But don’t let its small size fool you - it’s huge on features usually found on larger and more expensive keyboards. As a treat for any in-the-box producers, it comes with a hefty software package including a copy of Ableton Live Lite (an entry-level DAW Arturia's own Analog Lab Intro (a sweet stack of vintage sounds) two virtual pianos (the UVI Model D, and the NI The Gentleman) and plenty more to sink your teeth into.MiniLab 3 is a compact MIDI keyboard controller. Of course, the MiniLab MK3 works perfectly when combined with any Arturia virtual instruments, but it also smoothly integrates with pretty much any DAW software. The Arturia MiniLab MK3: Eased Computer Integration

It also comes wrapped up in a solid, road-ready housing that's been made using recycled materials, and as a twist on your average mini controller keyboards, this model comes fitted with a genuine DIN MIDI out to it can even be used to control your older rack synths. It supports intuitive pitch-bending and modulation tweaking in real-time via two touch-strips, and as a fat and juicy cherry on top, it has an OLED graphic display coupled with a turn-and-push encoder to ease mode switching, navigation and selection. But will the third instalment of this MIDI-based odyssey match up? For a start, the Arturia MiniLab MK3 comes with a set of eight encoders, a bank of four faders and eight performance pads. When it first popped up, this solid little second-generation MIDI keyboard sold like hot-cakes, and for good reason.

We only have to step back to 2016 to remember when the MiniLab 2 was first released, but in this fast-moving world, that's actually a pretty long time ago.

Arturia minilab 3