I agree...

Potentially, the only problem with the Audya is, if a style has a groove or kicks that no Audya pattern covers (audio pattern, that is), you have to substitute something that starts to take away from the groove.

I do not know if the Audya deals with audio loops by time stretching them, or whether they are sliced into each and every transient, then a MIDI file plays it back (if each 'slice' is given a separate note to trigger it) with a bit of time stretching on the tail of the individual slices for when the loop is played slower than original. Maybe AJ could help me here?

The thing is, IF the Audya uses this last system (this is basically how you do it in ReCycle, which was the software that got the whole loop manipulation thing started back in the mid-90's), if you have access to the sequence that plays back the loop slices, then you CAN reorder kicks and snares, etc, and change the 'swing' value and groove templates around. All it is is basically moving some MIDI notes around.

But if the loop is merely time-stretched into new tempi, you can't do this.

Of course, doing this (if it can be done) also revolves around software that makes it reasonable easy to do, or few will attempt it. But it strikes me as this is the answer to being able to use audio loops, AND still get a fair degree of flexibility from them...