Arturia recently announced their KeyLab mk3 keyboard controllers, and I thought it would be worth checking out what's new.
Redesigned from the ground up, KeyLab mk3 takes the excellence of its predecessor to new heights with an enhanced keybed alongside new creative features and user controls. Engineered for seamless integration with your hardware and software instruments both in the studio and on stage - this controller is built to last and meet the needs of demanding keyboardists, composers and producers alike.
From its leading DAW integration and performance features to its robust design; the KeyLab mk3 has everything to become the new industry reference for premium controller keyboards.
What's New?
- enhanced keybed - Have greater control of synth and piano sounds with a full rework of keyboard balance, weighting and spring tension.
- visual interface - Have full control of settings, parameters and custom mappings with a 480x320px screen controllable with 8 contextual buttons
- creative features - Take your expression further with inspiring creative tools including a new Scale, Arpeggiator and Chord mode.
- pad capabilities - You can now harness a total of 4 Pad Banks of 12 pads for finger drumming, clip launching and endless mapping possibilities.
- touch-sensitive potentiometers and faders - Have a greater degree of control with nine 360° rotary potentiometers and nine faders.
- software bundle - Kick-start your creative journey with pro software included: Analog Lab Pro, Mini V, Piano V, Augmented Strings, Rev PLATE-140, Ableton Live Lite, NI The Gentleman, Loopcloud & Melodics
_Perfect integration with Analog Lab & V Collection
Deeper integration with Arturia Software, offering unmatched control and flexibility.
_Optimal integration with your DAW
Seamless integration with Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase and Bitwig Studio with dedicated MIDI mappings plus MCU & HUI.
_Enhanced keybed
Durable, velocity-sensitive hybrid-feel keys tweaked for optimal accuracy and expressivity will capture every nuance of your performance.
_Touch sensitive parameters
- 9 touch-sensitive 360° potentiometers and faders.
- 12 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads with 4 banks.
- Transport controls and DAW commands
_Smart navigation
Full Color 3.5" 480x320px screen with 8 contextual buttons for intuitive control and feedback.
_Advanced creative features
- Scale Mode: automatically adjusts notes to a selected scale.
- Arpeggiator: includes extensive randomness features for unique patterns.
- Chord Play: allows fixed chords or chord progressions with smart voicing.
_Fully customizable
Custom MIDI message, pad color and velocity curves to have full control of your hardware & software
_Software bundle
Kick-start your creative journey with pro software included.
10 COOL THINGS TO HAVE FUN WITH
_Find YOUR sound in any Arturia software
Thanks to the new color screen, browse through presets, filter by type, instruments, genre or liked.
_Control your DAW
Browse and arm tracks, launch clips and scenes, navigate the timeline, control devices, Play / Record / Stop; Save / Quantize / Undo / Redo
_Switch From DAW program to Arturia program
Your controller will adapts its behavior depending on whether you want to control your DAW or any Arturia plugins
_Cumulate Chords, Scale & Arp
Using only one finger, play chords that will be held, quantized to a scale and then arpeggiated... Very musical result guaranteed
_Create generative arpeggios
New arp random feature lets you randomise arp sequences using ratchet, octave shift, changing division time and more…
_Customize your KeyLab
Choose the CCs sent by the controls, the colour of the pads, the velocity curves, the pedal input type... Customise anything.
_Create a "multi" in Analog Lab V
Like 2 different sounds in Analog Lab? Use your KeyLab to create a split point or layer the sounds, controls them individually or altogether
_Create a full track only using the included Software Bundle
4 plugins coming from the legendary V Collection, the most popular DAW on the market, sample banks... All you need to make a track
