The velocity pressure can be adjusted in the MIDI control center, but they already feel responsive with good key velocity out of the box. The new color-backlit pads are velocity sensitive and can help you map certain sounds to a specific color to help with your workflow.Īlthough there are only 8 pads, the shift button allows you to switch between two banks, which brings the total number of pad assignments to 16. Since the Arturia Minilab MKII is the second build of it’s kind, you can tell the quality has improved from it’s previous model.

This is something that I truly valued because I believe creating affordable software is essential for those who want to learn more about synthesis and can help discover their true sound. Since their start in 1999, Arturia has grown and developed their software synths to emulate sounds from popular synthesizers and keyboards like the Roland Jupiter – 8, Sequential Prophet – 5, and many more. I’ve seen several Arturia products in my search, and I quickly became interested in the company because they offer functionality and affordability. That's why I thought the Arturia Minilab MKII was my best bet.

I knew that I would eventually use this setup to jam with my friends so I also wanted a keyboard/controller that I could take anywhere with me.Īt first, I was indecisive of what MIDI Keyboard to get because there are so many great options, but there were very few controllers that provided built in software that I could experiment with.

I was looking for a keyboard small enough to fit on my desk, but also had the ability to offer unique sounds and use multiple controller functions. I needed something to help execute my creative ideas while learning new things hands on, so that’s when I began to hunt for my first MIDI Keyboard. When I began using Ableton, I would get frustrated with trying to modulate the different parameters of a sound because I had no idea what I was doing but I had the idea in my head. As you’re beginning to develop your own workflow, you may find yourself stuck in a rut of tinkering with things for too long so they can sound a certain way.

Arturia minilab mk2 ableton mapping