Hi Michael! If you’re like me, looking for a 61-key MIDI keyboard for the first time, then it is worth considering and comparing with what else is out there. I take it that the MK II is pretty nice. Gianni❤
@@gianni1646 indeed it is! The price difference for what you get makes it an easy choice. If you want a 61 grab an MKII for $469 used at Zzounds, but I will say getting a new one (MKII or 3) gets you WORLD class software. I LOVE analog lab V. Love it. Piano V. Arturia makes stunning sound collections.
This is my first premium MIDI controller, and I’m really impressed with it. The synth keys feel excellent, and the faders and encoders are top-notch. When paired with Analog Lab, it feels like an Astro Lab Keyboard but with enhanced control, especially with its sharp contrast screen. You really need to experience this keyboard firsthand to appreciate its quality. It has channel aftertouch. Adding polyphonic aftertouch and screens for each fader would significantly increase the price. If you already have a high-quality MIDI keyboard, this might not be necessary for you. However, if you’re in the market for a new one, I highly recommend this model, or you might consider waiting for a potential Keylab 88 with polyphonic aftertouch. By the way, the Arturia website mentions that it has real wood sides, and the street price is $550 on sites like Sweetwater.
I feel they missed the mark big time on this one, Mike. No poly aftertouch from a company that invented 'full touch', screen is small, encoder knob is small, no lit keys (like NI), too buried in their own ecosystem (if I wanted that, I would just buy an AstroLab)(NI has this problem too), and less inputs/outputs on the back (again, its suppose to be a controller). If I owned an MK2, and I don't, I would not be upgrading. Heck - I'd recommend others to just get the new Essentials, if they want Arturia. Hoping Novation drops a bomb on the scene soon with a new SL61 MKIV too be honest. At this point, due to the duds as of late, as a Live user, I am just going to run with a Push and reduce my desktop footprint and maybe add a couple of desktop synths, such as the Hydrasynth and maybe something more analog. I have also been thinking about getting a controller that has automated faders (its just cool, lol).
Your unfettered enthusiasm always makes me smile. I have Version II of this keyboard as well as the 88 version (one for studio, the other for travel and performance) and I am just as enthusiastic as you. Keep smiling!!
I love my mk2, if the mk3 had poly aftertouch I’d buy it tomorrow, but without it, I really don’t think the rest of the improvements would justify the upgrade cost for me. Yes the screen is nice, yes the touch sensitive faders and knobs are nice but not enough to want me to sell my mk2 and upgrade
Same for me. I have the mk2 and I use the cv outputs to drive my eurorack system along wth the Arturia Microfreak. Poly aftertouch, a six octave keyboard and the cv outputs and I would have been interested. Just not enough for me.
I own several mkII Keylabs, the new mkIII looks like a bit of a step backwards, or at least a shift away from players who would like to have more physical controls. Taking away two of the pedal inputs, not having MPE, taking away the nine buttons under the faders, and not giving us something new like a ribbon, an XY pad, or a joystick all seem like mistakes or missed opportunities. Yes, I know the functionality of the nine buttons in Keylab mode are now more usable with the bigger screen, but if you’re working in user mode, you have now lost nine front panel switches that you could use with plug-ins. Most plug-in synthesizers have built-in arpeggiators, so I don’t understand the current fascination people have with having an arpeggiator built-in to a midi controller, seems a bit redundant. I think I will just be sticking with my mkIIs, and perhaps getting a couple more of them while they’re still available.
@@dirkkeersmaekers4343for me the key stage doesn’t have enough controls and I don’t know how well Korg will maintain the software. With Arturia products I didn’t have issues with this regard.
@@CreativeSauce no Polyphonic aftertouch... If you want good pads, a Launchpad pro Mk3 or a Push3 is far preferable. Sounds to me like Arturia messed up their "customer discovery" during the development of the product. It's a pity
I love the new screen but find i hardly ever look at the one on the MKII the it have. I don’t use the pads or the CV stuff so this looks quite interesting, but i do prefer the look of the MKII. I’ll wait.
@@CreativeSauce yeah, it does look a lot more useful. I normally don’t need to mess with settings on my MKII, but do use the midi software if i do. I’d definitely get this new one if i had to get something, i just can’t find a reason to upgrade. I also prefer the black knobs and sliders.
Arturia midi keyboards previously have not had Reason for DAW mode and is why I don't use the Keylab essential most of the time, so good to see they now support it.
Agree w eddiexx. I owned the second gen model. I did not do enough research. I thought that the controls would be premapped to all the V Coll instruments but that was not the case. They were mapped only to Analog Lab which is great if that is what you are gonna use, plus it comes free w keyboard. But if you have invested in V Collection and want to control those synths you gotta program everything yourself for each instrument. And for those who have never tried - programming controller functions with Arturia instruments is not easy. Nothing simple like touch the fader then move a software control style midi learn that is present with most other synths. More of a menu driven controller assignment. To this day i find it hopelessly time consuming and fidgety to midi learn any Arturia synth (using a NI KK 61 MKi) and it wasn't any easier with my old Arturia board. That said I love the V Coll, i just mouse around to adjust parameters. Since they included some synths like the Augmented Strings or Voices that may not have Analog Lab presets and even the NI upright piano it makes me wonder if control outside of Analog Lab is coming. NI is way ahead with this using nks - just wish they would add some faders to the NI boards. I realize nks is NI exclusive (at least afaik). NKS compatibility would make this a home run, esp priced so low comp to NI. For now, I would suggest that it is really only an exceptional deal if you are committed to staying in the Analog Lab world.
Not ready to move from MKII; 16 pads, +I/O AUX ports, +I/O cv ports, front panel Fader buttons and ability to store multiple fader,knob,switch sets. MK3 does have some compelling touch and display capabilities that are really nice along with the keybed uplift. Hopefully, future upgrades will include easy shortcuts for multiple Fader, knob and Button sets from the front panel buttons. Future software upgrades to include improved workflows will make the difference to switch.
Hello Mike Have you considered making some kind of "ask Mike". I have a number of questions I can't find the answer to about home recording, and I really enjoy watching your channel. I assume other people have questions too? Claus, Denmark
Looks like a good one! I have also been thinking about new NI Keys, but now seeing this and software it comes with, might rethink NI Keys. Plus I already have lots of NI VST's. Now what would be great is if they made this Keylab display work with NI's Komplete, so you could see NI Software graphics and controls!
Nice review as Usual Mike! I own the Native Instruments S61 MK3 and am pretty happy with it. I think it Comes down to What you value in a keyboard, and I think both Aruna and NI have strong offerings. Regarding Controls, l actually prefer less than more, and the Controls to the right of the Arturia keyboard are not ergonomic for performance IMHO ( perhaps unless you are left-handed). At least with NI, you've space to put controls ( Monogram faders in my case). But I'd have liked a few pads - as Someone has pointed out, good for keyswitches etc. The screen Comparison is a no brainer though - NI have nailed it here. As is said, all depends on What you want, but ultimately the Most important thing is a playable keyboard and at this price, you'd expect nothing less.
I think if Arturia added the sound guts of the Astrolab into this baby they would be on a winner...it just feels to me that would be the best of both worlds...
my view: the black one has readable back lit text on the black buttons but the white version is a disaster in this regard. touch encoders are nice out the box but after a few years, they'll probably either fire of all on their own (throwing up that overlay graphic on screen) or they just become unreliable..not a fan my bottomline is the essentials version is more of a long term workhorse and even the white essentials has readable buttons.
It looks great. Only two things I dislike are the wood panels and having to click a button to engage a patch. I want it to look as futuristic as possible (so no retro wood) and as smooth as possible (so no irritating button clicks).
Thank you for your review. The most important thing is the keys. Please tell me, are the keys on the KeyLab Essential 88 mk3 better than on the Keylab3 61? For playing the piano?
Great video! I just received mine today and I'm impressed with everything about it so far. But I'm having one heck of a time getting the controller to communicate correctly with Studio One 6. Any help would be greatlt appreciated.
I bought a new but heavily discounted MK2 NI S61 the day the MK3 came out as was seriously unimpressed by the direction that NI have taken that eco system. I was using MK1's which of course had light strips for modulation and pitchbend and were annoyingly just being cut off from software updates. This is something you have to factor in when purchasing now from NI. Of course understand completely the benefits of what they are offering with the MK3 but I felt I was paying for quality over raw functionality which I didn't need in a basic controller. 12 months on and countless adverts by NI, it hasn't changed my view. These Arturia controllers look a much better fit as will probably be in the market for a new 88 note controler before long. Shame for me they didn't put the faders in the middle so as to make them more easily reachable for left or right hand usage. There's a space left in the middle of the pads and screen so could have easily shifted everything more central and leave more space at either side for users to operate a mouse. But overall an impressive product and once again is probably not going to be left redundant like those MK1 NI controllers when NI cut off support. Well done Arturia.
You describe this as a no brainer, but I beg to differ. Apart from the LCD screen, there isn't much more, CV was taken away and most importantly no Poly AT. It'll be a pass for most people who had been anticipating this release for quite a while. Maybe Arturia will release a 1000euro controler with FullTouch in the future, but the reason why they didn't add polyphonic aftertouch or fulltouch for the time being, on top of the cost factor was to avoid hurting Astrolab (with it basic keyboard) and PolyBrute 12 sales.
Not overly impressed. I sold my Keylab 88 MK2 last week. Looking at the Komplete 88 MK3, and this product does little to make me want to see if Arturia is going to make an 88 MK3. The lower price in relation to Komplete is attractive, but the screen is still too small IMHO and I don't use the pads. I'd rather have a bigger screen than pads so I'm going with Komplete, but as always YMMV.
I just looked at the wear and tear on an old controller I have here which has 16 pads. And the four at the top are hardly marked at all! You are right, I don't think I have ever used more than three rows! I am waiting for 88 key version of this. That will have fully weighted keys like the last one. I wonder if they are using the old keyboard or a new one. By the way, is that a pre-production model?
I have the essential 69 mk 3 and would have upgraded if it had poly aftertouch not that ive ever used it before. But it sounds great😂. But i will wait for mk4 and they might have it by then
I just got the 61 key version, but even using the Studio One DAW profile... I can't get the transport controls to work. If you ever feel so inclined Mike, a guide would be useful.
I love Arturia software but it I wish they would offer the controller with the pads and sliders the other way around, as a right handed player I want to use the sliders with my left hand WITHOUT having to reach across myself and I feel in this day and age the screen is way too small compared to the NI MK3 just seems a bit lacking IMO. I would happily pay for a top of the line controller for the software integration as I did with my NI 88 MK3 if Arturia offered the option.
You're not missing anything. It's a downgrade. I have MkII and I use those keys in Studio One. And BTW - MkII is much slimmer and takes less space. But still solid.
It's even worse than you think, compared to MK2, it's missing 4 pads on the left, 12 configurable buttons on the right (fader side) and 7 ins and outs in the back, all CV connectivity is gone, as a cherry on top, it's a plastic construction. But hey, the tiny screen is a bit better now, and some features that you had at your fingertips are now available only by menu diving, yay.
@@LukJarzyna Actually i dont care for the pads, never going to use the extra in/outs and don’t see any point in the screen (as I’ll be looking at a much larger one anyway). It looks more like a ‘pro’ E3 to me.
Well, it's a different kind of key. The 88 mkii has fully weighted keys (which I assume the 88 mk3 will have). Some people prefer a synth style key, some weighted. I like both for different things. But as far as synth style keys, these are some of the better I've tried.
Less software and lower the price would be nice. I have the Keylab Essential 61 and it appears the main difference is the keybed and aftertouch and of course, it's more tweakable. I just can't see paying $600 for a "controller" - I can play a keyboard, but I'm not a keyboardist, so that may explain my viewpoint, LOL. It does look nice though I must say, but I'll be sticking with what I have.
i like this keyboard but i wonder why full range of key-off 0-127 is considered something so special .. it’s not something new to the market.. my ni m32 has this feature with no hump in marketing .. i just new about it when i tried roland zen-core pro as this software show the value of the key-off - it’s not static at 64 however it ranges between 0 & 127
I think Arturia missed big time with this. They could've given the full touch capability or at LEAST polyphonic aftertouch. I guess the arpeggiator is an upgrade from the mk2, but it's still missing a sequencer. I'm not that impressed by the screen on a controller, since I'm mostly looking at my DAW when using a controller, but I was really hoping for actual features, actual physical capability improvements. I'm really hoping that whatever Novation will bring out next will have everything I need. Arp, (multi out) sequencer and polyphonic aftertouch. I think a MIDI controller needs to be more versatile than just a gateway and a user interface for the manufacturers own VST library. I of course understand why it is like this, but as a consumer I want more from my controller. More control, more options, more different use cases. I don't even mind the price if it's actually what I want. It doesn't matter to me if a controller is "cheap" or "competitively priced" if it doesn't do what I need/want it to do. I think it's weird that this space is still lacking a great MIDI controller with all the aforementioned features and more. In ANY price category?!
To big and hefty for my liking. Would pick this up over the NI S61 Mk3 but hey, I have the Essential 61 will be interested to see what the new software brings to that. It works well in midi mode with KK and Reaper.
Great vid as always Mike….. if I give you my wife’s phone number would you mind calling her and explaining why I definitely need to buy this….. ordering tomorrow. Cheers mate 🎸
They really need to offer a vanilla 'keyboard' only option for those upgrading who do not require the software. Overall, I'm really dissapointed with this. The only redeeming feature is that it now works with FL Studio.
Jeez, I just want a great functioning quality PAT keyboard controller without the screens and kitchen sink at a reasonable price. No one wants to make one apparently.
Nearly 1000 Australian dollars. Rip off. Too expensive for a Midi Controller with nothing new. The connectivity on the back is very disappointing. For that price I'd expect a Sequencer as well. Limited capability for that price.
They do look nice always, and what these keyboards is they work fine with their software, but THATS IT. They are horribly limited and underdeveloped software wise, flexibility and compatibility with other machines and programs is VERY poor. like the worse side of apple closed mentality for keyboards
Hello, Mike. I have an a61 from NI. Its Studio One Daw integration is disappointing. That and no after touch and other niggles, well... not a very satisfactory purchase. So...I'm looking around within my price point. This seems like a nice choice and it certainly seems that you like it or, in your words, "love it." You demoed using it with Studio One and showed a list of DAWs that are integrated with the keyboard. Being tedious as I am and not wanting to risk another disappointing purchase, I downloaded the manual for this controller and page 46 lists the DAWs for which the keys are scripted. Studio One is not in that list. Are you using the generic (MCU/HUI) mode for Studio One access?
Hole the Phone! Revisiting the section of your vid on Daws, a closer look (hard to see) reveals that Studio One seems to be an option in the DAWs list (7:35). This must be post-user manual publishing. So, then, do you find the Studio One integration comprehensive or minimalist?
They also took out the 9 buttons below the faders which have become such a big part of my workflow
Agreed, something a touch screen just can't replace.
Owning an MKII I don’t see this as a necessary upgrade. Great video per usual!
Thanks Michael :)
Hi Michael! If you’re like me, looking for a 61-key MIDI keyboard for the first time, then it is worth considering and comparing with what else is out there.
I take it that the MK II is pretty nice.
Gianni❤
@@gianni1646 indeed it is! The price difference for what you get makes it an easy choice. If you want a 61 grab an MKII for $469 used at Zzounds, but I will say getting a new one (MKII or 3) gets you WORLD class software. I LOVE analog lab V. Love it. Piano V. Arturia makes stunning sound collections.
This is my first premium MIDI controller, and I’m really impressed with it. The synth keys feel excellent, and the faders and encoders are top-notch. When paired with Analog Lab, it feels like an Astro Lab Keyboard but with enhanced control, especially with its sharp contrast screen. You really need to experience this keyboard firsthand to appreciate its quality. It has channel aftertouch. Adding polyphonic aftertouch and screens for each fader would significantly increase the price. If you already have a high-quality MIDI keyboard, this might not be necessary for you. However, if you’re in the market for a new one, I highly recommend this model, or you might consider waiting for a potential Keylab 88 with polyphonic aftertouch. By the way, the Arturia website mentions that it has real wood sides, and the street price is $550 on sites like Sweetwater.
I feel they missed the mark big time on this one, Mike. No poly aftertouch from a company that invented 'full touch', screen is small, encoder knob is small, no lit keys (like NI), too buried in their own ecosystem (if I wanted that, I would just buy an AstroLab)(NI has this problem too), and less inputs/outputs on the back (again, its suppose to be a controller). If I owned an MK2, and I don't, I would not be upgrading. Heck - I'd recommend others to just get the new Essentials, if they want Arturia. Hoping Novation drops a bomb on the scene soon with a new SL61 MKIV too be honest. At this point, due to the duds as of late, as a Live user, I am just going to run with a Push and reduce my desktop footprint and maybe add a couple of desktop synths, such as the Hydrasynth and maybe something more analog. I have also been thinking about getting a controller that has automated faders (its just cool, lol).
Keys on the essential feel crap though
I couldn't have put it better myself. It's making my essentials mk3 look great for £200
Your unfettered enthusiasm always makes me smile. I have Version II of this keyboard as well as the 88 version (one for studio, the other for travel and performance) and I am just as enthusiastic as you. Keep smiling!!
Haha, thank you!
I love my mk2, if the mk3 had poly aftertouch I’d buy it tomorrow, but without it, I really don’t think the rest of the improvements would justify the upgrade cost for me.
Yes the screen is nice, yes the touch sensitive faders and knobs are nice but not enough to want me to sell my mk2 and upgrade
Same for me. I have the mk2 and I use the cv outputs to drive my eurorack system along wth the Arturia Microfreak. Poly aftertouch, a six octave keyboard and the cv outputs and I would have been interested. Just not enough for me.
I own several mkII Keylabs, the new mkIII looks like a bit of a step backwards, or at least a shift away from players who would like to have more physical controls. Taking away two of the pedal inputs, not having MPE, taking away the nine buttons under the faders, and not giving us something new like a ribbon, an XY pad, or a joystick all seem like mistakes or missed opportunities. Yes, I know the functionality of the nine buttons in Keylab mode are now more usable with the bigger screen, but if you’re working in user mode, you have now lost nine front panel switches that you could use with plug-ins. Most plug-in synthesizers have built-in arpeggiators, so I don’t understand the current fascination people have with having an arpeggiator built-in to a midi controller, seems a bit redundant. I think I will just be sticking with my mkIIs, and perhaps getting a couple more of them while they’re still available.
Poly aftertouch is the dealbreaker for me personally. But this is a great option for someone who doesn't already have a high end controller.
For me;the Korg keystage
@@dirkkeersmaekers4343 Korg KeyStage has a noisy, clacky keybed.
@@dirkkeersmaekers4343for me the key stage doesn’t have enough controls and I don’t know how well Korg will maintain the software. With Arturia products I didn’t have issues with this regard.
I'm glad they've added the better screen. Makes it much closer (and now actually better) than the NI equivalent.
agree :)
How is it better? The NI equivalent has a huge screen. I am disappointed in this new one, actually.
Yes it has. But, it's $250 more, and has no pads.
@@CreativeSauce no faders, either. Good point.
@@CreativeSauce no Polyphonic aftertouch...
If you want good pads, a Launchpad pro Mk3 or a Push3 is far preferable.
Sounds to me like Arturia messed up their "customer discovery" during the development of the product. It's a pity
I love the new screen but find i hardly ever look at the one on the MKII the it have. I don’t use the pads or the CV stuff so this looks quite interesting, but i do prefer the look of the MKII. I’ll wait.
Yeah, I hear ya. But for me, I'd look at this one more - and therefore actually make use of it!
@@CreativeSauce yeah, it does look a lot more useful. I normally don’t need to mess with settings on my MKII, but do use the midi software if i do. I’d definitely get this new one if i had to get something, i just can’t find a reason to upgrade. I also prefer the black knobs and sliders.
Arturia midi keyboards previously have not had Reason for DAW mode and is why I don't use the Keylab essential most of the time, so good to see they now support it.
Agree w eddiexx. I owned the second gen model. I did not do enough research. I thought that the controls would be premapped to all the V Coll instruments but that was not the case. They
were mapped only to Analog Lab which is great if that is what you are gonna use, plus it comes free w keyboard. But if you have invested in V Collection and want to control those synths you gotta program everything yourself for each instrument. And for those who have never tried - programming controller functions with Arturia instruments is not easy. Nothing simple like touch the fader then move a software control style midi learn that is present with most other synths. More of a menu driven controller assignment. To this day i find it hopelessly time consuming and fidgety to midi learn any Arturia synth (using a NI KK 61 MKi) and it wasn't any easier with my old Arturia board. That said I love the V Coll, i just mouse around to adjust parameters. Since they included some synths like the Augmented Strings or Voices that may not have Analog Lab presets and even the NI upright piano it makes me wonder if control outside of Analog Lab is coming. NI is way ahead with this using nks - just wish they would add some faders to the NI boards. I realize nks is NI exclusive (at least afaik). NKS compatibility would make this a home run, esp priced so low comp to NI. For now, I would suggest that it is really only an exceptional deal if you are committed to staying in the Analog Lab world.
Thank you for the information
My pleasure Jay
Great review Mike. Looking to upgrade my old 49 Essential. This looks good. All the best 😊😊😊
Love to watch your enthusiasm, Mike, and love the specs too. You look more like Buddy Holly now 😂❤
Not ready to move from MKII; 16 pads, +I/O AUX ports, +I/O cv ports, front panel Fader buttons and ability to store multiple fader,knob,switch sets. MK3 does have some compelling touch and display capabilities that are really nice along with the keybed uplift. Hopefully, future upgrades will include easy shortcuts for multiple Fader, knob and Button sets from the front panel buttons. Future software upgrades to include improved workflows will make the difference to switch.
Hello Mike
Have you considered making some kind of "ask Mike". I have a number of questions I can't find the answer to about home recording, and I really enjoy watching your channel. I assume other people have questions too?
Claus, Denmark
The keypads can be very useful as key switches particulary when they are in the lower octaves. So loosing a few pads reduces your options here.
Larger pads but I wonder if they have a bank switch on the pads on this like they have on the Essential Mk3's?
They do.
Excellent review! Thank you again for your videos!
Thanks Michael, my pleasure :)
Looks like a good one! I have also been thinking about new NI Keys, but now seeing this and software it comes with, might rethink NI Keys. Plus I already have lots of NI VST's. Now what would be great is if they made this Keylab display work with NI's Komplete, so you could see NI Software graphics and controls!
Nice review as Usual Mike! I own the Native Instruments S61 MK3 and am pretty happy with it. I think it Comes down to What you value in a keyboard, and I think both Aruna and NI have strong offerings. Regarding Controls, l actually prefer less than more, and the Controls to the right of the Arturia keyboard are not ergonomic for performance IMHO ( perhaps unless you are left-handed). At least with NI, you've space to put controls ( Monogram faders in my case). But I'd have liked a few pads - as Someone has pointed out, good for keyswitches etc. The screen Comparison is a no brainer though - NI have nailed it here. As is said, all depends on What you want, but ultimately the Most important thing is a playable keyboard and at this price, you'd expect nothing less.
I think if Arturia added the sound guts of the Astrolab into this baby they would be on a winner...it just feels to me that would be the best of both worlds...
🤯
my view:
the black one has readable back lit text on the black buttons but the white version is a disaster in this regard.
touch encoders are nice out the box but after a few years, they'll probably either fire of all on their own (throwing up that overlay graphic on screen) or they just become unreliable..not a fan
my bottomline is the essentials version is more of a long term workhorse and even the white essentials has readable buttons.
It looks great. Only two things I dislike are the wood panels and having to click a button to engage a patch. I want it to look as futuristic as possible (so no retro wood) and as smooth as possible (so no irritating button clicks).
Thanks Mike, that looks really good. Hmmm, can I justify another synth? Always manage to! 😁
Thank you for your review.
The most important thing is the keys.
Please tell me, are the keys on the KeyLab Essential 88 mk3 better than on the Keylab3 61? For playing the piano?
Great video!
I just received mine today and I'm impressed with everything about it so far.
But I'm having one heck of a time getting the controller to communicate correctly with Studio One 6.
Any help would be greatlt appreciated.
I bought a new but heavily discounted MK2 NI S61 the day the MK3 came out as was seriously unimpressed by the direction that NI have taken that eco system. I was using MK1's which of course had light strips for modulation and pitchbend and were annoyingly just being cut off from software updates. This is something you have to factor in when purchasing now from NI.
Of course understand completely the benefits of what they are offering with the MK3 but I felt I was paying for quality over raw functionality which I didn't need in a basic controller. 12 months on and countless adverts by NI, it hasn't changed my view.
These Arturia controllers look a much better fit as will probably be in the market for a new 88 note controler before long. Shame for me they didn't put the faders in the middle so as to make them more easily reachable for left or right hand usage. There's a space left in the middle of the pads and screen so could have easily shifted everything more central and leave more space at either side for users to operate a mouse. But overall an impressive product and once again is probably not going to be left redundant like those MK1 NI controllers when NI cut off support. Well done Arturia.
You describe this as a no brainer, but I beg to differ. Apart from the LCD screen, there isn't much more, CV was taken away and most importantly no Poly AT.
It'll be a pass for most people who had been anticipating this release for quite a while.
Maybe Arturia will release a 1000euro controler with FullTouch in the future, but the reason why they didn't add polyphonic aftertouch or fulltouch for the time being, on top of the cost factor was to avoid hurting Astrolab (with it basic keyboard) and PolyBrute 12 sales.
Not overly impressed.
I sold my Keylab 88 MK2 last week. Looking at the Komplete 88 MK3, and this product does little to make me want to see if Arturia is going to make an 88 MK3.
The lower price in relation to Komplete is attractive, but the screen is still too small IMHO and I don't use the pads. I'd rather have a bigger screen than pads so I'm going with Komplete, but as always YMMV.
I just looked at the wear and tear on an old controller I have here which has 16 pads. And the four at the top are hardly marked at all! You are right, I don't think I have ever used more than three rows! I am waiting for 88 key version of this. That will have fully weighted keys like the last one. I wonder if they are using the old keyboard or a new one. By the way, is that a pre-production model?
do u prefer they keybed on the arturia or the Kontrol s61?
Thanks for the info. Bless.
My pleasure. Thanks for stopping by :)
The only thing i dont like in my Mk2 is the keybed,everything else is fantastic!
@@russb_uk what about roland a800 pro i played on it and it had solid keys but little smaller
No poly aftertouch?
No 16 pads?
What were they thinking?
I have the essential 69 mk 3 and would have upgraded if it had poly aftertouch not that ive ever used it before. But it sounds great😂. But i will wait for mk4 and they might have it by then
I just got the 61 key version, but even using the Studio One DAW profile... I can't get the transport controls to work. If you ever feel so inclined Mike, a guide would be useful.
That was fast... I envy you ha. I can only dream for now lol
Where did you get that T-shirt from? It is so cool.
I wish they would make an ultimate keystep controller like this that can control at least 6 devices!
It's very nice but it costs more than twice as much as the Essential and doesn't offer twice as many features.
I love Arturia software but it I wish they would offer the controller with the pads and sliders the other way around, as a right handed player I want to use the sliders with my left hand WITHOUT having to reach across myself and I feel in this day and age the screen is way too small compared to the NI MK3 just seems a bit lacking IMO. I would happily pay for a top of the line controller for the software integration as I did with my NI 88 MK3 if Arturia offered the option.
Great keyboard for a first time buyer, but if you already have the MK2 i really don't see an absolute necessity to upgrade to the MK3
Nice walkthrough Mike. Hope you're well. We've been away a lot so got lots of catching up to do of your videos!
Cheers Joe :)
Just noticed they have dropped the 9 buttons. Am i missing something?
You're not missing anything. It's a downgrade. I have MkII and I use those keys in Studio One. And BTW - MkII is much slimmer and takes less space. But still solid.
@@WojciechKobus ah yes, i thought it looked a bit ‘fat’. I use those buttons a lot with Logic. I’d miss them more than the knobs.
It's even worse than you think, compared to MK2, it's missing 4 pads on the left, 12 configurable buttons on the right (fader side) and 7 ins and outs in the back, all CV connectivity is gone, as a cherry on top, it's a plastic construction.
But hey, the tiny screen is a bit better now, and some features that you had at your fingertips are now available only by menu diving, yay.
@@LukJarzyna Actually i dont care for the pads, never going to use the extra in/outs and don’t see any point in the screen (as I’ll be looking at a much larger one anyway). It looks more like a ‘pro’ E3 to me.
@@davebassP5 yeah, it's pretty much keylab essentials plus, not a flagship.
I will stick with my MK2. This release has less features but a higher price.
How does the keybed compare to the MKII 88 key?
Well, it's a different kind of key. The 88 mkii has fully weighted keys (which I assume the 88 mk3 will have).
Some people prefer a synth style key, some weighted. I like both for different things. But as far as synth style keys, these are some of the better I've tried.
Less software and lower the price would be nice. I have the Keylab Essential 61 and it appears the main difference is the keybed and aftertouch and of course, it's more tweakable. I just can't see paying $600 for a "controller" - I can play a keyboard, but I'm not a keyboardist, so that may explain my viewpoint, LOL. It does look nice though I must say, but I'll be sticking with what I have.
i like this keyboard but i wonder why full range of key-off 0-127 is considered something so special .. it’s not something new to the market.. my ni m32 has this feature with no hump in marketing .. i just new about it when i tried roland zen-core pro as this software show the value of the key-off - it’s not static at 64 however it ranges between 0 & 127
I think Arturia missed big time with this. They could've given the full touch capability or at LEAST polyphonic aftertouch. I guess the arpeggiator is an upgrade from the mk2, but it's still missing a sequencer. I'm not that impressed by the screen on a controller, since I'm mostly looking at my DAW when using a controller, but I was really hoping for actual features, actual physical capability improvements. I'm really hoping that whatever Novation will bring out next will have everything I need. Arp, (multi out) sequencer and polyphonic aftertouch.
I think a MIDI controller needs to be more versatile than just a gateway and a user interface for the manufacturers own VST library. I of course understand why it is like this, but as a consumer I want more from my controller. More control, more options, more different use cases. I don't even mind the price if it's actually what I want. It doesn't matter to me if a controller is "cheap" or "competitively priced" if it doesn't do what I need/want it to do. I think it's weird that this space is still lacking a great MIDI controller with all the aforementioned features and more. In ANY price category?!
ill buy a NI Sl88 mk3
To big and hefty for my liking. Would pick this up over the NI S61 Mk3 but hey, I have the Essential 61 will be interested to see what the new software brings to that. It works well in midi mode with KK and Reaper.
This or a clean second hand 61 Mk2 for €240?
First Astrolab, now this. Simply weird. Sad times for loyal Arturia virtual instrument users.
Great vid as always Mike….. if I give you my wife’s phone number would you mind calling her and explaining why I definitely need to buy this….. ordering tomorrow. Cheers mate 🎸
They really need to offer a vanilla 'keyboard' only option for those upgrading who do not require the software. Overall, I'm really dissapointed with this. The only redeeming feature is that it now works with FL Studio.
It's not on sweet water as yet I don't know why
Yeah, I'm looking into this right now.
Jeez, I just want a great functioning quality PAT keyboard controller without the screens and kitchen sink at a reasonable price. No one wants to make one apparently.
6,000 bucks here in Brazil🤡 and its hard to find
everything has to be setup manually its complex's
Man, losing 4 pads might be a dealbreaker.
Hey Mario, thanks for watching. Interesting, you make use of 16?
@@CreativeSauce Yeah, I trigger lots of samples when I perform live, using my Mk2. Anyways, great video, as always!
Thanks for your perspective man :)
12's better than 8, but yeah, a lot of people were expecting 16.
4*4 matrix of pad is more logical. Like every daw use this logic.
Faders are still on the right😅
Nearly 1000 Australian dollars. Rip off. Too expensive for a Midi Controller with nothing new. The connectivity on the back is very disappointing. For that price I'd expect a Sequencer as well. Limited capability for that price.
Lacks, PAT. No MPE. A ribbon would have been nice.
They do look nice always, and what these keyboards is they work fine with their software, but THATS IT. They are horribly limited and underdeveloped software wise, flexibility and compatibility with other machines and programs is VERY poor. like the worse side of apple closed mentality for keyboards
Mmmmh nah not falling for this, i stick with my mk3 essential this is not worth the money!!!
Hate it. It is so dumbed down
Hello, Mike. I have an a61 from NI. Its Studio One Daw integration is disappointing. That and no after touch and other niggles, well... not a very satisfactory purchase. So...I'm looking around within my price point. This seems like a nice choice and it certainly seems that you like it or, in your words, "love it." You demoed using it with Studio One and showed a list of DAWs that are integrated with the keyboard. Being tedious as I am and not wanting to risk another disappointing purchase, I downloaded the manual for this controller and page 46 lists the DAWs for which the keys are scripted. Studio One is not in that list. Are you using the generic (MCU/HUI) mode for Studio One access?
Hole the Phone! Revisiting the section of your vid on Daws, a closer look (hard to see) reveals that Studio One seems to be an option in the DAWs list (7:35). This must be post-user manual publishing. So, then, do you find the Studio One integration comprehensive or minimalist?
Meh..