I was a djembefola in the 00s before getting the mpc60. Finished Mamady Keita's book 1.5x.
(1.5x, cuz midway while studying/practicing the book a second time, sold my expensive Mali-made djembe [included the book during sale] for an mpc60... as I've always wanted to dabble in music production and also try an mpc).
Mpc60 pads are pretty decent sized (I have the X SE now, which has similar sized pads... so are the Live versions).
Never had an Mpc One, but they are def smaller pads. So, maybe getting a Live2/3 or X/XL if you want bigger pads.
There looks to be plenty of midi drum-pad controllers... I have no idea which are best tho to replicate hand-drumming (and which have best sensitivity, velocity, dynamics, feel, etc.)
Here's what AI told me when I asked just now:
The Keith McMillen BopPad is widely considered the best MIDI pad controller for replicating a djembe because its continuous surface tracks hit location, velocity, and radius with ultra-low latency.
Top Controllers for Hand Percussion and Djembe
Keith McMillen BopPad: Features a 10-inch circular elastomeric surface that lets you play with your hands, fingers, or sticks, mapping different zones (center vs. edge) to distinct djembe tones like bass, slap, and tone.
Roland SPD-30 Octapad Digital Percussion Pad: A larger multi-pad option with highly responsive isolated pads suited for hand-playing or sticks, featuring built-in ethnic percussion and djembe sounds.
Yamaha DTX-Multi 12 Digital Percussion Pad: Offers 12 responsive split-level pads that accommodate hand percussion techniques and include a rich library of world folk and acoustic percussion voices.