So I’m planning to make a bigger purchase of my career: a new MIDI controller. Currently, four specific models sort of hit all of my checkpoints;

 

Nektar LX25

M-A Oxygen 25

Samson Graphite 25

Alesis QX25 

You can see I’m looking for transport, mod wheel, and some knobs… I want pads, 25 or fewer keys, and a MIDI out and some pedal in. 
If anyone has some better suggestions (maybe a control surface...), or can rate them best-to-worst, feel free to speak here!

The nectar looks interesting.  But I like my Novation Impulse 25.  Feels solid, great key action and pads, and enough other controllers to get along.
 
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Eh, I looked into it but it's a bit steep. I have to have a look at Novation's lower-end models, too.
 
I'm actually currently most inclined to the Alesis, seems to hit most of the marks while still being at a decent (dece for me) price point. Any control surfaces though? why are they always so expensive?

It's probably worth nothing that since I key keys and pedal inputs on those keys already, I went ahead and order a Korg NanoKontrol 1. I've been look at the NK2 for a while (years, actually) and I finally decided I do need the added functionality. Plus, buy purchasing the 1, I have some cash left over for a new mic stand or something 

FWIW (as I'm not in the market; I've got an ancient Kurzweil Midiboard w/ vers. 3.0 s/w/ which I love), if I needed to get a new keyboard because my Midiboard gave up the ghost, after I finished the requisite year or two of therapy in a feeble attempt to deal with the loss, I'd might pick up the Akai MPK88:
 
(Check the Akai site; the link was blitzed).
 
I'd be missing the polyphonic aftertouch, but I'm not sure who still includes that. Back in the day, it seemed to be only Kurzweil and Ensoniq that were interested in that at all. 
 
I'd also have a bunch of features I'd rarely use at best. Note, however: I cannot speak to the touch on the instrument. I've heard it's great, but never played it. I'm basing this only on reviews and comments. Future Music also had it listed as a top controller when they were doing that rating. It might be something to check out. Or....
 
I realize that this suggestion is off in left field, particularly on the 25 keys or less. But Akai has something that looks very close to your requirements in the MPK225 and perhaps MAX25:
 
(Check the Akai site; the link was blitzed again). 

The MAX25 looked sweet, but (besides the fact that its way outta my budget) I'm not a huge fan of touch membranes or strips- that's what turned me from the Arturia Minilab... I feel like those things would go out soon. We finally are able to use the studio at my church, and I'm the only guy who knows the recording craft there so my friend who purchases all the gear comes to me for suggestions.
 
I got to mess with the Axiom 25, that is the one i was set on. Maybe someday I'll get it... But maybe then there will be an even better alternative!
 
 
I actually wish I had a chance to mess with the Nektar series, especially the LX49, but the P6 as well would've been fun. I ultimately suggested he got the LX49, really taking a shot in the dark. But then, everything I do with higher-teir recording is a shot in the dark :)
 
Any case, I'm hoping in some distant future I can afford a REALLY nice (maybe even weighted!) controller like the A-88 (or if i'm crazy enough, a YMHA MOXF or MOTIF.)
 
welcome aboard btw, outland! :D

88 keys is very cool if you can swing the cash. The really cool thing about the Midiboard is how you can tailor it to your touch instantly: sliders for attack velocity, release velocity, touch, pressure sensitivity, and retrigger threshhold are all right there in front of you. Pressure can be either channel or polyphonic, and you have two assignable sliders, two foot controllers, a very flexible arpeggiator, four switches, and more than I can tell you. And the touch is really good. It's like Ray Kurzweil just decided to to trip out while looking at the midi spec. Just about everything is covered somewhere.
 
I hope this thing lasts forever.
 
And thanks for the welcome. I actually joined in 2008 as my life was in the beginning of what turned into a 7 year odyssey, but didn't have time to post that much. I finished my M.M. in Electronic Music Composition from Duquesne in August, however, and other things are recently looking better. 
 
Have a good day of worship tomorrow.

I just got the Nektar LX61 and it has a great Sonar X template/pdf while other keyboards just don't seem to give a damn..
everything works right out of the box, faders, transport, pans, and for $200, it's a steal...
 
I've been rackin' my brain for a while now, as my es88pro is getting long in the tooth and looses focus periodically... and all the other options are pricer and don't work effectively with Sonar in one way or another... Nektar did it right... download the template, pdf shows you how to set it to work properly...and in 10 minutes, you're rollin'
 
Am bugging them about getting templates for their upscale P4 but sounds like it may take awhile...
 
I do miss the 88 keys... but they're suppose to have an LX88 in a couple months...