Great video, I think more people should make videos like this. Or at least I wish more reviewers were critical lol I sold all my gear (which included a Nord Drum 3P), except for my cello, roland digital piano, and my GS e7 synth.
Thank you for making this. I'm really thinking back and forth between a Nord Drum and a fingerdrumming controller. So it was great to see you comparing it to the Push. However, I'm afraid, that getting a Launchpad Mini for fingerdrumming is very bad advice. I had my hands on a Launchpad Mini. The pads are stiff and have a TACTILE SWITCH. Please do not recommend this. Moreover, I owned a Launchpad X and even that was not that great. Both are nice Ableton controllers for Session View, but neither of those a good choice for fingerdrumming. There are a bunch of fingerdrummers here on RUclips. Most of them agree on the MASCHINE MIKRO MK3 as one of the best devices for fingerdrumming. It is not that expensive, neither.
I’ve owned the Launchpad mini and I think you are right. I also forgot it doesn’t even have velocity. Launchpad Pro mk3 has really nice pads but at that price you should just get a used Push 2. I’ve never tried MASCHINE but they look pretty clutch. Midi Fighter Spectra might be a fun move too.
The biggest thing too, as a drummer to other drummers out there, is that the design of the pads introduces possible wire shortage and cross talk. Especially with vibrations!!!!!!! So live with this? Thats a NO GO. And no external trigger puts other than the kick which takes from one of the pads. Biggest thumbs down.
I feel that! Honestly though the threshold and sensitivity settings are dialed in real proper on mine. But yeah I don’t know what the thought was with the limited input.
Not sure how serious this video is meant to be. The first point? Get some nicer cables and cable mgmt tools. Second point? A model samples feels a lot lot different to the ND (in the worst way). Launchpad Mini is also a rather uncomfortable thing. The last point is valid though, if you are not a drummer, you can definitely get something else. Apart from that I think the ND is incredibly unique when you are a drummer, there is nothing else out there that is even remotely close to this incredible instrument. And your channel is the best example. Here are (in my opinion) my reasons, why you should not get it. 1. Only Stereo Output. You can cheat and route something to te headphone output though. But its incredible how they made a unique instrument like the ND but keep a lot of professionals from playing it live because you can't have separate outputs for kick, snare, etc. This is maybe the biggest letdown. Also for production it is super frustrating. 2. Only one trigger input. Could be added though if you really want it. 3. No Updates since 2016. It feels kind of abandoned by clavia. 4. If you are not into experimenting or tweaking and want usual bread and butter sounds.
I hear you on the cable management thing - it still doesn't prevent you from having 6 cables running out of the back of it. I think if you are just planning on sequencing the Cycles is a really nice move and they both sort of share a calculator aesthetic. Launchpad mini was a bad recommendation in retrospect as it doesn't have velocity. I have to say I was really disappointed with not having individual outs at first, but I've come to really enjoy the limitation of left channel being low end and right channel being high end. I find that it prevents me from getting too granular with 6 different channels to process. I hear you on the updates - however, I think because it is so rock solid with what is already does I think they'd be better off investing that time into Nord Drum 4. I agree on your last point - go for one of the Roland pads if you are looking for the more typical sounds. Nord Drum shines when you stop treating it like a drum replacement and more like a 6 part synthesizer. I value your opinions and insight!
@@toskabyss And I do value yours! Good points. I am fine with the outs as well until I try to bring this thing to a world where a sound-engineer wants to control the kick or rooms and soundsystems sound different every night. Because that means you have to get in there every time and tweak little things so it fits again. But didnt you say something about using the headphone as a seperate output? There was a routing option if I remember correctly. By the way, I use a stereo jack cable that is one cable and a midi i/o which is also one cable. Down to 3 in my case. ;)
Great video. I own a Nord Drum 3p for years, I don't think I will ever sell it since it's the most 'organic' electronic pad I've ever played. It really feels like playing acoustic electronic sounds if that means anything. But yes, there are a lot of flaws. I didn't know it was so expensive nowadays... No USB for MIDI, backup is a shame. Only Stereo outputs is way too less. I would have loved a seventh sound engine for the drum pedal input. But it sounds and feels so great !
Thanks! Yes I have to agree the pads are just right. I have done midi backup once and I hated that process. I have come to love the stereo output limitation - I throw low end left and high end right. Then I process those two channels separately in ableton and it prevents me from getting too lost with 6 different channels. Would love the option though! I think they have the opportunity to knock it completely out of the park with a Nord Drum 4 if they listen to everyone.
I can get a used Nord Drum 3P as cheap as 440 bucks now. Also there are things called cable tiers that make your horrible 6 cables look like one big one 😝
I had a conduit thingy for a while but it was a pain if I wanted to travel with it. Shooot if I could find a ND for $440, I would buy it and flip it - lowest I'm seeing on Reverb is around $600. Thats like a fresh Volca Bass!
You can also get right angle audio and midi cables and loom them up, not sure the solve for the KickPedal. I have mine and love it, I don’t mind the cables bc spaghetti is a part of the gig, and hooking it up makes it do the stuff!
@@toskabyss Oh man if you were here in EU on the 2nd hand market (not reverb) you can find them for about 300 or less. Im stocking up for when I come back to the states to put them up for sale 🤣.
Thanks! That was eye-opening and I felt that it was important for me to hear it from you. Turns out I don’t need any more gear at all! Actually, tbh I have some gear I‘ve never used, maybe it‘s time to seriously consider selling it
I'm a toxic person and I would take all the gear I'm not using - see how much I could sell it for on Reverb and start mapping my next gear purchase lol
1 - Cables, almost every synths / drum pads does the same. 2 - When you choose an instrument for its sound, go for it. 3 - Why compare with finger drumming? Why not compare with keyboard? They're pads, just compare with other pads like the Roland, Alesis or others. Orange for an orange. 4 - Again, when you want an instrument, you should get it. Maybe buy it used or rent it to see if it's what you want. But don't suggest Behringer for sake! Totally not agree with your arguments.
@@NicleT I appreciate your insight and your thoughtful reply! I agree that cables are always going to be an issue, however, let’s take something like the Roland Boutiques. You can power with batteries and run one usb cable for audio and midi sync. I agree - sound is most important second to inspiration. I chose finger drumming as a cheap alternative as most folks probably have pads on their midi controller. Roland drum pads are just as expensive - I’ve only tried alesis pad 4 and that thing was not great. Absolutely but any device that inspires you - I feel you on Behringer - I don’t own any Behringer stuff, but if folks want to make music with a device that inspires them I would never get in their way there. I hear you!
lol i was thinking to myself, BECAUSE FINGER DRUMMING IS DA BEST (jokes)... and then you bring up finger drumming. I've been playing around with a tempest lately... I want to merge the nord drum with the tempest... i failed this year. I purchased a couple modules. You still the un-buyer? pz!
I have avoided watching videos on the Tempest because I know I'll "need" one. I have failed this year, I bought a used Push 2 and I bought the DBX 266xl. I'll try again in 2025!
I agree! They dont have customer service its more like " i guess, send it in and well fix whats broken but do no mitigating measures for future failures". Yup thats because my unit have been to clavia 4 times due to wire shortages 🙃
@@toskabyss Yes I have 2 KT 10s linked together by 1 instrument cable (on the kt 10s you have a audio input or whatever its called) linking them together and either one of the 2nd inputs to the nord kick and you will be able to trigger it with the 2 pedals. I have them both next to my double bass pedals and i can switch from acoustic to the electric. Pretty cool.
@@lockyp204 at the very least they could do what elektron did with model:cycles and allow you to route channels to headphone out or main out. That way you could split the stereo signals and get 4 individual outs.
@@toskabyss They’d sell more to the modular community if they did. They have all the schematics, just some upgrades here and there is all that’s needed. A lot has changed since they released the Nord drum 2. They’d sell like hotcakes
Great video, I think more people should make videos like this. Or at least I wish more reviewers were critical lol
I sold all my gear (which included a Nord Drum 3P), except for my cello, roland digital piano, and my GS e7 synth.
Thanks! Also, I had to look up the GS e7 - this thing looks beautiful and now I NEED one!
Thank you for making this. I'm really thinking back and forth between a Nord Drum and a fingerdrumming controller. So it was great to see you comparing it to the Push.
However, I'm afraid, that getting a Launchpad Mini for fingerdrumming is very bad advice. I had my hands on a Launchpad Mini. The pads are stiff and have a TACTILE SWITCH. Please do not recommend this. Moreover, I owned a Launchpad X and even that was not that great. Both are nice Ableton controllers for Session View, but neither of those a good choice for fingerdrumming.
There are a bunch of fingerdrummers here on RUclips. Most of them agree on the MASCHINE MIKRO MK3 as one of the best devices for fingerdrumming. It is not that expensive, neither.
I’ve owned the Launchpad mini and I think you are right. I also forgot it doesn’t even have velocity. Launchpad Pro mk3 has really nice pads but at that price you should just get a used Push 2.
I’ve never tried MASCHINE but they look pretty clutch. Midi Fighter Spectra might be a fun move too.
Just buy it... jesus christ ~ you live once. (maybe he didn't but still)
lol you’re right though
The biggest thing too, as a drummer to other drummers out there, is that the design of the pads introduces possible wire shortage and cross talk. Especially with vibrations!!!!!!! So live with this? Thats a NO GO.
And no external trigger puts other than the kick which takes from one of the pads. Biggest thumbs down.
I feel that! Honestly though the threshold and sensitivity settings are dialed in real proper on mine. But yeah I don’t know what the thought was with the limited input.
I love mine and about to mod it to have all 6 trigger inputs. The lack of trigger inputs is number 5 in my book.
I would love to see this mod when you finish. Please keep me updated!!
Not sure how serious this video is meant to be.
The first point? Get some nicer cables and cable mgmt tools.
Second point? A model samples feels a lot lot different to the ND (in the worst way).
Launchpad Mini is also a rather uncomfortable thing.
The last point is valid though, if you are not a drummer, you can definitely get something else.
Apart from that I think the ND is incredibly unique when you are a drummer,
there is nothing else out there that is even remotely close to this incredible instrument. And your channel is the best example.
Here are (in my opinion) my reasons, why you should not get it.
1. Only Stereo Output. You can cheat and route something to te headphone output though. But its incredible how they made a unique instrument like the ND but keep a lot of professionals from playing it live because you can't have separate outputs for kick, snare, etc.
This is maybe the biggest letdown. Also for production it is super frustrating.
2. Only one trigger input. Could be added though if you really want it.
3. No Updates since 2016. It feels kind of abandoned by clavia.
4. If you are not into experimenting or tweaking and want usual bread and butter sounds.
I hear you on the cable management thing - it still doesn't prevent you from having 6 cables running out of the back of it. I think if you are just planning on sequencing the Cycles is a really nice move and they both sort of share a calculator aesthetic. Launchpad mini was a bad recommendation in retrospect as it doesn't have velocity.
I have to say I was really disappointed with not having individual outs at first, but I've come to really enjoy the limitation of left channel being low end and right channel being high end. I find that it prevents me from getting too granular with 6 different channels to process.
I hear you on the updates - however, I think because it is so rock solid with what is already does I think they'd be better off investing that time into Nord Drum 4.
I agree on your last point - go for one of the Roland pads if you are looking for the more typical sounds. Nord Drum shines when you stop treating it like a drum replacement and more like a 6 part synthesizer.
I value your opinions and insight!
@@toskabyss And I do value yours! Good points.
I am fine with the outs as well until I try to bring this thing to a world where a sound-engineer wants to control the kick or rooms and soundsystems sound different every night. Because that means you have to get in there every time and tweak little things so it fits again. But didnt you say something about using the headphone as a seperate output? There was a routing option if I remember correctly.
By the way, I use a stereo jack cable that is one cable and a midi i/o which is also one cable. Down to 3 in my case. ;)
For the cables, mabye a cable tie near the top so at least they are in a consistent place might help
Honestly I think I will probably need to do just that and I’m too lazy to put them away each time.
@@toskabyss I feeeel that honestly
Great video. I own a Nord Drum 3p for years, I don't think I will ever sell it since it's the most 'organic' electronic pad I've ever played. It really feels like playing acoustic electronic sounds if that means anything. But yes, there are a lot of flaws. I didn't know it was so expensive nowadays...
No USB for MIDI, backup is a shame. Only Stereo outputs is way too less. I would have loved a seventh sound engine for the drum pedal input.
But it sounds and feels so great !
Thanks! Yes I have to agree the pads are just right. I have done midi backup once and I hated that process. I have come to love the stereo output limitation - I throw low end left and high end right. Then I process those two channels separately in ableton and it prevents me from getting too lost with 6 different channels. Would love the option though! I think they have the opportunity to knock it completely out of the park with a Nord Drum 4 if they listen to everyone.
I can get a used Nord Drum 3P as cheap as 440 bucks now. Also there are things called cable tiers that make your horrible 6 cables look like one big one 😝
I had a conduit thingy for a while but it was a pain if I wanted to travel with it. Shooot if I could find a ND for $440, I would buy it and flip it - lowest I'm seeing on Reverb is around $600. Thats like a fresh Volca Bass!
You can also get right angle audio and midi cables and loom them up, not sure the solve for the KickPedal.
I have mine and love it, I don’t mind the cables bc spaghetti is a part of the gig, and hooking it up makes it do the stuff!
@@toskabyss Oh man if you were here in EU on the 2nd hand market (not reverb) you can find them for about 300 or less. Im stocking up for when I come back to the states to put them up for sale 🤣.
@@DALTRON666 What sites you recommend for this? I'm in the EU
@@lukecoffey625 check your local listings in your country. Thats where I find all my deals. Im in Nordics.
I get the too many cables jhit, today I was trying to practice with my band and I legit took an hour messing with cables to get things going
I cannot deal with the cables 😆 when I used to play shows I also felt I needed duplicates - it was too much.
Thanks! That was eye-opening and I felt that it was important for me to hear it from you. Turns out I don’t need any more gear at all! Actually, tbh I have some gear I‘ve never used, maybe it‘s time to seriously consider selling it
I'm a toxic person and I would take all the gear I'm not using - see how much I could sell it for on Reverb and start mapping my next gear purchase lol
Great stuff! 😁
Hey thanks my friend!
1 - Cables, almost every synths / drum pads does the same.
2 - When you choose an instrument for its sound, go for it.
3 - Why compare with finger drumming? Why not compare with keyboard? They're pads, just compare with other pads like the Roland, Alesis or others. Orange for an orange.
4 - Again, when you want an instrument, you should get it. Maybe buy it used or rent it to see if it's what you want. But don't suggest Behringer for sake!
Totally not agree with your arguments.
@@NicleT I appreciate your insight and your thoughtful reply!
I agree that cables are always going to be an issue, however, let’s take something like the Roland Boutiques. You can power with batteries and run one usb cable for audio and midi sync.
I agree - sound is most important second to inspiration.
I chose finger drumming as a cheap alternative as most folks probably have pads on their midi controller. Roland drum pads are just as expensive - I’ve only tried alesis pad 4 and that thing was not great.
Absolutely but any device that inspires you - I feel you on Behringer - I don’t own any Behringer stuff, but if folks want to make music with a device that inspires them I would never get in their way there.
I hear you!
lol i was thinking to myself, BECAUSE FINGER DRUMMING IS DA BEST (jokes)... and then you bring up finger drumming. I've been playing around with a tempest lately... I want to merge the nord drum with the tempest... i failed this year. I purchased a couple modules. You still the un-buyer? pz!
I have avoided watching videos on the Tempest because I know I'll "need" one. I have failed this year, I bought a used Push 2 and I bought the DBX 266xl. I'll try again in 2025!
Yeah, i owned mine for 4 years and 2 pads just stopped working.
Dont buy one! Their customer service is completely awful and useless.
Dang that sucks. I super lucked out with mine. Got 1 dead pad after a month and store swapped me for a freshy.
I agree! They dont have customer service its more like " i guess, send it in and well fix whats broken but do no mitigating measures for future failures".
Yup thats because my unit have been to clavia 4 times due to wire shortages 🙃
Yeah, I think you know that I blame you for buying the ND 3P, ....and, thank you - it's a keeper!
That said, agree - it's too expensive in the US.
I am sorry and you are welcome 😅 I have to agree, if I could only have one thing it would be the ND3p. It ticks all of my boxes!
The launchpad mini doesn't have velocity
Dang you are right. Probably gotta go with the Launchpad X for $150
So buy it and use it as a controller for my analog Rytm mk2
That’s it 😆 you need two ND3ps and two KT-10s so you can do double bass
@@toskabyss you can link 2 KT 10s together. I do it with my nord 🤣.
@@DALTRON666 haha for real? I’m trying to test that out. I used to be in a metal/hardcore band. Lol would like to test out some electronic cross over
@@toskabyss Yes I have 2 KT 10s linked together by 1 instrument cable (on the kt 10s you have a audio input or whatever its called) linking them together and either one of the 2nd inputs to the nord kick and you will be able to trigger it with the 2 pedals. I have them both next to my double bass pedals and i can switch from acoustic to the electric. Pretty cool.
Nord really needs a reality check.
I agree! They need to make a ND4p and send one to me 😂
With invidual outs!!
@@lockyp204 at the very least they could do what elektron did with model:cycles and allow you to route channels to headphone out or main out. That way you could split the stereo signals and get 4 individual outs.
@@toskabyss They’d sell more to the modular community if they did. They have all the schematics, just some upgrades here and there is all that’s needed. A lot has changed since they released the Nord drum 2. They’d sell like hotcakes
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