The music-making
essentials
Whether you’re a beginner producer, an experienced music maker, or anyone in between, unlock your full creative potential with a MIDI controller that breaks down all the barriers between you, your DAW, and your perfect sound.
Find joy in your workflow
Find the right sound faster than ever. Customize your mix in real-time. Finish that track with ease. Music-making shouldn’t feel like work; KeyLab Essential removes barriers and puts the joy back into your workflow.
Your DAW, upgraded
Your favorite synth sounds, your DAW transport, and your mixing desk all in one. Enjoy next-level control over your sounds & DAW projects, seamless communication with Analog Lab, and a bundle of pro creative software to supercharge your sound.
Quickly inspire new ideas
KeyLab Essential doesn’t just help you play & navigate your projects - it’s also built to inspire. Summon catchy melodies, curious rhythms, and moving chord sequences with its array of creative features, and see where it can take your sound.
That quality feeling
You want the feeling of a premium instrument, the flexibility of a top-class controller, and the ease-of-use of a beginner keyboard. KeyLab Essentials sensitive controls, hybrid synth-feel keybed, and smart layout puts it all at your fingertips.
Your keys
to creativity
However you choose to make music, KeyLab Essential has all the creative answers - before you’ve even thought of the questions. This controller fits right into your setup to become an extension of your creative identity.
Control any DAW
Enjoy plug-and-play connectivity and ready-mapped controls with your DAW of choice. KeyLab Essential doesn’t just feature familiar MCU & HUI compatibility; it also has custom scripts for major DAWs for next-level integration.
Customize your workflow
KeyLab Essential easily adapts to your creative needs; recall your favorite ’liked’ presets from Analog Lab, navigate your custom-made playlists, activate custom User programs for your own control assignments, and more.
At one with Analog Lab
Turn Analog Lab into a hardware synth and get hands-on with your sound thanks to KeyLab Essential’s seamlessly mapped controls. Adjust sound parameters, tweak FX, and browse presets without ever needing to touch your computer.
All the software & sounds
you need for making music
What software & sounds do you get with KeyLab Essential mk3? From a full copy of Analog Lab to a library of over 4 million samples, you’re fully equipped for whatever music you want to make.
Thousands of synth & keys presets
A library of the finest basses, fattest synths, smoothest orchestral sounds, and more, from vintage to modern, powered by V Collection, Augmented Series, and Pigments.
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Music recording software
Record, perform, and produce anything with an introduction to one of the hottest DAWs in the business, including instrument presets, drums, FX, MIDI clips, and more.
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A timeless grand piano
The epic stage-sized character of a Steinway grand piano, arguably the most iconic piano of all time, sampled in detail to bring your production to life.
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Intimate upright piano
Enjoy the cheery, vintage sound of a Century-old upright piano, recorded to deliver charm and intimate character to your mix.
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Millions of samples & loops
A 2-month subscription to Loopcloud with millions of hi-def royalty-free samples, from lo-fi drums to vocal one-shots, with 2GB of samples including a welcome pack and a specially-crafted Arturia selection.
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Learn with KeyLab Essential mk3
Improve your pad & keyboard skills with a subscription to Melodics, offering 40 lessons, tips, and musical hacks that are fun, easy, and tailored to your style.
More info →Essential, intuitive,
flexible controls
Sometimes you just want to get the job done. KeyLab Essential's focused controls give you quick access to the most useful & intuitive elements of your project & sound without complicating things.
Keybed
As comfortable for performance as it is for studio beat-making, KeyLab Essential’s durable hybrid synth-piano keybed is smooth & responsive, complemented by the familiar Pitch & Mod wheels and Pedal input for sustain, footswitch, or expression.
Display
Get the essential real-time info you need, from parameter values to your current preset, with a bright 2.5” display, complete with contextual buttons that make navigation effortless.
Pads
Switch between MIDI notes, clip triggering, finger-drumming, or whatever you need them to do. KeyLab Essential’s velocity & pressure-sensitive pads are even RGB color-coded so you can keep track at all times.
Encoders
Get that real hands-on feeling and interact with crucial controls right where you need them, from track panning to specific instrument parameters, with full rotation encoders.
Faders
Tweak your track levels, envelope settings, selected parameters on your Arturia instruments, and more with ultra-smooth faders at your fingertips.
DAW controls
Instantly switch from sculpting your synth sounds to piloting your DAW project with KeyLab Essential’s dedicated DAW controls, so you’re in control at all times. Its custom integration scripts even ensure that the most crucial controls work perfectly, whatever DAW you’re using.
A vessel
for creativity
For when you want to get experimental, find a new sound, or just need a bit of extra inspiration, KeyLab Essential has a few tricks up its sleeve. Create fun ever-changing melodies, create chord voicings, and always stay in key - without thinking twice.
Chord play
Play rich, full, powerful chords with a single key by selecting from built-in chord presets, or inputting your own custom chord shapes - great for when you need quick inspiration for your next hit.
Scale mode
Set your playing free and never go out of key with KeyLab Essential’s Scale mode, which quickly locks the keybed to one of several built-in scales. Wrong notes? Never again.
Arpeggiator
Turn chords or selections of notes into vibrant melodies and rhythmic ideas with a built-in Arpeggiator, complete with Hold function so you can go no-hands. You can even use all these features together; play & hold a chord with a single key, arpeggiate it, and lock it to a scale of your choice.
A closer
look
Explore the controls, layout, and creative features of KeyLab Essential mk3 in detail, from its hybrid synth-feel keybed to its DAW-integrated controls.
Express
yourself
Need a bigger note range? Trying to save desk space? Want a darker aesthetic to fit your stage setup? KeyLab Essential mk3 comes with 49 & 61-key options, both available in black or white.
Your eco-designed
MIDI controller
A better product for the environment means a more sustainable creative future.
KeyLab Essential mk3 follows in the footsteps of MiniLab 3, the world’s first eco-designed MIDI controller; built to perform better, produce less waste, and reduce our carbon footprint for good. Made with minimum 40% recycled plastic, 100% recyclable packaging, and a material carbon footprint reduction of 18%, this controller takes sustainability seriously.
A deeper
connection
KeyLab Essential mk3 takes DAW integration to another level.
Tweak your sound settings, create custom mappings, launch clips & scenes, and navigate around any project in real-time, all without ever leaving KeyLab Essential’s controls.
You’re in full control thanks to custom DAW scripts for Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, and Bitwig Studio, with support for more major DAWs planned in the future. Better still, MCU/HUI protocol means it can support any other workstation in a familiar way - for that satisfying in-the-box workflow that you’ve always wanted.
Main Features
Premium Keybed quality
- 49 & 61-note velocity-sensitive keyboard with hybrid synth-piano feel
Pads & controls
- 1 clickable encoder
- 9 rotary encoders
- 9 x 30mm faders
- 8 transport switches
- 4 command switches
- 1 modulation wheel & bend wheel
- 8 touch & pressure-sensitive pads
Display control
- 2.5” LCD display with contextual buttons
- Real-time feedback on tweaks and controls
Smart features
- Multi-mode arpeggiator
- Chord mode
- Scale mode
- Hold function
- Semitone transpose
Software integration
- Seamless integration with Analog Lab V: select sounds, browse presets, smart-assigned controls
- Custom DAW scripts for FL Studio, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Bitwig Studio
- Also compatible with MCU/HUI control
- Up to 6 user presets for a totally customizable experience
Included Software titles & services
- Analog Lab V software with 2000+ sounds
- Ableton Live Lite
- Native Instruments’ The Gentleman
- UVI Model D
- 2-month Loopcloud subscription
- Melodics subscription for 40 lessons
Connectivity
- USB-C connects to computers and MIDI Control Center
- MIDI 5-pin DIN output for connection to external instruments, gear
- Control input for pedal: sustain, expression, or footswitch
- USB-C powered
Platform specifications
Windows
- Win 10+ (64bit)
- 4 GB RAM
- 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost)
- 3GB free hard disk space
- OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU
- ARM processors not supported on Windows
Required configuration
- Works in Standalone, VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).
Apple
- Mac OS 11+
- 4 GB RAM
- 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost) or M1 CPU
- 3GB free hard disk space
- OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU
Work with ASC
- An elegant and simple solution to help you install, activate, and update your Arturia software instruments.
All manufacturer and product names mentioned on this page are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Arturia. The trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose features and sound were studied during the development. All names of equipment, inventors, and manufacturers have been included for illustrative and educational purposes only, and do not suggest any affiliation or endorsement by any equipment inventor or manufacturer.
What's in the box
Box content
- KeyLab Essential Unit
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Registration card
Dimensions for 49 keys
- Size : 31.1 x 9.45 x 2.76 inches (790 x 240 x 70mm)
- Weight : 6.1 lbs. (2.76 Kg)
Dimensions for 61 keys
- Size : 35 x 9.45 x 2.76 inches (890 x 240 x 70mm)
- Weight : 6.8 lbs. (3.08 Kg)