Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

OK I use an RS7000 + an Emu MP-7 .
Yammie DAW, Micro Q ,MS2000R ,Elevata ,ER-1 ,K4R + K5R etc etc ...
All rack gear bar the Micro Q is driven of the MP-7 also .
So I'm probably in a good position to answer this one.
Both unit's are operationally quite different - I used to use an RM 
but upgraded to the RS which has far superior XOX modes etc than the 
RM.
IN use the sequencers do operate in radically different ways.
The screen size really isn't much of a hinderence either.
It takes a while to get used to a new method of sequencer operation 
but the sequencer can definately cut the mustard in an MP/XL/PX -7.
Things I still like on the RS/Yam sequencer is phrase/pattern style 
relationship and the fact that any track and any phrase can be any 
length from 1 bar to 256 bars at any time sig + the midi delays + 
play effects. The step sequencer is truly the shit bomb in the RS7K 
also .
That said the Emu's have some damn funky shuffle ,quantise and post 
sequencer note shifting functions.
XOX on the EMU is FAR superior to the RM1X (more on par with the 
RS7000 though).
The layout is fairly logical and easy to navigate.
The arps are absolute killer as are the triggers and midi routing 
options - the reverbs absolutely poo all over Yamaha's.
The synth engine is the dog's proverbials :P .
I use the MP-7 for all the back bone pattern seq work and the RS 
syncronised in linear song mode using samples only (with the odd 
internal voicing).
If you're doing straight dance stuff I don't feel you'd miss the RM1X 
all that much myself. I still prefer the Yammie for more IDM styled 
rythmic workouts simply because the XOX goes from 1/8 + triplets to 
1/128 + triplet divisions which give a lot of scope.
Although the EMU has a dead cool MPC style note repeat function per 
step which pretty much negates this and programming velocity etc per 
step is far more intuitive on the EMU.
The Emu's swing feels far more natural almost MPC like and can sound 
dead lazy in a funky kind of way .
The sequencer oddly enough also sounds less robotic and hard 
quantised than the RM (which is a good thing IMHO) ,it also holds 
it's own better in down beat and slow tempo compositions.
That said I could quite easily have gone from an RM to an Emu Command 
Station and skipped the RS7K altogther and still been perfectly happy 
with my purchase.
To me the EMU feels half way between an MPC2000XL and an RS7K/RM1X.
Which is pretty good territory to be in.
The design team have worked the OS2.0 out extremely well and the 
interface is exceptional intuitive (deceptively so considering the 
screen size).
What you will love is the non stop work flow , from step to realtime 
to replace to grid ,to overdub record to voice tweeks etc etc etc all 
this can be done without hitting STOP once (not an RM1X luxury) and 
can help you capture inspiration when it strikes you fast.
This is the BIG feather in the EMU cap to me.
The fluid workflow is spot on the money once you've sussed the 
machine layout and takes little more than a day or two to feel 
comfortable with.
Hope that helps you some.
Look at it his way if I could get an E6400 Ultra + RFX board I could 
happily live without the RS7000 and that in itself is saying a hell 
of a lot !!!!!!!!