For a keyboardist, those cheaper akai keys feel awfull..

The Advance series tough has a nice keybed..
However its VIP software and support is generally seen as a disaster..

This is such a subjective question honestly. The market is now flooded with various controller options, and the price range is literally from one end of the spectrum to the other. It falls down to your personal needs. Are you wanting synth, semi, or fully weighted keys? Do you need aftertouch? How much hands on control do you need, will you benefit from a set of sliders, rotary knobs, buttons, and drum pads. Does it need to be BUS powered? The list just goes on, and with today’s selection it seems there is a controller out there to fit most peoples needs. Sweetwater has a great “product filtering” option to narrow down your search.

My controller needs were a bit different. I required at least 88 fully weighted keys. However my weighted key needs are of the minority. Most manufacturers for some time now use graded hammer action keybeds. I prefer a balanced hammer action. That requirement alone drastically reduced my options. I was actually willing to spend a considerable amount of money on a high end weighted controller, but I’m very picky about having a balanced hammer action. So, I ended up having to go with the MAudio Hammer 88. It’s very minimalist, but that was a trade off I had to accept for a balanced key action.

Sqk

Couldn't disagree more - The Akai is one of the better feeling keybeds I tried. Firm, and responsive. Not spongy or wiggly like many others.

I had a Arturia keylab once and really like that one and it came with great software. But as squeak said it is very subjective. Today I find my arranger with an iPad a much better solution.

This is probably apparent by now, but it depends what you want to do with it. Hardware or software is the first question. If hardware-probably the Roland. If software-which software and which DAW? Some controllers work with specific DAWs and software. Answer those questions and you'll be there. If you say "everything" it gets murkier.

For me keybed quality is #1, and it will be under the SX-900 as a lower manual, so physical size issues are important. I will bring the SX right down on top of it and I will have slightly tilted down and overhanging keys, just like the Yamaha Organ I had. Not in a hurry so I will test them at Sweetwater this summer when I go to visit family. (I lived 10 minutes from Sweetwater, that was way cool!). The Roland A800 and one of the novations is waht I an thinking about. It HAS to have real MIDI out as well. I will not need any controllers on it.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KeyStatn3-61--m-audio-keystation-61-mk3-keyboard-controller

For my money, the M-Audio looks like a great option from what you described. You'll make all your edits and changes from the top KB anyway, so minimal buttons on the bottom is OK.

I'm actually looking for "best" midi controller for myself also.
want it to be like PSR or tyros key-feel.
I want to buy one strictly for midi controller use because of shallow key depth and good key feel.
need it to be thin, unlike the majority of them, so it can fit under my desk.

I really like this one the Novation Mk3 61 replacing the white and pink lite MK2. It is a controller and sequencer in one.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/...-with-sequencer
It has a great interface with software and the feel is really nice and not soft or plastic as some.

Dave, good possibility of the one you said...IF I can live with no splits in the MIDI kbd....it only does one MIDI channel.
So If I want left split for SX on the left of split on MIDI kbd, and say right 3 of SX on right split of MIDI kbd, can;t do that on this one....