I did a lot of research for a long time to find something that can do many things, to a very good degree (drum sequencing, zen-core synth for creating your own patches, sampling, etc). If someone is looking to get something between AKAI MPC, Roland SPK, Circuit Rhythm, etc, this is the choice. The MC 101 is equally powerful, it's just smaller and has 4 channels. I loved this product so much that I'm considering getting its smaller siblings from the ARIA series at some point.

Very good machine for anyone who wants to write music without a computer. Excellent sound quality with the ability to create your own or add samples. Literally unlimited capacity for songs and sounds using a memory card. Roland's updates have added many capabilities over time. It is much more user-friendly for someone to create their own sounds or write music compared to a workstation or arranger keyboard.