Well, I acctualy dissagree. Id much rather go for a software solution, because you can do very little with it, and it dont sound any better then software, so no need for the hardware and cables. The Drumstation is a VA and not particularly good at it. If you want real analoge 808/909 rather take a listen to Airbass from Jomox. This is the real version of the drumstation, that is built on the same components as the original TRs, and even extends the sounds in some aspects. Muuuch more "OMPH"

You can pic up an airbase probably cheep now. I did. I will also wholehartly recomend the Machine Drum, its a monster! The most modern, versatile and punchy electronic drum machine to date. Its VA, but its tighter then any software ive herd! Ive got the Monomachine, its sickly punchy.

Also remember with the RMX that if you like to program your own beats, its not that well suted. It is a very advanced loop-rompler. I know many people dont use it, because the sound you get from it sounds Spectrasonics, and not your own.

You can put your own loops into it, but it takes some work, import to recycle, slice it, export, convert to RMX with SAGE Converter, and then you can load it in the RMX. You have to do all this for every loop. On top of that, if you want to change the spesific loop, you have to do it all again. Its to much hazzle for me, dont have pations.. When I want to write a song, I got to do it right away! Though people work diferently. I had big plans for this with RMX, but in the end im just too lazy.. :P

I got it though & love it! I use it as it is, a percussive loop rompler. But only simple fills like shakes, or congas etc. I think that if you use the whole rythm section from the RMX in your song, it sounds to much like not your own sound. Its got a lovely sound though, dont get me wrong!! Its just that its not your personal sound...

For constructing your own beats with software, I will recomend MicroTonic for programing electronic drum sounds. And battery for building drum sample sets. Also GURU, and BDF for rock stuf.

just my 2 cents..

I use a 128Meg MPC1000 (will upgrade to th 2500) although I'm going to get Groove Agent 2 for inspirational purposes (as opposed to production)

The ESX-1 is the best thing I've found for me. I really like its sound and the interface is excellent; so intuitive. Effectively it's a sampling groove box, so the sounds never get old either. I chose it over an MPC as I really like x0x style interfaces for drums/samples and was planning on using a PC to sequence the Snow. Also, I've found a workaround on the ESX to get a pseudo off-tempo/unquantised sequencing for doing more natural/swung drumming when I do dubstep type tracks. The arpeggiator ribbon is also good fun when using it to control the virus (Virus have missed a trick not including one on the Polar ;)). The only real obstacle to ditching the PC for live work* that I've encountered is the lack of an ability to sequence chords when using it to control the virus. I've found two rather crude workarounds:

1. By "playing" the chords live on the keyboard section; it seems it can transmit the midi signals of multiple keys per part at once, it just can't store this information in the sequencer. Alright for live use (although you can't span different octaves), but not so hot when trying to record parts.

2. By assigning both note/melody parts to the same midi channel, you can play two-note chords (sequencing one note per channel).

Neither of these are much cop when trying to use multi-mode though, as at best you end up with 2 parts, one (sequenced) mono and the other (played live) capable of chords. This isn't unuseable for the way I make music as I tend to have a monophonic bassline and then chords on the lead/pad, so I can use the Snow without a PC. I would, however, buy a new sampling electribe in a flash if it had 2 more note/melody channels (for a total of 4- one for each snow part) and all these parts could at least sequence midi data of chords, even if they couldn't play back samples polyphonically.

*I imagine I'd keep it for studio work for actually designing the patches in Virus Control etc.

usually I just drag and drop drum samples onto cubase audio tracks

for dedicated drums I'll either use drum kits on my S6000, a TR909 or a Vermona DRM1 for the 808 style kicks and odd shit.

My favorite rhythm generation tool is our drummer, Joe and his fusion kit. We're still pretty old school, in that the majority of our recordings are done, real time in the studio. Drum kit, lots of mics and a guy with very fast hands and feet.

Then again, we play jazz.

When I'm doing something that doesn't need to "breathe" as much, and/or I'm working alone (or doing a totaly electronic project), I like Strike by Digidesign. Killer drum sounds and a ton of flexibility with everything from mic placement, to where the drum strikes the head. Also, since it's a Digidesign product, the integration with Protools is totally seamless and glitch free.

After going through various hardware and software drum machines, then currently Im on chopping up loops and sample libraries augment with beating my v-drum kit and handsonic to death :)