i love the spaced out melodic airy lofi vibe on this tape.. the tracks really fit together, and there's a lot of nice harsh EQ happening on the drums that works really well. serious vibes!
i'm on vacation too... i was gonna bring the 404 + batteries to make beats on the beach but didn't because of packing space!!! now i sit on the beach and think about how i could be sampling the waves with the internal mic :(
at least try it like this: resample just the hihat part over your sample, then resample that pad and add a snare part, then resample that and add the kick part!
individual overdubs give you a funky groove, just practice!!!
Echo Audiofire 4 (or Audiofire 2 if you only need stereo in and out.)
Echo is an awesome company with great support, and the sound quality is amazing for the price. Only have experience using on mac, but I think the windows drivers are good too.
if you're concerned about unplugging/replugging you could also look into a patchbay. the top row is outputs, bottom is inputs. you keep your gear plugged into the back of it, and by default whatever's on the top is automatically connected to what's on the bottom without you having to plug anything ...
I'm all about the tape delay (MFX 2) for transitions - put it on the first pad you're transitioning out of, turn up the feedback, first pad ends, feedback's still going and you can mess with the pitch with the 1st effect knob. Hit the new pad and you can use the wet/dry on 3rd effect knob to fade ...