Yes and no. Especially if you plan on using more sample cd-roms in the future, it is a must-have. However, there is a program available (pc-only) on the net which will read akai-format cd's. You can find a link to CDXtract off of the Akai section of synth zone. It requires a scsi cd-rom though and you'll still have to send the samples to your sampler anyway. This requires more work than it's worth IMHO since, the CD will load programs, samples and all.

My advice would be to buy an internal SCSI Cd-Rom drive that is compatible with your sampler, and then buy an external case for it. I paid under $200 total for my 16x Sony drive and external case 2 years ago and I've been very happy.

Hope this helps.
Fernando