Arturia MicroLab mk3

The consensus strength, and the reason most reviewers forgive everything else. The 25 slim keys are the MiniLab 3's: editorial testers call them even, quiet and far better than typical mini keys, owners rank the velocity response among the best they have had, and two German tests measured why — the keys are 2–3 mm wider than Akai's or Novation's minis with slightly deeper travel. The dispersion is about feel and size rather than quality: one owner finds the springs too stiff for fast playing, one tester found them a touch light, and piano players still find two octaves of mini keys cramped. No aftertouch.

“Honestly, the keybed is where the MicroLab Mk3 really shines.”

KVR Audio

“The keyboard is actually pretty great for its size. It has a decent feel and resistance to it, it’s relatively quiet and it plays much nicer than the Launchkey Mini I currently have on my desk.”

Sound On Sound

“Despite being smaller than a regular keyboard it’s also very playable and is mechanically pretty quiet.”

MusicRadar

“The springs are too stiff, which makes fast play more difficult.”

tk · Amazon (4★)

Sources split, and the average hides it. Two capacitive touch strips, four backlit buttons, a one-chord memory and a latching Hold are the entire surface. To most reviewers that is the point: the strips are sensitive and well calibrated, the hold latch is handy under the pinky, and nothing sticks out to break in a bag. To a critical minority — including the German tests and an owner who regrets not buying the MiniLab — it is simply too little: no knobs, faders, pads, transport buttons or arpeggiator, and the semitone transpose on the spec sheet does not exist on the unit. Two nuances even fans note: the strips are easy to brush by accident, and there is no display of which octave you are in beyond button brightness.

Mostly positive, with a clear ceiling. It is class-compliant plug-and-play — testers had it recognised the moment it was connected — and the Shift functions give real hands-on browsing inside Analog Lab: the Oct buttons step presets, the strips scroll categories and lists. But that is the only software it talks to: there are no DAW scripts, no transport and no mapping for other plug-ins, so beyond Arturia's own instruments it is a plain note-and-CC keyboard. A couple of owners hit trouble getting it seen by a PC or a third-party USB-MIDI host box, against many reports of it pairing happily with laptops, tablets and USB-host grooveboxes.

“The controller integrates seamlessly with Arturia's Analog Lab Intro, which comes bundled with the unit.”

KVR Audio

“It’s a little hamfisted but is helpful enough to stop you from reaching for your mouse.”

Sound On Sound

“It’s really handy, but we wonder why this feature hasn’t been extended to all the brand’s software.”

Audiofanzine

A modest but well-liked starter bundle: Analog Lab Intro (500 presets from Arturia's V Collection instruments) and Ableton Live Lite, plus the free MIDI Control Center for velocity curves and pedal behaviour. Reviewers call the sounds genuinely usable and the package enough to start making music; the one caveat is that it is thinner than the MiniLab 3's bundle and adds nothing if you already own Arturia software.

“The Analog Lab Intro software comes with 500 presets from Arturia’s V Collection, which has a decent selection of usable sounds, and the obligatory Ableton Live Lite is also included, so you have everything you need to start making music.”

Sound On Sound

“Certainly, the bundle may seem a little minimalist, but, given the greatly reduced price and the overall quality of the product, it’s hard to complain.”

Audiofanzine

“the big thing is that arturia will get you access to analog labs which nets you a ton of awesome presets, and it also gets you into the arturia ecosystem for discounts on stuff like pigments/v collection.”

u/CraigslistDad · r/synthesizers

Sources split on one omission. The rear panel is USB-C (bus power and MIDI) plus a ¼-inch pedal jack that takes a sustain, footswitch or expression pedal — a rarity at this size, and enough for one camp, who point out it also pairs cable-to-cable with USB-host grooveboxes like the OP-Z or Ableton Move. The other camp, from Sound On Sound down to the YouTube comment sections, wants the 5-pin or TRS MIDI out that would let it drive hardware without a computer, and notes a USB-host box costs more than the keyboard. No Bluetooth, no battery, and the supplied cable is USB-C to USB-A.

Unanimous: this is the reason to buy it. About 40 cm wide, 12.5 cm deep and 620 g, bus-powered over USB-C, it fits a laptop bag, a plane tray table or the last free strip of a cramped desk — and it is the smallest, lightest keyboard Arturia makes. The only qualifier is that it is a little thicker than it looks.

“the remit for this backpack-friendly controller is to keep things small and simple, and it meets that remit admirably.”

MusicRadar

“it’s perfect for a train or plane tablet, and easy to slip into a backpack.”

Audiofanzine

“due to it's tiny footprint and ridiculously lightweight nature, it easily provide a keyboard to gear like the OP-Z or Ableton Move”

Free Beat (YouTube)

Sources split, and it tracks what they compare it to. Against other $60 controllers the mk3 reads as solid: a thicker-than-expected all-plastic chassis, glued wood-effect ends, six grippy rubber feet, keys that don't rattle, and owners reporting no marks after months in a bag. Against the original MicroLab, though, it has lost the wraparound rubber bumper that doubled as armour and cable stowage — Audiofanzine lists the 'less practical design' as a con, and a years-long owner of the original doubts the mk3 will survive travel as well. One owner's unit worked only from a phone; that report stands alone.

Rarely disputed. At roughly $59–69 street (launched at $89) it delivers a keybed reviewers rank with far pricier controllers, a pedal jack, USB-C and a usable bundle, and every editorial verdict lands on 'excellent value'. The one consistent counter is not that it is overpriced but that a little more money buys a MiniLab 3 with knobs, faders, pads, a screen and a MIDI out — several owners and forum voices say that is the better buy unless portability is the whole brief.

“The price, at €59, makes the MicroLab Mk3 an incredibly accessible option considering the quality of the keybed and the solid construction.”

KVR Audio

“And at £49 $59 it’s undeniably affordable.”

Sound On Sound

“A microlab mk3 is a great next step for you, though you may wanna consider upping to the Minilab if you can.”

u/YukesMusic · r/synthesizers