Clavia Digital Musical Instruments (Clavia DMI AB) is a Swedish manufacturer of
virtual analog synthesizer
An analog modeling synthesizer is a synthesizer that generates the sounds of traditional analog synthesizers using DSP components and software algorithms. Analog modeling synthesizers simulate the behavior of the original electronic circuitry in or ...
s, virtual
electromechanical pianos and
stage pianos, founded in
Stockholm, Sweden in 1983 by Hans Nordelius and Mikael Carlsson. Since 1995, Clavia's keyboards have been branded ''Nord''.
Company history
Digital drums
In 1983, Hans Nordelius and Mikael Carlsson began to work in the
basement
A basement or cellar is one or more Storey, floors of a building that are completely or partly below the storey, ground floor. It generally is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, ...
of a home located in the southern
suburbs
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include Commercial area, commercial and mixed-use development, mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a ...
of Stockholm, creating the world's first dedicated digital drum for the commercial market, called the 'Digital Percussion Plate 1'.
[
] In 1984 an improved version that could play four sounds from an EPROM was released under the '
ddrum' name with the now signature red coloring. The same year a drum system was released with several sound modules in a rack, each with its own EPROM. The pads used to trigger the sounds were unusual for the time, since they used real drum heads, whereas other electronic drum kits of the time used rubber pads. This, together with a separate trigger for the snare drum's rim, made for a more realistic playing experience.
[
] The ddrum brand and products were sold in 2005 to their US distributor Armadillo who continues to manufacture drum products under the name.
[
]
Nord keyboards
In 1995, Clavia released the
Nord Lead. Called "a magic piece of electronics" by
Sound on Sound
''Sound on Sound'' is an independently owned monthly music technology magazine published by SOS Publications Group, based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, ...
[
] it popularized the
virtual analog type of synthesis. In 1997 the Nord Lead 2 was released, with many improvements, including increasing polyphony from 4 to 16 notes.
[
] The Nord Lead 3 was released in 2001, with a reworked sound engine, better D/A converters and monophonic aftertouch. The most striking aspect of the Nord Lead 3 was that all the sound editing knobs had been replaced with infinite rotary knobs, where the value of the parameter was indicated by a
LED 'collar' around the knob.
[
] The rotary knobs, LED collars and keyboard with aftertouch made the Nord Lead 3 an "absolute delight"
[
] but because of its higher price, the Nord Lead 2 remained in demand. And as some of the parts of the Nord Lead 3 were getting harder to source, Clavia released an updated version of the Nord Lead 2, called the Nord Lead 2x, with faster processors, better D/A converters and an upgraded polyphony to 20 voices.
The Nord Lead 3 was discontinued in 2007, but the Nord Lead 2x remains in production.
In 1997 Clavia released the
Nord Modular, a virtual analog
modular synthesizer
Modular synthesizers are synthesizers composed of separate modules for different functions. The modules can be connected together by the user to create a patch. The outputs from the modules may include audio signals, analog control voltages ...
.
Called a "landmark in synthesis"
[
] it allowed you to essentially build your own virtual analog synthesizer. It too was later upgraded with the 2004 release of the Nord Modular G2, that gave it the same endless rotary knobs as the Nord Lead 3 and a larger keyboard with aftertouch.
[
]
In 2001 the
Nord Electro was released. It was designed to emulate the classical
electromechanical keyboards like the
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs ...
, the
Rhodes Stage 73, the
Wurlitzer electric piano
The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is concept ...
and the
Hohner
Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner (1833–1902). The roots of the Hohner firm are in Trossingen, Baden-Württemberg. Since its foundation, and though known ...
Clavinet. The pianos are
samples but the organs are modeled using a "digital simulation".
[
]
Im 2005, Clavia produced the Nord Stage, combining the organ and piano functions of the Electro with some of the synth functionality of the Lead, while adding other piano functionality and a version with 88 weighted keys.
[
]
In October 2007 Clavia released the
Nord Wave
The Nord Wave is a 49-key polyphonic synthesiser developed by Clavia. It integrates the playback and manipulation of samples into a virtual analog
An analog modeling synthesizer is a synthesizer that generates the sounds of traditional analog sy ...
, which adds sample-player functionality to the virtual analog engine of the Nord Lead series
[
] and in March 2012 Clavia released the
Nord Drum
The Clavia Nord Drum is an analog modeling percussion synthesizer. It was first introduced at NAMM 2012, and was made available in March of 2012. Since then, two updated versions have been released; the Nord Drum 2 & Nord Drum 3P.
Features
Th ...
, a virtual analog drum synthesizer.
[
] and the
Nord C1 Organ, a dual manual instrument containing the organ section from the Nord Electro 3, to which an emulation of a baroque pipe organ was added in 2009.
[
]
The
Nord Piano was released in 2010, which contained the piano section from the Nord Electro 3 with an 88 key hammer action keyboard.
[
]
Clavia has continued to update each of these models, and in 2021 the Nord range included the Nord Stage 3, the Nord Piano 5, the Nord Grand, the Nord Electro 6, the Nord Lead 4, the Nord Lead A1 and the Nord Wave 2.
[
]
Products
*
Nord Lead A1 - Performance synthesizer
*
Nord Wave 2 - Performance synthesizer
*
Nord Electro 6 - Virtual
electromechanical keyboard instrument
*
Nord Grand
Nord, a word meaning "north" in several European languages, may refer to:
Acronyms
* National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization
* New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Film and televisi ...
- Stage piano
*
Nord Piano 5 - Stage piano
*
Nord Stage 3 - Stage keyboard
*
Nord Piano Monitor
Nord, a word meaning "north" in several European languages, may refer to:
Acronyms
* National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization
* New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Film and televisi ...
- Monitor boxes
*
Nord C2D - Dual Manual Virtual Combo Organ
*
Nord Pedal Keys 27 - MIDI organ pedalboard
*
Nord Drum 3P - Modelling percussion synthesizer
File:Clavia Nord C2D Combo Organ (rear angled).jpg , Nord C2D Combo Organ
File:NSDrawbuttons.jpg, Nord Stage 2 Draw-buttons
File:NSSynthPanel.jpg, Nord Stage 2 Synth panel
Discontinued products
Discontinued products list:
*
Ddrum series by Clavia - sold in 2005
*
Nord Piano - Stage piano
*
Nord Piano 2 - Stage piano
*
Nord Piano 3 - Stage piano
*
Nord Piano 4 - Stage piano
*
Nord C1 - Dual Manual Virtual Combo Organ
*
Nord Drum
The Clavia Nord Drum is an analog modeling percussion synthesizer. It was first introduced at NAMM 2012, and was made available in March of 2012. Since then, two updated versions have been released; the Nord Drum 2 & Nord Drum 3P.
Features
Th ...
Virtual analog drum synthesizer
*
Nord Electro - Virtual
electromechanical keyboard instrument
*
Nord Electro Rack - Virtual electromechanical MIDI module
*
Nord Electro 2 - Virtual electromechanical keyboard instrument
*
Nord Electro Rack 2 - Virtual electromechanical MIDI module
*
Nord Electro 3 - Virtual electromechanical keyboard instrument
*
Nord Wave
The Nord Wave is a 49-key polyphonic synthesiser developed by Clavia. It integrates the playback and manipulation of samples into a virtual analog
An analog modeling synthesizer is a synthesizer that generates the sounds of traditional analog sy ...
- Performance Synthesizer & Sampler
*
Nord Lead (1995) - Virtual analog synthesizer
*
Nord Lead Rack (1995) - Virtual analog synthesizer
*
Nord Lead 2 (1997) - Virtual analog synthesizer
*
Nord Lead 2X - Virtual analog synthesizer
*
Nord Lead 3
Nord, a word meaning "north" in several European languages, may refer to:
Acronyms
* National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization
* New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Film and televisi ...
- Virtual analog synthesizer
*
Nord Lead 4 - Performance synthesizer
*
Nord Rack - Virtual analog MIDI module
*
Nord Rack 2 - Virtual analog MIDI module
*
Nord Rack 2X - Virtual analog MIDI module
*
Nord Rack 3 - Virtual analog MIDI module
*
Nord Stage - Stage keyboard
*
Nord Stage EX - Stage keyboard
*
Nord Stage 2 - Stage keyboard
*
Nord Stage 2EX - Stage keyboard
*
Nord Modular - Software-based semi-modular synthesizer
*
Nord Modular G2
Nord, a word meaning " north" in several European languages, may refer to:
Acronyms
* National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization
* New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Film and telev ...
- Software-based semi-modular synthesizer
*
Nord Modular G2x - Software-based semi-modular synthesizer
*
Nord Micro Modular
Nord, a word meaning " north" in several European languages, may refer to:
Acronyms
* National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization
* New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Film and telev ...
- Software-based semi-modular synthesizer
*
Nord Drum
The Clavia Nord Drum is an analog modeling percussion synthesizer. It was first introduced at NAMM 2012, and was made available in March of 2012. Since then, two updated versions have been released; the Nord Drum 2 & Nord Drum 3P.
Features
Th ...
- Modelling percussion synthesizer
*
Nord Drum 2 - Modelling percussion synthesizer
File:Nord Modular G2 modwheel.jpg , Pitch stick & wheel
(Nord Modular G2)
File:Clavia Nord Lead 3 knobs.jpg , Nord Lead 3
File:Nord Stage played (closeup).jpg, Nord Stage 88
File:Clavia Nord Piano 88 - Pimp your piano.jpg , Nord Piano 88
References
External links
Official Clavia website
{{Clavia
Manufacturing companies based in Stockholm
Synthesizer manufacturing companies of Sweden
Musical instrument manufacturing companies of Sweden
Manufacturing companies established in 1983
1983 establishments in Sweden