yesterday i bought the akai lpd8. and today i’ve returned it. i was looking forward to be a fingerdrummer, triggering drumkits from the freesoundpjkt… but as i was using it with SimpleSynth, there was no possibility to set up a specific sample for each pad. and that’s just the way I wanted it. the software that comes with the lpd8 is crap and also i think i’ll need more pad’s then 8. but i just realized that after testing it a bit. is anyboy experienced in that matter. i really want an easy solution and i don’t wann spend a fortune for it. there’s a lot of stuff out there and i really can’t find what i want— i need help.
I have and use a Zendrum. That’s probably more money than you want to spend, but it’s the best. The sensitivity is incredible, and you either wear it like guitar, or it sits on your lap. Here’s a link:
If you don’t mind using sticks, you could look for a used DrumKAT or Octapad. The MIDI implementation of the DrumKAT still blows my mind, almost 20 years after the thing came out.