I use my MPC3000 LE exclusively these days.
Along with a Prophet 2000 & Fatman synth.
Used to also have an SP-1200, Studio 440, Roland W-30, Emu EMAX Rack, Akai S950, Casoi RZ-1, Sequential TOM, plus other random units.
Needless to say, it all came down to my beloved MPC 3000 in the end & I sold off all the other gear.
Far as sound goes, SP-1200 & Studio 440 are my favs.
The 440 while very advanced for it's time & powerful, was just too klunky & buggy to really be my core unit, plus beats are a bit robotic on it & the pads sucked.
As much as it hurt to sell it, I had to... But, I replaced it with a Prophet 2000 (same sampler, sick filters galore, keyboard version, no sequencer).
The SP is a classic & by far the easiest to bang out beats with, but I can do much more with my MPC these days.
I miss mine.
I am seriously considering adding an Elektron MachineDrum (with sampling) to my setup though.
Or, possibly an MPC60ii with the upgrades to make it a 3000.
I want to keep my 3000le in the studio as my recording MPC & use a 12 bit combo for the preproduction.
So a 2nd machine would be nice.
I've never used a MachineDrum/Elektron, wondering how it is to make sample based beats on.
Far as I know, it's a step programmed sequencer only right, no velocity sens pad programming?
Or am I wrong - if I am wrong, then I'll really be tempted.
I'm also a bit skeptical of it sounding more lo-fi than an SP-12/1200, but man that'd be great if it does.
Keep in mind the original Emu EMAX rack units sound very similair if not more grimey than the SP's. That was a cool rack sampler.