be turned o for the Slot but
the actual settings will not be changed.
glide knob
If you press a key without releasing the previous one, the
Glide parameter can be used to set the time interval for the
pitch to glide from the previous note, to the new note. With
a setting of zero the pitch will change instantly.
Range: 0 - 10.0
morPh Buttons
These are the buttons that you use to select the Morph
sources when you set up a Morph - Velocity, Wheel/Ped
and Keyboard.
Note Velocity (velocity)
This Morph source use the Note Velocity from the Nord
Wave keyboard and from any incoming MIDI messages.
A key velocity of 0 represents the parameters original
•
value.
A key velocity of 127 represents the parameters mor-
•
phed value.

18 | Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
Modulation Wheel and/or Control Pedal (Wheel/Ped)
Uses the modulAtioN Wheel and/or a pedal connected
to the coNtrol PedAl input as the Morph Source.
Incoming MIDI Control Change messages on CC 01
• and CC11 will also act as a Wheel/Ped Morph source.
The bottom position of the
•modulAtioN Wheel or
coNtrol PedAl represents the parameters original
value.
The top position of the
•modulAtioN Wheel or coN-
trol PedAl represents the parameters morphed value.
Keyboard Note (keyBoArd)
This sets the Keyboard Note Numbers as a Morph Source.
The bottom key of the
•keyBoArd represents the pa-
rameters original value.
The top key of the
•keyBoArd represents the para-
meters morphed value.
The top and bottom keys of the Nord Wave keyboard
• are always used as the reference, regardless of the
octAve Shift and gloBAl octAve Shift settings.
When using an external keyboard controller con-
Fnected to the Nord Wave MIDI IN, any received notes
outside of the keyboard range, will morph the param-
eter, until the parameters end position is reached.
For a detailed description on how to set up a Morph sce-
nario, please go to page 13.
Assign a Morph source to a destination
Hold down a1 morPh Source button.
If this source has any previously assigned Morph des-
tinations, these destinations LEDs will light up.
Operate a Morph Destination parameter.
2
The selected Morph Destination’s LED will indicate
that a Morph is active.
The LCD will indicate the parameters original value and the
3
Morphed value.
The physical position of a knob may prevent you from
•
adjusting this in a desired manner, e.g. if the knob is
at the 0 position and you want a negative Morph. In
these cases, adjust the knob to a more suitable position,
reload the Program and set up the Morph again.
Release the
4 morPh Source button.
When the Morph source is operated, the parameter’s
value will change accordingly.
To edit a morph range from a Morph Source:
Press the corresponding Morph Source button and turn
•
the destination’s knob to a new position.
To clear all morphs from a single Morph Source:
Press
•Shift + the corresponding Morph Source button.
To clear a single Morph destination:
Hold down the corresponding Morph Source button
•
and operate the morPh deStiNAtioN knob to its origi-
nal position, where the Morph LED will be turned o.
Morph Mode
Morph Mode provides you with a great overview that can
simplify setting up and adjusting multiple Morph Destina-
tions at once.
Double-tap one of the Morph Source buttons.1
The Morph Source button ashes continuously, and
all LEDs are unlit, with the exception of the Morph
Destinations that are associated with this source.
Press any of the Morph Source buttons to exit Morph
• Mode.
When the Morph Mode is active you can:
Operate any
•morPh deStiNAtioN to set-up or adjust
a morph.
Hold down the
•Shift button and operate a morPh
deStiNAtioN to clear it.
lcd Window
The lcd is
normally used
for displaying
the current
program bank,
number, name
and category.
When you turn
a knob or press a button the associated parameter name
and setting will be briey displayed in the lcd.
The lcd is also used to display the functions in the System
and MIDI menus.
Slot Buttons
Every Program in the
Nord Wave stores the
settings of two individual
synthesizer setups, called
Slots. This means that
you can quickly change
from one sound in Slot
A to another sound in
Slot B, or to play with the
sounds from both slots at
the same time in a layer.
The Slot buttons are used to select which one of these
two sounds should be controlled from the keyboard. To
select both slots at the same time, press both Slot but-
tons at the same time. A slot that is controlled from the
keyboard and other performance controls on the Wave has
the Keyboard Focus. Either one or both slots can be set to
Keyboard Focus.
The Slot Buttons are also used to select which of the two
slots should be active on the panel for editing purposes.
This is called the Panel Focus, and only one Slot at a time
can have the Panel Focus. If two Slots have the Keyboard
focus, the slot with the ashing LED has the Panel focus.
Press either Slot button to shift the Panel focus from one
slot to the other.
SyStem button
Press Shift and Slot A to enter the System Menu. The
System Menu is used for editing system specic settings,
these are shown in the lcd.
The System Menu is described on page 66.
midi button
Press Shift and Slot B to enter the MIDI Menu. The MIDI
Menu is used for editing MIDI specic settings, which are
shown in the lcd.
The MIDI Menu is described on page 67.

6 NORD WAVE REFERENCE | 19
chord Button
The chord button is used to
activate the Chord Memory
function. This can be used for
memorizing note intervals and
automatically adding them to the
key(s) you play.
The Chord Memory settings are
stored within a Program.
Activating a Chord Memory
Play a chord and press & hold the
1 chord button.
The display will show the numerical intervals of the
notes in the chord from the lowest note (which is
displayed as
0 ).
The three lowest keys in the chord will be memorized.
•
Release the2 chord button first, then the chord.
The note intervals are memorized and the Chord
Memory function is activated.
The intervals stored in the Chord Memory will be added
automatically to each note you play.
Deactivating a Chord Memory
Press the
1 chord button to deactivate the Chord Memory
function.
Once deactivated, you can at any time press the
chord button again (without holding any keys
down) to re-activate it with the previous chord
memory setting.
Since you use several notes in the Chord Memory
Ffunction, the polyphony will be reduced.
Only the actual key(s) you play will output MIDI Note
• information - not the intervals included in the Chord
Memory.
Sort Mode
The Nord Wave allows you to browse for (and load) Pro-
gram in three dierent Sort modes. By default, you load
a Program by rst selecting the Bank with the uP/doWN
buttons and then turning the rotAry. The Programs are
then displayed (and activated) in a numerical order.
You can also set the Sort mode to be alphabetical or by
Category. This selection is made by pressing the Sort
mode button (Shift + chord) repeatedly.
Numerical sort order
Category sort order
Alphabetical sort order
If the Sort mode is set to numerical (/alphabetical), press-
ing the uP/doWN buttons or scrolling the rotAry will
select the Programs in a numerical (by category/alphabeti-
cal) fashion.
When you have reached the rst or last Program in a sort
criteria, and continue to scroll with the uP/doWN buttons,
the following Program will be selected. To change Banks,
press Shift and the uP/doWN buttons.
List of Categories
CATEGORIES
ACOUSTIC ORGAN VOCAL
BASS PAD WIND
DRUM PIANO USER1
FANTASY PLUCK USER2
FX STRINGS USER3
LEAD SYNTH
viBrAto
The viBrAto function allows you to gradually introduce
subtle to dramatic changes in pitch as you play. Press the
vibrato button repeatedly to select the desired vibrato
functionality.
The
•dly1-3setting will create a delayed vibrato. The
time interval ranges from short to long.
The
•A.t. setting will introduce the vibrato as you apply
after touch on the keyboard (or via MIDI).
The
•Wheel setting will introduce vibrato as you operate
the modulAtioN Wheel.
The vibrato rate can be set in the System Menu.

20 | Nord Wave User Manual v1.1
SAmP iNit
By pressing the SAmP iNit button (Shift + viBrAto but-
tons), the settings of the Slot in focus will be initialized and
the initialized settings for the selected Sample Instrument
in the Program will be activated.
This provides you with a neutral starting point if you want
to program a sound from scratch, using the settings that
the Sample Instrument creator has applied to the SI. Read
more about this on page 54.
The settings of the program eects will be excluded
•
from the initialization. The eects will be turned o for
the Slot but the actual settings will not be changed.
Shift Button
The Shift button is used together
with other buttons to access second-
ary functions. The name of these
functions are printed below the
buttons.
These functions are described
together with the primary functions of the buttons in this
manual.
LFOs (lfo1 & lfo2)
The lfo is a Low Frequency Oscillator. An LFO is an oscil-
lator producing waveforms just like an ordinary oscillator,
but with a few dierences:
The LFOs are capable of producing waveforms with a
•
very low frequency.
LFOs are normally not used for generating audible
•
frequencies. Instead the output from the LFO is used for
modulating, that is controlling, other functions, like for
example the main oscillator frequency (vibrato) or the
lter frequency.
The Nord Wave has separate LFOs for each voice, each LFO
group (1 & 2) are in fact 18 separate LFOs.
You can sync them to act as a single LFO for all voices if you
like. The Nord Wave LFO 2 can also be used in a single-cycle
mode, acting like a simple Envelope Generator.
There are two LFOs available, with slightly dierent fea-
tures.
rAte knob
The rAte knob is used to set the frequency of the LFO.
Range: 0.03 to 523 Hz
The LED to the upper right of the rAte knob indicates the
rate for each of the LFOs of the 18 voices. This means that
when you play several notes after one another, it’s the rate
of the currently triggered LFO that will be indicated.
WAveform Selector
The Waveform Selector button determines the waveform
that is generated by the LFO.
Waveform Description LFO 1 LFO 2
*
* Notethat the Modulation alwaysstarts at maximum amplitude level for theAMP destination
Square
Used for abrupt modulation
changes, suitable for trills,
distinct tremolos, etc.
a a
*
* Notethat the Modulation alwaysstarts at maximum amplitude level for theAMP destination
Sawtooth
Used for ramp type modula-
tions.
a
*
* Notethat the Modulation alwaysstarts at maximum amplitude level for theAMP destination
Inverted Sawtooth
Used for inverted ramp type
modulations.
a
*
* Notethat the Modulation alwaysstarts at maximum amplitude level for theAMP destination
Triangle
Suitable for natural vibrato
eects and also used for
classic pulse width modula-
tion.
a a
*
* Notethat the Modulation alwaysstarts at maximum amplitude level for theAMP destination
Stepped Random
Creates an abrupt modula-
tion with random intensity.
a a
*
* Notethat the Modulation alwaysstarts at maximum amplitude level for theAMP destination
Smooth Random
Creates a smooth random
modulation.
a a
lfo deStiNAtioN Selector
The LFO Destination determines which parameter(s) the
LFO will modulate.
Destination Description LFO 1 LFO 2
filter Modulates the Filter Fre-
quency parameter. a a
reS Modulates the Filter Reso-
nance parameter. a
PAN Modulates the position
of the sound in the stereo
panorama.
a
oSc
mod Modulates the Oscillator Modulation Amount. a a
ShAPe Modulates the Oscillator
Shape parameter. a a
oSc1 Modulates the pitch of Oscil-
lator 1. a a
oSc2 Modulates the pitch of Oscil-
lator 2. a a
Press the deStiNAtioN selector repeatedly to select the
desired destination. The Shape 1 and Shape 2 for the LFO 1
can be selected at the same time, as well as the Osc 1 and
Osc 2 for the LFO 2.
If you press and hold the
• deStiNAtioN selector, the
modulation will be muted - the indicators will start to
ash to indicate this state. Press again to reinstate the
modulation.