Your essential ingredients for creativity

Whether you’re a beginner producer or an experienced music maker looking for a refreshed setup, KeyLab Essential distills everything you want in a controller into a simple, fun, expressive keyboard for production and performance. Enjoy comfy keybeds, tactile DAW-integrated controls, and thoughtful layout that simply makes your creative life easier.

Advanced features, simple workflow

KeyLab Essential provides an array of useful and intuitive controls that’ll get the job done. Interact with encoders, faders, pads, and more in a way that makes sense for your setup, giving you a hands-on experience balanced with software flexibility.

The best DAW integration

Get creative right out the box with KeyLab Essential’s custom DAW scripts, bringing pre-mapped controls into your workflow with any major DAW. Not only that, but the KeyLab Essential controls work seamlessly with Analog Lab V, the included sound anthology plugin - letting you freely explore thousands of sounds old and new.

Your musical workhorse

For when you want to get experimental, find a new sound, or just need a bit of extra inspiration, KeyLab Essential has a few tricks up its sleeve. Create fun ever-changing melodies with the Arpeggiator, weave rich chord voicings with Chord play, and always stay in key thanks to Scale mode.

What’s new compared to the previous version?

• A bigger display with 4 contextual buttons
• 5 dedicated DAW scripts, plus MCU & HUI protocols, for controlling any DAW
• Enhanced integration with Arturia Software
• Creative features: Scale mode, Chord Play, Arpeggiator (with presets), Hold function
• 2 Pad Banks (for finger drumming, clip launching, or User configuration)
• Bigger software bundle (Analog Lab V, Ableton Live Lite, NI The Gentleman, UVI Model D, Loopcloud & Melodics)
• Multi-purpose pedal input (Sustain, Footswitch or Expression)
• USB-C
• Eco-designed

Features

• Velocity-sensitive keybed with hybrid synth-piano feel
• 1 clickable encoder, 9 encoders, 9 faders (30mm), 6 transport switches, 4 command switches, 1 modulation wheel, 1 pitch bend wheel, 8 touch & pressure-sensitive pads
• MIDI out, USB, Sustain pedal
• Premium music-making software bundle
• Seamless integration with Analog Lab V (included)
• Creative features like Arpeggiator, Chord play, and Scale mode

Included software

6 titles giving everything to make music your own way - here’s what’s included:

• Analog Lab V software with 2,000 synth & keyboard sounds
• Ableton Live Lite
• UVI Model D & Native Instruments The Gentleman pianos
• Loopcloud subscription
• Melodics subscription