Mini Lab + Beatstep or Keystep + Beatstep?

[patricenoemie]

Hi everybody!

I am wondering what to buy as a combination : the keystep and beatstep or the mini lab and beatstep? What would you recommend for a better compatibility and all-around coverage for production and beat making?  I am planning to use these tools both on Ableton on Macbooks pro and on iPad (BeatMaker 3, others) and would like to make a smart purchase.

Thank you so much in advance,

Patrice.

[cvb]

In my opinion, MiniLab MkII has 80% of the Keystep + Beatstep functionality. You'll miss the extra 8 pads, (but you have the 9-16 pad switch), dedicated transport control, the extra control knob, and the builtin sequencer (not much use if you have a DAW), but you have the advantage of a compact setup.
I'd buy MiniLab MkII first, and if not enough, I'f add a Keystep later.

[MajorFubar]

I bought the KeyStep instead of Minilab because it has more keys and comes with aftertouch. You'll have to decide yourself whether those two considerations are important to you. For me, the lack of aftertouch on the Minilab mkII was a showstopping oversight; many of even Arturia's own Analog Lab presets only come alive with it, especially (but not only) those using the CS80.