KeyLab 88 mk3 is Arturia's flagship 88-note hammer-action MIDI controller, designed for advanced studio production and live performance. Central to its design is a fully weighted Fatar TP/110 keybed with velocity sensitivity and channel aftertouch, offering a balanced and responsive touch suited to piano-focused work as well as synth and hybrid applications. Surrounding the keybed is a comprehensive control surface with 12 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads across four banks, nine touch-sensitive rotary encoders, nine 50mm faders, and dedicated transport controls. A full-colour 3.5" display with contextual buttons provides access to scale, chord, and arpeggiator functions, while supporting detailed DAW control and close integration with the included Analog Lab Pro software. Rather than functioning as a simple MIDI keyboard, KeyLab 88 mk3 serves as a central command surface for software instruments, hardware MIDI devices, and modern production environments alike. Its robust aluminium housing, set off nicely by Arturia's signature wooden endpieces, comes in a black and a white finish.
For clear and intuitive operation, the Arturia KeyLab 88 mk3's control panel is divided into three main sections. On the left are the pitch and modulation wheels, with dedicated buttons for octave and transpose adjustment. The 12 performance pads can trigger samples, chords or MIDI data, responding to velocity and pressure for expressive control. Dedicated buttons provide access to chord mode, note hold, scale selection, and the multi-mode arpeggiator, while the transport section manages DAW playback and recording. At the centre, the 3.5" full-colour display works with contextual soft buttons and a clickable encoder for navigating presets, parameter assignments, and user settings without relying on external software. To the right, nine touch-sensitive rotary encoders and nine 50mm faders manage mixer levels, instrument parameters, and automation.
KeyLab 88 mk3 is aimed at keyboard players who require a quality weighted action without sacrificing hands-on control. Pianists benefit from the fully weighted TP/110 keybed with aftertouch, while producers and composers gain direct access to mixer levels, virtual instruments and automation via the encoders, faders and transport section. Because it supports both dedicated DAW modes and user-configurable MIDI setups, the KeyLab adapts easily from software-centric studios to hybrid environments incorporating external hardware. Scale, chord, and arpeggiator functions further support composition and performance workflows. For musicians seeking a central production surface that combines instrumental depth with detailed parameter control, KeyLab 88 mk3 balances playability with studio integration. A laptop shelf and music stand are included as standard.
Arturia's success story began with software emulations of well-known analogue synthesizers such as the Moog Minimoog, Sequential Prophet-5, and Oberheim SEM. The popular software instruments included in the V Collection are still flagship products of the French developer today. Over time, Arturia has gradually expanded its range and now also offers a host of hardware devices, ranging from synthesizers and keyboard controllers to sequencers. Since then, the former software developer has thus also become a household name in the world of analogue synthesizers and other equipment.
Connectivity centres on USB-C, which provides both bus power and high-speed MIDI communication with computers and the Arturia Software Center. A 5-pin MIDI output allows direct connection to external hardware instruments, enabling standalone control without relying on a DAW. The rear panel accommodates sustain, expression and auxiliary pedals, all freely assignable. Thanks to MCU and HUI protocol support, KeyLab 88 mk3 integrates directly with major DAWs including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Cubase, FL Studio, and Bitwig Studio, offering dedicated control modes and automatic mapping. NKS compatibility further extends integration within the Native Instruments ecosystem. Up to six user presets can be stored internally for customised MIDI configurations, allowing the controller to move fluidly between software-centric production and hybrid hardware setups.
A complete production starter suite
Arturia's KeyLab 88 mk3 ships with a comprehensive software bundle centred around Analog Lab Pro, which provides over 2,000 presets drawn from Arturia's V Collection instruments, spanning analogue and digital synthesizers, acoustic and electric pianos, organs, string machines and hybrid textures. Its streamlined macro-based interface enables fast sound selection and performance control, while deeper editing remains available within the full instruments. Ableton Live Lite is included for recording and arranging within a DAW workflow, alongside full versions of Mini V, Piano V, Augmented STRINGS and Rev PLATE-140, covering classic analogue synthesis, physically modelled pianos, hybrid sound design, and vintage plate reverb processing. Installation and updates are handled via the Arturia Software Center. As bundled content may evolve, the manufacturer's website should be consulted for current details.