So is there an answer?
Well, for the last few years I've been happily using the M-Audio Axiom 49, both live and in the studio, and have had no issues with it whatsoever. I've found it to be a good, solid gigging keyboard, although many others prefer the Korg Kontrol 49 and more recently the Akai MPK-49.
However, recently there is one MIDI keyboard everybody seems to be agreeing on. The Novation Remote SL Series.
It really is an impressive keyboard, comes in 25, 37 and 61 keys and the action on those keys is smooth as silk. It also has trigger pads and enough knobs and sliders to keep anybody happy (or busy!) for weeks.
But two things set it apart: 1) it has two large LED screens that tell you which knob/slider is controlling which parameter in your software and 2) Novation's Automap protocol, which automatically maps all your controls to whichever software you're using - and does it well, even if you're switching between them. It's early days, but Automap really needs to become an industry standard, like ReWire - it's that good.
Is there a downside (other than the price - about double many others on the market) to this keyboard? Well, at the moment synching can occasionally be a bit erratic with Logic Studio (but works flawlessly with Propellerhead Reason, Ableton Live and others.) However, Novation are constantly updating their drivers, so I'd expect this to be a temporary concern.
If there's a better controller on the market, I'm not aware of it.
(Full specs at the Novation website.)
What do you use (and love ... or hate?)
