They are: chorus, flanger, phaser, ensemble, degrader, distortion, phaser, and, new for v2, a stereo enhancer and an analogue phaser. This is most welcome, and by stacking Nexus2 instances, you can effectively combine layers from separate patches.Īs well as the front-panel delay and reverb, you now apply two global effects, rather than just one.
Nexus patches are built from up to four layers, and you can now mute layers and set their volume, panning, transpose and detune parameters. The Mix screen offers perhaps the most useful new features. There are lots of preset patterns for the arp and trancegate, and you can also set odd pattern lengths for each to create shifting, prog-tastic polyrhythms. The marker and shuffle functionality of the arpeggiator are replicated here as well. The length is now freely adjustable and new Delay and Fadein controls can introduce the gate effect gradually when a new note is played (we'd like this on the vibrato too). Whereas the arpeggiator triggers notes within the synth, the trancegate is an effect - it modulates the volume level, and can create choppy, gated trance pads. Strangely, the random mode didn't work - it gave the same results as the ordered one. Markers above the sequencer area show quarter-note beats and the current play position, and there's a movable loop-point marker.įans of funk will enjoy the new Shuffle option, although we'd like eighth-note swing, too.
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The display zooms in and out as you adjust the length, so that the sequence always occupies its full width. Sequences can be up to 32 steps long, and you can set the note length and velocity for each. As well as the usual arpeggiator modes for up, down, order, and so on, Nexus2's has a mini-sequencer in which you can set the octave and - new for v2 - semitone transposition per step. Nexus2's arpeggiator and Trancegate each have their own page and are among the best we've seen.
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When we used the first version of Nexus we grumbled about the lack of those user LFOs (they eventually debuted in v1.2), so this time we're going to suggest that since the mod matrix is more powerful, there should be user ADSRs too. Mod sources include the mod wheel, aftertouch, pitchbend, CC and host automation, and twin user LFOs. This now has over 100 destinations, and all effects (except ensemble) have at least one modulatable parameter. The Mod screen offers control over vibrato, portamento and pitchbend (now with a +/-48 semitone range), but the main point of interest is the spruced-up modulation matrix. The front panel knobs and buttons are unchanged since v1, yet the LCD panel offers some neat new tricks. You can't create sounds from scratch using Nexus2, or import samples into it, but there are sound-shaping options aplenty. That said, Nexus2 now comes with, ahem, four skins as standard.
If you really feel like flashing the cash, you can buy new GUI skins, too.