Sitting on the fence and waiting for a new KeyLab MK3

I opened a support ticket regarding the Midi 2.0 question. I got an answer! They say they will need several days to answer my question :roll_eyes:

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:thinking::disappointed_relieved:
After all the wait & hype & seeing the new innovationā€™s other companies have implemented earlier on this year, I feel totally underwhelmed with Keylab Mk3.
Doesnā€™t even have 16 drum pads which most drum machines have including Arturia Spark 2.
Perhaps time will change my mind but I feel Arturia have missed the mark on this occasion.
As I already have all Arturia software, the package software means nothing to me.
What a shame.
Unless they have a Pro version in the future, Please. :sunglasses:

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Well at least itā€™s not a no :slight_smile:

I feel you frustration man! Apart from waiting since January for this, I was sure that they would have implemented what Native and other companies did on this one. In my case this upgrade, both in amount of keys, and the type of keypad has been long coming, and I was always set on the Arturia Keylab MKII, until I started suspecting that MKIII is around the corner. NI was a close second, but the lack of knobs and faders made me rethink that decision.

I am of course jealous especially for the polyphonic aftertouch and MIDI 2.0! Worst case scenario, if a ā€˜Proā€™ version comes out with all the additions all of us waited for so much comes out, I will sell the MKIII and get it. But I doubt they will do it soon. Hereā€™s hoping I am wrong about this :wink:

I have an Arturia Beatstep which gives me 16 Drum pads & 18 knobs on Analog Lab & works quite well.

Really didnā€™t want to buy NI S61 mk3 as have waited this long but, I donā€™t know now.

Keylab Mk3 doesnā€™t make me want to buy it sadly.

I wonder is this a business strategy of some kind after reading and watching most Vids/comments over the last few Days.

I think its reasonable to say (if you check around yourself), that the majority are generally dissapointed by the KL3. Its a slight downgrade from MKII capabilties (barring the screen).

Maybe this is testing the Market. If it underwhelms (in sales) then a Pro version could win people back. I duno. Duno what to do either.
(Still using Novation SL MK1 here and its ancient)

I do not think that Arturia intentionally wants to turn away customers. But you may be on something here. Until now there was a gap of what Arturia customers could buy. Keylab Essential is the entry level experience. Keylab until now was the flagship experience. But NI with its Komplete S Series always had an edge with its big screen(s) and the LED guide. It is definitely possible that Arturia creates a new flagship experience beyond Keylab. Maybe your are right an there will be a KeyLab Pro? A lot of people complaining now might invest in something with the keys of Polybrute and the connectivity of AstroLab and maybe a bigger screen. :heart_eyes::heart_eyes::heart_eyes:

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As a business Arturia have probably invested too much already to back track & their new product is the Astrolab.
Personally I very much doubt that a Keylab Pro version will be in the pipeline, but I could be wrong.
You never know. :roll_eyes:

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Arturia Supportā€™s answer is in. Unfortunately, Midi 2.0 is not on the menu, and they do not plan an update regarding Midi 2.0 :disappointed:

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Itā€™s like theyā€™ve just tried to second-guess what users wanted rather than developing a product based on user-research and the facilities offered by competitorsā€™ similar-priced products. Someone at the top has decided the whole product lives or dies based solely on its screen and tight integration with Analog Lab and V Collection, rather than making a midi controller to rule them all, like the original KeyLab once was.

Theyā€™ve even scrapped CV / gate sockets, which made the mkII compatible with analog gear. And the 16 pads are now 12. Iā€™m almost surprised itā€™s kept the old DIN MIDI sockets.

Last person to be so disappointed as I am with this product-launch was Jimmy Saville when he found out Boys 2 Men was a soul-band and not a delivery-service.

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I do not know. People like us need a big leap in technology to convince us to buy something new. Why? Because we already own a good enough midi controller keyboard. I guess we are not the target audience for the new Keylab MK3. It is more those people who bought into the low end and want to treat themselves with something better. They do not know the difference between PA and channel aftertouch. They never heard of Midi 2.0. But they like colored screens, chord modes, arpeggios and scales modes implemented in their hardware. :man_facepalming:

John Mike just published a video how he is not impressed by any new midi controller launched in the recent months. https://youtu.be/Zbox-J7KUzA?si=CPIPjULFgElwsPq5
I do not have the same low standards as him. I like playing life and I need my controls but in way heā€™s got a point.

Soā€¦Sitting on the fence and waiting for a new KeyLab MK4?

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I sure am. I have a Keylab Essential 88 that I use at rehearsals and a Keylab MKII 88 in my home studio.

I was really looking forward to the MKIII 88, but the color screen alone is not convincing enough for a trade.

If Arturia is targeting people who did not have the flagship MKII, I think that is a big mistake. The ā€œprosumersā€ are much more prone to update their hardware the minute something great comes along.

I do hope for a pro version. If there will be none ā€¦ :man_shrugging: ā€¦ it will be difficult.
My M-Audio Oxygen Pro 61 is good enough for most things. I like my 16 pads. I like my sliders and my knobs and I like my buttons to manipulate the tracks with rec/select/mute/solo. I like my channel aftertouch. Maybe I just change my set-up and buy me something nice as an extra board that does not need all those things but has a big screen and a light guide, Midi 2.0 and maybe PA.

I wonder which controller might fit these requirements. :thinking::wink:

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