Nord Drum 3P 6 Channel Percussion Pad Synthesizer

Main Features

• 6-channel Percussion Synthesiser
• Simplified user interface with easy sound selection
• Advanced sound engine with Resonant Synthesis, Subtractive synthesis and FM-synthesis
• Reverb and Delay Effects with adjustable amount per channel
• Drive, Crush and EQ-effects per channel
• MIDI in/out and full CC-control
• Stereo Output with improved output level

The super compact Nord Drum 3P combines stunning playability with unlimited sound design possibilities from the innovative Nord Drum 2.


Integrated Multipad
The ultra compact new Nord Drum 3P features an integrated super responsive multipad and external kick input and weighs under 2 kg (4.4 lbs)!

Delay And Reverb Effects
The great sounding global Stereo Reverb and Delay effects lets you add a whole new dimension to your drum sounds and the effect amount is easily adjusted for each drum channel.

Simplified Sound Selection And New Sound Bank
The new Sound Select-feature lets you browse a wide selection of great sounding drums sounds, simply assigned to each pad individually. Easily replace toms, cymbals or kicks in seconds by selecting from our new preset library.

The new factory sound bank features 9 categories of great preset sounds that can be easily assigned to any of the six pads/channels - and is a great starting point in rehearsal situations when you need to find the right sounds in a matter of seconds.

The categories include Kicks, Snares, Toms, Percussion, Bells, Tuned, Effects, Cymbals, Hihats and Claps.

Sound Creation
The Sound generation takes place in the three sections Tone, Noise and Click.

The sounds of the Nord Drum 3P are all synthesised in real-time - allowing you to both sculpt and play sounds with a unique dynamic response, regardless if you prefer to play with drum sticks or from a sequencer.

Tone Section
The Tone Section is specialised for creating tonal and harmonically complex sound spectres and has three synthesis modes – Resonant synthesis, Subtractive Synthesis and Frequency Modulation synthesis.

The Resonant synthesis mode offers a wide range of complex spectres inspired by materials like drum heads, marimba, vibraphone, tines and cymbals. A unique feature includes the possibility to tune harmonic spectra.

The Subtractive mode sports the classic basic Sine, Saw, Square and Pulse waveforms and is brilliant for creating classic synth-type drum sounds and effects.

The FM Synthesis mode features 6 different FM algorithms where the Frequency parameter controls modulation amount and Spectra controls modulation frequency.

Extreme Dynamic Control
The Nord Drum 3P offers great control over the dynamic response of the harmonic spectras.

When using Resonant synthesis waveforms the upper parts of the harmonic spectra are controlled with velocity, giving it a brighter timbre when played hard.

When using the Subtractive synthesis mode, the Frequency parameter controls the cut-off frequency of a Low-Pass filter and the Dyn Filter controls how much the filter should respond to velocity .

The Punch parameter lets you add more attack to the Tone by making the fundamental pitch perform an ultra-fast pitch or volume envelope at the very beginning of the sound.

The Decay controls the decay of the whole spectra, with a choice of Linear and Logarithmic decay envelopes. The Bend parameter is a powerful, velocity sensitive pitch envelope. Like the Punch parameter it can be used both to create attack-like effects but also more radical bending sounds that travel up or down when played such as the sound of a raindrop, tablas or the classic 80's 'pioouw' tom-sound.

Noise Section
The Noise section is all about producing noise and is very powerful. Create anything from silky smooth hiss to gritty gravel to give the Tone part of the sound more texture.

The Noise can be sculpted with Low-Pass, High-Pass or Band-Pass filters with Cut-Off and Resonance controls. Once you've found the noise of your choice, it can be adjusted to respond dynamically to velocity in the same manner as with the Tone section with the Dyn Filter control.

The Decay control is just as powerful, with a choice of Linear and Logarithmic and Gated decay types. The Dynamic control is the icing on the cake, enabling you to control the length of the decay with velocity. Combine this with the equally powerful dynamic controls of the Tone Section and it won't take long before realising the potential for creating complex sounds with fascinating material-like behaviours!

Click Section
The Click-section is a specialised section for an ultra-short attack to the sound. A wide range of different click types are available as well as a level control for finding the sweet spot where the Click merges with the other elements and becomes one coherent sound.

Effects
Each of the 6 channels of the Nord Drum 3P has its own powerful effects – Distortion, EQ and Repeat.

The Distortion effect has two modes – a crunchy Overdrive effect and a crackling sample-rate reducing Crush effect. Sometimes, adding just a touch of overdrive to all of your sounds can make a huge difference in terms of realism. Naturally, you can put the pedal to the metal and distort the sounds beyond recognition – they will still be very playable.

A great sounding parametric Equaliser with selectable band and amount is also available for each channel, brilliant for adding some finish or attitude to your sounds.

The Nord Drum 3 features two new Master Effects, Reverb and Delay. The Reverb features 7 room algorithms with controls for tonal colour. The Delay effect features a Tap Tempo-mode and adjustable feedback amount. The amount of Reverb and Delay can be set individually for each of the 6 channels of the Nord Drum 3P

Group Edit
The handy Group Edit mode let's you edit all 6 channels simultaneously. The Group Edit mode even features a Group Scale mode, that can apply a selection of tonal Scale presets to all drum channels that are being Group edited - brilliant for playing tuned percussion.

Mute Group
The Mute Group gives you the option to create sounds that can cancel each other out. Only one of the members of the group can sound at a time, and can be used for creating a close/open hi-hat behaviour and emulating muting techniques from hand percussion.

Mixer
The Channel Mixer sets the level for each channel and also features a Pan control for creating a lush stereo image. If you like to send the kick to a separate output, just pan that channel all the way to the left and the other channels to the right.

MIDI
MIDI in/out is also available for using the Nord Drum 3P with any kind of MIDI pads or sequence it from an external MIDI Sequencer. All of the Nord Drum 3P sound parameters can be controlled via CC-controls over MIDI. If you own an iPad don't miss the free iPad app Nord Beat, specifically designed for sequencing the Nord Drum 3P via MIDI.

Trigger Interface
Everything you play when using the multipads and external input is automatically output to the MIDI output, making the Nord Drum 3 a brilliant controller for other sound sources via MIDI.