Arturia Minilab MK2 vs. Novation Launchkey Mini MK3 | WHICH SHOULD YOU BUY?

By popular demand, comparing these two controllers!

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[ardanzaasier]

I love the launchkey mini mk3. I bought it to be my first midi controller and I didn't expect to understand all the functions, but I was surprised because it is a really intuitive and well designed controller. It gives you enough feedback to learn how it works really fast.

[Roselieansy]

Just ordered an Arturia Minilab MK2 as a first midi controller. After dozens of hours of research on lots of good candidates, i thought going for the higher quality keys and the better build quality was the right move for a first controller. I will say, I do think this video in particular was perhaps a bit overly focused on DAW control, especially being specific to Ableton, and I would have liked some extra attention to fine details like how they feel to play, key response, sensitivity, (which I think you did a good job on with the encoders, and even the keys in some of your other videos; the segment in this video on key response was just a bit short, and the camera angle didn't lend itself well to showing the slightly slower response on the Minilab). All that aside, out of everything I watched on these mini keyboards, your videos were the most detailed and best produced. I made sure to use the affiliate link also, so hopefully Amazon tosses a few dollars your way :)

[robertlee]

Dude. Crazy people complaining about this video. This is an amazing comparison. Thank you 😊

[Nekojitablog]

I discovered your channel 10 minutes ago and watched an overview of the Launchkey Mini MK3 and now you upload a new video. Nice! I want to start to produce beats at home but I have no idea what can I do or how to start. Your channel is my first step. Thank you!

-Ernesto

[Fexell]

As a piano player, keys with a bit more weight to them is a plus, in my book.

[strmchild]

Excellent comparison. These kinds of details are really important when you go beyond the basics of just using these as keyboards.

[TheYuppiejr]

Minor head's-up, the versions of this being sold on Amazon (and likely most other sources with new/old stock) include a "coupon" for a $29 upgrade path to the full Analog Lab version, but only after you register the hardware and Lite version do they make you aware the upgrade is now $69. If the cheap path to the better synth version is a major purchase criteria for buying one of these over other compact controllers, just be aware it's now $40 more expensive than most Youtube reviews of the product indicate prior to May, 2019 when Arturia moved to Analog Lab version 4 and the more expensive upgrade price.

[AlexanderDKB]

One thing not mentioned about the endless encoders is that they always adjust up and down from the current state. The encoders on the Launchkey won't necessarily reflect the current state of whatever value you're controlling, so tweaking involves twisting to find the current state and then going from there... or just jumping to some new value and messing around.

[HappyFlamingToaster]

I just bought the Arturia Minilab MK2 earlier this week and am really happy with it. I love the feel of the keybed (slightly larger than mini keys and slightly weighted) and the compatibility with Analog Lab. It's not the smallest controller compared to the competition, but it's still pretty small and sits nicely on my desk. Something I'd note is that while it doesn't arm tracks on select by default, this can still be set up by adding an option in the Ableton live preferences folder. The LaunchKey Mini MK3 looks really fun too though! If you're picking between the two, it really just depends on what features you prefer. So far so good!

[cactusbryce]

You're honestly such an amazing YouTuber for listening to your fans. Much love, keep up the great work!

[chitlun]

Solution: Get both 😉 I have the Launchkey Mk3 and it’s an excellent bit of kit. I personally really like the arpeggiator, particularly the Mutate & Deviate modes... Great for unexpected accidents that can turn into choons. Great video man, peace ✌️

[lilforlngerledning]

Thanks for the high quality video. It’s really well made, although I feel like you might be slightly bias towards the launchkey. Some of the cons about the minilab in this video is imo pros. For example the slow knobs give more control. Both controllers are great for different purposes, and it feels like you made the review with focus on the pros of launchkey.

[bosthebozo]

Thank you so much for the video Taetro. I have watched endless videos for a few days now trying to figure out my next controller. I thought my mind was finally made up with the MiniLab. But you have the best video I have seen on the subject and what you said was brilliant and made perfect sense. Such a well done video, exactly what I needed to see. I almost made a mistake by getting the Arturia, which still seems great. But I am going Launchkey MK3, finally my mind is made up. Subbed!

[Kevin]

Firmware update has corrected many of the issues with the Minilab such as the knob behavior and the led light colors.

[BrandoLuis]

This year I received the LaunchKey 3 as a xmas present from my sister, couldn't be happier!

[stuartsmith]

I bought the first minilab device. It wasn’t too long before the knobs progressively started rendering uncontrollable in any DAW I would use it in. A bit later I got the Keylab Essential. Same issue with the knobs within six months.
After those two I purchased a “The Laboratory”. That one is solid, metal, heavy, and all knobs work after a summer long tour.

The cheap stuff is a nice layout, but the knobs make them keyboard only.
I’d go with a CME if that’s all you want.

[strmchild]

A good way to control Arturia plugins (and many others) with the LaunchKey Mini mk3 is to set it up with NI Komplete Kontrol (which now supports using a generic MIDI controller for browsing and controlling instruments). You only have to do that once, and then it goes way beyond Analog Lab.

[EndlessFlight]

Taetro comparisons are always the best on youtube every time

[minorcek]

The moment you said "the lauch key is the only one that arms tracks" the case was closed. My work flow is about to increase like a m.f.

[mercedesescobarmusic]

Solution: Get an Arturia MicroLab (for the awesome keyboard), and a Novation Launchpad. Full functionality and you get the best of both worlds.