This worked particularly well for Live, with pads assigned to clip and scene functions, and sliders controlling track, pan and send levels.Īrturia mode is designed for use with its Analog Lab and offers an excellent integrated experience. In DAW mode, four of the eight pads combine with the Shift button to provide transport controls, and there are also DAW-specific scripts that extend the DAW mode features. MiniLab 3 has two factory modes (DAW and Arturia) and five user configuration memory modes and also supports Mackie Control protocol. The build quality is impressive, but it’s also important that it integrates properly with your software, and this is an area that Arturia has focused on. However, the software is only available for Windows and macOS, so you’ll still need a laptop/desktop with which to configure the hardware no matter what type of device you plan to use it with.(Image credit: Future) Arturia MiniLab 3: Performance and verdict This also allows access to the hardware’s global settings, some of which – such as low-power mode – are essential if you’re using the MiniLab with a phone or tablet. Such custom templates are created and transferred to the hardware – which can store five of them – using the included MIDI Control Center software. Even in the absence of such a script, the MiniLab can use the MCU ( Mackie Control Universal) protocol to control your DAW’s transport, while custom controller mappings will allow it to control your DAW’s plugins and instruments.

At the time of writing, Arturia provides integration scripts for Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, Logic Pro, FL Studio and Reason, and will add scripts for other DAWs in the future.

The MiniLab 3 can also integrate tightly with many DAWs thanks to custom scripts that link software and hardware. For example, when using the MiniLab 3 with Arturia’s Analog Lab software – MiniLab 3 comes with Analog Lab’s Intro edition – tight integration between hardware and software ensures seamless, out-of-the-box, parameter-jump-free control over the loaded synth or preset, as well as the ability to browse and load presets directly on the MiniLab’s display.

Arturia lab 3