so i've been thinking about upgrading from my 404 for some time now, and i might pick up a 555...there's one i'm eyeing selling for $400, and i think with the extra features it has (dedicated roll button, pattern copy, loop capture, the ability to assign multiple effects to pads) it's worth it..

BUT

today i run across somebody selling an mv 8000 for $650...

i basically love the 404 for the workflow and ease of use, seems like the 555 is the next logical step...i am a SLOW LEARNER, and know the 404, so that's another selling point for the 555...

i guess i'm asking what's the learning curve for the mv? should i pick up the mv or the 555? seems like the MV has everything, but i kinda like the more hands-on less menu driven, live-performance oriented 404/555...any advice is appreciated...

or should i just stay with the 404 and deal with the workarounds/limitations?

ONE!

I have a mv and cant stand it. The learning curve is steep, this is coming from a guy who has rocked everything from electribes, sp303, to mpc. My mv is collecting dust. The workflow is very slow compared to the sp's.

word. thanks man. i'll probably go with the 555...ease of use is very important to me

Just for the record, the 555 can't assign multiple effects to a single pad as you mentioned in your post. The 555 can have one active effect on at a time which can be assigned to any of the pads and/or inputs. The only exception to this I can think of is the D-beam filter which effects the entire output and can be used in addition to any effects assigned to pads. Just so ya know!

That being said, I have a 555 and a 303 and would definitely say go with the 555 (vs the MV) if you like the work flow of the 404. I would mention that memory limit (2G cf) on the 555 is kind of a bummer, but it's never presented too much of a challenge for me personally.