there is charm in the marginality, I’m sure some people are attracted
and there are still people to think with their ears and not their eyes
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yeah of course there is! Just throwing some of my own thoughts to the point you made about live shows and the gear used on stage
Also one thing regarding the grooveboxes of old. The were all digital affairs. All digital hardware is only now starting to make a significant resurgence in the mainstream EM instrument section. ITB and software solutions are still very much dominating in this area, and rightfully so as R&Ding software is a PITA and very resource intensive, even moreso if you are developing for “exotic” hardware (as in, not Mac/Win/linux/android/iOS)
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plenty of them available, as low as 300€… get your baby back 
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I think it’s partly because synths are so much cheaper tbh. People more often just get a sequencer and then choose what they want for drum machine/bass/lead, rather than buy the package maybe?
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Well currently I see 3 for sale on feebay (Europe) and they are all above £600.
However, the main issue I had with the 909 is sheer size, it will not fit above my keyboard so had to be on a side table which did not suit my workflow.
Also, I bought a mint one for 500€ ten years ago…
However, at this point one must be prepared to replace a few parts.
I think electronic instrument design has become more about usability and sound quality as opposed to providing every feature every potential user might someday want.
I would argue that this modern, stripped-down approach broadens the maket (think Octatrack vs Digitakt sales and demographic) and makes music making faster/more enjoyable (fiddling with 16 LFOs vs actually composing music). I will always choose a good sounding instrument, with an inspiring/quick interface, no matter how many LFO’s it may lack.
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I have some experience with “all-in-one” gear and TBH I rarly use it this way. I pick, where the box excels and, well … many options aren’t used often.
There are boxes, which “have-it-all”, but either they are excellent at all levels and really expensive, or they are affordable but give us often acceptable but not top level quality or features. All-in-one solutions often have a “hard-wired-configuration”, which is limiting after some time of getting used to it. Or the UI is too complex or “general” to have fun.
Single purpose gear has often been much more flexible in practical use. Well, there is more to put on the desk and to connect with cables, but since I don’t travel with this gear, it’s not a problem for me. At the end - if I’m honest again - I didn’t save money buying excellent single purpose gear, but I have much more options and more creative ways of utilization.
Maybe I have just played too much with LEGO as a child to appreciate having an one-box-to-rule-them-all 
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Poom tchack
tsiii Market 
Hi @SoundRider. I understand what you’re saying and it makes sense to me, but in this regard it is mainly about space and cost for me. I simply don’t have the money to buy numerous devices and I have limited space in which to put my music gear.
I also think that too many options are bad for me. I have loads of software and this never really inspires me now. It is only a casual hobby for me and I need to sit down, switch on something relatively simple and focused, play around for an hour or two, then switch off.
I guess this is an important difference - I am not likely to ever spend a a lot of money or dedicate a lot of time. I’m very busy already.
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Yes that make me think to [audio + midi + fx] in the chain context also… Routing is always limited in All-in-one solutions. So in this ERA of music-techniques fusion there’s things we want to keep that way in OTB (hardware) probably and things you will ever make ITB (computer/tablet based)
That’s a lot of downside commercially to build All-in-one solutions today. Without mentioning you can perfectly make your All-in-one solutions in a case with modular modules… so…
Also as people use pretty much sample and loops, All-in-one solutions based on audio / sample / drummachine like the DJ808, Akai MPC, TORAIZ SP16 or DJS-1000… is covered i guess
I think the results is from a marketing study if nothing comes that way, i mean
all-in-one solutions…
It does seem to be a toss up between features vs sound quality.
The deluge as a modern example tries to cover as many bases as possible, which is great. but it has zero character sound wise imo. the fx and internal synthesis are bland and generic. I’d call em entry level. So for me its just a very good sequencer n a sampler (with world class software updates).
Then you have something like the digitone (for example). Limited in comparison feature wise but exudes character in its sound. The distortion is warm n musical and the reverb is great.
Not that they are really fit for direct comparison really but theyre both grooveboxes innit.
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An OP1 + iPad (or Digitone) would be pretty much what you need. (and computer to prepare stuff eventually)
An OP1 is a groovebox all-in-one-solution (not easy to mix parts i agree and not 8 parts… as groovebox)
To get out from the boring computer
It’s a good idea to revive the groovebox market !
Thanks to you I dream of a solid Boxwhere are mixing analog ,modular and digital circuit !
How much are you planning to spend? You mentioned the MC-909 which was $1795 when it launched back in 2002 which is $2500 in today’s money.
$2500 will buy you a hell of a lot of cool gear…
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This is god level my friend 
AtBegining See small and groovebox idea for him
I have been in your situation. My solution was … a workstation … an all-in-one music creation machine … synth … sampler … sequencer … mixer … mini-studio with fx etc, but only one keyboard in our living room. It was the best solution for me … back then … but after having more space, it became a real studio …
As @pidgeo pointed out, at the end it’s the decision between featrues and sound quality or the personal character of sound we are able to produce. I would always go for sound quality and sound character first and put features on my wish list, until I have saved up some money to do the next step.
What about a MPC? Get a 2nd-hand 5k and you have a synth engine too. Think about, which sounds you want to use in the first place. What is most important for the genre you are planning writing for. Is it more sampling or synth based? If you review then all the machines on your list, the one or other may peak it’s head up and call “me … me… take me.”
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yea me too. Defo. sound and UI are paramount imo.
(for my personal situation)
You have carefully pointed out that a judgment on the mark or on the ears
Thanks to the machine tutorial /produced by caring people
it is possible to buy a machine, test it for 40 days and send it back by the after sales service !
Which one ?