Well, ... the loop station, so I can lay down tracks live has pluses and minuses. The money in the case leads me to say the pluses outweigh the minuses. Here it is for ye buskers out there. Even with the instruments around me, folks who come on the act once tracks are laid down, don't get that the background is live, however, if you have gathered a wee audience, and they see the tune built before them, pipes, then bodhran, than whistle, guitar, etc., they get very into it. Also, the addition of the mic stand with two booms removes you a wee bit from the passerby's. But, as I said, there has been an increase of CD sales and bills dropped in, so the above being said, it is an experiment that has already paid for itself.
Also, I played at a birthday party for George Harrison, the IRA volunteer from the 1930s Mayo brigade, at which there was also a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, great party, and the folks were very impressed with the whole band sound, full without being loud. In door gigs, it works VERY well, as folks can see the process and understand where the sound comes from. I also have been coming up with new combinations of laying down tracks and quarter tracks and such, and I find that one is much more experimentative with harmonies on these live tracks, a fellow who plays eastern European Roma music said the same thing to me the other day, so final word, I am happy with the clone band.