

The third function, and I think is one that isn’t talked about much, is that they are actually quite capable standalone customizable hardware MIDI controllers, with swappable hardware templates you can use without a computer.Īnd fourth, and this is relevant just for the higher end MK2 series, is a hardware/software bridge between MIDI and modular gear and your computer.

The second is a Digital Audio Workstation controller – with support for quite a few DAWs including Ableton Live which is the hardest to support due to its grid based layout. The first is to be a keyboard MIDI controller for software based instruments, with an emphasis on a tight integration with Arturia’s software instruments and in particular Analog Lab, which comes bundled with both keyboards and has over 6,500 presets of different types of instruments including synths, pianos and organs. Let’s start with what they are – both are designed to serve a few functions – a couple which I think may get overlooked.

Let’s take a look at the real differences between them, the pros and cons of each, and review the competitive marketplace. Arturia’s KeyLab Essential and the new KeyLab MK2 look quite similar but the premium MK2 version costs about two and a half times more than Keylab Essential.
