Arturia Keylab 61 Essential USB/MIDI Keyboard

I wanted to get back into playing a little keyboard after a long break, as well as have a better controller on hand for use with DAWs. 61 keys are enough for me and I don't need the higher end functions of the full Keylab or other premium controllers. So for me, the Essentials is ideal. The build is good although this is overall a lightweight keyboard. The controllers all feel good with nice resistance and smooth operation. The bundled software and integration with Analog Lab is absolutely a superb element of the keyboard that I value even more than I thought I would. It is seamless. Effectively, it gives the Essential the feel of a standalone synth. Being able to browse, select, and adjust the vast range of included sounds from the keyboard itself is fantastic and gets away from having to use the screen. I just leave Analog V running on my connected computer and can sit down for a noodle whenever the mood takes me. The sounds are genuinely fantastic, ranging from beautiful pianos to luscious pads and plenty of everything else in between. The included Moog VST (Mini V3) is authentic, playable, and sounds great. Will be using that a lot. The only negative is nothing to do with Arturia themselves, but related to the UVI D piano which is included. First things first, the setup of UVI D is painful compared to the ease of the Arturia software. It requires additional logins, downloads, installs, and configuration. In comparison to the Arturia software - which is effectively one-touch, integrated, and simple - it's a faff. The UVI D itself sounds incredible and is a really brilliant instrument, but.... the iLok software required is a let down. Every time I have restarted my computer so far, it has required a re-install of the iLok protection software, so of course I'm not going to bother again. At the end of the day, the included pianos in the Analog software are not far off the quality of the UVI D, so it's just not worth the hassle. This doesn't warrant a reduced star as it's not an Arturia issue, and the rest of the package is good enough to make up for it. DAW integration is really good and I have it working well with both Ableton Live and Logic Pro. Service, price and delivery on point from Bax.

I spent ages deciding whether to buy the Arturia Keylab 61 MkII or the Keylab 61 Essentials. I don't use any CV-controlled hardware and don't bash my products, so didn't need the MkII's extra I/O, heavy aluminium case, larger size, or higher price. What most comparison reviews fail to mention is just how good quality the Essentials is anyway! Its faders and rotary controls are silky smooth with a nice matt rubber finish, and I actually *prefer* the Essentials' rubber soft touch buttons over the MkII's clicky buttons.
The free Analog Lab V software alone is worth as much as the keyboard (at Bax price!) but you also get a free copy of Ableton Live Lite, a UVI Grand Piano and other stuff. Analog Lab IV/V sounds are amazing, and I'm now using Ableton Live, which is a huge relief after spending years fighting the heavy UIs of Cubase Elements (always awkward, unreliable) and FL Studio (flashy, annoying). Ableton is focused on actually getting music down, so you quickly see why Arturia decided to partner with Ableton - both focus on making music instead of forcing you to be an IT administrator. The Keylab Essentials integration with Ableton is also much better than I expected. For example, in Ableton if you reorder the channels, the Keylab knows and its pads automatically reassign to match. Of course the transport controls, faders and pan pots all work seamlessly, and Ableton's MIDI button top right (learn mode) makes it stupidly easy to assign the Essentials' hardware controls for custom setups. Overall, very happy with the Essentials. It's fantastic value for money and one of those rare occasions when I got much more than I expected. Bax Music's packaging was also exceptional, a huge outer box with tons or air bags to protect the product inside.

I spent ages deciding whether to buy the Arturia Keylab 61 MkII or the Keylab 61 Essentials. I don't use any CV-controlled hardware and don't bash my products, so didn't need the MkII's extra I/O, heavy aluminium case, larger size, or higher price. What most comparison reviews fail to mention is just how good quality the Essentials is anyway! Its faders and rotary controls are silky smooth with a nice matt rubber finish, and I actually *prefer* the Essentials' rubber soft touch buttons over the MkII's clicky buttons.
The free Analog Lab V software alone is worth as much as the keyboard (at Bax price!) but you also get a free copy of Ableton Live Lite, a UVI Grand Piano and other stuff. Analog Lab IV/V sounds are amazing, and I'm now using Ableton Live, which is a huge relief after spending years fighting the heavy UIs of Cubase Elements (always awkward, unreliable) and FL Studio (flashy, annoying). Ableton is focused on actually getting music down, so you quickly see why Arturia decided to partner with Ableton - both focus on making music instead of forcing you to be an IT administrator. The Keylab Essentials integration with Ableton is also much better than I expected. For example, in Ableton if you reorder the channels, the Keylab knows and its pads automatically reassign to match. Of course the transport controls, faders and pan pots all work seamlessly, and Ableton's MIDI button top right (learn mode) makes it stupidly easy to assign the Essentials' hardware controls for custom setups. Overall, very happy with the Essentials. It's fantastic value for money and one of those rare occasions when I got much more than I expected. Bax Music's packaging was also exceptional, a huge outer box with tons or air bags to protect the product inside.

Bought this as my first MIDI keyboard for a course that I am just starting. Meets all my requirements and is great VFM.