Nord Drum 2 vs 3P

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

I’m currently winging at Machinedrum prices (upwards of $2K), which is especially painful since I sold mine for $750 just a few years ago. Maybe Elektron will release a drum synth again someday, but until then I’m moving on.

This has lead me to the Nord Drum 2, which honestly sounds just as interesting, though even those are getting in to four digit prices now. Ok, screw you again Reverb, how about the Nord 3P? Seems interesting, though a lot of people talk about how it’s essentially a neutered iteration of the Nord 2 with less synthesis options.

However, looking at the below chart they seem to be almost identical:

Can anyone elaborate on just how different/butchered the 3P is, and would it still be a more flexible synth than the Nord 1? Those are still affordable, fortunately.

#2

I think the main complaint for the 3p is that they took out the multiple trigger inputs. so if you have a modular and wanna fire gates at it, the 2 is better. otherwise I believe the synthesis is the same, and there’s more effects. plus you get pads! I’d go for the 3.

also if you miss your MD you should check out the Cycles. obviously not 100% the same but it’s got the FM machine vibe from the MD.

2 Likes
#3

I remember when the ND3 was announced, I had some reservations about it being better or just different than ND2 (and this was when they had initially announced a module version) :

TLDR, ND2 has deeper synthesis, especially on the noise-based sounds.

agreed. Cycles + Volca Drum, even with VD’s fiddly interface > ND2 or ND3

10 Likes
#4

ah, I stand corrected! I didn’t know they’d changed the synthesis so much. lame.

#5

The changes that Nord made were an attempt to make it more streamlined so people could put usable sounds together much quicker. It’s the same philosophy for the Nord Lead A1. I have a 3P and haven’t found the reduction in parameter manipulations limiting at all. It puts out really great sounds, and is really easy to program and get going. In fact the major complaint about the 3P I’ve read from those who also had/have the ND2 was that the Reverb dirties up the sounds with some added noise. Personally I don’t think it’s all that bad, but you can always just remove the reverb from the patches and use your own. I’m sure you’re not buying it for the reverbs.

2 Likes
#6

And add external reverb to the whole mix? No thanks :wink:
Sonic Potions LXR?

1 Like
#7

You’re losing at life if you don’t have 20 different reverbs already.

9 Likes
#8

Thanks! Going to order a 3P

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#9

I’ll add that pairing it with a DT makes it a lethal combo.

#10

I got two of them! More triggers = more fun. They work great with my external controller, which has 30 triggers and plays silently. Too much acoustic noise from those pads.

#11

For ND3P owners:

How willingly does it depart from recognizable drum sounds?

I’m interested in the ND3P as a unique control surface + synth, not as a drum kit. I’d prefer if it didn’t sound like drums at all.

#12

Damn, what!? Was not aware of that at all. I was always thinking 3P was like 2, but with couple of more features…

#13

Usually the case with Nords, the new generation is missing things the last gen had.

1 Like
#14

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I’m in the ND2 Vs ND3P quandry right now. I think, given price parity, I’d pick the ND2 just for form factor alone, BUT, current prices look like I can get a NEW ND3P for 300GBP less than a used ND2. In terms of sound how do you like yours @SouvlakiPlaystation?

I have to be honest, I’m a lazy person. I know that a lot of elektron boxes can make incredible sounds, if you work for it. I love the DN because it comes with a ton of great presets, which I can make my own with some tweaking, and it has a ton of sweetspots, so it I can make sounds pretty quickly and get going.

I notice some have criticised the change from ND2 to ND3P as losing some depth of sound design, but, is that a bad thing always? For people like me, maybe less depth means quicker/simpler sound design…

But then the form factor. The ND2 is so perfectly sized.

#15

I just had the ND3P but I can say that sound design is really easy. Every knob has 2 functions, 1 standard and one with shifting. Very easily laid out by just having Tone, Noise and Timbre I think (3 for sure).
I am a noob at sound design but I could replicate Toms from a sample pack by ear, just very straightforward.
I bought drumsticks for the pads while I mainly sequenced it with the DT but just playing live percussion through something is really cool since the dynamic range is insane. It’s very fun mostly to play a percussion really soft and then gradually increase your force.
Also; I’ve seen people saw off the pads, there’s a tutorial on Reddit I think. If you ask me, the ND3 is like 450 EUR second hand vs the ND2 which is 800 > 1000 EUR second hand. I wouldn’t notice the difference and I didn’t dive in to figure out if I would :smiley:

3 Likes
#16

Thanks, I really appreciate that. I think, for the money, for me, I have to pick the 3P. I can get the 3P plus an effects unit for the price of the ND2.

I guess the size…well…that’s the size!

Cheers!

2 Likes
#17

And get some drumsticks! Too much fun!

1 Like
#18

For those interested in the differences between the ND 2 & 3, the editors for both, available here visually demonstrate quite well the mild differences in parameters between the two:

Screen Shot 2021-12-06 at 10.25.25 pm
Screen Shot 2021-12-06 at 10.25.25 pm1536×1498 592 KB

Screen Shot 2021-12-06 at 10.25.14 pm
Screen Shot 2021-12-06 at 10.25.14 pm1526×1500 589 KB

4 Likes
#19

Genuinely excited about getting one.

#20

ND2 is a nicer form-factor, but ND3P is a bit better for sound design, because there is one button per menu, instead of 2 rows as on ND2