Controller Recommendations?

Hi all,
 
    Just purchased X2 a couple of weeks ago. I've been working through some tutorials and haven't really done anything serious with it yet.  I'm running a W64 box with a VS-100 interface and an APro-300 as my main control surface.  I've been thinking of adding a pad controller to my hardware.  I've seen this question kind of posed before but it has been a while.
    Any recommendations would be appreciated.  I've been looking at the Akai MPD32s & 26s, NI Maschine or M. Mikro, and I'm a little compelled to check out the Novation Zero SL surface although it doesn't appear big on pads.  I'm fairly sure the Akai unit's would fill the minimum bill but if I'm going to drop 200 or 300 should I skip by them and go for an older maschine since I could get it with additional content?  Note- I'm not into making Dance, Hip-Hop or electronica.  I write mostly Blues, Rock and Folk type tunes. (A little Celtic here and there)
    Would I be better served by just picking up a Korg Nanopad 2?
I've never played with any of these things before but have read about them all and there are a million folks touting their personal favorites.  The only pads I've used were on the Apro or my iPhone.   So, I guess the bottom line is - what works wells with Sonar X1 or 2 and or what is the easiest to setup and configure and reconfigure, etc.
    I know maybe I should put this in the hardware forum but I wanted comments from the X1 and X2 users if possible.  Thanks in advance for any opinions.  I value the ones I see posted here.
 

I have the Korg stuff, to many "blue screens of death " with their
USB drivers. Now they are gathering dust.
I use my DR-880 drum machine for pad triggering.
I use Yahama products for keyboards.

Don B

Thanks for the response.  I may have to drive the 30 miles to the nearest Guitar Center and play with one.
I was sort of comparing the MPD 26 to the Korg Pad Kontrol earlier.  It's odd how subjective a piece of hardware can be but I guess no one wants to admit that they made a mistake by purchasing something.  The Pad Kontrol owners say the pads are of better quality but the Akai owners say the Korg is a plastic piece of junk.
 
Works well with Sonar is what I'm looking for though!
 
Thanks again.

Hey Thanks.  I'm a tech and I've run into USB printers and flash drives that get "married" to one particular USB port and won't work with anything else as well.  Thanks a lot for the advice.  I got burned by Behringer a while back when I bought one of their controllers so now I'm careful.
If not for a guy named A.J. on this forum I would have never gotten any use out of that BCR unit.  I used it for a couple of years after A.J. published his fix for it .  About six months ago I traded it to a DJ for two Shure SM57s. (A great trade!) Behringer was zero help at the time so I avoid their equipment whenever I can.
I use Toontracks Superior Drummer 2.3 for most of my drums but I like to throw in some some humanity to keep from sounding mechanized. Toontracks stuff gives a lot of variety so I never have to add a lot.  Thanks for the response.  (Great pic!)

  Well here is the first of a free series on youtube by MPC master Jeremy Ellis on finger drumming basics... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEpLD6vD43E

You should be able to link through to the lessons using the side bar or related links but if not just copy/paste the title of the current vid into the youtube search bar and change the lesson number to the next in the series. He has a youtube page and a website too so that might might make things easier. You obviously don't need to use the same controller, sounds or mappings to work through these lessons (my mapping is DRASTICALLY different than his). They are all based on standard drumming concepts. 

Cheers.

Beepster


And I wish Gustabo would remove whatever image he has in his sig line that prevents the page from fully loading. :-/

Sorry, didn't know that I was causing any problems.

Beepster


Not you, man. Just wherever that image was hosted. It might be my browser. You're cool. Thanks for taking it out though. The little "waiting" Windows swirl was driving me nuts. Cheers. :-)

No problem

Heh. I just call them MPCs even though that's kind of a brand/model thing. Makes sense. Midi Pad Controller. It was real pain looking around for something suitable as a complete n00b because no one seems to use a standard name for the bleeping things.

Well, thanks all for the advice.  I took the plunge last night.  I was looking at the Korg PK up at a local pawn shop that had the software and stuff with it for $100.00.  I thought that was a bit steep for a pawn shop since I'd seen new ones at Amazaon for $140 to 150.00
I checked on E-bay for "ending soonest" and picked up an Akai MPD26 with all the accessories still shrink wrapped for $130.00. (Plus shipping) I've already downloaded the manuals and started going through them and should have the unit by the middle of next week.  Can't wait.  Now I've got to clean my workspace so I have a place to set it up! Oh, well.
Around every silver lining is a dark cloud.
 
 
To Beepster: I was really leaning towards that Korg PK until the last line of your last post!
 
Thanks All!   I appreciate all the advice and help.  It helped me take a leap. Without it I would have spent a couple of more weeks reading and watching the net.
 
For the record- I know I've been an inactive member of this forum for a long time but I'm actually kind of a noob myslef.  When I first signed up I was starting to educate myself but had a really bad few years on a personal level.
My wife was diagnosed with cancer,  (Mutliple Myeloma) and had a major stroke during her 2nd chemo treatment and ending up spending over three months at several different hospitals. She finally came home but needed around the clock help for a long time.  She's get a bit better and then a bit worse off and on.
In 2008 my older and only brother died suddenly, 8 months later in 2009 my father died and then in August of 2010 I lost my beloved wife of 33 years.  We had become Grand parents about a year earlier.  I stopped playing and recording for almost two years.  I just started to get into playing and learning Sonar and early this spring one of my two dogs was diagnosed with cancer. I'm getting her treatment but it's expensive and off and on time consuming.  I now have two grand kids living with me and another on the way and I thank God for them because they've made me want to continue living.
So please understand that although I've been a member a long time I'm still somewhat of a novice and I'm having to re-learn guitar as well.  So- that's my story and I DO appreciate all of you reaching out and giving me advice.
Its uplifting to know that there are good people around that will go out of their way to help a complete stranger.
Thanks again.
 
Update- my dog died in Dec. 2012.  I got a new Grandson in March of 2013 so I have three Grand-kids (4 and under) living with me now.
It's really hard to record with them around but they are more important anyway.  I've had the Akai MPD26 for quite a while now and when I do get time to use it, I love it.
Also picked up Jamstix a few months back and I absolutely LOVE that! With that and all my Superior Drummer stuff my drum tracks are sounding great.