everything that I have recorded on my "live rig" I played via the pads or a keyboard. I agree that the step edit on the mpc is a chore, but my midi keyboard gets a hell of a workout now, as opposed to my years of using a mouse. Plus the undo button on the mpc gets worked continuously...if I don't like how a lead line came out, I redo it. If the bpms are too high to record a particular riff, then I slow it down until i've got what I want...(most of the music I make is around 140, but i've been tending toward 135 more lately).
Using a mouse to program midi sequences in logic is ok if that's what your into, but I moved to more hardware for the single purpose, that I wanted to "play" it rather than program it.
Plus the quantize function on my mpc1000 are rock f-king solid. AND I LOVE the swing.
@mux:
your live style and mine on the mpc differ I think mostly due to differences in techno production. I make minimal stuff that rarely has huge builds, breaks or drops. sure I take the kick out and jam my synth to frenzy then drop the kick in again, but I only need fewer than five fingers for this...it's all about what ya like.