I bought this because I needed a great all rounder for gigs, which could give me great organ and piano and was enjoyable to play.

I have high standards, as I actually own a vintage Fender Rhodes and a Hammond M100!

The Electro 2 is quite simply the best emulation of these instruments that I've heard - and further, the controls and feel of the instrument really deliver a fantastically musical experience. I'm very happy!

The Nord Electro 2 is simply put: a beast. This is the no-nonsense keyboard you've been looking for if you wanted a high quality keyboard with a few really accurate vintage keyboard sounds. If you are still interested in this instead of pointless fiddle patches and completely useless drumbeats, read on...

Design/Build Quality:
The Nord Electro is made for the normal wear and tear of gigging with this bad boy. The buttons are all very sturdy and respond firmly--it seems like they'll last as long as you need. The all metal casing makes this extremely durable...albeit a tad heavy (a downside if you are gigging)...and frankly, the red paint job catches the eye (especially onstage). The semi-weighted keys respond very well. Overall, I would say this keyboard is ready, willing, and able to serve you for a long time, whether it be in the studio or onstange, in style.

Features/Sounds
Ahh yes, the sounds. Boy do they sound absolutely gorgeous. The default sounds that come with the keyboard are a Wurlitzer, 2 Rhodes, an Electric Piano, an Acoustic Piano, a Clavinet, and an organ (though more sounds are available as a free download on their website). They sound extremely good...almost like the real thing, wrapped in one convenient package. The effects are Overdrive, Rotary Speaker simulation (slow, fast, stop), Equalizer, Chorus (2 types), Flanger (2 types), Phaser (2 types), Tremolo, Wah-Wah (2 types), Auto Wah, Auto panning, and Ring modulation. I LOVE how you can have a leslie-style rotary on any sound. However, the ring effects leave something to be desired, but one of the main draws to this instrument are the digital drawbars, which shine. They are really incredible. There are also other knobs and effects to tweak the sound just how you like it. It has the usual outputs...though you can plug in a midi keyboard and use it like a 2-level organ, with independent drawbars (a very nice touch).

Support:
Though I have had no need to contact support about the keyboard yet, it is clear that Clavia wants to support their product (by releasing new software and patches for it), so I give Clavia my deepest gratitude for continuing to improve on an already amazing instrument.

Value:
Although you defiantly need to put down a fair bit of money on this keyboard, it is worth it (in my opinion). From my experience with it, it seems like it will continue serving me for many a year.

Conclusion:
This is a fine keyboard. No, this is an AMAZING keyboard. I heartily recommend it to anyone sick of having to deal with countless patches you will never use (and paying a premium for them). This keyboard looks good, sounds good, and plays really well. If you are in the market for a no nonsense keyboard for Rock, Jazz, Blues, Soul, or just about any other kind of music (excluding techno), you should think long and hard about buying this instrument.