Sure, you can do that. Of course. I do some similar things with long samples, long breakbeats. Vocals. etc.
The biggest limitation there is where some people like to work with stems. All stems. Every sample is a long sample.
That kind of workflow will kill the device memory, no question, but if you’re using some vocals here or breaks there, a little sprinkled around into all of your tracks, then there’s plenty of room for that.
I don’t have an issue with sample memory on DT1 but for me, it’s because I don’t load too many more samples than what I need into a project.
I do like having some options, but I’m more likely to take a kick that sounds sort of like what I want and then shape the sound into what I actually want. If a person listens to 30 or 100 kick drum samples and picks the one that they like, of course that will take up more memory and that’s also ok to do but it’s just one additional consideration into whether it’s the correct device for that person.
There is no rule that says “only use the tools this one way” but you start to find that when you use a tool in a way which is a little different than it was designed, you start to find limitations - your experience with TR8S is like this. Very strong tool for what it’s good at, but not so good as a sampler / sample player.
Digitakt is a drum machine and a sampler but in my honest opinion, samples you move over from the computer sound good but ones you record direct into the machine do not always sound good and there is also a limit on how long you can live sample into the machine, but you can move a 5 minute sample over from the computer onto a digitakt if you have room in the memory for it so there is no limitation beyond your own preferred workflow.
For me, the best sampling experience is MPC. Sounds good. Good chopping facilities. Easy to do and lots of storage.
Is MPC inspiring for creativity? Not always. Feels kind of like washing your hands wearing gloves. Not always accomplishing what you’re trying to do or accomplishing it but feeling detached from the act. Elektron gear feels like washing your hands with sandpaper. You’re really touching the material, and you can feel everything you’re doing as you commit the act.
The biggest trade off with elektron gear is when you want to work with a timeline, a long linear path, and seeing the whole song as one piece is not always easy. It takes a lot of remembering where you wanted to go and going in that direction.
If I make something which is mostly contained in the one pattern and really uses the 8 tracks on digitakt, it always works fine. The biggest limitation is when your ideas are bigger than a device, to when the wrong workflow slows you down and you lose the idea and then the idea is gone, and you feel frustrated. That is the limitation most people hate of any device is losing their idea.
It sounds like you compose well with elektron machines, and I think if you don’t feel limited by cycles, only that you would like more sampling, then yes to me it sounds like digitakt is a good choice for you but only you will know for sure.