Arturia KeyLab Essential mk3 49-key Keyboard Controller – White

Arturia KeyLab Essential mk3 49-key Keyboard Controller – White

The music-making essentials

Whether you’re a beginner producer, an experienced music maker, or anyone in between, unlock your full creative potential with a MIDI controller that breaks down all the barriers between you, your DAW, and your perfect sound.

Find joy in your workflow

Find the right sound faster than ever. Customize your mix in real-time. Finish that track with ease. Music-making shouldn’t feel like work; KeyLab Essential removes barriers and puts the joy back into your workflow.

Your DAW, upgraded

Your favorite synth sounds, your DAW transport, and your mixing desk all in one. Enjoy next-level control over your sounds & DAW projects, seamless communication with Analog Lab, and a bundle of pro creative software to supercharge your sound.

Quickly inspire new ideas

KeyLab Essential doesn’t just help you play & navigate your projects – it’s also built to inspire. Summon catchy melodies, curious rhythms, and moving chord sequences with its array of creative features, and see where it can take your sound.

That quality feeling

You want the feeling of a premium instrument, the flexibility of a top-class controller, and the ease-of-use of a beginner keyboard. KeyLab Essentials sensitive controls, hybrid synth-feel keybed, and smart layout puts it all at your fingertips.

Your keys to creativity

However you choose to make music, KeyLab Essential has all the creative answers – before you’ve even thought of the questions. This controller fits right into your setup to become an extension of your creative identity.

Control any DAW

Enjoy plug-and-play connectivity and ready-mapped controls with your DAW of choice. KeyLab Essential doesn’t just feature familiar MCU & HUI compatibility; it also has custom scripts for major DAWs for next-level integration.

Customize your workflow

KeyLab Essential easily adapts to your creative needs; recall your favorite ’liked’ presets from Analog Lab, navigate your custom-made playlists, activate custom User programs for your own control assignments, and more.

At one with Analog Lab

Turn Analog Lab into a hardware synth and get hands-on with your sound thanks to KeyLab Essential’s seamlessly mapped controls. Adjust sound parameters, tweak FX, and browse presets without ever needing to touch your computer.

All the software & sounds you need for making music

What software & sounds do you get with KeyLab Essential mk3? From a full copy of Analog Lab to a library of over 4 million samples, you’re fully equipped for whatever music you want to make.

Keybed

As comfortable for performance as it is for studio beat-making, KeyLab Essential’s durable hybrid synth-piano keybed is smooth & responsive, complemented by the familiar Pitch & Mod wheels and Pedal input for sustain, footswitch, or expression.

Display

Get the essential real-time info you need, from parameter values to your current preset, with a bright 2.5” display, complete with contextual buttons that make navigation effortless.

Pads

Switch between MIDI notes, clip triggering, finger-drumming, or whatever you need them to do. KeyLab Essential’s velocity & pressure-sensitive pads are even RGB color-coded so you can keep track at all times.

Encoders

Get that real hands-on feeling and interact with crucial controls right where you need them, from track panning to specific instrument parameters, with full rotation encoders.

Faders

Tweak your track levels, envelope settings, selected parameters on your Arturia instruments, and more with ultra-smooth faders at your fingertips.

DAW controls

Instantly switch from sculpting your synth sounds to piloting your DAW project with KeyLab Essential’s dedicated DAW controls, so you’re in control at all times. Its custom integration scripts even ensure that the most crucial controls work perfectly, whatever DAW you’re using.

A vessel for creativity

For when you want to get experimental, find a new sound, or just need a bit of extra inspiration, KeyLab Essential has a few tricks up its sleeve. Create fun ever-changing melodies, create chord voicings, and always stay in key – without thinking twice.

Chord play

Play rich, full, powerful chords with a single key by selecting from built-in chord presets, or inputting your own custom chord shapes – great for when you need quick inspiration for your next hit.

Scale mode

Set your playing free and never go out of key with KeyLab Essential’s Scale mode, which quickly locks the keybed to one of several built-in scales. Wrong notes? Never again.

Arpeggiator

Turn chords or selections of notes into vibrant melodies and rhythmic ideas with a built-in Arpeggiator, complete with Hold function so you can go no-hands. You can even use all these features together; play & hold a chord with a single key, arpeggiate it, and lock it to a scale of your choice.

Your eco-designed MIDI controller

A better product for the environment means a more sustainable creative future.

KeyLab Essential mk3 follows in the footsteps of MiniLab 3, the world’s first eco-designed MIDI controller; built to perform better, produce less waste, and reduce our carbon footprint for good. Made with minimum 40% recycled plastic, 100% recyclable packaging, and a material carbon footprint reduction of 18%, this controller takes sustainability seriously.

A deeper connection

KeyLab Essential mk3 takes DAW integration to another level.

Tweak your sound settings, create custom mappings, launch clips & scenes, and navigate around any project in real-time, all without ever leaving KeyLab Essential’s controls.

You’re in full control thanks to custom DAW scripts for Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, and Bitwig Studio, with support for more major DAWs planned in the future. Better still, MCU/HUI protocol means it can support any other workstation in a familiar way – for that satisfying in-the-box workflow that you’ve always wanted.

Main Features

Premium Keybed quality

49 & 61-note velocity-sensitive keyboard with hybrid synth-piano feel

Pads & controls

1 clickable encoder

9 rotary encoders

9 x 30mm faders

8 transport switches

4 command switches

1 modulation wheel & bend wheel

8 touch & pressure-sensitive pads

Display control

5” LCD display with contextual buttons

Real-time feedback on tweaks and controls

Smart features

Multi-mode arpeggiator

Chord mode

Scale mode

Hold function

Semitone transpose

Software integration

Seamless integration with Analog Lab V: select sounds, browse presets, smart-assigned controls

Custom DAW scripts for FL Studio, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Bitwig Studio

Also compatible with MCU/HUI control

Up to 6 user presets for a totally customizable experience

Included Software titles & services

Analog Lab V software with 2000+ sounds

Ableton Live Lite

Native Instruments’ The Gentleman

UVI Model D

2-month Loopcloud subscription

Melodics subscription for 40 lessons

Connectivity

USB-C connects to computers and MIDI Control Center

MIDI 5-pin DIN output for connection to external instruments, gear

Control input for pedal: sustain, expression, or footswitch

USB-C powered

Platform specifications

Windows

Win 10+ (64bit)

4 GB RAM

4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost)

3GB free hard disk space

OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU

ARM processors not supported on Windows

Required configuration

Works in Standalone, VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).

Apple

Mac OS 10.13+

4 GB RAM

4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost) or Apple Silicon CPU

3GB free hard disk space

OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU

Work with ASC

An elegant and simple solution to help you install, activate, and update your Arturia software instruments. You can learn more about it