Controller Recommendations?

I have learned (what little I actually know lol) DAW software primarily on Reason 7, and I use something called a Nektar Panorama P1 as a mixer and instrument controller along with my Yamaha MO8 88 key synth that I can't really play.  In any event, I'd like to get more involved with my Cakewalk SONAR Producer X3e investment at this point as the Propellerheads Reason world seems to be imploding.  So what I would like is to find a decent controller to use with Sonar that has many of the same features as my P1 has, namely mixer control, instrument control for synths and so on.  Is there such a beast, or do I just need to get myself another M-Audio Oxygen or whatever?  I would also really like it if someone could point me to a resource (or explain in brief) what ACT is that I see is supposed to make controller work the way you want them too?  I am a guitar player since the 1960s, but the MIDI/synth world is somewhat new for me meaning I understand the basics, but not the finer points of controller setup.

Well, I do appreciate the response.  I guess SONAR users don't use controllers much lol, which is heartening as I was just learning them anyway..  

scook
I don't think you can infer anything from the lack of responses other than a new version of SONAR is being released which soaks up a lot of forum bandwidth and this is not the hardware forum. The hardware forum is here http://forum.cakewalk.com/Hardware-f82.aspx

Well...It's not really a hardware issue I am having, more of a 'what is the SONAR community doing for DAW contollers these days" kinda thing, but your point on the new release is well taken and that's what I got out of the "crickets" response initially anyway.  i DO appreciate your answer though, and your redirect Steve in case you were thinking I was being facetious...

Re: the new SONAR version, obviously this is a HUGE paradigm shift in sales, support and customer purchasing models.  That can't be helped, but as a backgrounder, the Reason community I am emigrating from is in flux as well with a new (and not well received by the faithful) version 8 coupled with an associated forum implosion and subsequent shutdown which has convinced me as primarily a windows user and guitar player to really try and embrace the SONAR community and excellent the SONAR software more now.  I have certainly noticed that every time I have had a question here, it has been answered quickly and cheerfully so I have no complaints with this ecosystem at all.

Vastman
I think your best bet is to get a nektar impact lx61... they are one of the few who've done templates for Sonar and is a great inexpensive quality keyboard with all the faders, knobs, pads, and daw controls (record, start stop etc you could want.  The LX has the sonar templat whereas the panarama series doesn't...
 
Down the line I am really excited about the new Akai "Advance" keyboards being revealed at Namm... here's a link:  http://www.akaipro.com/mi.osites/advance/index.php

Wow, that Akai board looks sweet!  The Nektar Panorama P1 I have works like they were demoing in Reason so I can tell you how nice that is already.  Cool!  Gonna go look into the Nektar LX61 nw... 

Vastman
I think your best bet is to get a nektar impact lx61... they are one of the few who've done templates for Sonar and is a great inexpensive quality keyboard with all the faders, knobs, pads, and daw controls (record, start stop etc you could want.  The LX has the sonar templat whereas the panarama series doesn't...
 
Down the line I am really excited about the new Akai "Advance" keyboards being revealed at Namm... here's a link:  http://www.akaipro.com/mi.osites/advance/index.php

Wow, that Akai board looks sweet!  The Nektar Panorama P1 I have works like they were demoing in Reason so I can tell you how nice that is already.  Cool!  Gonna go look into the Nektar LX61 nw... 

a touch screen monitor is on my list as is a keyboard. The roland line of controllers might be worth looking into since they were somewhat designed for sonar I think they are the PCR series but what has my attention in the world of controllers is the alesis vi61 for about $279 you get a controller that has aftertouch and it comes with air expand which has a lot of people over at KVR all excited. You can create assignments for your daw controls on any controller by creating an ACT template and maybe somebody will share one online for whatever controller you have. 
 
One of the things we need here is a user library where we can share templates and user created content like the reaper guys have. 
 
I think presets for sonar instruments and FX should be able to be shared by users here instead of having to visit patch arena and KVR. 

You can dig my site for some info, I put near everything I know about the topic there. The link is in my signature.
 
A kind of self advertising... but I am not selling anything
 

Nektar has programmed support for Impact, so they know how it works. You can find statements like "they have a preset for SONAR" in this forum, but that is incorrect. They have written separate plug-in, like ACT MIDI or Mackie. We can only guess why they do not do the same for Panorama. They spread quite some "fog" around dedicated support for specific DAWs inside the device.
 
It looks like CW is targeting touch devices as the way to control SONAR. I guess they follow majority wishes by that.
 
The only "up to date" support exists for (discontinued!) VS700 only (I want to be wrong).

I have Roland/Cakewalk APro 500, Reason 8 and Sonae X3PE. The APro series is designed to integrate with Sonar and it's ACT function within Sonar is excellent. You can change from channel strip control of panpot/fader to prochannel EQ or included synths and effects just by focusing on them, no programming required. You can always control 8 channel at a time and move to different channel with the WAI(where am I) function. 
 
It's weakness however is poor documentation and as a result it is difficult to reprogram and it's template and integration with other DAW are in question. I had tried Ableton Live and it was disappointing. 
 
Reason 8 however had a template with APRO. Reason would detect APRO driver and if you choose APRO has your master keyboard, Reason would ask your to engage the ACT button on APRO. The PLAY, STOP and RECORD button work very well. However the FF and REW are not linked (but I can program Reason to do that easily)and PAUSE is set to loop instead. 
 
It really shines when I switched from one synth to a another. The APRO knobs and faders are linked to the most important parameter filters and resonance. ACT would allow you to switch control of different synth without any programming. I am so sure however ACT was linked to the mixer, when I tried reason today it was not linked. I am still new to reason and have not fully tested it yet.
 
That's my experience. So, my verdict is APro's integration with Sonar 9/10 and with Reason 6/10.