Nordkeyboards and Elijah Fox: Sculpting a Signature Sonic World for the Nord Wave 2

The Elijah Fox Sound Bank comprises 25 exclusive patches that blend the warmth and character of analog-inspired tones with the textural and harmonic sensibilities of artists like Radiohead and Khruangbin. This fusion results in a distinct sonic palette that stands apart from typical factory offerings. Fox describes the collection as a cohesive world of sounds, intentionally designed to be flexible enough for improvisation and composition across genres, yet specific enough to carry his own musical fingerprint.

A tour through the sound bank reveals a thoughtfully curated selection of leads, basses, and ambient pianos. Fox demonstrates the ‘Nimit Lead 4,’ a triangle-based delayed lead with analog delay mode, ideal for expressive transitions and layering with other keyboards. The ‘Eli Lead 4’ extends this concept with a pronounced tail, making it suitable for creating space in a mix or live set. Guitar-inspired patches like ‘eGuitar LP 4’ showcase the Wave 2’s effects section, running classic tones through tremolo, EQ, delay, and reverb for added depth.

On the low end, bass patches such as ‘Eli Bass 1’ and ‘Eli Bass 6’ cover both classic and more aggressive territories, with touches of drive and even reverb—an unconventional but effective choice for certain genres like disco. The ambient piano sounds are particularly notable, blending samples of upright and electric pianos to create lush, layered textures. The ability to toggle between these layers on the Nord Wave 2 highlights its performance-oriented design, allowing players to shift sonic character on the fly.

Fox underscores how these patches are built for real-world performance scenarios. Sounds like the ‘Infinity E-P’ combine Wurlitzer samples, white noise, and sine pads to create evolving textures that are perfect for transitions or building atmosphere. The layering capabilities of the Nord Wave 2 are put to full use, enabling complex blends that can be toggled or morphed in real time. This is not just about static presets, but about giving performers the tools to shape their sound dynamically during a set.

Other highlights include the ‘Eli Barbe Q’ and additional pads that leverage the Wave 2’s synthesis engines and effects to craft unique sonic identities. Fox’s walkthrough demonstrates how these sounds can serve as both foundational layers and expressive accents, supporting a wide range of musical styles. The focus remains on functionality: each patch is designed to be immediately useful, whether for holding down a groove, creating a transition, or inspiring a new idea mid-performance.