IMHO, you're spending to much time and energy overthinking this. Look
at what you wrote below...
--- In AN1x-list@egroups.com, "Daniel G." <dang@e...> wrote:
> Programming is neat and all, but I'd like to get to making music
> already.
>
> -dan
You definitely sound like a candidate for dedicated hardware
components. Check out the very cool new Yamaha AW4416 http://
www.aw4416.com Add a RM1x to your MU100/PLG150-AN combo and you're off
& running (so to speak.) This assumes you've the funds to do this of
course...the only potential downside IMO is that all your sounds will
be Yamaha in origin, i.e., maybe not enough variety for your tastes?
The most user friendly, reliabe (from a timing standpoint) hardware
sequence I ever used was an Alesis MMT8. These can be had dirt cheap on
the 2nd hand market, i.e., < $150 - you could even dump the memory
contents to any SysEx capable device of your choosing. Maybe grab a 2nd
hand ADAT for less than $1000 and a cheap mixer (or submixer for that
mattter) to rond things out.
There are other sequencer models from Roland and Kawai - and MOST the
big names (Korg, Akai, etc.) have portable HD recorders on the market
(at different price points.) I don't think it would take too much time
and effort for you to find a combo that meets your current needs. You
can cost justify the expense by defering any upgrades to your PC that
you had in mind. Of course, then you are locked into that hardware
purchase for awhile while new software and audio cards are brough to
market...it's a trade off in one way or another...
Good luck,
Jon