What are the key factors behind your choice of a controller keyboard? Good question. I’m glad you asked, because it’s something I’ve been giving some thought to while testing the new Keylab Essential Mk3 — Arturia’s latest lightweight controller.

Firstly, will you be mainly using it in the studio or on stage? If it’s a performance keyboard then you’re likely to want the best keybed you can afford (probably weighted if you’re a piano player) and enough pots and sliders to deal with whatever sound source you use. For example, many who use Mainstage will use an eight-slider controller for pushing up the right sound at the appropriate time (Korg’s NanoKontrol seems to be the unit du jour). 

If, on the other hand, you’re not worried about live performance, then an expensive keybed isn’t such a big deal. In fact, a lighter touch that’s just as good for belting out lead lines, chords or drum parts, is more useful. You probably also want your controller to help you audition sounds, quickly mess with presets, and make sonic decisions quicker and easier than with a keyboard and mouse. What’s more, some DAW integration would be handy — transport control, at the very least.

Let’s take a look at Arturia’s Mk3 of Keylab Essential and see if it’s for you.

MIDI & HUI

For starters, let’s acknowledge the obvious. All keyboard controllers have more in common than they do differences. They all spit out MIDI data to control (in most cases) your computer running a DAW or soft synth (MIDI is a 40-ish year-old invention). Just about everyone uses the HUI language for other control messages (something Mackie invented 20-plus years ago). So the truth is, if you had all the time in the world, you could program just about any controller keyboard on the market to perfectly fit your workflow. In fact, in the early days of controller keyboards, that’s kinda what we were expected to do… most of those people are now bald. 

In other words, no one has that sort of patience, not even during covid. So we quite reasonably expect the manufacturer to do the hard work for us and map all those pesky MIDI controller messages so we don’t have to.

Which is why we see platform-focussed controller keyboards. For example, if you spend most of your time in a Native Instruments sonic environment, you’d be mad not to look at the NI Komplete Kontrol. Push is obviously an Ableton controller with deep Live integration. Novation has released FLkey for the ‘fruity’ crew… and guess what, Arturia’s Keylab ranges are awesome if you rely on Analog Lab and its V Collection of instruments.

Akai Professional, a leading manufacturer of music equipment for performers and producers, announced today the launch of the highly anticipated MPC Key 61 standalone semi-weighted production synthesizer keyboard, including 25 unique plugin instruments with the most modern sound design textures and tonality for all genres of music, making it a powerfully versatile tool for the music creative of today.

MPC has been a mainstay of contemporary production for decades, and has always defined chart-topping hip hop, pop and electronic music. The standalone MPC platform has built on that rich history with innovative mixing and instrument plugins, an intuitive user interface, and a wealth of technology that embraces the modern music producer.

At the heart of MPC Key 61 are the sounds, including 25 unique plugin instruments with the most modern sound design textures and tonality for all genres of music. From timeless acoustic to futuristic synth, the full sonic capability of MPC Key 61 runs the harmonic spectrum.

“Sound has always been the hallmark of MPC,” said Dan Gill, Akai Professional Senior Product Manager. “Our punchy and warm sampling, unique swing and groove, and lock-tight sequencing have all been heard on countless major music productions. We’re extremely excited to build on that heritage with a new industry benchmark. We’ve added a remarkable set of plugin instruments and production tools for the modern music creator. MPC Key 61 equips every music maker from any genre with a diverse palette of inspirational sounds and tools to craft chart-topping hits of today — and even develop the new signature sounds and styles of tomorrow.”

Fabric XL
This flagship power synthesizer offers the most dynamic and powerful synth-engines and sampled acoustic instruments for contemporary music production. Fabric XL’s wide selection of presets are powered by a revolutionary multi-sample-based synthesis engine for cutting-edge performance and sound.

OPx4
A powerful 4-operator FM Synthesizer engine, the OPx4 provides the classic sound of FM at the musician’s fingertips. Built around an elegant interface, the user can dive into a whole new world of sound design, effects and parameters to make it their own.

Stage Piano, Session Strings, Stage EP, and Organ
This bundle offers world-class sounds of acoustic and electromechanical instrument plugins. 

• Stage Piano includes a Steinway grand and Bechstein upright for a complete lineup of rich piano tones
• Session Strings is an elaborate group of orchestral instruments destined to be a secret weapon in the composer’s toolbox. From delicate solo violins to formidable ensembles of bowed instrumentation, Session Strings delivers everything needed to create stringed layers of depth and dimension
• Stage EP’s tone is meticulously true to all the classic keyboards such as Rhodes, FM Electric Piano, Wurlitzer and more. The Organ plugin screams through its Leslie speaker simulation with the very soul and spirit of the mighty B3

The Complete MPC Package
MPC Key 61 is the first MPC to introduce a 61 semi-weighted keybed with velocity and aftertouch, making the new plugin instruments come to life. With two onboard high-end mic preamps and AD/DA converters along with phantom power, MPC Key 61 delivers the full MPC sampling experience while also introducing new ways to morph, shape and define signature sounds with the assignable Touch Strip controller and Q-LINK knobs. From customising personalised sounds, to composing and fully recording harmonic and melodic ideas, to delivering final productions — MPC Key 61 is the most complete music production tool in the industry for modern music creators.

16 velocity-sensitive RGB drum pads with aftertouch offer the world-renowned MPC beat making and rhythmic experience that is second to none. With an onboard Transport, lay down rhythms and sequences with an effortless workflow. Go from intuitively browsing the thousands of sound presets on the beautiful 7-inch multi-gesture colour display, to quickly sequencing ideas and finalising them with premium effects from award-winning AIR Music Tech. Assign and control all effect parameters with the 4x 360 rotary Q-LINK knobs, perfect for writing real-time automation.

With a wide selection of I/O, MPC Key 61 integrates seamlessly into any studio environment. Use the Class Compliant USB ports to connect devices such as MIDI controllers, audio interfaces, or removable storage. 8x 3.5mm CV/Gate outputs provide plenty of room to plug into your modular and synth gear, and dedicated Pitch Bend/Mod Wheels add expanded control, depth and texture. The onboard TRS ¼” audio outputs can be configured as dual-stereo or four-mono signal paths while the two XLR/¼” combination inputs enable sampling and recording from Mic, Instrument, or Line-level sources via the ultra-clean preamps and premium AD/DA converters.

Key Features

• 25 cutting-edge instrument plugins
• Expressive 61-key semi-weighted keybed with aftertouch
• Powerful 4gb RAM / Quad Core Arm Processor — no need for a computer
• 16 RGB velocity-sensitive MPC Drum Pads with aftertouch and Note Repeat
• Assignable Touch Strip controller
• 2 Mic/Line/Instrument inputs with high-end mic preamps
• Onboard Audio Interface with premium AD/DA converters
• Vibrant 7” colour Touch Screen with Multi-touch & Gestures
• Powerful 128 track MIDI sequencer
• Onboard Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
• 4 assignable Q-LINK Controller Knobs
• Pitch Bend/Modulation wheels
• Dedicated Transport section
• Accepts Class Compliant audio interfaces and MIDI devices
• 4 discrete Line outputs
• 8 audio tracks
• 8 CV/Gate output jacks for modular integration
• MPC2 Desktop Software DAW for Mac/PC included

Availability
MPC Key 61 is now available globally. MPC Key 61 users will also receive a free update to the MPC 2.11 desktop software.

Pricing
US$1899 / EU1999.99 / GBP1699.99

You might lust after the latest Tesla motor car. The Model S, for example, represents the bleeding edge in what a EV could and should be. It can drive itself and, if you option-up enough, it’ll probably give you a back massage and a third-wave latte on the morning commute.

I might, on the other hand, lust after a BMW M3. The visceral connection between the power plant and the road; the roar of the engine… It’s the culmination of a 100 years of motor car design, representing thousands of moving parts, spinning and meshing with miniscule tolerances — more complex than a Swiss watch and loads more fun.

Both are priced around the same. Both are astonishingly good cars. But they are very different.

Waldorf’s Iridium is not unlike a brand new Tesla. It’s an astonishingly good polysynth and entirely digital. It can produce growling synth basses easily capable of scaring small children, beautifully ethereal pads that can make a grown man cry, and everything in between.

If the Iridium is like a Model S, then the M3 equivalent would be the likes of the Arturia PolyBrute or the Sequential Prophet 6 — analogue to the core and the epitome of what people love about their VCOs and VCFs. What they lack in variety of tonal palette they make up for in personality and desirability.

So if you’re in the market for a polysynth, but it has to be analogue, then this is not the droid you’re looking for. But a word of caution, you could be doing yourself a disservice by limiting your options in this way.

TESTING THE METAL 

So what is Iridium… apart from being a hard, dense silvery-white metal with an atomic number of 77?  It’s a multi-faceted dual-voice polysynth with a variety of synth models, a host of sound shaping facilities, 40-slot modulation matrix, effects and more. 

Iridium offers five different synthesis models for each of the three oscillators:

Wavetable: What Waldorf is best know for; like a Microwave under the bonnet.
Waveform (Virtual Analogue): All the usual subtractive synth sounds here.
Particle (Sampling and Granular Sampling): Use Iridium’s samples or input your own.
Resonator: Bell sounds and the like.
Kernels: Kinda like FM synthesis on steroids.