Its preference imo. You can buy a half-decent piece of gear here for $500 and another there for $500...or you could just invest in a solid unit for $1000. Your bank acct eventually absorbs the cost - and what you're left with is a quality piece of hardware. I already made mistakes buying intermediary shit that I ended up getting frustrated with - dealing with workarounds, and cutting corners. If i spent more up front in the beginning, I wouldn't be upgrading - and therefore spending more $$$ than I planned on. And I think Unique wants to be at least semi-pro, unless i'm thinkin of someone else...