I am wanting to purchase a midi controller to use with Sonar Platinum, and associated sware such as VST's, space is a priority, so prefer to get something like a 49 key range, have been looking at the roland a500, akai advance 49 and the NI Komplete, I am turned off the komplete because it does not have the velocity keys, and I hate using a keyboard for drums, but since I have not purchased Komplete 10 yet (should I hold off until Komplete 11), well I could get a bundle, though i would more likely get the maschine mk2 and use my Korg microkey air 25 i got for my laptop for when I needed a keyboard.
 
This is to be my main interface with sonar, etc, so I would prefer that it have the 8 knobs, some faders, and velocity keys plus the transport buttons.  I will be using it to mainly create electronic music from sounds I create from soft synths more than from sample libraries or from live recordings, and I have no plans of doing live performances.
 
I am 300 km away from the dealers for these products, its not really practical for me to get demonstatrations etc.
 
Having read the previous posts, I am aware that the Roland A300/A500 is recommended as a budget solution, which is what I prefer since I am in the low income demographic, but since I don't own any version of Komplete and newer prettier devices like the akai etc have been released with the VIP software etc, will I be kicking myself in the backside for worrying about my budget and buying a horse and cart when I should have got a automobile?
 
Any advice welcome, the towns music shop is great for the traditional things like guitars and amps, but not for this!
 

Roland keybeds are very fast and have a nice synth-style touch. Their aftertouch on the other hand is stiff and it's almost impossible to get the full range of values out of it. I can't get aftertouch on my old A300 to go over 120 even if I put most of my weight on it and I've heard of ones which are less responsive than that.

The other thing I don't like about it is pitch bend and modulation being on a shared joystick rather than wheels. The stick makes it difficult to send one without accidentally sending the other, and snaps back to the centre as soon as it's released. I prefer a pitch bend wheel that automatically centres itself but a modulation wheel that stays where it is when I release it so I can adjust something else without losing whatever the mod wheel is doing.

I'd also be inclined to go for something with endless encoder knobs rather than potentiometers. They can often avoid the kind of problem pots can cause when software either doesn't respond to MIDI from a knob until it gets "caught" or suddenly leaping to wherever the knob is set as soon as you touch it. Where the knob is set being wherever it needed to be for whatever you last controlled with it.

I don't know the modern Akai controllers, but I have a Miniak and in my opinion it's not got a brilliant keyboard action. I find it kind of spongy, but that's a matter of taste really. Lots of popular keyboards have that kind of feel and people like them so I guess I'm unusual.

These days I'm unusual enough to be using a Korg 37 note mini board for the few times I play a poly synth and a McMillen QNexus for mono-synth work, neither of which are what you might call "mainstream" keyboards, so bear in mind I'm not a piano-technique kind of player. :-)

I bought the Roland A 49 a few years ago because out of all the keyboards in it's size and price rage it FELT RIGHT. Most felt like cheap toys.
Can't say much else other than it certainly works real well for what I do and I think it makes me play better because of the action. I'm not a real keyboard player but manage to put down some very musical parts with it.
I didn't buy it to be a controller As I use a USB foot pedal to start stop Sonar.
 
Best thing about the Roland was it came with Sonar LE which gave me the upgrade pathway to where I am now at half the price of retail. I wonder if Roland still ships with Sonar?

a used Novation SLII 49 will suit you well.. a fatar action that is as good as it gets (much superior to Roland) and plenty of knobs buttons faders to keep you happy.

Thanks people, I was highly impressed with the McMillan Qnexus, and if I go down the route of getting Maschine, that is the keyboard I will be getting, the Roland A49 also looks good, but I think for the synth stuff I want to do the Qnexus would be better.
 
I was ignoring the Novation range, as I got the impression that they ableton devices and were not easily integrated with Sonar (probably from too much late night review reading), and Mystic, you are right, the Novation SII 49 is exactly the kind of device I am looking for!
 
I am now trying to decide, should I go the Maschine mk2 or studio route, and get a seperate keyboard, get the Novation SlmkII49, or possibly Behringer Motor 49, most likey the Novation, and mabye later when Komplete 11 is released get a Maschine if I need it for workflow and drums

Just bought a second hand Novation SL25 MIDI keyboard on Ebay for less than half the price of a new one, although after a 49 key version, this should let me experiment with it, and if dont like it, then sell it on ebay with losing hundreds :)