Does anyone have any suggestions for a good midi controller?

[Frodo]

Hi, does anyone have any suggestions for a good but not very expensive midi controller keyboard? I had been using a 61 key Roland XP-50, but one of the switches broke on it last night. I will probably go ahead and get it repaired, but I’m thinking about getting a 76 or 88 key midi controller keyboard to hook up to my computer for my sequencing work. I don’t really know very much about them or how they vary from brand to brand, but I would basically want it to have a good (and if possibly, quiet) “feel” to it when you play it. My Roland has served me well over the years, but when you’re playing it with the headphones on, your roommates hear a lot of “clackety clack” from the keys.

I really do not want to get one with weighted keys. The most important thing to me would be that the keys have great sensitivity, after touch, etc. so that all the little subtle nuances when I’m playing are caught when I’m recording tracks on my sequencer. The other thing of course would be that it has a good, user friendly expression/mod lever or wheel. My Roland XP-50 (my first and only keyboard) has an expression/mod lever which took some getting used to when I first got GPO as my left hand hardly ever leaves the lever, but I am accustomed to it now. However, if anyone has used both the expression lever and the expression wheel before and has a preference this information could be helpful too. I have been checking out Sweetwater and Guitar Center’s midi controllers and to be honest I am a little overwhelmed right now. I intend to go to the local Guitar Center tomorrow and try some of them out. I know it will boil down to personal preference, but if anyone has any suggestions/advice on the matter I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

[Eric Matlock]

Normally I would say "go search the forums" but there are many relatively new controllers out now. If you are looking for a good "synth" action keyboard I have both the M-Audio Axiom 61 and the recently released Edirol PCR-800. I think the keyboard in the Edirol is a little better and not as clacky as the m-audios. I also think touch response is a little more accurate. Both have tons of controls and would serve you well. I have also demoed the Novation reMOTE and x-station and I would probably have purchased one of those had I not already bought these other two.

[ejr]

Fatar StudioLogic has cheap, weighted 88-key keyboards that take up very little space. When I got mine, they only had MIDI in and MIDI out connections ... but this may have changed by now.