Posted by Fran:
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Squeak, I think you can get enough drum /bass variation with Roland's top of the line arrangers[G1000,VA and G70] to handle Hip Hop..
Roland styles can easily be edited to have different pattern for every segment of a style if you need it that way..Also, you can change to any downbeat of the next measure ,to a new style.
Many drum kits are suitable without edits.
And you can EQ to handle any situation..[-12 to +12]..
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Fran, I have to disagree with this. To do decent HipHop, R&B, ect you'll need to edit drums regardless. For some time HipHop, Rap, and R&B was all that I was writing. I was making a few bucks to the side while in college writing for other students.

A sampler is also important. The user needs to be able to import (individual drum sounds) to create user kits

Also the board MUST have top quality synth sounds, and the ability to create user voices that contain multiple elements.

HipHop and so forth are styles that are changing every day. It's not like Rock, Blues for example where the same instruments can be used over and over.

Squeak