CME M-Key v2

[3dot...]

+1 Avoid all of the above.

I'd actually add Novation to that list, but that's completely irrational. I don't know why I hate them - something to do with the pink bits in their colour schemes...

And also that would leave you with a very limited choice of controllers.

...pink scheme... that's a great girlband name...

[necho]

hmmm... I've always wanted to manage a girl band...

[Baron von Case]

imho
you should stay away from :
1.M-audio (after 2 controllers and 2 audio interfaces by them I've sworn them off)
2.E-mu (lame controllers)
3.CME (a friend bought one and it was rotten...everything was on the cheap side...
basically garbage wrapped in a metal casing)
4.Alesis (a company with no vision whatsoever...always rubbed me the wrong way...)
5.Behringer(BCR/F2K FCB1010 are the exceptions..)

my final advice to you is go FEEL the controllers... then decide..
and think about the functionality and workflow you wish to achieve...

I would have to agree on most, though I have little experience with 4 and 5. I auditioned an Ion or something in a store, whichever one is rectangular with red siding. It was a fun synth, but nothing too impressive. The CME UF6 I tried out at a store had good key action but ludicrously poor construction of knobs and faders (the transport control buttons felt like they were going to break right off).

The only thing I liked about the Xboards was the feel of the keys, but after changing velocity curves, installing firmware updates, trying to alter my way of playing, nothing could stop the way the black keys play with double the velocity of the white keys.

The M-Audio Axiom was a good one, despite cheap knobs, which wasn't a big deal to me. The keys are responsive but stick a lot and aren't great for faster playing. Still one of the best overall controllers I've found, but by no means without a lot of faults.

Novation SLs are great, and I'd use it as a primary controller if someone gave one to me. But I prefer to keep my principal controller separate from peripherals. I'd rather have something with no knobs, no faders and then get a ZeRO.

Too bad there are no consistently working, undamaged old Studiologic controllers around anymore.

[3dot...]

had the Axiom..
wanted to like it...
really liked the pads and knobs...and the preset/zone system...
the keys were HORRIBLE...'piano keys' my arse...cheap plastic with almost no resistance..
the chasis was heavy and it was unnecessarily way too big/fat...
the one I had before that was the Oxygen8('MidiMan' days)... it was a workhorse..
but by no means a quality keyboard...
squeeky keys...pitchbend would get f#$ed up and I had to open it again and again to fix it...