Thank you for taking the time to reply,
unfortunately im living in FWI and deliveries are pretty unsure,
I receive it in bad conditions and inside thomann send it also with the protections destroyed inside and with mode saved from previous user or themselves, they just didnt control this one.
No reaction from them, it was my last thomann order. They are not serious anymore, years after years communication and packaging are clearly decreasing. I would be in Europe I would send it back immediatly.
I explained all of that by mail to arturia for them to speak to Thomann no reaction neither…
the protection on my essential was more solid than the keylab who is 3 times heavier
regarding to all of that I decide to keep it and change my way of consuming music gear
it would be “usable” if it can RECEIVE midi for changing modes and keys channel, I would use a midi controller to change the mode and the keyboard midi channel, even with 2 pads it would be one gesture to switch instrument.
i ask for that arturia, they told me yes it can SEND midi, what to say? i didnt know if it was voluntary because it doesn’t or if this dude didnt understand why we was sharing mail since weeks… I was done for mails exange at this step.
I know how artuira can improve firmware for some gears so I stay positive about that 
I think It just cant stay like that for arturia, it would be a big mistake to decide that now gear have to decrease even with less connectivity
it s a BIG subject that I see if we go in deep analysis…
Arturia cannot take this position, they doesnt do it for the new Keytstep ^^ so keylab users can be jealous for the price gap
I appreciate the keybed because the velocity gestion is really good and look like old gear before midi keyboard and digital piano decide to use less point off velocity, but in this way paradoxaly the gestion of the custom curve with just 5 points if you need to beat 127 softer in case off taste, its not enought… I like how it is by default really nice for piano vst
I use the custom curve to slow down the aftertouch who is so hard and short, it is on the foam I think that s why
I saw people saying that they found it to hard to beat 127 and send it back, maybe they are in dawless, but in your daw you can put some more velocity and you wont loose to much on lower velocity and find the perfect balance for you.
if I remember well on the essential if you press on mode button switch to next mode what is really useful, sadly not on the keylab ^^
also 10 user modes would be better, 6 is not enought
also my main encoder on the essential wasn’t moving like the keylab, so less quality for higher class, also wheels are in metal but are slippery the plastic on the essential give better precision sadly, as the silicon buttons are silent and the keylab one’s are noisy, I thought mk3 series will came with silent button but it was not voluntary to be silent apparently, sadly for singers who play on keylab and record in the same time… we are in 2025 this niche market is doing that I think…
i dont deep dive for now into mapping the release velocity off, but for now its not implemented in arturia plugin or im wrong? hard to find stuff who support it so its not an option really usefull, maybe im not aware enought about that…
I m waiting for the next firmware update maybe for Christmas a big surprise can be a good present for users
or opensource the firmware we will do it, if not I will use it as a base for an Arduino project to improve the workflow for one gesture switch with a friend developer, who also dont believe thoses weird choices, even she is not working in midi keyboard game but working for developing
and make a better world for you and for me… yes you can sing MJ to stay positive 