Keylab Mk III

[ZeroZero]

Been around studios for thirty years. The Keylab Mk II is the best MIDI controller I have ever used. Still, some improvement requests, or even a request for a premium product.

 You guys are very very close to producing the ultimate controller

1] Motorised Faders  - these are lacking, I had to sacrifice this to buy this controller. Motorised controlers that can be turned off would suit everyone.

2] General upgrade to the knobs buttons and sliders. Whilst these are not the cheapest tat, in fact they are fairly acceptable, they are not top quality. In particular the pots can be a bit crunchy. The drum pads cpould be more responsive too, the big knob could be more durable and chunky.

3] Improved VDU. Larger, perhaps touch sensitive, raised in angle so that one can see it better when playing.

4] Re-introduce the painoteq software, in order to guaruntee a great piano sound ouit of the box.

5] MIDI 2 capability

6] Provide some user resource for templates for major non Arturia Instruments - like Omnisphere, Vienna Instruments, East West, and other brands. Perhaps a user forum here to swap these. 

If there were a no compromise premium product like this, with the fantastic software integration (and sounds)  you already have, in the fantastic chassis you have, with the keybeds you have, it would be a world beater and would make it's way into even the top pro studios. People would be happy to pay for it  Personally I would pay well over a thousand UK for this, happily.

Hope you can make this a reality

Z

[MajorFubar]

I'm pretty sure Arturia will not go back to bundling it with Pianoteq, that's a direct competitor to Piano V, which they do include with the Keylab 88 as I'm sure you've found out.

[Christian61]

The keylab mk2 keys/keyboard itself is poor compaired to my Access Virus Ti keybed.

Ableton intregration is poor as well (auto mapping to the devices (blue hand)) does not work for me without creating my own customs user mapping.

Even the intregration with their own Arturia V Collection 8 software synths (Analog Lab) is not quite working as shown online on their website. The search through „styles“ does not work at all from the keylab mk2 controller, anyway it looks as they have made changes which do not quite work / are not fully implemented yet.

[Matthieu_Arturia]

Hi everyone.
Sorry for not answering sooner.
I've logged all your requests, and we will consider them very seriously when designing our future products.
Thanks for the precious feedback!
I wish you all well!

[darcey]

The biggest issue I have with the keylab mk2 and the essentials is that the pads and faders and pots are on the wrong side.

The pads should be on the right and the sliders and pots should be on the left.

It would be nice not be crossing arms to play music with your right hand and use the pots and sliders...
If they were on the left I could play the main melody easily without having to cross arms or cover what my right hand is doing.

[apeter]

Most wanted from my side:

Accept incoming CCs to set the Button LEDs according the mapping in User mode

[HammyHavoc]

Without wanting to sound like a troll with my first post here—when will Arturia release a Keylab MKIII 88 with the keybed that the product and customer actually deserves?

Nice design (other than faders on the right and wheels above the keybed), over-engineered machined aluminum wheels, wood et al, but that keybed (Fatar TP100L/R) is absolutely dire. Didn't like it on the KKMK2 S88 either, what a lemon of a keybed. Arturia is clearly a great brand making great stuff, and the Keylab could absolutely dominate the space.

Action is glacially slow on the keybed, and feels spongey and unpleasant. Charge another hundred euros and do it properly, or skimp on the ostentatious wheels and wood. The keybed doesn't match the perceived quality from the rest of the design. Want to love it, love so much that Arturia does, would love to see it be on the top of the pile, but wow, what a disappointment.

[MajorFubar]

Strange I actually like the Fatar keybed on my KL88. I assume the Mk2 is the same keybed.
It's the keybeds in their full-sized 'synth-action' controllers I don't like: the 25 (discontinued) 49 and 61.
Overall though, I hear you. If I could summarise Arturia full-sized controllers in one sentence it would be "over-engineered external build compromised by poor-quality components likely sourced from the cheapest bidders" (except the KL88, because I like the Fatar keybed).

Of course this is just my personal view based on my experience. Other opinions are available.

[db1]

Hi everyone.
Sorry for not answering sooner.
I've logged all your requests, and we will consider them very seriously when designing our future products.
Thanks for the precious feedback!
I wish you all well!

Can you share an approximate timeline when the next generation of KeyLab (61) will be released? After almost 5 years there should be an update to be expected soon, shouldn’t it?

In addition the the initial post in this thread I really like to see on a keylab 61 mk3
- waterfall keys for comfortable glissando plays for lots of virtual instruments, especially organs
- a bigger screen with useful information from the DAW similar to how Nektar T6 does it.
- an attachable laptop stand and music stand like on the keylab 88 mk2 for the 61 key version
- faders placed on the left side, pads on the right

[Levis]

Also waiting for a Keylab 3 update! After playing a Keylab 88 mkii I've been pining for one. The release of the Minilab 3 got me excited and I've noticed Keylabs are either out of stock or 'by order request' so I'm assuming a release is imminent! I'm excited to see what the next generation will be like.

Hoping to see a 76-key fully weighted option (this would surely be straightforward to design/release!) and an upgrade to the user feedback experience on the screen.

Things that will get me going for a purchase:
- High quality keybed (playability and low release noise) - goes for the 61-key as well
- Aftertouch and MPE support
- Excellent screen and user feedback experience
- One-touch access to transport controls
- In-DAW integration with Analog Lab/V plugins

On the 88-key model I would take some inspiration from Nord, who make the pitch and mod controls more reachable by placing them further up the body towards the user. It's so much better for a quick grab of the controls when needed.

[MajorFubar]

I wonder what kind of bravery it would take for someone to launch a full-sized midi controller with let's say 61/76/88 keys and 16 pageable motorised sliders, which our DAWs see as either a Mackie or HUI control surface? Now THAT would be some one-stop solution. I don't think any of them are brave enough to do it yet. Not even Arturia. In fact mostly in this arena I see Arturia as a follower not a trail-blazer, so I never really expect anything novel from Arturia in the midi-controller space, just 'more of the same' with a few features tweaked and maybe a contemporary larger screen, same as the MkII was. Never once did I look at a MkII and think whoa I've just gotta sell my Mk1 for that.

[loph]

For the record:

+1 for "faders to the left, pads to the right"
++++++1 for "better keybed for 49 and 61 key versions of the KeyLab"!

[Audiosexual]

I'd get an Mk III (88) if it had:

- Large tilted LED display. Touch capabilities would be a plus.
- Ribbon controller for big bends
- Extra underside drawer on the metal laptop stand extension to hold an audio interface as well
- Out of the Box Support for Reason DAW
- LED display on the pads for custom graphics or midi messages (provided that it's feasible for buttons that need to be tapped hard on occasion) kinda like Streamdeck does.
-- OR brighter lighting on the pads so that they are visible when performing outdoors during the day
- LED display on the DAW command buttons, so there's no dependence on magnetic labels, and can be updated/augmented through software
- Additional semitone transpose buttons

[csurieux]

My 2 cents.
Larger color screen and Komplete Kontrol management (or vst3 clone from arturia compatible with nks)...and great Cubase 12 integration with midi remote.

[Dropp]

Not sure about the pads on the right. I guess it would just take some getting used to and training to shift your muscle memory. I do wish the pads were bulkier. They are really so thin I feel like I'm hitting the actual keyboard casing when finger drumming.

I like that Arturia Keylab Mk II provides some integration to majority of DAW's out there. I do wish it was more though. I know that would be really hard for it to be a in depth daw controller for multiple DAW's out there but at least Ableton (that is the license this keyboard ships with) and Logic Pro X for, you know, the apple people. I love getting lost playing an instrument and this feeling is always interrupted by the few seconds you have to look to your computer to tweak something before you record. The dream will be to record a song with different instrument layers and dynamics, and move through your DAW libraries and editing controls without having to look at the computer screen once.

Reality is that if a release for the MK III is in the works, the product is most likely in its final stages if not completely ready on testings so this recommendations would be just wishes to be seen maybe in later products. Is not like technology will be that different in 4 years, right?  ::)