I know this is probably subjective rubbish, but I always felt the Digitakt did something to make drum samples sound crisp and punchy. I don’t know what it is, but I noticed it when I first used one, even more so when I moved to the Rytm.
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Some of my favorite punchy percussion comes from my experience in the land of modular synthesis. The Crater module from WMD and the Queen of Pentacles by endorphin.es drum voice can both smack pretty hard with some tweaking. QoP has a built in effects processor and even with slight adjustments on the compressor effect you can achieve some extreme punch. Hatz is another module that can be pretty punchy (I guess its more poppy or snappy since its a hi hat module) and has a ton of CV control to keep it interesting.
I have found that my modular rig is a really great source for harvesting samples, everything from standard kicks and whatnot to really really really weird sounds.
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As an hobbyst my experience is quite limited, I never tried different gear into loud PA systems in live situations, so… truly don’t know how drum machines perform in a ‘real life’ environment. Said that, in my home dimension I’m anyway getting some ideas about the topic. My drum machines have been an old Volca Beats, the almyghty A4, a very good DT and my trusty analog modular system. The most punchy beats come surely from A4 and the modular. In my opinion noise and sine waves+filters+envelopes are much punchier than anything else.
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yeah I really like the old sample-based machines too. they’re also great for productivity when you have the actual machine; the sound either works or it doesn’t. you don’t spend an hour tweaking the filter cut off of a hi-hat.
BUT I will say those types of samples are also my most frequently used ones in the AR, where you CAN tweak them (but only so much!). the machines you posted but also Oberheim DX/DMX, TR-707, LinnDrum, etc. getting them into a machine with Elektron sequencing, plus an analog filter, distortion, a lo-fi/downsampling cut and a compressor is amazing.
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Gearlust is real.
I’m 150% confidant that either my TR-8s or my MD can serve all of my rhythmic needs and more. But I’m still going to buy a LXR-02 and probably lots of other fun drum machines. Because more machines are MORE FUN.
But from a sound design perspective, TR-8s and MD even without the X firmware are more powerful than I can fully exploit.
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Same feeling and it’s actually a good one!
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you can’t have TOO MANY drum machines… it’s nonsense… there’s no such a thing!
So will check Modor in the store tomorrow
But LXRs… I think I’ll find the place for it as well : )
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Agree with Sequential Circuits Drumtraks. I used to record/gig with one in high school. I’ve never heard a sample of it that sounded as good as the outputs straight from the machine. I just got a Tempest and its super awesome in every way but it is not punchy in the way the Drumtraks was. Drumtraks are overpriced now IMHO. Probably better to figure out what kind of circuitry gave it that sound. Back when I had mine I got the PCM samples off the EPROM chips and uploaded them to this site: EPROM Images
So you can download the actual wav files there that are used in the machine. Unfortunately, if you drop those into a modern sampler it won’t sound exactly the same. There must be some filtering or compression or funky amplifiers or something in the original machine that gave it the tone.
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I also have a 12-bit sampler the Roland S-330 which doesn’t do particularly well for drums. So I’m not sure why old Akai / E-MU / Sequential digital stuff sounds so good for percussion.
Any drum machine will sound punchy. Its how you mix it that counts.
If you slam all the faders up on the TR8-S then yeah… no punch. Same as hitting all the drums on a kit at the same velocity.
Basic dynamics. If everything is loud, nothing is loud.
I had an ESX-1 and EMX-1 those thing punch hard. So does my TR09 and TR8-S.
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…yup, put the modor to the test…but bring ur own headphones to the challenge…
and hear for urself…my ears keep telling me, this digital uberexpensive stompin storm trooper from belgium has no soul at all…has shamelessly rare and narrow swetspots to dial in which then only suit perfect for hardcore brutal tekkkno…
if that’s ur only thing and u got the money, ur all good to go…
the other digital drumbox u got in mind, eric replica of sonic potions lrx, well…this damned thing sounds exacly like it’s original, of course…and that sonic potions original i had in use already on big soundsystems and i can clearly state, almost no place where it does not offer another next sweet spot right away in superversatile fashoin and all sounds raw, punchy but at the same time like already perfectly mixed and treated, right out of the box…guaranteed!
and that’s a third of the belgium pricetag…while fives times smaller in footprint and weight…
can do smooth groove along AND hardcore nagging, while always smoothly and convincing pumpin’…
but compare for urself…
in truu analog, nothing beats the pulsar23…and even that one is still a little cheaper than that digital monster from belgium…and u can get it also in white…if that’s causing ur belgium crush u seem to have… 
and i can only repeat myself…cause many people still don’t know…if u know what ur doing, the a4 can reward u big time with drum and percussive sounds like no other synth out there…and can also groove like not many others…
if u dedicate this. machine to be ur rhythmgroup only, u combine best of both worlds…digital control and truu analog flavour…
end of the day, fast envelopes do all the trick…and punch can always be created with no matter what, if u got ur individul dynamics right and got some further outputtreatment in use…
if it has to work for live on stage and straight out of the naked box…the lxr2 will do all the trick…
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Volca Kick.
And if you sample that into the Digitakt, it might even be too punchy for Mike Tyson.
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I’m finding the LXR-02 to be punch in the kidney or liver punchy. 
Aside from natural punch from the synthesis, you can mix in transient samples that really add some punch/kick.
The RD-8 is also great! For the money there’s nothing else better. Pipe some of the outs to outboard effects to give it less 808y feel if that’s not your thing.
The Rytm and Digitakt can go anywhere too. As punchy as you can imagine.
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I owned a TR8s briefly and it did sound super punchy to my ears. More so than the Rytm out of the box. I‘m sure you can get the rytm sound very punchy with the right settings though
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You need good samples.
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I love my Rytm and can get it to punch pretty dang hard when properly staging the various levels and amp/env settings, but thinking back to past drum machines I’d have to say that the Volca Sample has a surprising amount of punch to it. Maybe its that 31.25 khz sample rate that does it…I don’t know, but definitely worth the price of entry.
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yes, volca sample is a secret weapon 
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bingo 
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What’s the problem with adding FX to a drum machine to make it sound the way you it to.
In my experience, the Rytm sounds pretty weak on its own, but when I add things like distortion, eq, etc - it’s a beast
Same with the 8s.
A 303 by itself is pretty weak. But ran through a nice (or not so nice) distortion box it’s second to none in sound quality.
FX are a part of the sound design in my opinion.
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I can only give my opinion on samplers, because I know very little about drum machines.
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The older mpc’s have a special kind of punch on the drums: 60 - warm and full, 3000 - snappy and warm/hifi, 2000(xl) - punchy, very midrange heavy.
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The sp1200 ( and the isla s2400 clone) are famous for knocking raw drums, which are never hifi and subtle, but always punch you in the gut.
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The Digitakt and AR have a similar sample engine but sound very different. DT has a high end punch which gives everything sort of a clean, hifi snappyness. The AR sounds very warm, weighty, organic and more like a cross between an mpc and sp1200. Both fit certain types of music. I like the AR for boombap a lot.
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