Off-topic @tinytempo- What’s your gaming company? It sounds like just the type of company I like to support. I’m very much in favor of your approach to beta vs. full release. It seems you may have found the middle path that works best for everyone. Kudos for that, seriously.
On-topic- I love the Digitakt, but even from the first NAMM video I got this vibe like “We MUST get it out immediately,” but I never understood why there has been such a hurry. It feels almost like a reality show where there is always an imposed deadline to make the show more exciting. Why was it so important that the Digitakt get released so soon? Who was served by this decision?
I think when all the dust settles, everyone will be very happy with the Digitakt as a finished product. I think the main cause for debate/concern is that it was sold before being anywhere near a finished product.
I’m in the position of never having to think about the cost of things (I do anyway), but back when I had very little money, I would have been forced to return both the Digitakt and MPC Live until they were finished. As it stands, I’m happy enough to learn the workflow while the two companies iron things out. I won’t be doing it again, though. In the future I will wait until a product is at least 95% functional before buying. I’m not into buying gear very often, so I like to buy the right gear and then keep it for a decade or so before thinking about an upgrade. Now I’m in the position of having to wait several months to know whether keeping the MPC Live and Digitakt were wise or unwise choices. All signs are good, but there is still a risk.