Just another aside about gigging with my Akai Rack mounted S-5000 Sampler; it also allows you to do a live music gig or a theatrical sound-effects/music gig with a highly organized (smf) midifile song playlist...just take the unit...don't even have to take one of your keyboards or computer/keyboards to the gig. So, samplers may still be the way to prepare for long gigs and long songlists with specialized patches....in this case, special samples, for midi-instrument changes.
Anyway, Akai has some much newer sampling equipment that utililize all the advantages of hardware sampling and midi control.
A link that might be of interest in this approach to hardware sampling/control equipment is Akaipro.com or the Akai Pro Recording
music forum, an un-official Akai Users site: You have to register:
http://akaipro5k6kuser.proboards.com/index.cgi


Yamaha...Motif ES-8, Motif Rack, CS6X
Korg...Karma,Triton Classic, PA-80, M-1+
AkaiSampler-S5000, Roland.. X5080 Rack/G-1000 Arranger
Various Guitars/Basses Amps Pedals Rec.Equip.


Plus, BIAB 2015 and Sonar Platinum 2015 Upgrade from Cakewalk's Sonar X-3