The size and functionality of the SamplePad Pro 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 percussion 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 200 popular drum and percussion sounds ready to play right 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 and hi-hat controller. This is possible with the SamplePad using the kick and hi-hat switch/trigger inputs. There are also an additional two trigger inputs on top of that, one single zone and one dual zone, allowing you to set up a super portable e-drum kit.