I also used the A-800 Pro for many years and apart from a recent issue with one of the pan pots, it performed well. However some of the modules in Kontact needed the full 88 keys to utilise - rather than octave up/down - and so I recently purchase an Impact LX 88 and am pretty happy with it. It has more DAW functionality than the Roland - and it's cheaper. Plays okay as well, although only semi-weighted.

I bought a new keyboard controller last week - just wanted a small one to use in hotel rooms whilst touring. Tried Akai mpk225 and Arturia Keylab 25, finally settled on Roland A-300 pro. Can't be beaten for out of the box deep Sonar integration, and 32 keys is a great a balance between usability and portabilty.

Roland a-500s,very nice board.

I have 2 controllers and 1 USB-connected cheap keyboard.  They are an Axiom-Pro 61, an M-Audio Keystation 88, and a Yamaha YPG-235.  
 
I only have the Yamaha because it has local sounds, and when I gig, I always want to have one of my on-stage boards have local sounds, in case the computer rig goes belly up in the middle of a set.  (has happened on more than one occasion - we always keep a full set of tunes available that require nothing more than the local sounds on that keyboard, which then gives me time to fix the issues in between sets).
 
To be quite honest, the Yamaha keyboard only cost something like $239 brand new, and it has about 400 local sounds on it - passable piano, good electronic piano, and piano/strings, as well as Clavinet, strings, brass, etc... which for many stock cover tunes covers them quite well.
 
I never use the advanced features of the Axiom-Pro 61, but it is built like a tank, and that is why I use that live.
 
The Keystation 88 has almost no useful controller functionality, but does have 88 keys, which for the super small number of songs that need it, allows me to cover them whenever I feel like it.  I really bought it not for the extra keys, but because I was able to get it brand new for $119, and for a controller with that many keys, that was a no-brainer.
 
Whatever you buy, buy for it meeting whatever real-world situations you will be in with it, and make sure that you can cover your needs with whatever you are likely to pick up.  Most of the controller functionality present on my $500 controller is NEVER going to be used outside of a studio, so why dump a bunch of money into those features if you are just looking for something to use live.
 
Ultimately - I recommend you buy what you need to fill the requirements you are most likely to have for such a device, and save your money for other items - like new cables, better mics, etc...
 
Bob Bone
 

I'm not qualified to post in this thread but I do have a repetitively inexpensive 88 key Fatar.
 
Works.

I use Kontrol and havent looked back, especially with the newer updates.

Roland/cakewalk a500pro. 5 years no problem. Works in win 10 too.

I'm using a Kurzweil PC3LE8. I really like the Fatar TP40L action. While the Kurz doesn't have the best of sound, I like the ability to turn it on and play in 10 seconds should that be what I want. It's also a fantastic midi controller (imo).
 
Today, I would try one of the new Artis boards as the piano is better, but it comes with TP100. That's a bit of a different feel, but still very much playable.
 
Another choice would be Studiologics new 88Key controller SL88 if/when they release it.
 
Edit: I play most of my compositions in "live", so having a "real" keyboard is worth a fair bit to me. Early on I tried an inexpensive "spongy" M-Audio controller, but that was painful.

Anyone using a Novation Impulse 49 or Novation Remote 49 Sl MKII ?
 
I wonder how they integrate with Sonar and how the half-weighted keyboard compares to e.g. the graded hammer of my inexpensive YAMAHA stage piano which I actually quite like ...

I use the old dinosaur M-Audio Keystation 88 Pro. The one with all the knobs and buttons and sliders. The action is pretty finicky and takes some getting used to, strictly piano action and not good at all for fast synth or organ but I like having the sliders to control the drawbars on VB3. The knobs come in handy controlling just about anything you want with ACT control. Even has tape transport buttons. It is getting rather long in tooth and has been discontinued by M-Audio but you can still find a few on ebay. It's heavy as a mutha so it stays in the studio. I'm planning on picking up a new 88 key controller up pretty soon. Something lighter! I also have an old Yamaha W5 that I just use for faster action midied up. It has a semi-weighted action and is the fastest key action I have ever played on!