Arturia KeyLab Essential 49 - 49 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with Velocity Sensitive Synth Action Keys, 8 Drum Pads, 9 Faders, 9 Knobs and Analog Lab V Software Included

I compared the roland a49, nektar gx49 and arturia keylab49 against each other at the same time and chose the keylab49.This product massively exceeded my expectations. The keyboard trounces all over my original m-audio oxygen 49 keyboard. It has synth key action (roland a49 has heavier piano key action) which feels much better than the oxygen which feels very plasticky and cheap. Obviously I'm in the group that prefers synth action keys to piano style 'weighted keys.'The pads feel great. The mod and pitch wheels aren't those stupid tiny ones that are getting popular for some reason. They are the normal sized big mod/pitch wheels (unlike the nektar gx49). They feel great, there's just a smidge of tactile resistance to them which i like.You may want to be aware of the difference in placement of the mod/pitch wheel placement on the 49key vs 61 key models. 49 key has it to the side of the keys, and the 61 key has it above the keys as seen in the picture. Don't know why thats the case, but with my 49 key model the mod/pitch wheel is to the left of the keys which is where i prefer it.One of my only gripes is I wish I could have gotten it in black instead of white. Every time I walk into my dark, led lit studio, it feels like there's this giant white polar bear sitting on my desk trying to pretend its a Virus or something. But function is more important than aesthetic to me and this thing functions so well that sometimes I actually forget about the color coordination nightmare happening on my desk.I thought the included Analog Lab 3 software was a gimmick to get you to perceive more value and buy the Arturia Keylab. I was surprised to find it's a full flegged, flagship sample library. Looking at it right now in my daw it says theres 5500 presets, which means 5500 unique instruments pulled from Arturia's robust line of analog synth emulations. They sound great, but i imagine that you could find out yourself by just demoing analog lab 3 before you buy the keylab 49.You can modify these instruments within the analog labs software. It gives you something like 16 parameters for each instrument that you can modify to shape and change the sound which is really cool. For each preset, the parameters are automatically mapped to the 16 faders and knobs on the keylab and you can quickly switch through them with the big center knob, or arrows to the left and right of it.There was a lot of hate and dissatisfaction with earlier models but I have not experienced any of those issues as they have been remedied in this revision. That being said I've only owned it for 5 months now.This is one of those experience where I was really surprised. I've already had a few experiences on amazon where at a given price point the product that has more reviews isn't the best and this is one of them.The keyboard itself exceeds the pricetag, and the bundled Analog 3 Software makes it above and beyond best midi keyboard offering in this price range.

WONDERFUL!!! Seriously, if you’re like me and you read alllll the reviews on EVERY keyboard out there you can find rest right here. This is truly a great piece of equipment. All that it needs to be, simple as that. The keys feel smooth and easy to play, very high quality. The pads are large and easy to use. The lights are both beautiful and super functional. Plug and play. Integrates smoothly and seamlessly with Abelton and Pro tools (these are what I use) and am sure it will integrate beautifully with all other DAW’s.Truly happy with my investment. This is high quality stuff.As a cherry on top it also looks really really good.

Keyboard is great value for the price. The keys are indeed synth feel. They are skinny, non-weighted, and feel somewhat mushy/clicky. Velocity is hard to get accurate, and it took me some time to get accustomed coming from a Yamaha keyboard. The USB plugs in and syncs with Ableton well. Drum key pads are great for both menu and pad functionality. However, they often accidentally trigger twice if tapped and held. The sliders and central buttons are clicky and feel nice. The knobs on top turn infinitely, and can be synced with DAW functions easily.Anybody complaining about software issues isn’t utilizing it correctly. The setup process walks through the correct download procedure. Creating an account with Arturia and entering the correct product keys unlocks software that downloads and works instantly as a plug-in for a DAW. For ableton this worked right away and has become my go to for synth and keys sounds. Customizing these sounds is limited however, as the full instrument patches are locked behind further purchases from Arturia. However, there demo sounds are extremely useful and intuitive. Functions map well with pitch wheel and modulation wheels.Overall the physical keyboard is well worth the price, matching expectations. The software is an unexpected bonus and works well within a DAW.

Wow pitbull audio did a great job with this one. My keyboard arrived in 4 days and thats from CA to Guam. The Keyboard seem to be very well packaged and handle properly💯. For the keyboard its really awesome everything works properly but u need to download the Aturia Midi Center first and enable Mackie controls. The keys are semi weighted and has a synth action feel to them. The bundle offers alot of cool plugins for extra sounds as well as ableton live. Its a lightweight keyboard(a little heavier than M-audio's Keystation 49) but its real Sturdy. Overall i cant thank pitbull audio enough for a quick shipping and the Keyboard id say is a killer for its price.

I'm fairly new to MIDI instruments or controllers, and this Arturia Keylab 49 Essential is super amazing. It is so inspirational in that it can do so much, and works so seamlessly in your DAW that I am suddenly playing and writing songs I wouldn't have otherwise, say, on my guitar. This thing makes me an instant multi-instrumentalist and a composer. Probably not a good one, but it opens up all kinds of possibilities.It's great value for having access to the Analog Lab (which includes the V Collection), and the Model D piano. You can also download demo sounds and keyboards on the Arturia site before buying it.Highly recommended.

Just wow! This midi keyboard is incredible! Quality build, plug and play with the software included. Insane amounts of presets in their software, I got lost for hours playing with all of them. Would recommend for anyone looking for that next level midi keyboard. I customized mine with a little B&W sticker bombing, not the biggest fan of the wood grain print on the sides.