The size and functionality of the SamplePad 4 make it an incredibly useful and flexible piece of gear. With the SD expansion slot, you can load up all of your own samples ready for gigging. Or, you can just play for fun anywhere without having to be tied to a machine. The maximum capacity for SD card storage is 32GB or 512 samples - plenty of space for a wide range of sounds.
Beyond that, it's the perfect little MIDI controller for home production, whether you're laying down a quick beat or triggering loops in your software. If you're just looking for something to play immediately, there are also 10 preset kits and 25 popular percussion sounds ready to play out of the box.
One issue you may face with regular sample pads is visibility during gigs. With smoke, darkness, and lighting it can be difficult. That's why the Alesis SamplePad comes with blue LED borders around each pad, so you can always see what you're hitting. The top two pads are also raised, making them great to use as cymbals and other percussive effects for their ease of use.
If you're a regular drummer, you might want to use a regular kick pedal or hook up additional trigger pads. This is possible with the SamplePad through the two additional trigger inputs, which both allow you to connect any single or dual-zone trigger pad.
