Arturia KeyLab 61 MK2 Review
Build quality
One word: premium. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when we look at this freshly unboxed master keyboard. As soon as we take a closer look we immediately notice the high build quality and a few real eye-catchers:
The glossy silver pitch and modulation wheels (positioned above the keybed rather than next to it like on the AKAI MPK 261 stand out right away from the top view. The color contrast doesn’t just look great—it can actually be helpful in low-light conditions or live situations.
From the side the wood-style panels grab all the attention. On the left side a silver chrome “Arturia” logo sits nicely on the wood-look finish. So far we haven’t had a master keyboard in our hands that feels this classy in both design and build. The solid overall weight completes the first impression. Even before we power it on the unit already feels like it’s scoring points.
The keybed of the Arturia KeyLab 61 MK2 is also high quality. The semi-weighted keys feel genuinely premium under the fingers. We especially like how quiet the actual keystroke is — so you don’t get distracting mechanical noise while playing.
Connections and rear panel
On the back you’ll find the usual power and USB connections as well as an on/off switch plus additional interfaces:
MIDI In and Out ports are part of the standard toolkit of any master keyboard and so are the 6.3 mm jack inputs (for one sustain pedal and one expression pedal or alternatively three additional AUX inputs). What’s especially interesting here are the included CV (control voltage) connections.
In addition to four outputs for controlling external hardware (like synthesizers) there’s also a CV input that lets you assign hardware-generated control signals to a software parameter. Pretty smart if you ask us — this could let you manipulate and control a soft synth using the LFO of an external hardware synth for example. Overall CV compatibility gives you a direct bridge into the analog world — what more could you want?
Arturia KeyLab Essential 61 vs Arturia KeyLab 61 MKII (MK2) — what’s the difference?
The Arturia KeyLab 61 MK2 was released in 2018 and is the more fully featured version of the Arturia KeyLab Essential 61.
The KeyLab 61 MK2 comes with 16 drum pads instead of 8 plus significantly more connections and control options.
Features and workflow
The octave shift and transpose buttons sit above the pitch and modulation wheels. You’ll also find a “Chord” button here which lets you assign pre-defined chords to a single key.
To the right of the pitch and mod wheels is the drum pad section which is a bit on the small side. In terms of feel it doesn’t quite match the AKAI MPK 261 in our opinion but it’s still definitely good and the pads’ RGB lighting is fully configurable.
A real standout feature is the three available pad modes: “Pad” “Chord Memory” and “Chord Transpose”:
- Pad mode: Tap a pad to play a note or send a MIDI message. The behavior can be set via the front panel or the MIDI Control Center.
- Chord Memory mode: Each pad can store a chord and play it back from that pad.
- Chord Transpose mode: Each pad stores a chord that can then be played across the keyboard. The Chord button must be lit to use Chord Transpose mode.
If you simply want to trigger MIDI data with your playing the “Pad” button is all you need. This mode is designed for everyday use.
If you want to play full chords from a single drum pad “Chord Memory” is the right choice: pre-saved chords are mapped across the 16 velocity-sensitive pads so they’re instantly accessible.
One step further is “Chord Transpose.” Here you can build your own chord libraries and assign them to the 16 pads with very little effort. Depending on which pad is currently pressed or selected you can then play the stored chord transposed across the keyboard—basically a more advanced extension of the “Chord” button above the pitch wheel. This can be a real advantage in live performance situations.
The Command and Transport section to the right of the drum pads feels just as solid as the keybed. The construction is sturdy and the buttons feel high quality which supports the premium image of the controller. Even with harder presses we don’t notice any annoying rattles or wobbly buttons (aside from the intentional click). Everything feels tight. Function-wise the Command controls offer these parameters:
- Track Controls (top row):
- "Solo", "Mute", "Record", "Read", "Write"
- Global Controls (bottom row):
- "Save", "In", "Out", "Metro", "Undo"
The Transport section below includes the usual Forward Rewind Stop and Play/Pause buttons and there’s one more key that deserves a shout: the “Loop” button. The function itself is simple but we love the idea of controlling this DAW feature directly from the keyboard. This feels properly thought through.
The LC display is well lit easy to read and clearly shows all current parameter changes. The rotary encoder below it makes navigation intuitive thanks to a clean menu structure. The stepped encoder only makes noise when you turn it quickly. The different control layers—Analog Lab Lite (a smaller version of Arturia Analog Lab V) DAW mode or user presets—create a tidy and intuitive layout. With the backlit buttons you can instantly see which layer you’re currently in.
The fader section is another highlight. Unlike the MPK 261 you don’t get eight channel strips — you get nine. Some people might wonder why nine instead of eight. The reason is simple and smart: the ninth fader acts as a dedicated master fader. So you effectively get eight channel faders plus one master fader which is a genuinely nice extra.
The black text below the faders describes their DAW mode behavior:
- Fader 1 controls the volume of track 1 in the selected bank
- Fader 2 controls the volume of track 2 in the selected bank
- Fader 3 controls the volume of track 3 in the selected bank
…all the way to fader 8 which controls track 8 in the selected bank.
- Fader 9 works differently: it controls the master volume of the entire song or project
Many knobs and controls are labeled twice. The first label highlighted in cyan refers to the Analog Lab layer and seems to control fixed parameters such as amp and filter envelope functions (for example Attack Decay Sustain Release) as well as filter cutoff and LFO amounts. The second label in white refers to the DAW layer and uses more general descriptions such as Pan for the endless encoders above the faders. The faders themselves are labeled CH 1 (CH = channel) through CH 8. As with the KeyLab Essential you can assign these eight channel strips across multiple switchable banks.
The feel of the potentiometers and faders is—surprisingly—high quality again. The resistance is smooth and satisfying which keeps the premium vibe of the Arturia KeyLab 61 MKII consistent.
What’s included accessories and free software
If you go for Arturia’s French controller you get a seriously strong software package. In addition to the included USB cable with an anti-ground-loop adapter and various overlay templates for labeling individual buttons and knobs you also get Arturia Analog Lab Piano V and Ableton Live Lite. That gives you a solid basic software setup that’s absolutely enough for producing. On top of that Arturia software is known for being especially well integrated with its controllers which makes the whole thing feel cohesive.
Our conclusion on the Arturia KeyLab 61 MK2
If you’ve always had a soft spot for products with a bit of individuality the Arturia is definitely worth considering. As a combination of a solid master keyboard plus nice features and software extras the Arturia KeyLab 61 MK2 delivers excellent build quality and checks a lot of boxes for synth lovers. The CV compatibility promises a lot of fun and above all a smooth connection to analog external gear. So if you’re already surrounded by multiple synths or other hardware devices and want to control everything conveniently from one place the KeyLab 61 MK2 is especially recommended.
Technical specs and dimensions of the Arturia KeyLab MKII 61 Black:
- 61 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch
- 16 color backlit performance pads
- 9 faders
- 9 rotary knobs
- LCD display
- Category function
- Pitch and modulation wheels
- Chord and transpose function
- Transport controls
- 5 x expression control inputs
- 4 x CV outputs
- 1 x CV input
- MIDI in and out
- USB connection
- External power supply input
- Aluminum chassis
- Includes Analog Lab software with over 6500 sounds Piano V and Ableton Live Lite
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 875 x 297 x 53 mm
- Weight: 7 kg
Go to the official Arturia KeyLab MKII 61 manual
About Arturia
Want to learn more about Arturia and their products? Click here for the full manufacturer overview: Arturia – hardware and software
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