A-Pro mod stick

I am looking for a midi keyboard that works great with Sonar X2 and clearly the Roland A-Pro xxx are a great fit.
 
One dealbreaker problem described by a Sweetwater customer, who otherwise found the keyboard excellent, was that the A-5'' Pro mod stick is spring loaded. Which means when you find a setting you like in a soft-synth, you have to keep your hand on the stick to hold because when released it springs back to the zero position.
- Is there a workaround for this problem?
- Is the mod wheel the same on the roland A-800pro and A-300pro?
 
Otherwise I am also looking at the Novation Impulse 49 or Akai MPK 49. One of the big advantage would be the software (Ableton and so forth) as compared to the Roland which comes with Sonar LE and I already have Sonar Producer.
 
Any good experience with these midi keyboards, especially with configuring them for Sonar X1/X2 and VSTs?