Short answer:mztk wrote:as a sound generator, the drumstation seems to offer quite a lot, with
kit presets, midi ccs, etc. but will it SATISFY?!!
Yes.
Long answer:
I've owned around a dozen different 909's and none of them sounded the same. I would get one, compare it to the other one I had at the time, and then keep which ever one sounded the best. The 909 I have now is the best 909 out of all them so far but that's not because it's a particularly pristine, fantastic example of what a 909 is supposed to be. In fact, its distorted/saturated sound is exactly what makes it rock the f'ing house, it sounds louder and more compressed than other 909's when putting out the same peak RMS.
All of that is to say that there isn't one single best 808 or 909. Personally, I prefer running Transistor Revolution through URS Saturation to get the above effect but maybe you'll prefer the Drum Station with its built-in distortion. Hell, I'd take a Jomox Mbase any day over the kicks in my 808 and 909.