intemporalis

The NL-2 has a distinctive bite. Super easy and fun to program which makes it easier to coax sounds out of it that a lot of people will won't bother with. Its simplicity/complexity "ratio" is perfect. No built in fx which can often deceive and hype up lame patches (Virus, I'm looking at you). Just 2 Osc's, 2 Lfo's, a Filter and 2 ADSR envelopes for the Amp and the Filter. The Osc modes are super basic but you'll get to know them instead of flipping through menus of choices never to get familiar with anything. Likewise the filter modes are clear cut with LP 24 being your go to mode. And make sure to check out the "secret" filter mode too, hold shift and flip through the modes. The early nords also have lovely unison and mono modes for huge basses, hoovers and supersaw type stuff. That same function can create lush pads with surprising complexity for a synth without onboard FX. To keep it short, it has everything you need in a subtractive synth and nothing you don't.