its stuff you dont measure, also if you havent used or worked with a mpc to fullest possibilties its hard to judge what you're missing out on. Its not a machine you buy and say; this is how I'll gonna make beats... It always integrates in the bigger perspective and also the purpose why they made the mpc or else they would've left out the midi ports. If you understand the machine then you know you can go any way, I can think of numerous different setups with h/w or s/w and they're all dope.
Second, dont think all the dope beats where made by an mpc only even if its in the credits of the artist.
The mpd....its a midicontroller, the mpc isnt, a mpd with fl ( or whatever software ) on it is not equivalent to a mpc. not saying there's magic involved but there's just more to it then a sampler, its more of a workethic, tool or your main sequencer.