yes, a phat boy controller would have exactly the same functionality for real time controlling of a controllable sampler. So the Nord should be bought or dissed on its own merits, although it is handy to use the nobs.
It has 4 seperate guitar lead outputs, each controlled by an assignable midi channel. I keep one free (the A channel, although i'm thinking of swapping it to the D channel so that when I'm plugging it in i can say to my friends "See? Easy as A-B-C!"). I don't plug a lead into this output so that no hassles occur whilst triggering samples offa the sampla. There could be a better way, but i do like the simplycity-ness of it.
Advice? Get your hands on a Nord and see how it feels, can you feel it, does it inspire you immiediately now and also tomorrow when you try it out again.
Waldorf make a hot synth i've heard (well, i haven't actually heard it), the Q Synth i think it is.
EXAMPLES? weelll, you could check me out as Electronx in the site of Semi Precious Records. Just goto http://www.s-p-r.com (yes they are dashes not underscores), go into the Audio Artists section, click on electronx, click on a song, and click on the play button that appears. First website i ever did, soo, that's why i'm being so overprotectively instructionist about it all. Good luck Rich.
Oh yeah, songs used a Nord2 A3000 dodgy mike recorded onto ProTools and i used some RTAS plugins.