Arturia KeyLab 49

A good and beautiful little master keyboard. Metal, good build quality and ergonomics.
USB (which also serves food) + MIDI in / out. The quality of the keyboard does not have a good reputation, it is not actually made for a piano-playing. However, personally, I love this kind of very light touch and rather soft, it changes the feel Kurzweil (PC3LE)! Despite the metal tabs stuck under the keys can not call it a semi-weighted keyboard. The Keylab used with soft Arturia fits perfectly. All functions (or so) different synth brand are opened and edited from the Keylab.

UTILIZATION

- The touch keyboard is very soft and can seem flimsy (I like, so we have simply not hit like crazy and everything will be fine for many years)

- The manual is clear and well done.

- Ergonomics of Keylab is really well done, nothing to say. The sliders and knobs are solid and the selection buttons.

OVERALL OPINION

Arturia offers well constructed of metal with a good finish and an attractive design machines. The Keylab no exception to the rule. It changes the competitors with a full plastic assembly ... The only black spot is the potential fragility of the keyboard next how to play, shame!
I do not regret my choice for this little master keyboard is ideal for driving my softs Arturia (+ others) and it has a very nice design, solid and built with quality.

I wanted a synth that offers opportunities in the synthesis. so there is the controller and the program that acts as a VST.

UTILIZATION

I had problems with the quality of the keyboard that I find frankly cheap. I had to return twice to the factory ...
Otherwise, the rest is really correct, Aluminium finish and wooden knobs and father are cool, the pads are correct. The manual is good, but the keyboard is very intuitive and easy to use. The pitch and modulation Mollettes are correct.

OVERALL OPINION

I use since October 2013. I find it very interesting. It offers many possibilities, the multiplayer is really fun. I still had significant bugs (program crash, notes sustain and impossible to do anything except cut everything) ... So, I'm afraid to use it live ... I think for making music at home, composing, studio and everything, it's really nice, sounds are varied mono and polyphonic. For live, I recommend, I'm going to turn to an analog solution, but there ... We are entering a new dimension of cost.

I would do this choice, but not to live! So here goes ... a little disappointing though because it was indeed to live I did this choice ...

Comprehensive and fairly compact considering the number of keyboard commands, aesthetically very successful and undoubtedly very robust. On my copy the finish is impeccable, the materials used are very rewarding, metal hull, the "wood" of the sidewalls. The keyboard is very heavy (!) But the relatively stable once placed on a bass amp in my hodgepodge that serves as my home studio
The connection is very complete and the power supply is via the USB port which is imho a benefit (a cable less, one!)
The LCD screen is very readable and practical
The knobs and sliders are good, the pads are particularly pleasant and reagents

UTILIZATION

A touch keyboard is very subjective, I personally like to have in the wrist but without going to the feeling of a piano hammer ... Here I find that the touch is perfectly suited to my needs, keys are weighted just right and feel of the game is very good.
The manual is not bad but I would have liked something more didactic from Arturia who writes in principle very nice manuals.
Midday management is very ergonomic with the software mapper, more often the knobs are prémappés conventional functions VSTi, even third party.
Although the keyboard is particularly suitable for home analoglab software and (to a lesser extent vsti Arturia) I would have liked a more seamless integration with vsti Arturia but it is already well

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a few months and I'm very happy, it's worth more than € 300, considering the competition.
I had or tested plethora of midi keyboards (Edirol, M-Audio, Novation, Korg, Akai ...) or hardware synths in this price range and frankly at this quality is the best in my opinion.
And then I was tired of reading people drooling over Arturia so entirely unjustified, I am a customer from the very beginning (1 STORM!!) And I have never been disappointed.
In addition to the customer service is very friendly and responsive, although the website is not terrible ...
What I like least is the final license management home, inflexible especially for resale.
What I like most about this hybrid keyboard is everything else!

Short keyboard frankly recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable, solid and enjoyable tool.
The software is the final icing on the cake.