Arturia - MiniLab MkII - Portable MIDI Controller for Music Production, with All-in-One Software Package - 25 Keys, 8 Multi-Color Pads

Product Information

Alesis are masters of making budget instruments and controllers, and the V25 is a good example. Overall, it’s not as good as any others I mention in this review, but it has full-size keys, and that’s worth a lot. Transport controls – the Minilab 3’s are so much more in-depth. Those you find on the MK2 are 9for today’s standards) quite basic. Quite amazingly, this tiny little keyboard controller comes with a whopping 16 fully-assignable rotary knobs. Even more impressive is that the panel doesn’t seem overcrowded with controls. Depending on your experience with Arturia controllers, the software bundle will either blow you away or be a little underwhelming. Both the Minilab 3 & the Launchkey Mini MK3 have 25 semi-weighted keys, which are velocity sensitive. But just like with the Akai (above), when it comes to key feel it’s no competition. The Minilab 3 steals the show. The keybed is that bit deeper & the keys themselves feel slightly larger, allowing more more expression and better control.

While the Akai MPK Mini gives you a set of 4 assignable buttons, the Minilab 3 gives you a set of assignable faders. No question about it though, we prefer the faders of the Minilab 3, especially when you consider just how well they integrate with Ableton Live session view. Combining superb controller keyboard integration, lightning-fast sound browsing, powerful combo sounds, Hate to sound snobby, but… the overall design of the Minilab 3 feels that bit more professional. While the Minilab 3 has a more ‘techy’ appearance, the Akai MPK Mini (especially in a garish colour wave) could easily be confused with a children’s toy Everything about the transport controls is seamless. Navigation is fast, responsive and intuitive, be you navigating a DAW or the menus of a virtual instrument suite. With Analog Lab in particular, this controller just feels SO well integrated. A proper pleasure to use!!

SOUNDS

At first we thought this may have just being our controller, but we’ve since heard a lot of other people saying the same thing… you do have to tap the drum pads with quite a bit of force to get sound out of them. That’s not to say you can’t achieve softer sounds with the pads – you can. It’d just have been nice to have a little more sensitivity.

When it comes to keyfeel, the Minilab 3 is on-point. Just like the MK2, the keys are responsive, nicely weighted and enable you to inject some real expression into what you play! What’s more, they have a good spring to them too, which makes fast key changes or small runs up and down the keys super easy. I have said it before, but it’s worth repeating: Arturia is amongst the best when it comes to assignable controls. Rotary knobs

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Again, in reference to the pads, we’d (personally) prefer them to be positioned in 2 rows opposed to 1 long line. But that’s really all down to personal preference. We’re not at all happy about the software situation, clearly, but if you put that to one side and approach MiniLab MkII as a supremely affordable MIDI controller for studio and mobile use that happens to come with what amounts to a demo of the full Analog Lab, it’s an absolute belter.