USER MANUAL
Special Thanks DIRECTION Frédéric BRUN Philippe CAVENEL Nicolas DUBOIS Lionel FERRAGUT Nadine LANTHEAUME Luc WALRAWENS Clement BASTIAT ENGINEERING Sébastien COLIN DESIGN Baptiste LE GOFF Axel HARTMANN TESTING Arnaud BARBIER BETA TESTING Bernd WALDSTÄDT Marco CORREIA Jeff STONELEY Charles Capsis IV Ben EGGEHORN Jeff CECIL Gustavo BRAVETTI Chuck ZWICKY Tony FLYING SQUIRREL Leo DER STEPANIANS Minoru KOIKE Charlotte METAIS Holger STEINBRINK (author) Vincent LE HEN Jose RENDON Jack VAN
Thank you for purchasing the Arturia MicroLab! This manual covers the features and operation of Arturia’s MicroLab, a portable and powerful MIDI controller designed to work with any DAW software or plug-in you own. ♪: While MicroLab is part of a package which includes our Analog Lab Lite software, this manual will focus primarily on the MicroLab 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 release. 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...................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Overview........................................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1. Making the connections ................................................................................................
1. INTRODUCTION MicroLab is Arturia’s most compact and portable USB MIDI keyboard controller to date. It has a 25-key, velocity-sensitive keyboard, integrated USB cable and features for perfect integration with Arturia's Analog Lab Lite as well as software synthesizers from other companies. The attention to detail poured into MicroLab makes it perfect for the on-the-go musician that needs an ultra-light, ultra-portable keyboard.
2. OVERVIEW 2.1. Making the connections Setting up MicroLab for use with Analog Lab Lite is fast and simple: 1. First install Analog Lab Lite on your computer and be sure to register and authorize it (see Chapter 2 of the Analog Lab user manual). 2. Connect the MicroLab keyboard to the computer. MicroLab is powered by its USB connection, so all you have to do is connect a USB cable from your computer to the MicroLab keyboard. 3.
2.1.1. Top Panel 1. Shift button: This button lets you access the secondary functions of MicroLab. The secondary functions are listed in blue text under the buttons and strips and in black above the first 16 keys of the keyboard. These functions are described in the "Shift Functions" section later in this chapter. 2. Hold: Pressing this button engages the "sustain" function for notes being played on the keyboard. This is like pressing the sustain pedal on a piano.
2.1.2. Pitch and Modulation Touch Strips in detail The touch-sensitive pitch and modulation strips are low-profile controllers that offer a different take on the traditional "wheel" design while maintaining their expressiveness. If you touch the Pitch bend strip at its center and move your finger forward or backward it will raise or lower the pitch of the played sound.
2.1.3. Shift Functions MicroLab has a limited number of controls due to its small size, but the Shift button allows the buttons, strips and keys to serve useful secondary functions. These functions are as follows: 2.1.3.1. Selecting the Keyboard MIDI Channel: Hold Shift and press a key on the keyboard to select the output MIDI Channel for the MicroLab keyboard. The channel number (1-16) is labeled directly above the first 16 keys of the keyboard.
• Note that your programmed chord is "remembered" by MicroLab as long as the keyboard remains powered. This means that if you have programmed a chord and exited Chord mode, you can re-enter Chord mode and immediately start playing the chord without having to re-program it again. To do this, simply press and release Shift and Hold buttons (without playing any notes). The Hold button will begin to blink and you can immediately play your pre-programmed chord.
2.2. Side panel The side panel of the MicroLab contains a recessed USB Type B connector that lets you connect MicroLab to your computer. The USB connector is located on the side instead of the back so that the MicroLab can be placed directly in front of a laptop without having to leave extra (wasted) space for a USB connector to exit from the rear of the keyboard. This feature is very useful in small studios or portable setups where space is extremely limited.
3. USING MICROLAB WITH ANALOG LAB LITE This chapter will focus on to use MicroLab to Analog Lab Lite software. Note that you will find only basic coverage of Analog Lab Lite features here. For more details about Analog Lab Lite, please refer to the Analog Lab user manual. 3.1. Audio and MIDI setup The first thing to do after launching Analog Lab Lite is to make sure the software is set to output audio correctly and that it will receive MIDI from the MicroLab keyboard.
3.2. Playing Sounds To play sounds in Analog Lab Lite, simply play the MicroLab keyboard! Use the Pitch and Mod strips to modulate your sounds and the Octave + / - buttons to shift the MicroLab's keyboard range up or down. The Hold button sustains notes (like a sustain pedal on a piano) and the Chord function lets you program and trigger complex chords using a single key. These buttons and functions are all detailed in the Top Panel section in Chapter 2. 3.3.
4. MIDI CONTROL CENTER 4.1. The Basics Arturia's MIDI Control Center (MCC) is a powerful application that lets you dive into your Arturia hardware and configure the various controls (keys, pads, knobs, buttons, sliders, etc.) so that they best serve your musical needs. Note that this chapter only covers the MCC features that pertain to MicroLab. As a result, much of MCC will not be described in this guide.
4.1.4. Where to find the MCC manual MIDI Control Center has a great user manual in its Help menu, as shown below: The MCC User Manual describes every section of the software and defines important terms you may need to know while using the MIDI Control Center. We recommend you take a look if you would like to find out more about MCC. 4.2. MicroLab and MCC Editing MicroLab parameters in MCC is simple.
• Click any red box to select it. The currently selected control will be highlighted in red (see below) • Any editable parameters for your selected control will appear at the bottom section of the screen. • These parameters can be adjusted to suit your specific musical needs. You can open drop-down menus to select from the available options or click-drag a knob to set its numerical value. You can also double-click the value displayed below a knob to enter it numerically if you wish.
4.2.2. MicroLab's Available Controls You can modify the following items on MicroLab: • Keyboard • Hold Button • Pitch Slider • Mod Slider 4.2.2.1. Keyboard • Channel lets you select an output MIDI channel for the MicroLab keyboard (from 1-16). This can be useful in situations, for example, where you have configured your virtual instruments to receive MIDI data only on specific channels. By switching between channels, you can play different instruments.
4.2.2.2. Hold Button • MicroLab's Hold button can be configured to work as an on/off switch ("toggle") or a momentary switch ("gate") through the Option drop-down menu. Toggle means that you must press the Hold button once to engage sustain mode and press it again to switch it off. Gate means that sustain mode is active when you are pressing it and that it is immediately switched off the instant you release the button. You can select what method works best for you. 4.2.2.3.
4.2.2.4. Mod Strip • The Mode drop-down menu lets you switch MicroLab's Mod strip on or off. The default Control setting means the strip will operate as a modulation controller. Set this to Off you would like to deactivate the strip. • Channel lets you select an output MIDI channel for the Mod strip.
5. 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 SOFTWARE. All intellectual property rights in the software belong to Arturia SA (hereinafter: “Arturia”). Arturia permits you only to copy, download, install and use the software in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
5. No Unbundling The software usually contains a variety of different files which in its configuration ensure the complete functionality of the software. The software may be used as one product only. It is not required that you use or install all components of the software. You must not arrange components of the software in a new way and develop a modified version of the software or a new product as a result.
11. No Liability for Consequential Damages Neither Arturia nor anyone else involved in the creation, production, or delivery of this product shall be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising out of the use of, or inability to use this product (including without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information and the like) even if Arturia was previously advised of the possibility of such damages.
6. DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY USA Important notice: DO NOT MODIFY THE UNIT! This product, when installed as indicate in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirement. Modifications not expressly approved by Arturia may avoid your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/or another product, use only high quality shielded cables. Cable (s) supplied with this product MUST be used. Follow all installation instructions.
