Arturia MiniLab 3 25 Slim-key Controller Reviews

Great build quality for such an affordable midi controller. I previously had an Akai MK2 and the keyboard felt loose, the software integration was clunky. The Minilab integrated into Logic Pro seamlessly after a little setup. You need to run a script on your machine to open up all the feature such as transport controls. The Arturia website could be a little more user friendly but otherwise, I couldn't be happier with the purchase. Highly recommend if you're looking for a small keyboard that could fit in you backpack

I work in a very small space and a full-size controller wasn't an option. The MiniLab 3 is perfect for my needs, and practically begs to be picked up and played. The onboard arp function is versatile; I've been working with it off and on, and it syncs with my DAW really well. My setup is more constrained than others, I'm sure, but if you don't have a lot of space and don't mind changing octaves for two-hand work (which I don't), the MiniLab 3 is a great addition.

I got the MPK mini first, the keys were too narrow, and felt inaccurate. The larger width keys on this solved my issues. The difference in the width of the keyboard is about one inch. That makes ends up making big difference. The pads can change colors too. USB-C is a plus. The pad shift button is handy. Pads feel more sensitive. Easy choice to keep this over the Akai. Only thing I don't like are the stiffer knobs in comparison to the Akai.

This little thing is killer. Not only does the key bed feel quality for the price, but the knobs and faders are definitely solid, and the pads have just the right amount of give. It's also light, but not so light that you feel like you're going to break it carrying it in a bag. The new USB-C port also has very little (if any) latency as well, so the unit feels very expressive. My favorite part of all of this is that it comes with Analog Lab Intro and the UVI Model D software. The Analog Lab stuff is really impressive, with 500 presets to choose from. Also, I believe you get a discount on upgrading to the full Analog Lab V suite with Analog Lab Intro, which adds so much value to this product. The Model D software is killer, too. I'm used to the feeling of being in a room with a grand piano when I play one, so soft pianos don't always gel with me. The Model D just sounds good. There aren't even a ton of options that you have to dig through to find good and bad sounds. This thing even comes with music learning software and a two-month Loopcloud subscription, which is cool. All in all, I would highly recommend this product to anyone, young or old, beginner or pro.

The MiniLab 3 is my first midi controller and I have been very happy with this product so far. It comes with a nice bundle of software to get you started, the hardware itself feels good, and maybe most importantly it's been easy to learn and fun to play with. I've done some traveling with the MiniLab and have had no issues with the build quality so far.

Bought the New Mk 3 Works Pretty Well No complains Would Recommend for sure

i'm totally new to the world of music making. thought it'd be good to get this as a first step. happy to say i was correct - very easy and comfortable to use. controls are pretty straightforward.

some people might think the construction feels cheap, but hey, it's $100...to me, it's more than sufficient.

i'm impressed and pleased with it and look forward to using it more.

Got this to get ideas down when I'm away from my home studio. It works out perfectly for such a task. I really like the way it integrates with Logic and the rest of my workflow.

As tiny keyboards go, you pretty much know what to expect: weird action; awkward key spacing; cheap feeling controls. Well, in this case, my expectations were exceeded. The keybed is supple and quiet; the action is way better than expected; the controls are all smooth and feel great.

And the included software (particularly the soft synth from Arturia) is very usable. I had a technical issue with control triggers for a short time, but Arturia has terrific tech support and got me back on track.

I'm a hobby guitarist who knows a (very) little piano. I used to play bass, but don't have a bass guitar at the moment. I've been dabbling in trying to record some songs, and wanted to add some bass lines, maybe a little keys, and possibly some manually-created drum tracks (the AI drummers in Logic Pro are usually good enough for me, but sometimes I'd like to add something specific to a project). The long-term answer is I'm saving my discretionary funding for a bass guitar, but this is an excellent short-term solution.

The pros: Works seamlessly, so far as I've encountered, with Logic Pro. I was able to easily assign drum kit pieces to pads and keys on this device and record some basic drum tracks. I was able to easily record a bass line. I don't have a large frame of reference, having never really played piano or synth. We have a Yamaha keyboard for my kids' piano lessons, and these keys feel comparable. The DAW controller scripts seem to work quite well with Logic. I've got a few years of muscle memory reaching for the keyboard and trackpad on my MacBook Pro, but the sliders and encoders on the Minilab are definitely better suited than the "knob-turning" mechanic for the trackpad in Logic. Build quality seems pretty good. It's lightweight but doesn't feel flimsy at all. The rotary encoder knobs and the sliders have a nice, smooth feel, but do not feel loose at all. I haven't really used the touch strips yet, but I did play with them for a second and they also have a smooth feel.

The cons: The only issue I have is that the pads require a pretty firm tap to get a full-velocity drum hit. I expect that they will "break in" to some extent over time but I do feel like I have to tap them pretty hard to get a full-velocity event.

Overall: For the price I'd definitely buy this again. I don't imagine that for my needs (I'm not a DJ or electronic music creator) I will ever need anything more than this. It does all the things I want it to so far excellently well. My 12yo son was watching me record a bass line, then switch tracks and record a drum and shaker track and informed me that he _really_ wants one of his own.

I'm new to recording with a DAW, and I wanted to add some key sounds to my music. I was unfamiliar with controllers, and I've used arranger style keyboards before. I had the opportunity to visit Sweetwater, and was able to play some of them. The one I had my mind set on felt like a toy compared to the Arturia- especially the keys. The quality knobs, sliders, pads, and keys made the difference. The pads are pretty stiff- I have to hit them pretty hard to get a loud sound (couldn't see a way that this was adjustable?), but I can use the keys to control drum sounds as well and they are very responsive. No problems using the pads for the play, stop, record functions. I was trying to not spend too much as I am new getting into it, and it was great to find this. The pre-mapping with the Ableton Software works great.

First time shopping in-person at the store. I'm impressed with how easy pick up was.

Full-Time pro user. I want to start by saying that I LOVE Arturia products!! They are a favorite of mine... both hardware and software! Years ago I went through several mini-keyboards for my travel rig, until I found Arturia. All others were cheaply built, and prone to key failures etc. When my Sweetwater rep (Paul E Rocks!) finally convinced me to try the Arturia MiniLab 2, I was blown away by the build quality! Great weight (metal base) and the mini keys were by far the best I had played. I immediately bought two more for my assistant composers. I was excited to see they had released a version 3 with USB-C. That said, I was concerned that they might have cut some corners. Unfortunately, I was right. I will say that I love the enhanced DAW connectivity of the new unit, but that is where it ends. Everything about it feels cheaper than the MiniLab 2. IT'S STILL PROBABLY BETTER THAN ANY OTHER BRAND OUT THERE. I'm going to keep it and see how it goes. I've just had it a couple months but I am leaning towards keeping it as a backup and going back to using the previous version for my travel rig. I will update as I spend more time with it. I wish they would come out with a $200+ version that is as robust as the MiniLab 2.

The USB noise was an immediate issue. Keys and pads felt good but that's about it. Everything else is a noisy headache.

I bought this to have endless encoder functionality on my desk in front of me, along with a few pads to assign functions to, and something that wouldn't take up a lot of space.
You have to use the Arturia MIDI Control Center software to modify the knob and pad values. Upon opening the software, I found that there was no "mode" setting for the encoders (as of March 2023).

The endless encoders on this device do not behave like endless encoders - they are "absolute mode" encoders and you cannot set them to "relative mode" like you can the other Arturia devices. Meaning, when you switch from track to track, the encoder keeps the previous track's knob values and so when you turn the knob, the value will "jump" on you since the knob is in a different position than the value you are trying to change. Even the Minilab mk2 that came before this has the option to set the encoders to relative mode in the MIDI Control Center software so that no matter what track you're on or what the value is, the knob will simply add or decrease the value. And the Minilab mk2 has twice as many encoders as this, with more functionality....but this is supposed to be an upgrade to the mk2. And this is more expensive than the mk2.

So even though the knobs spin endlessly in either direction, they are a fixed value, just like a basic cheap encoder with a line on the top that tells you the position, only the line here is missing and so you can't see where your value is set.

As a result, the encoders would not work for my needs and so I returned this and bought another solution instead.

After installing this onto my brand new laptop it would not produce sounds. The tutorial videos showed easy setups and instant sounds but this was not the case. Tech support tried to explain that I need external instruments to produce sounds but the box specifically said "everything you need to make music, right out of the box." I would not recommend for beginners.