Arturia Keylab 88 MkII?

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I've been in the market for an 88 note controller, and just when I was ready to bite the bullet on a Studiologic SL88 Grand, the Arturia pops up and starts shipping this week. I can only find two dealerships where they are in stock. Not a lot of info out there, but does anyone know anyone who got their hands on one?

[bayswater]

You might want to make sure the warranty is good for a year or two. I bought a Keylab 61, a different sort of beast I know, but it raised concerns about quality control on new releases. Within the first two years, G5 stopped transmitting, then G4, then G3. Then one key's stop position was about 1/8" above all the others -- something inside cracked. The keyboard never left it's stand during that time. Also, check out the internal software. I found it a rigamarole to do simple things like changing the transmit channel.

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Thanks for the input. I recall your travails with the 61. Just trying to get some info, as there is very little out there. There's a 1 year factory warranty, but I am generally opposed to extended ones. I may have to rethink that policy.

[Michael Canavan]

Arturias other keyboards are bad, for sure, but the 88 is good. IMO anyway, it's a toss up on the Komplete Control MkII, I think the light guide was a fantastic idea for all the libraries out there with keyswitching, but I'm torn on NI's lack of brains in their products. Literally, they use the computer to control the hardware, so if in ten years they give up on the 88 support wise, you're stuck with some ancient OS that runs the software.
Arturia on the other hand have great access to all their product through the Lab series but just MIDI learn for other software. All this makes me wish AKAI didn't stop making the MPK88 and Novation made a Remote SL 88 MKIII.

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I was considering the KK, for sure. It has the same Fatar TP/100LR keybed as the KeyLab 88, so a tossup there. The KK has a higher price that is not completely justified, IMHO. The latest KeyLab 88 iteration claims DP DAW control, a big plus. Also, as a promotion, they are giving away one's pick of three VI suites. My experience with Arturia VIs is limited, but I've encountered a mixed bag.

[bayswater]

I was considering the KK, for sure. It has the same Fatar TP/100LR keybed as the KeyLab 88, so a tossup there. The KK has a higher price that is not completely justified, IMHO. The latest KeyLab 88 iteration claims DP DAW control, a big plus. Also, as a promotion, they are giving away one's pick of three VI suites. My experience with Arturia VIs is limited, but I've encountered a mixed bag.

Unlike the KB itself, I was happy with the VIs that came with it. I don't do a lot of synth sounds but when I want one, it's sure to be in there somewhere.

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Unlike the KB itself, I was happy with the VIs that came with it. I don't do a lot of synth sounds but when I want one, it's sure to be in there somewhere.

Did the 61 claim to have DP integration?

[bayswater]

Don't think so. I don't think it claimed to integrate with anything other than Analog Lab. Every button is infinitely programmable and there is a screen representation of the controls that can be used to do this, but I never got it working with DP any better than my old BCF2000.

If you get it, I'd suggest spending time with MIDIMonitor and looking at what it transmits. I was initially confused by buttons that transmit one message when you press them and another when you release them.

[CharlzS]

There appears to be a new mode selection on the MkII. It apparently does HUI and MCU. If they've programmed DP's particular flavor of MCU, should be good as a control surface. You'd have to examine the provided DP template to see how deep it goes. Wonder why it took Arturia so long to come up with this. Buy it where you can return so if not happy, you can give it back.

[Michael Canavan]

I was considering the KK, for sure. It has the same Fatar TP/100LR keybed as the KeyLab 88, so a tossup there. The KK has a higher price that is not completely justified, IMHO. The latest KeyLab 88 iteration claims DP DAW control, a big plus. Also, as a promotion, they are giving away one's pick of three VI suites. My experience with Arturia VIs is limited, but I've encountered a mixed bag.

Unlike the KB itself, I was happy with the VIs that came with it. I don't do a lot of synth sounds but when I want one, it's sure to be in there somewhere.

Arturias VI's are all pretty good as long as you're not looking for exact copies of the originals. I would call them more like homages to the originals. The newer ones are not surprisingly better done, as with all VI's that replicate analog sounds, so SEM, Matrix, Synclavier, CMI, DX7, Buchla etc. are all probably the best. Though I still love the ancient CS80. The B3 v2 is much improved as well.