Personally, I dont get automap - dont get me wrong - I understand it, know what it does etc, but it has just never struck me as particularly elegent, and TBH I find it a bit instrusive.
Novation Keyboards probably have amoung the best feel of any of these cheaper controllers (though I havnt used the AKAI one listed above).
My favourite Novation controller is probably the old Remote series rather than the newer Remote SL - build quiality was much better IMHO, though the key feel is the same between both models.
BTW - once you have got used to using an X/Y pad for some pairs of paramaters - anything else is a ratehr poor substitute - V-Synth makes a great controller too
