It was a sad day for me when my Ensoniq VFX-SD finally bit the dust. I used that for midi input from 1989-2010; a 20+ year run with one axe.

What I liked about it as a controller/input device:

Keybed feel - live with an axe for 20 years and it's like hand-in-glove.

Key-aftertouch (I didn't realize how much I used it until getting a replacement controller that didn't have key-aftertouch)

Pitch Bend and Mod wheels of the proper size and resistance (again probably something that is 20 year familiar just hard to not like)

I never mapped the sequencer transport controls on it to my DAW transport controls - not even sure if that would have worked.

I currently use a little Akai Keystation 25 for some basic transport controls. One of these days I'll go wireless in some fashion so I don't have to use 4-bar count-ins and hop from the DAW to my 'booth'.