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The NL3 sounds lovely, lush, warm, and dynamic (but not mushy unless you want it to be --- the minimum attack time is <b>0.5ms</b>!). I think it's a lot less "boring" sounding than some other current VAs (ahem) noted for their warmth; in that sense, the Nord heritage is evident. The non-voice-stealing unison mode works really, really well. It sounds much better than the NL2's unison mode, and doesn't cost anything (and each voice finally has its own unison detune parameter)! <p> As others have noted, the sound is rather different than the NL2. A NL3 and a Nord Rack2 (or Nord Modular) might make a fine pair. <p> If you're used to the NL2, the NL3's interface seems a bit daunting at first --- there are many more parameters, and the front panel doesn't let you forget it --- but after playing for a while, the sheer brilliance of the design draws you in, and gets you tweaking in no time, even if you hadn't intended to. Not only is the new interface very useful, it's also <b>fun</b>; you can watch the knobs `turn' in real-time as you use aftertouch and the modulation wheel! I never used the NL2's morphing feature very much, because it was just too hard to use, but the NL3's implementation makes it almost trivial, and it's very useful (I'm especially enthused about the key-tracking morph group, as I really missed key-scaling on the NL2). <p> The keyboard now has aftertouch (thank god), which feels pretty good, although I'm not quite sure whether I like the response curve yet (perhaps they could make this kind of thing settable in a future OS rev?). The keyboard action seems slightly better than the NL2, but is basically still just adequate; it's better than a cheapo MIDI keyboard, but nowhere near as nice as the best synth keyboards out there. The pitch stick and mod wheel are the same as those on other Nordleads (that is, wonderful). <p> As with all Clavia products, the build quality is top-notch. The case is all steel (no plastic end-caps here), and the knobs and buttons feel very solid. <p> Others have wondered why Clavia kept the "Nordlead" name for the NL3, given the clear difference in sound. For me, it's the the immediacy, the fluidity, the sense of being close to the core of the sound, and of playing a musical instrument rather than programming a computer. The Nordlead 3 is a more-than-worthy successor to that tradition, and a kick-ass, inspiring, synth.
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