Only need 3 or 4 octaves-weighted keys.25 keys or 32 keys is fine for me. I will mainly be recording bass lines and drum parts-
 
maye a keyboard here and there, but Bass & drums mainly. Smaller he foot print the better.
 
LAstly, must have AC power capability-not just USB power- oh how I hate that.
 
Thanks
Stratman70

 
Having extra notes off to the left is great for key switches.
 
I have a 25-key keyboard (two octaves) and it's impossible to play two-handed on it, let alone also have keys defined as switches.
 
I can see purchasing a cheap small keyboard (do they even make such small ones weighted ?) for simple bass lines and such, but if you're going to spend any kind of money, I'd really consider at least 61 keys (5 octaves).

Paul,
 
Actually I normally only use 1 hand. I sequence bass lines and my right hand does fine. For drums I do use both hands but 25 keys is plenty.
 
Akai makes some nice ones, I just don't know which are better tan others-my only experience is with an old usb 1.1 25 key evolution (M-audio?) controller but it is terrible with win8.1x64, or even 7. Also keys a re not wighted at all-some velocity, that's it. I also like having a screen, even if it's tiny.
 
I am a guitar player
 
Thank you for your response-it's appreciated

I have both a Roland A 49 and a Akai Synthstation 25. 
 
The Roland is the perfect size for my desktop set up and was the best "feeling" keyboard in the store. It is full featured and came with Sonar LE which then got me X3 studio for $99 :) 
I end up away from home with time to kill so I bought the Akai for travel. The keys are like a toy OK for Bass, drums or Organ. It is velocity sensitive but the cheap little keys are more synth than piano. The A 49 does piano OK, not weighted but I'm not much of a piano player anyway.  I tnd to use more Rhodes and Wurly sounds. I now have a digital drum kit too so no longer play drum parts on the keys. 
 
Note that the Roland is USB powered which has never caused me trouble but it does have the option of powering it via the USB which would involve using a standard cell phone type wall wart and then using the real MIDI ports. 
The Akai uses batteries which last forever or has a wall wart option too. You can sit under a Palm tree with your laptop and the Akai and have at it. You don't need an ipad for using it as a controller.The iPad is for using it as a live synth which is cool. to... 
 

I've never used this one, but ...
 
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid?src=3TP3DRR

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid?src=3TP3DRR&&noPopup=true&src=3TP3DRR
 
Looks like the same deal only I guess mine goes to the Canadian site. 
 

I now use a Novation Impulse - a superb controller and 100% reliable.
I had (well still have in the cupboard!) an Akai MPK49 - beautiful controller / keyboard but the USB implementation seemed so very poor so there were continual problems with it dropping out. I don't know if all Akai's suffer from this  issue, just know mine was bad enough for me to have to buy a replacement.
Nigel
 

A keyboard with weighted keys that isn't 88/76 key is hard to find. I'm hoping a company picks up on them soon but I doubt it will happen.

Thanks a lot folks- I guess even semi weighted is a stretch-also I really do not like to use usb powered equipment.
Bandwidth is already stretched.
I am in a home studio so wal warts are not an issue. I do like Ac power though. or batteries if they last.
even though I am a guitar player I still find it so much easier to do bass lines and drums with weighted keys, but that will have to wait.
 
Got some great ideas here so I'll check them all.
 
Thanks very much for all the suugestions and help-much appreciated. I will just forget the weighted part and look for something with batteries or a real ac adapter input-must exist , well the akai has batteries.
 
regards
Stratman
 

If you want "piano hammer action" kind of weighting then there seems to be nothing at 48 keys or less (I know a couple of pianists who've been after 4 octave piano-action boards for years and in the case of one of them at least money is little object).
 
For synth-style weighting Roland (and Edirol) are good and very fast and easy to play but the aftertouch is as hard as Godzilla's futon. Novation have a poorer feel in my opinion (I find them a bit spongey) but have excellent aftertouch. M-Audio's product support (including issuing updated drivers) has been so poor over the last few years I don't run consider them for anything any more. Too much kit turned into paperweights because M-Audio failed to release drivers until years after a new Windows version came out if they ever bothered writing a new driver at all.