I did a setup recently where the Machinedrum UW was almost being anything but a drum machine. Using its multiple outputs and GND-IMP and GND-SIN machines, I was sending triggers and little sine waves to Eurorack drum synthesizer module. I was using a lot of LFOs on the Machinedrum to add some variety to those triggers. The Machinedrum then took that Eurorack module as input and added LFO modulated gating and reverb to the sound. It was also live sampling that external input and glitching it up. I even expanded it to then send MIDI clock to a semi-generative MIDI sequencer (the Future Retro Zillion) which was sequencing a monosynth (Korg Monologue or Volca Bass, Roland A-01, etc) and taking the audio from the monosynth, filtering it, live sampling of it, etc.
So basically I had a west-coast free-form / semi-generative sound system that was sprouting from and back through the Machinedrum, using its multiple outputs, various Input machines (it’s got a really good filter for external input, I think), live re-sampling, etc, and using the MD as the mixer too. The lineage from the MachinedrumUW to the Octatrack became very obvious as I put this little setup together.
A bit of an extreme example, but something that demonstrates the depth of the Machinedrum. I don’t think the Digitakt compares. On the other hand, I think the Digitakt is much more direct and straightforward and has many new sequencer tricks that the old MD does not.
But the MD basically gives you 16 tracks you can do absolutely anything with. 16 midi sequencing channels if you want. 16 kick drums if you want. 16 combinations of just samplers and playback. 16 combinations of sampling, playback, synthesizing, external input processing, effects, controls. It’s awesome.