To play devil’s advocate though, it’s irrelevant that they are at different price points, because Arturia do not offer a more expensive controller. With a limitless budget to spend on an Arturia midi controller, your options are controllers that haven’t really expanded on core functionality in 14 years.
It’s hilarious to me that you still can’t even buy an Arturia midi controller capable of fully utilizing their own VSTs, chiefly the CS80V with its poly aftertouch capability. You have to buy a 25-key Microfreak and not use 99% of its potential as a synthesizer, and live with a keybed that’s like a Stylophone on steroids.
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For a minute, (a desperate hopeful minute) after hearing Arturia released an ultra version of their Keylab MK3, I actually thought it would have all (or most) of the features that I and many had hoped for and mentioned in my original post. Brother, was I wrong. The only thing different was the orange colour and black side panels. How does that magically make the controller “ultra”? Please Arturia stop tinkering around the edges of a product and produce a higher end model. Judging by the original disquiet the Keylab MK3 received, many will still thank you for it. Orange and black may be striking but it’s not a replacement for features. Currently, this is the most viewed thread on this site by a mile, so this subject still resonates.
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Yep. While they give us garish colours that look like someone toggled ‘invert colours’ in Windows or MacOS, still we wait for an Arturia controller that actually fully supports the functionalities in their own software synths, such as poly aftertouch. It doesn’t matter if competitors’ products with poly-aftertouch (and other premium features) cost more than the KeyLab: the KeyLab is the most premium controller Arturia offer. It’s not possible to spend more. They’re literally telling us in a roundabout way to buy competitors’ midi controllers in order to use Arturia software to its fullest extent. How is that not embarrasing for a company that’s onto Mk3 of its premium midi controllers.
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I concur. What’s even more ironic, is many users who criticise Arturia on this subject, do so in the forlorn hope (yes… hope) that the company will make us eat our own words and produce this much wanted product, but alas their ears seem insensitive on the subject.
Now I am just waiting for their release of the… Keylab MK3 “Extreme” and Keylab MK3 “Mega” (the same keyboards, but in Lime green and Rose gold). Your move Arturia!
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