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Arturia KeyLab 88 MkII 88-key Weighted Keyboard Controller

88-note USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with Aftertouch, 9 Faders, 9 Encoders, 16 RGB Performance Pads, DAW Command Center, CV/Gate Connectivity, MIDI, USB, and Analog Lab Software - Mac/Win
$999.00

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Pro Control for Keyboard Artists

Are you a serious pianist looking for a high-end professional production- and performance-oriented keyboard controller? Sweetwater is excited to present the Arturia KeyLab 88 MKII. The latest flagship of Arturia's acclaimed KeyLab Series, KeyLab 88 MKII features the impeccable, authentic grand piano feel and response of a premium Fatar TP100LR 88-note 
hammer-action keybed with aftertouch. As compared with its highly respected predecessor, KeyLab 88 MKII
 offers dramatic workflow improvements and enhanced software integration via its DAW Command Center. And with its onboard CV/Gate connectivity, your precious analog synths will integrate seamlessly into your rig. Boasting rock-solid build quality and extensive expression controls
, Arturia's KeyLab 88 MKII is ready to ace your most demanding touring schedules.

Raising the bar for keyboard control

The KeyLab 88 MkII delivers everything that made the first KeyLab 88 a success; and now with the second generation, Arturia has upped the ante with major refinements to control, workflow, ergonomics, and quality. With its premium hammer-action Fatar keybed and smart DAW Command Center, KeyLab 88 MkII makes a perfect controller for gigging keyboardists. With instant access to multiple customizable user maps, you can configure its rotary knobs, faders, and pads to suit your workflow. What's more, you get an outstanding included software bundle that integrates seamlessly with the instrument.

Premium Fatar hammer-action keybed

Featuring a premium-quality, fully weighted 88-note Fatar hammer-action keybed that will delight the most serious pianists, KeyLab 88 MkII is perfect for the modern professional keyboard player, pianist, and producer who refuse to compromise on quality. Weighing in at just 32 pounds, KeyLab 88 MkII is an ideal stage and studio performance solution that sets a new standard for portable professional keyboard controllers.

Inspiring and expressive

No mere MIDI controller, KeyLab 88 MkII is a finely crafted instrument and an inspiring music creation tool that brings out the best of your creativity. While its authentic hammer action will satisfy the most demanding pianists, its aftertouch-enabled keybed is perfect for playing expressive synth parts. Playing an organ part? In addition to controlling the levels in your DAW, the nine faders are your drawbars. You can even store custom chords in the performance pads for intuitive, lighting-quick live triggering.

Connectivity à go-go

If you're into modular synthesis, you're going to love KeyLab 88 MkII. In addition to the traditional MIDI 5-pin DIN in and out connectors, Arturia souped up KeyLab 88 MkII with four CV outputs plus a CV input, so you can send pitch, gate, and two modulation sources to your analog gear. And to satisfy the most advanced performance setups, this full-featured controller is equipped with sustain, expression, and 3 assignable auxiliary pedal jacks.


A value-packed instrument with smart software integration

The Arturia KeyLab 88 MkII is an incredible value. It's a premium state-of-the-art controller, no doubt; but with the included Analog Lab software, it becomes a masterful self-contained instrument that gives you instant access to more than 6,500 synth and keyboard sounds and a new dedicated stage/performance mode that makes patch selection effortless. Piano V is a superb collection of physically modeled pianos — a perfect pairing with KeyLab 88 MkII’s incredibly expressive keyboard. For classic '60s organ tone, Arturia's acclaimed Vox Continental V virtual instrument is also included. You also get Wurli V, Arturia’s stunningly accurate physical model of the legendary Wurlitzer 200A electric piano. To control every aspect of these amazing sounds, KeyLab 88 MkII features dedicated, intelligently mapped controls for every instrument. And it even comes with Ableton Live Lite, so you can start recording right out of the box!

Arturia KeyLab 88 MKII Features:

  • Premium 88-note hammer-action keyboard controller
  • Fatar TP100LR 
keybed with aftertouch
  • Rugged aluminum chassis construction with wood side panels
  • Removable iPad/sheet music stand
  • Extension shelf for laptop placement
  • 16 RGB-backlit performance pads
  • Control bank with 9 faders and 9 encoders 

  • DAW Command Center includes magnetic overlays for Ableton Live, Logic Pro X, Pro Tools, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, as well as standard Mackie and HUI setups
  • CV/Gate, MIDI 5-pin DIN, and USB-MIDI connectivity
  • Sustain, expression, and 3 assignable auxiliary pedal inputs

  • Seamless integration with Analog Lab software (included)
  • Includes USB cable, laptop stand, iPad/sheet music stand

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Keyboard Controller
  • Number of Keys: 88
  • Type of Keys: Weighted, Fatar TP/100LR Keybed
  • Velocity Sensitive: Yes
  • Aftertouch: Yes
  • Pads: 16 x Backlit, Velocity-sensitive
  • Other Controllers: Pitchbend, Mod Wheel
  • Encoders/Pots: 9 x Rotary Encoders
  • Faders: 9 x Faders
  • Dedicated Transport Control: Yes
  • Zones: 2
  • Pedal Inputs: 1 x 1/4" (sustain), 1 x 1/4" (expression), 3 x 1/4" (aux pedals)
  • MIDI I/O: In/Out/USB
  • USB: 1 x Type B
  • Other I/O: 1 x 1/8" (CV in), 4 x 1/8" (Pitch out, Gate out, mod 1, mod 2)
  • Computer Connectivity: USB
  • Software: Analog Lab, Ableton Live Lite, Piano V, Wurli V, Vox Continental V
  • Format: Standalone, VST2.4, VST3, AAX, AU, NKS
  • Hardware Requirements - Mac: 2.5GHz Processor or higher, 4GB RAM minimum
  • Hardware Requirements - PC: 2.5GHz Processor or higher, 4GB RAM minimum
  • OS Requirements - Mac: macOS 10.13 or later
  • OS Requirements - PC: Windows 8.1 or later, 64-bit
  • Power Supply: USB bus power, 9-12V DC power supply (sold separately)
  • Height: 4.40"
  • Width: 50.90"
  • Depth: 12.70"
  • Weight: 32.4 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 230641

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Solid

I've been using this keyboard now for about 7 months and am quite happy with it. The key bed is definitely on the heavy end, nothing light or springy if that's your thing, but the velocity can be adjusted with the included software.
A bit disappointed that the transport controls don't work natively with Bitwig or Reason, which I knew going in, and i know there are scripts etc that can extend that functionality, but I usually just map controls on a per song basis anyway. The midi control center takes a few minutes to understand (you have to drag your settings up to the top box for some reason), but once you have that sorted, there's an amazing amount of flexibility and customization available.
Overall, a great piece of kit to build a home studio around, I'll be using it for years!
Music background: b.a. in music/theater
Rated 5/5

Very good

I purchased this to replace an existing 88 key non-weighted controller in my home studio. I am also a large-scale commercial studio owner. The feel is exceptional and immediately adds to feel of truly interacting with a sound. The build is very solid and it's an attractive piece. Of course because it's Arturia the drum pads are also very solid.
Music background: Drummer / Billboard Top 40 Producer, ranger and writer.
Rated 5/5

The white one is super beautiful! Perfect touch and feel also!

Really love this and love the color! Red or Gold would've been perfect also, but this one look so nice and the feel and touch are second to none. The natural wood accent adds even more sophistication. Me and my husband have a matching pair! It was that nice, he had to have his own and now we can duet like we've always wanted.
Rated 5/5

I'm not sorry. The fact that we

I just got mine in today (the black one, as I prefer to be looked at as little as possible) and spent a while testing things out, and I love it! All of the controls feel great and, with very minimal setup time, work perfectly with Logic (my DAW of choice). The primary reason I got this is to have a flexible (and light weight) controller with lots of controls on the surface that I can map to whatever I need. I make a lot of tracks in Logic and I play live shows with MainStage. This is a fantastic controller for both of those. The construction is very solid. The body is all metal with wooden side plates and weirdly high quality rubber feet. I suppose that's the dumbest part of a keyboard to like, but they just feel very sturdy. It makes me wish I had it sitting on a table instead of a keyboard stand, so I could take full advantage of them! I love the included laptop stand and music stand. They hook on to the keyboard and are quite sturdy. The laptop stand will hold any laptop you put on it. The music stand is definitely sturdier than most. It's plexiglass (or whatever that is), so it does wobble a bit, but it's much better than any other stands I've seen like it, and I have no worries that my iPad will fall off of it. The music stand even has a hole in the center to fit an iPad charging cable. I didn't realize that was a thing, but it fits perfectly, so now I don't have to keep the iPad upside down with the cable coming out the top. The music stand is off center (to the left) to make room for the laptop stand. I don't mind this, as I usually play musical theatre gigs, and I have yet to play in a pit where I'm not somehow cramped or compromising my playing position due to space restraints. But, it might be worth it to know, if you care about that. If you look at the first picture on Sweetwater, you can see the 6 little silver screws sticking off the back. The three on the right are for the laptop stand and the 3 on the left are the music stand. So, your music will be centered in the center of the 3 leftmost screws (around E3/F3). I love the fact that you can change modes in seconds with the main knob. I can go from fully specialized as a mixer/transport controller for Logic right into a customized controller for Kontakt or Pianoteq (or any other instrument) to record a track, and then right back again for Logic controls. Another perk that I didn't even realize before buying it is that it can be bus powered, which is great to save on cables for gigs!

The only real negative I find with this is the keyboard action itself. This is 100% my personal preference though, and truthfully, this is a very small negative that I will happily get used to. They keys are a little heavy for my taste. I am a pianist first and my ideal action is that of a Steinway grand. Obviously no keyboard can approach that (yes, I love Kawai's GrandFeel, but I can't justify $2k for a keyboard with no other controls and not enough pedal inputs), but the Arturia certainly isn't my favorite of the choices I do have. It reminds me a lot of Roland action. I don't have a Roland board to side-by-side compare, but it just has that heavier, ever-so-slightly mushy feel. I prefer the action of most Kurzweil boards (Fatar TP-40L) and the Yamaha MOX series. They are definitely on the lighter side (great for organ playing as well), and just feel like they have a faster response. With this and Roland boards, I feel like the keys just take slightly too long to return to neutral. All that said, the action on this is very sturdy and certainly not of a lower quality in any way. It's just slightly heavier than I prefer. It's minimal (and the other pros are so much better than the competition), so I will deal with it and not love it any less. I'm not a fan of any of Arturia's software/instruments, but I only had to open their MIDI editor once to set the keyboard to Logic, and I haven't touched it since. I suppose "I probably won't use your included VSTs because I don't need/like them" would be the most "Karen" of things for me to call a negative.

My primary keyboard before this is a Kurzweil Forte. I love that, but that is overkill for a MIDI controller in my home studio, and I wanted something with more flexible controls dedicated to a DAW's functionality. I'll certainly still use my Forte for live gigs, but even given how light this is (or at least how much lighter it is than the Forte…) and how much more I can do with it, I might use this as my primary MainStage controller for theatre gigs as well. I did also look into the NI Komplete Kontrol S88. I haven't tried that one in person and the integration with Kontakt (which I use frequently) looks amazing, but I couldn't settle for the fact that there are so few physical controls on the S88. It's very hard to beat having 9 faders, 9 knobs, 16 drum pads, and transport controls (among many others). Plus, this one is cheaper and made of metal.

As for Sweetwater, if you don't already know how amazing they are, where have you even been? I just ordered this mkii as a demo version as well as a guitar not too long ago as a "blemished" item. I have been searching and still can't find this supposed "blemish" on the guitar. As for the mkii, the only way I can tell it was a demo unit is because the box had clearly been opened before and retaped. However, the packing inside was like new, and the keyboard itself is flawless with not a scratch or blemish on it. So, 2 items that you could have fully lied to me and told me they were brand new/perfect and I'd never know the difference, and yet I managed to save a few hundred dollars. Both items shipped out the day I ordered them and were at my door (halfway across the country) within 3 days. I will never order audio gear from any other company. Period.
Music background: Pianist, Music Director (Musical Theatre), Recording/Live Sound Engineer
Rated 5/5

As advertised

It was a toss up, also considering the S88mk2. Really can't go wrong with either one. In particular, for me I liked the Arturia's music rest and the shelf that attaches. Very handy. Also, not sure if NativeInstruments can do this - the Arturia gives me User modes controlled by the big knob. A guy on YouTube showed me how to program one of the User modes to work with KompleteKontrol instruments. I mapped eight of the 9 knobs on the Arturia to control the KK instruments just like I would be able to if I owned the S88mk2. I do own a NI M32 which gives me the same control and I use it on my iMac. The Arturia is hooked to my M1MacMini. I've never been a big fan of using the pads for finger drumming or beat making, but a YouTube orchestrator uses the pads for keyswitches, which is a good idea. One of the main reasons I moved away from my previous midi controller was to gain better velocity control. These keys are very nice and I am using the custom profile that Arturia allows. Plus they also have exponential, linear, logarithmic, and global. Nice.
Music background: Trombone in school, organ at home, arranger keyboards, midiDaw Logic/Reaper. Write songs for fun, a couple a month.
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