Thanks, I understand how I could arrange loops in a measure to create original drum tracks. And even more interesting is the aspect of using the filters to separate hi hats or bass drums and then recombining them. It's fun to me and it's definitely possible to make quality music using these loops. Personally I just prefer using waveforms to make my own beats.

Some kind of hard disk recording system is in my future when I save up the bucks. I've researched the PC vs. stand alone unit thread for a long time. Also I've been looking at the VS-Planet website for the last couple of weeks. As many options as a PC offers, going this route seems quite daunting and sticking with a VS seems much more intuitive. There are lots of extras to buy no matter which route I take.

On one hand the VS system looks great. All those features in one box. On the other hand, PC systems are very flexible and upgradable. At the moment, I don't really need all the inputs or even mic processors since I'll be using my XP and possibly a guitar. I simply want the thing that's gonna do the best job with the work I put into it. Any thoughts?