>just recently, i lost my 1080 (well, i had to give it back..it
>wasn't mine)

sorry to hear that.. great module.

>controller keyboard?
im not bg on midi control, not that i dislike it just dont use it for anything then to play. that said my yamaha cbx-k2 works just fine, thuogh the best keybed was my xp-80. my triton felt like a toy.

>easier to program? hw or sw?

software, by a mile, though when i had my motif es rack the editor sets it up like a vst and that was by far the easiest editing- and the deepest overall editing for a rompler type machine-that i have ever suied, sfotware or hardware.

>better sounds? hw or sw?

this depends... what sounds, and which module? i have collossus. the piano and rhodes alone murk any you will find in a hardware module. its organs are limited in number but very high in quality. strings, eh... the fantom x excels there. motif has amazing flutes. triton has some great pad sounds. vapor and atmosphere have some amazing synths as well, though limited programability.

the massive amount of wav data available on a software format (usually) makes for much better quality for "organic" type sounds.
the Big Three products-motif, triton, fantom, and their siblings shine with their effects sections, which vst instruments havent really matched. sampletank and sonik synth 2, whihc i have also owned, have the same effects programs and they arent anywhere near as awesome as my motif es was; the fantom line has some great ones as well. i am not all that fond of the tritons effects section. you can build a decent effects through things like waves, but you really need products like Guitar Rig to begin to get the kind of processing power you find in these hardware modules...

>best bass module? hw or sw?

all i know is that Trilogy is awesome, and beats any bass i have heard in the many keyabords and modules ive owned.


that said, my prefference is a hybrid of both, since everything offers something different in terms of strength and weakness.

the proteus amnd tr rack had sounds that were more "interesting" though the proteus had some DOPE organs and bass while the tr shined (as usual with korg) with synth sounds and its synth engine. the proteus had the easiest effects to prgram with its knob setup...

plus vst's have automation options which are very helpful and when aptly applied can stimulate some great ideas..

anyhow, thats my long winded 2 cents...