Best deal under $500 has to be the Realistic MG-1. It's made by Moog and it's pretty much identical to a Rogue, except it's even better in a couple ways. They are pretty cheap (I bought one for $300) and it has nasty Moog bass (and filter!!) that these newer VA's can't touch. It's been going for more on eBay lately but you can typically get one for $300-400. Just make sure you clear out all the black foam gunk underneath if the previous owner hasn't already.
Oh and synhouse.com has a "midijack" that's relatively inexpensive and easy to install that adds midi.