So I'm looking for all the above stuff, and I've found it kind of hard to figure out which will work with garageband. I'm using that for now, but might switch to logic eventually. For drum pads I've been looking at the M-Audio Trigger Finger Drum Pad Control Surface and Akai MPD24. Will both these work with mac? Also, I don't really understand how they would work with garageband. Does it just use sounds from the instruments in garageband? or do they come with their own samples? And do the knobs and faders control the actual samples and is each pad programmable?

As far as USB turntables...I'm pretty sure they all work with Macs, but has anyone scratched with them for use of samples? Is any superior for this or what they all work? And do you need a separate program for this or will GB work?

And USB controllers, what exactly can you do that you can't do with a drum pad and/or midi keyboard with controls? Can you like, for say, have an electric guitar as input?

And also...For all this stuff, are any seperate programs/garageband plugins necessary/useful?
BTW, I have 10.4 with ilife 08, oh also, I have iDrum, is this usefull with a drum pad?
Thanks, any help appreciated.

For my money I would buy the new AKAI MPK49, it's got more features than most pad & keyboard controllers combined...and it has high end features found on the MPC's like a built-in arp. and note repeats...for $400 you get a 49 note keyboard, 12 MPC style pads and enough MIDI knobs and faders
to handle almost any application...get Logic and the MPK49 and you've got the bases covered for some time..