For adding sounds to the sampler, the S3000XL features a 3.5" floppy drive that reads Akai-formatted floppies, and a SCSI port which allows for connection to an external storage device (such as a zip drive or external hard disk), a CD reader, or a computer for editing samples via the MESA editor.

The front panel consists of 32 buttons (eight of which are function keys), three knobs, and a four-key directional pad for navigating the 240×64 display, which is located in the upper-middle portion of the sampler.

It is one of the most versatile and useful samplers produced, primarily due to the large screen and easy-to-navigate interface allowing for quick and in-depth sample editing.

The S2000 is a stripped down budget version of the S3000XL featuring a smaller 2×16 character LCD display and no internal SCSI connector; it was usually sold with no options installed.

Regardless, it is functionally similar and accepts the S3000XL options listed below (sans internal hard disk), including the IB-208P 8-channel output board, which is exclusive to the S2000.