Arturia Keylab 88 MKII

Arturia KeyLab MKII offers everything you need to tame instruments and effects in your DAW, plus CV and MIDI connectivity so you can control eurorack or vintage synths. With the Keylab MKII, you'll have all aspects of your production firmly in hand, plus you get a useful software package packed with great sounds. The controller is suitable for producers and artists looking for new sounds and approaches to their work or live performance.

The controller comes in 49-, 61- and now 88-key versions, and the keyboard is as robust and responsive as the MatrixBrute and MiniBrute hardware synths, so it can handle very detailed performances. The Keylab 88 MKII also features a holder for your laptop, so you'll have maximum control over your key setup.

In addition to the keyboard, there are 16 RGB backlit pads for triggering samples, loops or chords, 9 rotary knobs for cutting the filter and setting other parameters, 9 faders, several fully customizable user buttons and transport buttons for recording triggering and pausing playback in your music software.

There are four CV outputs (Pitch, Gate, 2x Mod), a standard MIDI five-pin in/out and USB on the rear panel, so whether your studio is computer-based, equipped with vintage synths, built to the ceiling with Eurorack modules or a combination of all, you're unlikely to run into a problem with this controller.

The included software is also worth a look. Analog Lab is a virtual analogue synth that throws a whole 6500 professionally set presets under your fingers. More traditionally inclined musicians will appreciate Piano V, a carefully crafted concert grand with a wide range of settings. And there's Ableton Live Lite, the starter version of one of the most popular editing and sequencing software ever.

All software is mapped to work seamlessly with the controller. But you can customize the MIDI mapping to your exact preferences with ten user maps.