Arturia MiniLab 3, 25 Slim-Key USB-C Midi Controller with 5-Year Warranty, 8 Backlit LED Pads, 8 Knobs, 4 Faders, Midi Out, Built-in Arpeggiator, Chord mode and Software Bundle - Deep Black

Excellent.Cheaper and yet more functional and better built than rivals in the same class of midi controllers.I would also recommend the corresponding ARTURIA software synths: particularly PIGMENTS-6

Love this controller, works perfectly with Logic, FL, and AbletonThe software included:UVI Workstation (Model D Piano)Kontact (The Gentlemen piano)Analogue Lab 5 (Lots of VST’s)Ableton liteMelodics subscriptionDownside being you have to sign up and create an account for each one of these, and then download an install hub. However they are fairly decent instruments in their own right especially if you are just starting out with sound production.The controller itself is great, nice and big key bed, semi weighted and slick gloss feel. Pads are definitely not as great as Akai’s but they still serve their purpose and have a nice light up LGB color display when idle. Encoder knobs are endless and the 4 faders have a great feel to them. The mod wheel and pitch bend are touch sensitive but fairly responsive.The main sell being the DAW control feature, which lets you control all parameters within your DAW once you download the script on their website. The controller allows you to toggle between daw control and analogue lab control and makes mixing and producing extremely fun and intuitive, I highly recommend this controller.

If you like keys and play piano and want to have keys that feel very natural like a real keyboard with good weight and velocity so you can hit them hard or soft and actually get that tactile response in addition to the audio output of it, this is the keyboard to get, in this price range. The other features are pretty common to all. The knobs and faders are all good quality and feel tight and no wobbles. The software is excellent that bundles with it, Analog Lab is nuts with how much it comes with, how good the synth/samples are and it doesn't require a subscription or anything, it just comes with your keyboard. To get all the software that comes with it, you register on their website and your account gets license codes for all software. Ableton Live Lite and Analog Lab are the two you really want and they're going to get you started immediately. The rest are nice but one is a free trial to classes, two are piano plugs that require ridiculous hoop jumping to get to via multiple license platforms and downloads and accounts which is a total put off and annoying (especially avoid the UVI and iLok bundle stuff, what a nightmware to deal with). The Native app is worth getting. The sample library is worth browsing. But you can ignore all of it and just be fine with Ableton Live Lite and Analog Lab. Analog Lab is crazy good for free with this keyboard.

This keyboard is great. It has very nice keys, the work flow is awesome and has very good included software. Overall 10/10 keyboard

Spoiler: It wasn't my favorite of those I tested. I returned the Arturia Minilab 3.DISCLAIMER: I did not test any bundled software. This review is primarily an "out of the box", plug-and-play test. The vast majority of the playing, looping and configuration was in Garageband for iPad and a little in Logic Pro X for iPad. I watched a lot of reviews on YT and decided to try them for myself. I wasn't sure which controller would work best for me. I am relatively new to the DAW/MIDI controller world. I have dabbled in piano and synth for decades, but am definitely not an expert. Below is my take on the Arturia Minilab 3.I reviewed all 4 devices below separately. You will have to go to the individual devices review page to see the specific review.Devices tested (for comparison):⦁ Arturia Minilab 3 - THE DEVICE BEING REVIEWED⦁ M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini⦁ Akai MPK Mini Plus⦁ Akai MPK Mini Play mk3Things I liked about the Arturia Minilab 3:⦁ key feel is very, very good. By far the best of the 4 I tried. Felt most like "real" keys.⦁ Minilab 3 has 4 faders and 8 endless encoder knobs. That's a very good amount of controls to assign in your DAW⦁ The faders felt very good. Smooth and tight over entire length of travel.⦁ Minilab 3 is pretty. Clean, uncluttered, and nicely designed. I even like the faux wood panels at each end.⦁ Real MIDI out. I prefer this over the 1/8" dongle. The included USB-C cable is high quality.⦁ Did I mention the key feel? Seriously, best of breed. At least to me.Things I DISliked about the Arturia Minilab 3:⦁ the touch sensors instead of pitch and mod "wheels" wasn't a big deal for me. They worked as expected. I am not a seasoned pitch/mod wheel officianado. Some will disagree with my assessment of touch sensors vs. wheels.⦁ The preset for Garageband didn't map completely in iPad OS. None of the controllers I tested did, so this isn't really a dig on the Arturia specifically.⦁ There is minimal labeling on the face of the device. Other devices had more labels on button/key to select a parameters. Labeling is minimal on the Minilab 3. It looks much cleaner, but makes it harder to recall what function is where.⦁ The pads weren't good for me. I felt they were too sloppy/wobbly, especially at the edges. I noticed that this led to "accidental double-taps". Maybe my technique was the problem. They just didn't feel as good (to me) as the M-Audio or Akai pads.⦁ transport controls are not discreet buttons. They are shared with pads.⦁ Only has 25 keys. They are EXCEPTIONAL keys, but only 25.⦁ The pads are in a straight line. Some may really like that. I personally prefer them stacked in 2 rows of 4. That is just my preference, not a real negative.Overall build quality - Arturia Minilab 3: Very Good. Solid, stable fit and finish, except for the pads. The encoders and faders are really good and tight. And the keys, oh, the keys.

I think this one is the best possible midi controller. amazing build and keys and pads feel great. you can instantly realize it made of quality materials .

It's such a fun music tool. It always plugs in and plays easily, and it looks great with the rainbow lights. Compared to other units, the size and value of the money are perfect.

Better than the akai MPK3 mini, which I returned after it had faulty pads. MiniLab 3 is amazing, key feel is great(mpk3 feels like a child’s toy comparatively) ,Drum pads feel just as good as Akai’s(just not as big, no big deal imo).Display is cleaner / more detailed than mpk 3. HAS USB C TOO!! Which is the standard for all my equipment in 2025. No more USB-B printer plugs thank god