Arturia Microlab Blue Music Production USB MIDI 25-Key Keyboard Controller

MicroLab is a 25-key USB MIDI controller built for people who need to make music away from a fixed studio. It is class compliant, so there are no drivers to install: connect the USB cable and it works with your DAW, soft synths, and virtual keyboards.

The keybed is the part that separates it from typical mini-key controllers. MicroLab uses the same slim keybed as the KeyStep, velocity sensitive and responsive enough to actually play parts rather than just enter notes. Two touch strips cover pitch bend and modulation, and four buttons handle sustain, chord play from a single note, and swiping through presets with a tap to select. That is a lot of control for a panel this size.

Design details make it easy to live with. The USB port is recessed so no cable sticks out past the chassis, which lets you push the controller flush against a laptop or sit it next to other gear. An integrated cable-tidy recess stores the USB cable inside the unit, and the blue rubberized case protects the controller in a bag.

Software is included: Analog Lab Lite with over 500 classic keyboard sounds, Bitwig 8-Track for recording and arranging, and the UVI Grand Piano Model D. Low power draw means it also runs from Android devices or an Apple iPad with a camera connection kit. It measures 16.3 x 5.12 x 1.46 in and weighs 1.71 lb.