I agree whole-heartedly with everything that's been said so far, and all of the suggestions have been feasible.
I would just like to add that you need to take a step back and determine what exactly it is that need and if you plan to expand later on. I know that you want something that is expandable, which is the problem that I've always found with the Roland modules. I'm a huge fan of samplers (both hardware and software) for this reason. Some drum modules (including the Alesis DM Pro and, I THINK some of the later, high-end Roland modules) offer basic sampling capabilities, but you typically have to do some sort of work-around. With the DM Pro, for example (which, IMO is the best module for the price) you have to use their proprietary Sound Bridge software to convert samples on your computer to a different format, then burn them to a blank sim card that can be read by the DM Pro. Also, memory is extremely limited on these cards, I believe they can hold about 8 megs. Roland has broken this type of formula with the Spd-S, of course offering a 1/4" jack so you can record sounds directly into the unit itself.
If you just want to record your own sounds and use VERY basic editing functions, then this route would be great. If you plan to get a little more "under the hood" with your sample editing and if you would like to use a lot of third party samples, it would really make sense to use a sampler.
The great thing about hardware samplers is that they a nearly infinitely stable. I've used a Yamaha A-4000 for years and I've never had it crash. The downside about samplers is that they can be a beast to program. Most of them have a tiny, low-resolution LCD screen (think old-school Game-Boy) and they have a ton of knobs and buttons. Not to mention the fact that you have to find a way to stay at eye level with a large piece of machinery for long editing sessions. I think that Akai have really outdone themselves with the S-6000, which includes a higher resolution screen (but still two-tone LCD) and, the true stroke of genius, a detachable editing screen. Brilliant. While technically obsolete, many people still use the Akai samplers, so prices on ebay routinely reach $600 dollars or more for the S6000. Another drawback of hardware samplers is that they tend to use outdated technology, such as SCSI and 3.5" floppy drives and the memory is usually limited; the S6000, for instance, is expandable to only 256 megs of RAM. Some of the later produced samplers are capable of using CD-ROMs and Zip drives.
The other route that you may want to look at (and my weapon of choice) is computer sampling. With computer sampling, you have a large, hi resolution, full color screen, vast amounts of memory and storage, a keyboard and mouse for editing, your choice of how many inputs/outputs you have (depending on the type of audio/MIDI interface you choose to use), etc, etc...
I've had great luck playing live with my TrapKAT and DrumKAT palying through my PC running Native Instruments Battery. You can get a copy of Battery 3 for $200 and a decent audio interface (which is a WHOLE other topic) for anywhere from $100-$300 or more, if you want to spend that much. Battery 3 ships with a massive sample library including over 100 professional quality kits in a variety of different styles. It also includes enough editing functions to keep you busy for quite a while, and is easy enough to use that any beginner can jump right in.
Of course, the downside to using a computer is that is isn't as stable as a hardware sampler. I've gigged quite a bit (twice a week for about three years at my old church gig) using a computer set up, and I've only had it crash once. (The culprit was a 3d accelerated video card that I REALLY should've had disabled
).
At any rate, that should be enough to digest...just be sure to do your research. Try to find the solution that's right for you and a piece of equipment that isn't over your head, but something that you can still grow into and possible expand for a few years.
Good luck!!
