While the Poly6 WOULD be good for pads, there are newer, more varied and EASIER TO MAINTAIN instruments around! Any of the Korgs would be good choices, obviously, but the Poly6 comes from such an early generation of synths, it lacks a lot of MIDI amenities we take for granted these days, such as patch storage that uses better systems than cassettes. Also, you'd all but HAVE to leave it at home! The older synths are hard to repair, as many of the parts are no longer in production. Now if you can get it for a song & don't mind its little idiosyncracies, don't let me discourage you. Just be aware that there's something of a price to pay when using synths that old. Besides, pads are almost THE most fundamental of sounds to create, so why not go for something that gives you that option and MORE? Just food for thought. The Poly6 has a cool arpeggiator & a modest chorus onboard, as I recall, so it could still be useful. It IS a matter of personal taste & goals, after all! Good luck widdit.