Oren,
Yes-in part,Alchemy is still being used in my tunes.
However though,Alchemy specializes in pads,morphed samples & various synth structures for the most part.
I don't think there much in the way of straight forward sampling in the natural sense(at least with the Alchemy Player version,anyhow).
The last few songs I have done,is a convergence of Alchemy,Reason 4,Native Instruments and the VST's that are included in my Presonus DAW.
Out of all the software I have,Reason 4 has proven to be the largest & most impressive value,it terms of bang for the buck.That being said,I strongly recommend that anyone who is on a budget and wants to expand beyond a Linus system,one should invest in Reason 4...especially since it is now only $300.
Of course,if one wants to remain within the confines of their budget,I would suggest that they get an inexpensive Windows-based laptop,in order to run the Reason software,as it is one of the best investments you'll ever make!
Thanks for your comments,
-Thom