The Arturia KeyLab Essential 88 Mk3 Black controller at a glance:
The KeyLab Essential 88 Mk3 from Arturia is a clearly designed USB/DAW & MIDI controller with an elegant and modern look. In a compact space, the master keyboard offers space for an arpeggiator, 8 pads, 9 knobs, 9 faders as well as scale mode and Chord Mode. The modernized hybrid synth-piano-feeling keyboard has an easy-to-play, semi-weighted keyboard with 88 keys, is sturdily built and is equally suitable for use on stage and in the (home) studio. The eight velocity-sensitive pads are ideal for playing accentuated drums and percussion. The built-in arpeggiator can be used directly via the keyboard with several playback patterns. There is also an integrated chord function that allows you to play entire Chords with just one finger. Thanks to the scale mode, other scales than the widely used 12-tone scale can be played effortlessly. The highlight of the Mk3 version is the larger, graphics-capable display with its four context-sensitive buttons, which makes it even easier to control software. Preconfigured DAW scripts for Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase and BitwigStudio make it particularly easy to get started.
Further features
In addition to the switchable pedal input (sustain, foot switch or expression), the MIDI output is also located on the rear panel. This can be used to play other MIDI instruments that do not have their own keyboard. The Arpeggiator can also be activated at this output. Thanks to the transport function, you can control global DAW functions such as start/stop and recording directly from the KeyLab Essential 88 Mk3.
Free software package
The manufacturer provides a comprehensive download software package free of charge with the KeyLab Essential 88 Mk3 Black. Please refer to the Arturia homepage for information on changes and compatibility with Windows and Mac systems and DAWs.
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