Arturia adds an 88-key option to its KeyLab Essential mk3 line of MIDI controllers

Arturia has just announced the KeyLab Essential 88 mk3, a bigger brother to the previously released As the name suggests, it’s a full-size 88-key controller that lets you play the entire piano range simultaneously. No need to change octaves here.

Just like the other items in the KeyLab Essential line, the 88 mk3 is designed to be a budget alternative to the flagship KeyLab controllers. The build is solid, with semi-weighted keys, though a little less premium than the standard KeyLab 88. There’s also a reduced number of hands-on controls compared to the flagship, though there’s still plenty to work with.

Until now, the KeyLab Essential 88 mk3 included the same screen as smaller keyboards for navigating presets. There are also nine knobs and nine faders for controlling parameters

You also get built-in control scripts that work with a number of popular DAWs, such as Ableton Live. This allows you to do things like mix tracks using the built-in faders or stop and start recordings from the controller itself.

There’s also a context button below the screen that offers even more control over your add-ons and virtual tools. You may notice that there are only eight drum pads, but the KeyLab Essential line lets you switch to a second bank for the full 16. The keyboard features a sustain function, new scale and chord modes, and an arpeggiator.

Finally, this keyboard comes with a lot of software to get you started. The bundle included includes Native Instruments’ iconic The Gentleman piano, UVI Model D entertainment, a two-month Loopcloud subscription and a subscription to Melodics training software. As always, you also get Ableton Live Lite and Arturia’s Analog Lab V.

We don’t yet know how much this will cost, but we’ve reached out to Arturia for pricing information. By comparison, the 61-key KeyLab Essential mk3 costs $249, and the 49-key version costs $199. Also, the last-gen KeyLab Essential 88 costs $379, so expect it to be somewhere in that range. The KeyLab Essential 88 mk3 will be available in both black and white.