Testing the Arturia Keylab Mk3 - The ultimate Keylab keyboard?

Known and recognized for its software emulations, synthesizers and audio interfaces, Arturia has also built up a solid reputation in the controller keyboard field. In the space of a decade, the Keylab has won over many users thanks to a good balance between touch quality, functionality, reliability, ergonomics and design, all at an attractive price. After the manufacturer released the Mk3 version of the entry-level Essential range a few months ago, we’re not surprised to see the Mk3 version of the Keylab arrive, which, like the Mk2 version before it, offers a significant evolution of the concept and its share of new features.

New deal?

The first thing to note on receipt of the 61-key model Arturia made available to us is the beast’s weight, which approaches seven kilos (15.5 lbs). And it’s easy to understand why when you unpack the black model we were supplied with, made of both metal and thick plastic and flanked by wooden cheeks. Not only is this new Keylab rather elegant, but it smells solid and stable: this isn’t the kind of keyboard that will slide off the stand or desk on which you’ll place it, and that’s so much the better.

If Arturia had completely rethought the layout of controls on the keyboard from version Mk1 to Mk2, the evolution here is less radical at first glance: the overall organization remains the same as in the previous model (pads on the left, navigation and functions in the center, sliders and encoders on the right), even if a number of changes jump out at you. Thus, we go from 43 buttons and 16 pads on the Mk2 version to 34 buttons and 12 pads on the Mk3 version so the control strip is considerably less wide than it used to be…

However, this reduction should not be seen as a regression, as Arturia has taken the opportunity to introduce a 3.5" color LED screen (480 × 320 pixels) in place of the small backlit LCD display of the Mk2 model. A glance at the specs also puts into perspective the disappearance of the eight buttons formerly found under the sliders, as both rotary encoders and faders are now touch-sensitive. However, with regard to the pads, it’s probably more on the connectivity side that some people will be grumbling about, as Arturia is clearly changing its tune with this Mk3 version, aiming it more toward computer music than hardware synth control.

On the rear panel, in addition to a power switch, a USB-C socket which is sufficient to power the keyboard, and a socket for an external transformer (not supplied), there are now only three inputs: sustain, expression and auxiliary, in addition to the MIDI input/output in DIN format.

Compared with the previous model, we lose two auxiliary sockets and, above all, the four connectors dedicated to the CV/Gate, which reorients the Keylab’s vocation. It’s clearly designed to control software more than hardware, which will suit some but disappoint others.

Is there a pilot in the DAW?

And let’s face it, the new screen offers far more comfort than the old one when it comes to piloting software, whether it’s the V-Collection, for which everything is mapped (and we find some of the comforts of the Astrolab, with miniatures of the instruments available) or included integrations with Ableton Live, Bitwig, FL Studio, Cubase and Logic. That’s not to say you won’t be able to drive other software, of course, as the Keylab is MCU/HUI compatible, but you won’t benefit from such advanced integration. We’re therefore waiting for the editor to look into the case of Pro Tools, Studio One or Reaper, among others.

Tried out with FL Studio, the Keylab is very comfortable to use, and the mapping of pads, buttons, sliders and encoders saves time and enhances intuitiveness. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the graphics offered by the LED screen are spartan and the same from one DAW to the next: don’t expect to display your FL rack or pad matrix in Live. The screen will essentially serve to give you visual feedback on edited values.

And then, we mustn’t forget that the most important thing in a control keyboard is the keyboard itself. On this point, Arturia also offers us something new — but not necessarily the new that everyone expected.

On the key

The manufacturer assures us that it’s a brand-new keyboard that equips this Keylab with a semi-weighted touch like you’d find on quality synths. When played, it proves to be firm, responsive and precise, a far cry from what you’ll find on entry-level keyboards. However, contrary to what we might have expected in 2024, it only handles aftertouch globally and not polyphonically. This is a great pity, as it was one of the expectations of many users, considering what has appeared from Native Instruments or Korg. We’re all the more surprised, considering that Arturia has made notable efforts to manage this kind of MPE refinement in its software synths.

While we’re on the subject, let’s point out that the software bundle includes good old Ableton Live Lite flanked by the highly recommendable Analog Lab Pro, the Mini V, Piano V, Augmented Strings and Rev PLATE-140 from the publisher. It’s rounded out by Native Instruments’ The Gentleman, and subscriptions to Melodics (tutorial platform) and Loopcloud.

The bundle is far superior to that of the Mk2 version, and will be appreciated by everyone according to their needs and what they already have.

But also…

The keyboard offers excellent creative features such as the scale constraint to avoid false notes, the arpeggiator capable of introducing randomness into the sequences generated, or the Chord Play mode capable of producing different voicings on chord progressions. These features are made more pleasant to use by the highly intuitive, easy-to-read new LCD screen, which also serves to manage all keyboard settings (velocity curve, assignments, etc.).

In short, this is a good control keyboard, pleasant to use even if we can’t call it a game changer compared to the previous Keylab, nor compared to the competition. For reasons we don’t know (many electronics manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to build their equipment, even in industries much broader than music), there remains the unpleasant impression that this Mk3 isn’t fundamentally better than the previous Mk3, but only that it’s different. That’s because whatever Arturia brings to the software side, it seems to take away from the hardware synthesizer control side by doing away with the CV/Gate. Above all, finger drummers will regret the disappearance of a row of pads, just as keyboardists will grumble about the absence of polyphonic aftertouch.

Everyone will have to be attentive to see if the Keylab Mk3 meets their needs. Arturia has delivered a serious product, but one that seems to be aimed primarily in the direction of music production.