MiniLab 3 - Universal MIDI Controller for Music Production, with All-in-One Software Package - 25 Keys, 8 Multi-Color Pads - White

Better than expected. The keys have a sort of weight to them that makes it feel similar to a much higher priced keyboard. Using it with FLStudio was easy to setup and get going. The buttons all worked as well. Its really good quality considering the cheaper price. And being on the smaller size, you dont need to take up your whole desk with it being smaller. I liked the color I choose, the black and orange.... pretty sick combo visually.

I've had this keyboard controller for almost 2 years now and I absolutely LOVE it! If I could give it 10 stars I would! It has plenty of controls, including faders, dials, a nice LED screen to show mode or even what preset you have running in your DAW (Arturia provides Analog Lab V Intro VST 3 instrument plugin with tons of presets), it has a few modes for running arps, holding a chord, etc. There are two touch strips, one for mod and one for pitch bend and they are both responsive. The keyboard itself is easy to play, and the keys are responsive to pressure but not hard to press down. The pads I am not too happy with as those feel stiff because they don't go down very far and you don't really know if you're pressing hard enough or not. But they are quite responsive. Arturia also has a MIDI controller utility to let you adjust these things to your liking. Arturia also provides Ableton Live Lite but I prefer to use this with Mixcraft 10 Pro studio. It works out pretty well. Another cool thing is when it goes into sleep mode the pads cycle in a rainbow of colors for a little lighting effect. But they don't cycle or flash or do anything fancy while you play. Overall, this is a great keyboard controller. It's small so you can take it anywhere. And it has all the basic features and an on-board arpeggio generator system which is pretty decent. You can also hold a chord during an arp for some really cool arps. I use this thing all the time. It's sturdy and holds up well to a lot of playing. Very high quality controller. I highly recommend this if you don't have a lot of room in your studio or if you are on the go and want something to bring along with your laptop to make music with.

This was my first midi controller and I love it. To be fair I only own Arturia midi controllers, but that's a testament to the fact that I've been happy with their products. I ended up getting a KeyLab61 after the MiniLab3. As far as playing goes, 25 keys is not really enough. But it's definitely better than nothing! And to any newbies like I was, you don't need a midi controller at all since you can use your computer keyboard in Ableton Live (and probably other DAWs too). A midi controller makes it easier to explore the range of sounds that various synths and digital instruments can make. At one point after I got this and before I got the KeyLab I ordered a Launchkey 37 (standard). It was kinda bulky and I figured I'd save my money for a better second controller. But I think the Novation controllers are good too - it's just that I was already hooked on Arturia. I would possibly suggest getting a 37 key controller for your first controller as I used to kind of wish I'd done that. But the compact nature and portability of the MiniLab3 is definitely valuable and has its merits. I like the design and construction of Arturia products. Obviously the key bed on the KeyLab is better, but for $110 the MiniLab is a great starting place. I think the MiniLab3 came with Analog Lab Intro (or was it Lite?) and the KeyLab61 comes with Analog Lab Pro. I love Arturia plugins. I definitely love them better than Native Instruments plugins. I think they work / feel better on Mac. Since getting the MiniLab3 I have gotten: a KeyLab61, V Collection 11, FX Collection 5, and Pigments. Once you get in with a product from one of these companies they keep offering deals on other software. It's a great idea from a business standpoint for them, and it's a great idea for the user if they like the products. They teased me with analog lab intro/lite and got me hooked and now I'm an Arturia goon. Eventually I'll get the AstroLab88. The new AstroLab37 is soooo enticing.

I bought this to use primarily as a controller for a live looping set up, I have an older 61-key version that has served well as a keyboard controller for my home recording set up. This 25 key version did not disappoint. The keys are not full size, but playable, key action is nice, and the pads are good as well. The included software is where this company shines, downloads went smoothly. There is one program for MIDI control set up, very powerful and easy to use (and the keyboard has a 5-pin MIDI out, thanks!). The bundle of software sounds (pianos, synths, etc.) has enough high quality sounds to keep me fiddling for a long time, and many are musically useful. The user interface on the sounds package is improved over earlier versions. My only wish is they would make this package available for iPad. I can't comment on the Ableton lite package, i have not used that. Overall, I think this will be a good choice for folks wanting a compact controller and keyboad for home DAW setups.

Spoiler: It wasn't my favorite of those I tested. I returned the Arturia Minilab 3. DISCLAIMER: I did not test any bundled software. This review is primarily an "out of the box", plug-and-play test. The vast majority of the playing, looping and configuration was in Garageband for iPad and a little in Logic Pro X for iPad. I watched a lot of reviews on YT and decided to try them for myself. I wasn't sure which controller would work best for me. I am relatively new to the DAW/MIDI controller world. I have dabbled in piano and synth for decades, but am definitely not an expert. Below is my take on the Arturia Minilab 3. I reviewed all 4 devices below separately. You will have to go to the individual devices review page to see the specific review. Devices tested (for comparison): ⦁ Arturia Minilab 3 - THE DEVICE BEING REVIEWED ⦁ M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini ⦁ Akai MPK Mini Plus ⦁ Akai MPK Mini Play mk3 Things I liked about the Arturia Minilab 3: ⦁ key feel is very, very good. By far the best of the 4 I tried. Felt most like "real" keys. ⦁ Minilab 3 has 4 faders and 8 endless encoder knobs. That's a very good amount of controls to assign in your DAW ⦁ The faders felt very good. Smooth and tight over entire length of travel. ⦁ Minilab 3 is pretty. Clean, uncluttered, and nicely designed. I even like the faux wood panels at each end. ⦁ Real MIDI out. I prefer this over the 1/8" dongle. The included USB-C cable is high quality. ⦁ Did I mention the key feel? Seriously, best of breed. At least to me. Things I DISliked about the Arturia Minilab 3: ⦁ the touch sensors instead of pitch and mod "wheels" wasn't a big deal for me. They worked as expected. I am not a seasoned pitch/mod wheel officianado. Some will disagree with my assessment of touch sensors vs. wheels. ⦁ The preset for Garageband didn't map completely in iPad OS. None of the controllers I tested did, so this isn't really a dig on the Arturia specifically. ⦁ There is minimal labeling on the face of the device. Other devices had more labels on button/key to select a parameters. Labeling is minimal on the Minilab 3. It looks much cleaner, but makes it harder to recall what function is where. ⦁ The pads weren't good for me. I felt they were too sloppy/wobbly, especially at the edges. I noticed that this led to "accidental double-taps". Maybe my technique was the problem. They just didn't feel as good (to me) as the M-Audio or Akai pads. ⦁ transport controls are not discreet buttons. They are shared with pads. ⦁ Only has 25 keys. They are EXCEPTIONAL keys, but only 25. ⦁ The pads are in a straight line. Some may really like that. I personally prefer them stacked in 2 rows of 4. That is just my preference, not a real negative. Overall build quality - Arturia Minilab 3: Very Good. Solid, stable fit and finish, except for the pads. The encoders and faders are really good and tight. And the keys, oh, the keys.

The 25 velocity-sensitive keys feel responsive and comfortable for playing melodies, chords, and programming ideas quickly. The 8 RGB pads are very sensitive and great for drums and finger drumming. The knobs and faders make controlling plugins and mixing inside my DAW much easier and more hands-on.

Love this controller, works perfectly with Logic, FL, and Ableton The software included: UVI Workstation (Model D Piano) Kontact (The Gentlemen piano) Analog Lab 5 (Lots of VST’s) Ableton lite Melodics subscription Downside being you have to sign up and create an account for each one of these, and then download an install hub. However they are fairly decent instruments in their own right especially if you are just starting out with sound production. The controller itself is great, nice and big key bed, semi weighted and slick gloss feel. Pads are definitely not as great as Akai’s but they still serve their purpose and have a nice light up RGB color display when idle. Encoder knobs are endless and the 4 faders have a great feel to them. The mod wheel and pitch bend are touch sensitive but fairly responsive. The main sell being the DAW control feature, which lets you control all parameters within your DAW once you download the script on their website. The controller allows you to toggle between daw control and analogue lab control and makes mixing and producing extremely fun and intuitive, I highly recommend this controller.

This does everything I need it to do. Zero latency, fits right between my monitors, very playable, the included software is surprisingly GREAT (you may find yourself tempted by Arturia sales on expansions for Analog Lab), the knobs and faders are joyful, it's easy to bind in Ableton/Reaper, Komplete Private Equity picks it up too, it replaces an A25 which seems positively just klunky next to this svelte little thing.