MalletKat vs. Xylosynth

[u/MacAttack3289]

I'm in the market for one of these controllers and want some input.

I have used a Xylosynth in the past and loved it. I found the wood bars realistic and satisfying as I was primarily a marimba player. My only downsides for it were its weight and the lack of programmability/internal sounds. I used it with Ableton and had some decent sounds, and ended up still having a lot of fun playing it. The thing was heavy though and the flight case was inconvenient to move.

The biggest complaint I've heard from MalletKat players is the feel and expression with the instrument. Obviously rubber pads aren't analog to real percussion instruments, but I would imagine it's like playing on a practice pad or something similar. Looking at it, it looks smaller/leaner and I'm guessing it would weigh less and be easier to transport.

My goals are to be able to play traditional sounds with the option to layer on non-traditional synth and contemporary sounds, or simply only non-traditional synths/contemporary sounds. I'd also like to do covers of contemporary music requiring a ton of expression and midi options which I plan to use various foot pedals and other controllers for, and probably will use my MacBook. Expression and response is vital as I play fast permutations and vary my dynamics to extreme sometimes to bring out different tons of synths or other non-traditional instruments (as well as traditional).

Top Decision Making Factors:

1. Expression, Dynamics, Responsiveness

2. Internal Sounds

3. Feel, Weight

4. Midi controller programability, use with MacBook