arturia keyboard for use with arturia piano v2

#Arturia keyboard for use with arturia piano v2 portable
#Arturia keyboard for use with arturia piano v2 software

#Arturia keyboard for use with arturia piano v2 software

The bundled software solution that comes with this MIDI controller represents one of the best values currently out there. The controller integrates particularly well with the bundled software, Arturia’s Analog Lab, and loads patches with various parameters already mapped to the knobs and ready to go Sounds The keyboard is completely powered by USB, adding to the portability factor, and hooking into your DAW of choice should be hassle-free. This is about as minimalist as you can get, and we found that to be a great thing. On the side of the Arturia MiniLab, you’ll find 2 connections a footswitch input and a USB 2.0. Overall, all of the functions on this controller are incredibly intuitive and simplistic, and because of that, we think it might be one of the best ways to get started with MIDI controllers/production on a budget.Īnd below, please take a moment to view some of the best-selling MIDI controllers online, and then compare them to see how well they match up against the MiniLab: These four sets are given a blank slate, allowing you to program them to modulate the sound you’re playing in whatever way you see fit. This is actually a cool writing tool, as it allows you to workshop new ideas quickly and with minimal downtime.įinally, at the top of the device, you’ll find 16 knobs, broken down into 4 sets. They could also be easily used for triggering chords, if you wanted to have that option while playing a bassline or a lead. These pads felt great to the touch, were velocity sensitive, and really felt natural running along the top of the keybed.

These are a welcome sight on a controller of this size, because many of Arturia’s competing brands don’t have these functions on their mini controllers.Ībove the keys, you’ll find 8 backlit trigger pads that can be used to trigger samples.

It took us a bit to get comfortable with it, but once we did, we didn’t look back. These are a little odd when you first use them, but if you stick with it, you’ll soon find yourself getting a natural feel for the sensitivity and responsiveness of the strips. To the left of the keybed, you’ll find the unique, touch strip-style modulation and pitch bend functions.

#Arturia keyboard for use with arturia piano v2 portable

In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that I think the keys on this thing are a tiny bit larger than most of the other portable 25-key MIDI controllers out there right now, so if you have slightly larger fingers, you’re likely to notice this difference more than others. Making chord shapes and doing simple runs was easy enough, and other than the two octave limitation, there wasn’t anything really holding us back from playing this keyboard like any other. On the functionality side of things, the Arturia MiniLab features a 25-key mini keyboard, which we found to be surprisingly playable for its size. Both look great, and both have all of the same features and functions included. The keyboard comes in two different colors, the standard all-white option and an additional black offering.

The all white plastic shell is flanked on both sides by wooden ends, which looks fantastic and really serves to set the controller apart from the existing products out there on the market.Įverything feels solid on this controller, despite the fact that it’s almost entirely made up of plastic components, and we didn’t encounter any areas that felt particularly fragile during our test. VCF, 2 LFOs, 2 envelopes, sync and cross modulationĪrturia are well-known for their beautiful, striking product design, and that hasn’t changed with the MiniLab. Gooseneck mic w/built-in Vocoder & AutoPitch Lately, the company has doubled down on their commitment to MIDI controllers, and the MiniLab is the latest result.īut does this keyboard controller really compete with some of the other fantastic entry-level mini controllers out there? Well, that’s exactly what we aim to find out in this review.īefore we move forward, we encourage you to take a look at the interactive table below, which allows you to compare the Arturia MiniLab to other notable keyboards-some of which we’ll also discuss throughout this review.Ĩ-Track Pattern Sequencer w/Non-Stop Recordingġ6-Step Polyphonic Step & Motion Sequencer The France-based company has also released several hardware products in the last few years, such as the widely acclaimed KeyLab 49 and the synth powerhouse MicroBrute. Arturia is no stranger to bundling hardware and software together in cohesive packages, but the company is taking a bold new approach with the MiniLab, attempting to redefine the boundaries of what can go into an entry-level mini keyboard.Īrturia has strong roots in the software community, mainly through the success of its Analog Lab software suite, which contains thousands of lovingly crafted classic synth sounds across a wide array of genres and instruments.