Best midi pad/keyboard for money

[GlitteryChunks]

Hey all, I've been working with Ableton on and off for several years but really want to take it further and make it more accessible.

I don't yet own a midi of any kind, so where should I be looking?
I did a google search and read a bunch of Top 10 type lists and one that jumped out pretty consistently was the Arturia

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/products/MiniLab/intro.html

I was also looking at this...

http://m-audio.com/products/en_us/Oxygen49.html

because I was envisioning a separate keyboard and pad situatio. Run the Oxygen with the Novation Launchpad mini. This leads me to believe a keyboard without pads would be a smarter buy, or would a keyboard with pads still be a better idea in the long run? I'm running Ableton, mainly write hip hop type stuff but not opposed to venturing into more electronically driven sounds.

So what say yee?

[spacelordmother]

Not sure how many pads you think you'll need (or how "playable" you want them to be) but if I wanted keys and pads I would look for a used M-audio Axiom. They're a quality piece of kit!

Launchpads are also awesome for triggering samples and again how you're using it would dictate whether you'd get along better with the regular or the mini sized pads.

[Decibill]

The Akai MPK series gets my vote...

[GlitteryChunks]

MPK 49 for 250 on Clist....

Might....just....have to......

[Decibill]

I've got the MPK49 and have owned most of the other brands out there. Its been my fav. For me, it's got a great keyboard bed. The response is firm and not overly bouncy. Its built really well too.

[p.j.]

I've got the MPK49 and have owned most of the other brands out there. Its been my fav. For me, it's got a great keyboard bed. The response is firm and not overly bouncy. Its built really well too.

I dig my MPK49 also. The pads are fun/useable and the keys felt better than the competitions'.

[Faldoe]

Do you want to use keyboard? There is an awesome VST by a company called "Jam Origin," the VST is "Midi Guitar" and it turns your guitar signal into polyphonic MIDI data. It works pretty damn good given that its just using your guitar signal - you don't need a special pickup. The VST is $99 and well worth it IMO.

I use it a lot to trigger synths. You could of course also use it to send midi from Ableton to external hardware synths. The VST can also run as a stand alone.

[spacelordmother]

Do you want to use keyboard? There is an awesome VST by a company called "Jam Origin," the VST is "Midi Guitar" and it turns your guitar signal into polyphonic MIDI data. It works pretty damn good given that its just using your guitar signal - you don't need a special pickup. The VST is $99 and well worth it IMO.

I use it a lot to trigger synths. You could of course also use it to send midi from Ableton to external hardware synths. The VST can also run as a stand alone.

HOLY SHIT.

[p.j.]

I settled on a MPK 49 when I was looking last year because it had the best feeling keys at a reasonable price. I got mine used for around 200 dollars. Try before you buy, if at all possible.