Need advice on MIDI-keyboard and/or controller (totally lost here)

I have a old Roland D20. I has no real modwheel: you need to press the pitch bend for that, which sucks, specially for recording precise modulation for GPO and other string libraries, which I am going to buy one of sometime soon.

Now I've been looking for a MIDI-keyboard but also MIDI-controllers (to for instance make recording automation of various plugins easier). I found the Korg NanoKONTROL2 very interesting because you can use it as a Mackie device and start/stop etc. in Sonar 8.5 PE (which I am running on Windows 7 64 bit). I even thought about NOT buying a new keyboard, because maybe (?) I could use one of the sliders (or turning knobs) of that KONTROL for modulation...? I don't know if you can and I also don't know if that really works: a mod WHEEL is a wheel and not a slider or knob by design, so...

...maybe I should get a simple keyboard, with only a pitch and mod wheel and then get that KONTROL2 too for my slider and knob needs. I could get all that for something like 135 euro's.

But... maybe it's more convenient to get a better keyboard with all the knobs and sliders on it already (and a mod wheel). Problem is that they cost more, specially since I think I need at least 5 octaves on my keyboard. I am used to 5 octaves on my D20 and I am afraid a 4 octave keyboard might limit myself...

To make it even MORE complicated: I am thinking about getting a really good (and expensive) string (or symphonic) sample library... and for those I might need an even larger keyboard (maybe even 88...???). For most of those I think a 4 octave keyboard is too small...

So... I could get a simple no thrills 88 keys keyboard and that cheap KONTROL2...

All in all... there are too many options right now and I need advice from people who already have gear like this and also use big pro's libraries. 


I think my buget is something like 200 euro's MAX (I started off at 100, really...), but I think I'll have to raise that a little (for instance the M Audio Keystation 88 plus the KONTROL2 is about 225, euro...). But then again, maybe you can use the KONTROL2 too for keyswitching in various libraries, so I don't need a big keyboard at all...?


_Help...! 

I use an old Yamaha DS27s for my midi controller. It's 5 octaves. It has a pitch wheel and a vibrato wheel.

I find that 5 octaves is greater then the range of most of the instruments in the orchestral libraries. Violins for example only have the notes on the keyboard active that actually exist in a real violin. So I can't use the lower half of the keyboard because there are no notes assigned to them.   Same thing with other library samples like choirs, string basses, brass, strings..... they all have a limited range on a keyboard and from what I have seen, 5 octaves covers that range quite well. 

Given your budget constraints, there are a number of keyboards in that price range. You will not have top of the line features on them BUT... when I use my DS27s for midi, that's all I do with it... use it to get the midi notes/data into the midi source track. Occasionally I use the pitch wheel but not very much, even on the orchestral stuff.  I used the pitch wheel on some Japanese sounding stuff I did earlier this year, on the traditional Japanese stringed instrument and the flute. The wheel on the DS27 I do tend to use is the vibrato control wheel. 

As far as libraries: 

GPO is a decent sounding library to get started with. It has a good cost to value ratio.  I think that you can also find the Miroslav package at a decent price. I picked it up recently for a steal of a deal. 

Each of the orchestral packages sounds a bit different. Where one might not sound appropriate for a part,  simply switching to a different orchestra might be the perfect compliment to the sound. 

I have GPO, Miroslav, EWQL (special silver free version) , Komplete 4, and I think something else.... I don't use orchestra stuff very often. 

If you keep your eyes open, you will find the companies will often sell a low cost version or even have a free but limited version available. I found the freebies posted in the cake software forum and grabbed them.