What setup should I get? I'm new to all this...

Yo,

I'm looking to start making some serious beats and stuff, I've done some work with FL before. I'm definately going digital, not a standalone MPC unit, and I'd like to have an M-Box so I can record stuff if I need to. My first plan was a basic M-Box type unit and the new MPK49 MIDI Controller, but I'm having second thoughts due to the 3x4 pads on the MPK.

Questions:

Should I instead get an MPD24 and a seperate MIDI keyboard?

Will the MPD24 have all the same functions as a real MPC (cutting up records and sampling and shit)?

What software should I use for beat making?

Also, is USB as fast as FireWire, or will I experience any lag with a USB interface rather than FireWire?

These are the units I was looking at before:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FastTrackPro/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MPK49

I'd like to keep the whole rig around $600, which I could do either way I think.


Thanks for any thoughts you guys can give me!

Peace

the mpd24 is just a midi controller, it has no function at all. it depends on the program you use with it, like fl studio, or reason, or abelton live. i found reason so easy to work with while using the mpd compared to fl studio. Reason has 3 different samplers to choose from. If you dont like Dr Rex you still have the nnxt. when i was messing with midi tho, i had an mpd 24, and an edirol mp30 for the keys.