USER’S MANUAL
INDUSTRIALIZATION: Nicolas Dubois MANUAL: Randy Lee Sebastien Rochard Tomoya Fukushi Jerome Parrod DESIGN: Glen Darcey Axel Hartmann Morgan Perrier © ARTURIA SA – 1999-2016 – All rights reserved. 11, chemin de la Dhuy 38240 Meylan FRANCE http://www.arturia.com Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Arturia.
Thank you for purchasing the Arturia KeyLab! This manual covers the features and operation of the Arturia KeyLab, a full-featured MIDI controller designed to work with any DAW software or plug-in you own. Note: While the KeyLab is part of a package which includes our Analog Lab software, this manual will focus only on the KeyLab controller hardware. Please refer to the Analog Lab user manual in order to learn about the features of the software.
Special Message Section SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE: The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing. However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without notice or obligation to update the hardware that has been purchased. IMPORTANT: The product and its software, when used in combination with an amplifier, headphones or speakers, may be able to produce sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss.
Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 7 2 KEYLAB OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 8 2.1 FIRST STEP: MAKING THE CONNECTIONS ................................................................................................. 8 2.2 FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW ........................
4.5 4.6 5 USING THE PADS (KEYLAB 49/61/88) ..................................................................................................... 30 USING THE SNAPSHOTS ......................................................................................................................... 30 MIDI CONTROL CENTER ...................................................................................................................... 31 5.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ...................................................
1 INTRODUCTION KeyLab is Arturia's newest series of USB MIDI Keyboards. The KeyLab 25, KeyLab 49, KeyLab 61 and KeyLab 88 all feature a velocity and aftertouch sensitive keyboard. They offer a control surface designed for perfect integration with our software synthesizers. The attention to detail poured into KeyLab also makes it perfect for working with any other software plug-in or DAW you have available.
2 KEYLAB OVERVIEW 2.1 First step: Making the connections Setting up the KeyLab keyboard for use with Analog Lab is fast and simple: 8 1) First install the Analog Lab program on your computer and be sure to register and authorize it (see Chapters 2 and 3 of the Analog Lab user manual). 2) Connect the KeyLab keyboard to the computer. KeyLab is powered by its USB connection, so all you have to do is connect a USB cable from your computer to the KeyLab controller.
2.2 Front panel overview KeyLab 25 front panel KeyLab 49 front panel Note: the front panels for the KeyLab 49, -61 and -88 are basically identical, so only the KeyLab 49 is pictured here.
1: Category / Param and Preset / Value encoders The Category/Param encoder selects filter options for the Analog Lab preset list. In Edit mode it selects an item parameter. The Preset/Value encoder selects the preset from the filtered Presets list. In Edit mode it adjusts the value of the parameter that has been selected in the display. After making a selection with one of encoders, click it to confirm your selection.
2.2.1 Keyboard The Arturia KeyLab series offers four different sizes of velocity- and aftertouch-sensitive keyboards (25-, 49-, 61- and 88-keys). Each is equipped with a control surface designed for perfect integration with the Analog Lab software. 2.2.2 Pitch and Modulation Wheels These controls are used to add pitch bend and modulation during performance. Moving the Pitch Wheel up or down alters the pitch of the selected sound. The bend range depends on the selected preset.
2.2.3.3 Factory Reset (Erase All Presets) The following instructions will replace all KeyLab presets with the factory settings. Back up anything you do not want to lose! See section 5.8 for information about using the MIDI Control Center to save your presets. If you want to start with a completely blank slate, the quickest way to do that is hold down both Octave buttons when you plug in the USB cable or the optional power supply. This will restore the factory presets on your KeyLab.
2.2.6 Edit Parameters/Snapshots/Switches Commonly referred to as the Snapshot buttons, these ten buttons serve multiple functions depending on the current mode: 2.2.6.1 Edit Parameters When in Edit mode the silkscreened text above the buttons lists the parameter groups that are available: Progr.Chng., Recall, Store, Global, Curve, Mode, MIDI Ch., CC, Min LSB and Max MSB. Most of these contain multiple parameters which are accessed with the Param encoder and edited with the Value encoder.
The buttons send standard MMC messages by default: Start, Stop, Record, Rewind, Fast Forward and Loop On/Off. However, they may be reassigned to other functions if you like, either in Edit mode or by using the MIDI Control Center software. Transport section 2.2.8 Synthesis controls The majority of the front panel is dedicated to the most common synthesis parameters found in Analog Lab.
FX Mix encoders 2.2.8.4 Parameters 1-4 The four “Param” encoders will affect the sound in various ways depending on which parameters are active in the selected preset. Key Parameter encoders 2.2.8.5 Envelopes The nine faders on the front panel address the envelope generators in Analog Lab. There are two sets of four faders each, corresponding to the Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release stages of two envelopes (ADSR, in synthesizer parlance).
The pads 16 ARTURIA – KeyLab – USER’S MANUAL
2.3 Rear panel overview Here’s a list of the connectors found on the rear panel the KeyLab: • MIDI In • MIDI Out • Expression pedal • Sustain pedal • Auxiliary pedal • Breath controller • USB • DC In (optional, 5V 500mA) • Power on/off switch Back panel 2.3.1 MIDI connections The KeyLab controller uses its USB port to pass MIDI data to and from your computer.
2.3.3 Sustain pedal Plug in a momentary footswitch here. It is pre-assigned to control the sustain parameter (MIDI CC #64), but the MIDI Control Center software allows you to specify other behaviors if you like. You could use it to transmit a MIDI note, for example. 2.3.4 Auxiliary (Aux) pedal This also works with a momentary footswitch. It is pre-assigned to control MIDI CC #12 by default, but with the MIDI Control Center software you can alter its MIDI assignment easily. 2.3.
3 EDIT MODE Edit mode is useful on several levels, the first being that it allows you to adapt the function of each control as needed for use with Analog Lab. But it also greatly enhances the ability of the KeyLab to function as a standalone MIDI controller, whether a computer is present or not. In either case you can specify the type of MIDI data sent by a given control and what its operational range will be: full, limited, or even inverted. To enter Edit mode, press the Edit button.
3.3 Store After you’ve configured a preset exactly the way you want it, you’ll want to lock it into memory so it’ll be there next time you need it. This is the page to select in order to make this happen. Use the Value encoder to select one of the ten preset memory locations and then click the encoder. A confirmation screen will pop up: if you are not sure, turn the Value encoder so the word “No” appears and click the encoder to cancel the operation.
You can change independtly the transposition for part 1 and part 2 directly from your KeyLab 88, by accesing the parameters of the EDIT/Global Menu You can then select the parameters with the “PARAM KNOB” and change the values with the “Value” knob. Part1 Oct: You can choose to only transpose Part 1 by octaves, from a range of -2 octaves up to +2 octaves.
to adjust the keyboard aftertouch sensitivity and set minimum and maximum ranges for pad pressure and keyboard aftertouch. You can even specify the encoder response (i.e., the Knob Acceleration), which allows you to tell the KeyLab how many turns of the encoders you want it to take to get from the minimum value to the maximum value.
3) USER CURVE MEZZO FORTE (x=64) In this example y =100 4) USER CURVE FORTE FORTE (x=96) In this example y=122 5) USER CURVE MAX (x=127) In this example y=127 The graphic representation of the Velocity curve with these parameters would be this one: This means that when you hit a key with a raw velocity of 64 it will play a note with a velocity of 100.
On the KeyLab 88 there are no global parameters. There is only a working memory (volatile memory where the modifications are made in live mode) and 10 preset memories where you can store your own set-up (you can save the working memory to one of the 10 presets).
Patch Chg: the switch will send a pre-defined program change command, complete with the Bank MSB and LSB. Relative Control: the encoders will send relative increment/decrement values. Be aware, though, that relative control modes are supported in some software applications and not in others. RPN/NRPN: the control will transmit Registered Parameter Number or NonRegistered Parameter Number messages. The target parameter is defined by the Max/MSB and Min/LSB parameters.
If the switch is set to Ctrl Toggle, this is the second of two alternating values sent when the switch is pressed. For a switch in Patch Chg mode, this defines the bank LSB. For a switch in one of the Note modes, this is the velocity value sent with the Note Off command. 3.10 Max MSB As with the Min LSB parameter, this serves various functions depending on the selected control and its mode: For a knob, pad or fader in Ctrl mode, contains the maximum value sent.
4 USING KEYLAB WITH ANALOG LAB The information in this chapter will focus mostly on the KeyLab controller and how it interacts with the Analog Lab software. As a result we will touch only briefly here on the various Analog Lab parameters controlled by the KeyLab. For more details about Analog Lab, please refer to the Analog Lab user manual. 4.
Audio and MIDI Settings window 4.1.2 MIDI setup Connecting a USB MIDI keyboard controller with Analog Lab is very simple. As shown in section 4.1.1, navigate to the Audio & MIDI Settings window (pictured above). This is where the preferred MIDI controller(s) will be selected. The Audio & MIDI Settings window has a section labeled “MIDI Devices”. Simply click on the box next to the KeyLab name, close the window, and your KeyLab controller will be connected to Analog Lab. 4.2 Selecting Presets 4.2.
4.3 Setup In section 4.1 we described how to get audio out of Analog Lab into the world and how to get MIDI from the KeyLab into Analog Lab. There’s only one other preliminary detail of which you need to be aware: the “Sync” button in the tool bar. If you already have KeyLab connected to your computer, then when you launch Analog Lab this connection will be established automatically.
4.5 Using the Pads (KeyLab 49/61/88) With Analog Lab active and a Sound selected, play one of the KeyLab pads. You will hear a note or chord played on the selected synthesizer. The exact chord can be defined inside Analog Lab by clicking on the blue tab on the right side of the virtual keyboard (the one labeled CHORDS). A virtual panel will slide out to the left and allow you to specify a different chord per pad. 4.
5 MIDI CONTROL CENTER The MIDI Control Center is a separate utility you can use to specify the MIDI settings of each control on the KeyLab. Be sure to download it from our web site after you register, because it will help you take full advantage of the power of your KeyLab when using non-Arturia plugins and DAWs. 5.1 System requirements PC: 2 GB RAM; CPU 2 GHz (Windows 7 or higher) Mac: 2 GB RAM; CPU 2 GHz (OS X 10.7 or higher) 5.2 Downloading the software On our website (www.arturia.
5.4 Connection Connect the KeyLab to your computer using the included USB cable. It’ll be ready to go after its LEDs go through the startup cycle. Now launch the MIDI Control Center. KeyLab will be in the list of connected devices: 5.5 The Sync button The first thing to do each time you launch the MIDI Control Center software is click the Sync button: This will connect the KeyLab to your computer and grab whatever is in its edit buffer, giving it the current date/time stamp for a name.
5.6 The Help file There is a built-in help file for the MIDI Control Center that can be accessed using the Help menu, as shown below: It is a good introduction to the MIDI Control Center, describing each section of the software window and defining important concepts and terms you will need to know while using the MIDI Control Center, such as ‘Working Memory’ and ‘Template’.
We’ll use Pad 1 for this example. Select it and notice that its graphic has turned red as a visual confirmation. Then use the pull-down Mode menu to select “Program Change”: This setting will allow you to send a particular MIDI program change command on the MIDI channel of your choice, along with MSB and LSB values for Bank Select, the instant you press the pad. The lower part of the MIDI Control Center window will display the new editing options: MIDI Channel, Program Number, Bank LSB and Bank MSB.
Enter the values for Program Number and Bank Select LSB/MSB by clicking in their respective fields and typing the numbers: As an alternative, you can click the virtual knobs and drag them up or down until they reach the desired values. After this, when Pad 1 is pressed the KeyLab will send a program change command with a value of 54, accompanied by a Bank LSB value of 50 and a Bank MSB value of 81.
Its channel setting is “All”, which means it will transmit on the MIDI channels for Part 1 and Part 2 when it is turned. You can specify any MIDI channel from 1-16 or leave it set to All. The CC number field shows CC# 76, the MIDI CC# that has been assigned to control Vibrato Rate. The Min Value and Max Value fields are set to values that will cause Knob 6 to transmit data only within a certain range.
Category encoder tab options Preset encoder tab options It’s simple, and pretty cool: The “Search” option defines what MIDI data is sent while the encoder is turned; the “Select” option is what MIDI data the encoder will send when it is clicked. And as with the Bank 1 / Bank 2 tabs for the faders and encoders, the editing process remains the same whichever tab you click: select the Mode, Channel, LSB/MSB, etc. The values for both actions will be stored with the preset. 5.
Next, click the Store button at the bottom of that section. That’s all there is to it! The preset you created in the Working Memory of MIDI Control Center has been stored to the KeyLab controller at memory location #2. It may be recalled at any time by entering Edit mode and using the Recall feature as described in section 3.2. 5.8.
5.9 Global Parameters: an overview The right side of the MIDI Control Center window contains essential parameters you can use to optimize KeyLab for your setup and your working style. The majority of these are covered in the built-in MIDI Control Center help file, so we’ll just point out the basics here. 5.9.1 Keyboard MIDI Channels Use the pull-down menus to select the MIDI Channels for the KeyLab keyboard.
Part 2 Chromatic transposition:You can choose to only transpose Part 2 by octaves, from a range of -2 octaves up to +2 octaves. Octave Buttons assignment: You can assign the Keylab 88 Octave Transpose buttons only to one section of the Keybed (Part 1 or Part 2) so you can modify only the desired part. You can also select the “Both” option so you can control octaves of both parts simultaneously.
5.9.4 User Velocity Curve (Only for Keylab 88) The idea of having a “user curve” is for you to have complete and precise control over the velocity curve of your KeyLab 88. You can have a very “hard” or “soft” keybed or even have an experimental reaction depending on how you adjust the response of your keys. The curve is made-up with 5 points. Each of the 5 points of the curve have their 'x' fixed, so you can only set the 'y' of each point.
This means that when you hit a key with a raw velocity of 64 it will play a note with a velocity of 100. Then between the point a linear interpolation is made which means that we build a straight line for joining the points, so in our example, when you hit a key with a raw velocity of 80 it will play a note with a velocity of 111. If you use these next parameters for creating your user curve, as a result we will have a very “hard” keyboard.
As these 5 points are new parameters, when you recall a preset (made with a former FW version - not including this 5 points curve) default values are loaded for user curve. These default values implement the equation y = x. So: 5.9.5 Knob Acceleration With this parameter you are able to try ten different response curves for the encoders and see which one works best for you. We’ll define three of them here: x1 (Slow): no acceleration.
6 ARTURIA KEYLAB – LEGAL INFORMATION 6.1 SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT In consideration of payment of the Licensee fee, which is a portion of the price you paid, Arturia, as Licensor, grants to you (hereinafter termed “Licensee”) a nonexclusive right to use this copy of the Analog Lab Software (hereinafter the “SOFTWARE”). All intellectual property rights in the software belong to Arturia SA (hereinafter: “Arturia”).
4. Support, Upgrades and Updates after Product Registration You can only receive support, upgrades and updates following the personal product registration. Support is provided only for the current version and for the previous version during one year after publication of the new version. Arturia can modify and partly or completely adjust the nature of the support (hotline, forum on the website etc.), upgrades and updates at any time.
“as is” without warranty of any kind. The complete risk as to the quality and performance of the programs is with you. Should the program prove defective, you assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair or correction. 9. Remedies Arturia's entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be at Arturia's option either (a) return of the purchase price or (b) replacement of the disk that does not meet the Limited Warranty and which is returned to Arturia with a copy of your receipt.
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