Arturia MiniLab MkII 25 Slim-Key Controller

This is a top-of-the-line piece of equipment. However, the company has created a nightmare registration and security process that is ridiculous. You have to deal with serial numbers, unlock codes, activation files, and drivers to get the unit to work, which is ridiculous in my opinion. It 100% destroys this product. I would not order this product or any other from this company because they have gone overboard in trying to capture your email information in order to Market more products% I understand that business is business, but I don't want to deal with that kind of horse poop as a musician! PLUS, once you've registered the product, what happens next? You won't be able to resell it. Because the unit is marked with your name. It won't work for anyone else, either. I frequently buy and sell audio equipment, and I consider this new type of security system to be a nightmare! br>It took me two hours to try, download, register, and re-register. Registering and inputting numbers and codes are all part of the process. FORGET ABOUT IT! br>I WILL NEVER ORDER ANOTHER ARTURIA PRODUCT AGAIN! WITH YHIS REGISTRATION PROCESS, THEY RUINED THEIR PRODUCT!
Jim.

Antonella Mills

| Aug 01, 2021

I liked the build quality, the feel of the keys/knobs/pads, and the AnalogLab software that came with it (lots of fun sounds!). )br>br>Here's what I didn't care for:br>- The endless rotary knobs are used to control VST. This was a major setback. br>br>If you're going to use your MiniLab to change non-standard settings, make sure it's set to non-standard. If you're using Arturia VSTs, I recommend switching to a midi controller with knobs that have min/max values. br>br>Here's more information on the VST control issues: br>br>Knobs can be set to one of two modes: Absolute and relative. br>br>Using the knobs in "Absolute" mode is difficult because you don't know what the current value is because there are no min/max bounds on the knobs. As a result, when switching tracks, you either get large jumps in settings or have to spin the knob blindly to find the "takeover" point (if your DAW has "soft takeover" turned on). br>br>It's also a pain to use the knobs in "Relative" mode: Rather than sending a single value for "1" and a single value for "-," send two values for "1" and "-. " 1" When you turn the knob in either direction, Arturia employs a unique system in which the knobs send different values depending on how quickly you spin them. This appears to be a clever feature, but none of the DAWs I tried (Ableton Live and Reaper) actually support it. This means that if you turn the knob slowly enough to register /- in "Relative" mode, the DAW will only recognize the knob's input. There is a workaround for this: You can disable "Knob Acceleration," which means that no matter how quickly you turn the knob, it will only return /-. However, as a result of this, the knob now moves far too slowly! For instance, I need to turn the knob five times. To move the knob on a VST from min to max, it takes 6 full rotations.

Ava Merritt

| Jun 30, 2021

It costs $70 to upgrade. I responded by returning it. Work cannot be saved or exported using the free software. It was difficult to even locate the software on the website. Then you must visit other websites in order to download. Other sites ask for a password that isn't provided, so I wasted time figuring out that I didn't need it. Despite the fact that it continued to state - When I finally got everything installed, I made a mistake with the password. Furthermore, every program takes an eternity to install and even longer to uninstall. They're asking for $70 to upgrade the software. What are you talking about? br>As a result, I'm returning it. I'm going to Guitar Center to get the supplies I require.

Naya Randall

| Oct 26, 2021

The MIDI controller is incredible. Love it. The keys, knobs, pads, pitch, and modulation are all of excellent quality. I recommend it to 100% because the material is amazing, very solid and the painting is nice. FL Studio 20 is compatible.

Emmalyn Sawyer

| Jun 07, 2021

They get a solid three stars for customer service because they worked hard to work with me and figure out my issues, and they let me return it after 9 months when it was unsolvable. The main problem was that one-third of the keys were inoperable. It worked perfectly with Ableton Live Lite (at least for the keys that worked). br>I recommend that people consider their objectives carefully. I was just getting started as a pianist/music producer, and I quickly realized that 25 keys wasn't enough for me. As a result, I placed an order for an a- I purchased a Roland midi keyboard for 49 dollars, as well as an Akai midi keyboard with larger pads.

Demi Bean

| May 28, 2021

At first, Ableton didn't register more than half of the keyboard's keys (spoiler alert: it still doesn't!). In a few instances, even when you can make a recording with Ableton without difficulty there may be only one issue: this means you have to rerecord over and over without a solution.

Lilith Briggs

| Sep 23, 2021

I'm a big fan of Arturia. MicroBrute, Keystep, Pigments, and their V Collection 7 are also in my collection. This was purchased as a desktop module for Ableton, and it works well for that purpose, providing a lot of built-in automatic control once connected via MIDI (which is painless). The knobs are endless, with just enough pushback to provide refinement. The pads are snug, which gives you excellent control. My only issue is that I wanted to take it on vacation with me so that I could practice some songs. It's ideal for a single person. On stage, I'm sure it'll be used in a left-handed manner. Any type of two-person team, on the other hand, is a good thing. Any but the most fundamental one-handed playing is about 5 keys short. Right-hand octave riffs, and too short for a standard G-major scale on the left hand chord As a result, I switched to my Keystep (which is also one key short on the second octave right, but much more useful overall). I'd say that if I want to "play piano," I'll need to upgrade to a larger bed. This is great for quick riffs where you need to manually adjust the octave range up/down as you loop. It's also super tough, comes with great software, and has nice responsive (springy) velocity keys.

Parker Carter

| Jan 19, 2021