Slugbaby
bitflipper
What's the advantage? Is it a time-saver, a creative launchpad, or is it that the sequences are cleverer than what you could play or program yourself?
I'll usually program kick and important snares myself, but steal hi-hats and snare ghost notes from a canned sequence. Good pre-made clips will have a human feel that I can't match.
Agree with everyone else Dave. All the questions you ask it delivers on.
Certain songs I will do myself from scratch. But in the last two to three years (ever since EZD2 came out) I will start with a canned midi sequence.
The way that EZD2
AND AD2 are made, you can turn that canned midi into something totally different. Or better yet, drag your own made up canned drum patterns into it and make it into something else! Really can't loose. : )