Lucky,

I understand your concerns.

My 800 story:

I was busy gigging and doing just fine with the S900. Donny's enthusiasm and reports on the 800 got me all excited and I ended up buying his.

I gave up on the 800 too quickly. What I did was try to compare styles between the 2 boards and it wasn't going smooth and fast enough. I initially thought the 800 just didn't have enough versatility.

What I really did was try to dumb down the 800. It won't let you do that and should not even be attempted

After I let it go and kept with the 900, I immediately longed for the drums/bass and interesting features I did like. I decided to try again and SURE AM GLAD I DID.

It took a good 6 months in my studio before I left the house with it. I still had reservations, but after my first live performance, I came home and sold the 900 the next day.

Now in my 2nd year, I continue to be amazed with this wonderful board. There are so many hidden features that shine in live play.

From what I've heard from you, I wouldn't give up on it just yet