SH-201 isn't a bad little v-synth..It's perfect for people just starting out who want to learn how synthesis works. Great interface, lots of knobs and lights ^.^ However, I am finding I am outgrowing it rather quickly. As I play with it in a band, I am pushing everything to the limit, and unfortunately theres only so much I can make my machine do. I was interested in saving for a nice'ish workstation (I was thinking a Yamaha MO8) but then I also got looking into samplers (after much inspiration from the slipknot show 2 weeks ago).. I was looking at a Roland sp-555 which is nice, but seems a little expensive, so I'm looking at purchasing an SP-404, which still seems like a half decent sampler , and its 1/3 the price of the 555... But I'm just not sure if I should go with a sampler or a workstation... Granted the workstation will cost me about 10x (literally) as much. My step-father also says that the workstation will be able to function well as a sampler, but I'm not sure... Can anyone give some insight into the sampler capabilities of a decent workstation compared to a standalone sampler?