+1 for shortcirtcuit V1. (Don't bother with V2, I think it was abandoned mid dev) - V1 is a ver poewrful multi layered sampler that has worked well for me - I wish I had it's equivalent in a hardware device! As for samples, there's lots free out there, takes some digging but be aware of royalty / licensing issues when using other peoples samples (especially if you're taking them from songs) - can be a nightmare if you want to release your music! Sid.