You could do this with most any external midi module/synth/drum machine.  The nice thing about harware is that you don't have to worry about it not working with the latest OS or not being patched by the manufacturer or having to buy an upgrade license every flipping year. 

In this video, I hook up the Alesis Micron to Ableton Live and control it with the MicronAU plugin.  I also drop some stuff and make alot of mistakes, so you should enjoy it.