...to play well with X2?
Thanks very much,
Randy

If you are going to use the Soft Synths in Sonar X1 Producer, which is what I use, I love my M-Audio Keystation 61es. You can usually get them for less than $200.  

I think that you must define your expectation of key action before you'll know what the budget can be.

If you want piano weighting $400 is a bit low.... probably too low to even find something to consider.

If you want organ or synth type action $400 is very generous.

I just got a cheap Alesis 49 keyboard as an extra for soft synths and am comparing it to an older Roland 49 key unit I have had for many years. The made in Japan Roland feels beefier and even though the keys feel bouncy, they have a solid feel that the Alesis lacks.

If the feel really matters to you then it's gonna be sort of personal. If you are just worried about functionality... that new Alesis I got just plugged and played.   



best regards,
mike

I have an M-Audio Axiom 61 and have had issues with it ie stuck notes/losing connection, expression pedal not working well etc (this may not be the keyboard's fault and it may be user error but I've never found solutions).
The controller I'm looking for will be for my son...he's a guitarist but likes dubstep and wants to turn all them durn knobs and slide sliders and hit on pads.
The key action is not a factor, just something around $300 that communicates with X2 right out of the box.
I was thinking the Roland A300 or 500 might be a good choice since they own CW but I dunno.

I still have one of those old Roland PC100's and even though is looks like hell I still like the way it feels, The feature I really like is to be able to vary it's response to velocity quickly, Down for organ, ON for Piano. It is small and easy to toss aside when not needed. 
My son lent me a M audio AXIOM ?? and I hated the feel. It only had 2 octaves which is useless to me. 

I would see what Roland has to offer at any price first. 49 keys seems to be a minimum for me.  

I have several keyboards including a Roland hammer action grand. I bought an M-audio 88es new, 4 1/2 years ago for less than $200 and love it. I wanted a portable 88 controller that was velocity sensitive with semi-weighted keys to record with Music Creator on my laptop and have been delighted with its performance. No complaints whatsoever. I've beat it hard for years...no problems. Worth a look...big bang for the buck..................Ron.

I have a Cakewalk (Roland) A-800 pro, I am not saying its "best", I have not tried them all, but it works well for me.

Two points to consider with this one -

• It has the typical Roland combined pitch bend / modulation lever. This means modulation springs back to zero when you release it, some people hate this. Its OK for me as its easy enough to assign another slider if you want modulation to stay on.
• Some people find the aftertouch to be too stiff. I find it is usable but it would be better if it were less stiff.

When selecting the number of keys its not just the number of octaves you want to span, many VSTis and sample libraries use keyswitches. For me even a 61 note keyboard is too short and I use a second keyboard for keyswitches. Unfortunately there are very few keyboards > 61 notes unless you go for the weighted piano type. Adding a mini key type of keyboard for keyswitches is a reasonable compromise.