I’ve got to echo a lot of what’s been said recently in this thread about fatherhood and music making. At the stage I’m in now (one toddler and another on the way), I have limited time and space to be making music. Not only that, what I use needs to have some level of durability to standup to a child getting hold of it (or playing along with me).
With that said, the OP-1 I had was too fragile (and limited) for my liking, both in the sounds it produced and in the workflow. While the DT had a more reliable workflow, the many restrictions on sampling and having to work within the bounds of the step sequencers felt too constraining. In comes the SP-404SX to supplement and I found it to be a more fun and immediate sampler. However, the boneheaded restrictions and limitations on it made for quick and enjoyable but very sloppy tunes. By the end I had songs I enjoyed making but had very annoying timing issues baked in.
As others have stated, the MPC Live was the solution to it all and I’ve been able to make whatever music I want, without limitation, and can refine it to the degree I choose. However, I still find myself using the SP more for spur of the moment playing. It’s also prime for travel, being rugged and small. In all honesty, the MPC can be frustrating at times too. So many different pages and settings that if I’m not careful, I can spend too much time trouble shooting than playing music.
This SP-404MK2 looks to solve all the gripes I have with the SX and I anticipate it becoming my go to instrument over the MPC.