Arturia has added a new edition to the KeyLab mk3 line — and if you were hoping for a hardware revision, a new keybed, or any spec change whatsoever, this isn’t it. The KeyLab mk3 Ultra is exactly the same controller as the standard mk3, now available in what Arturia describes as a “striking ultra orange finish.” That’s it. No new features, no firmware bump tied to the launch, no additional connectivity.
Arturia is transparent about this on the product page: “KeyLab mk3 Ultra is the same premium MIDI controller, existing in 49 or 61-key versions, in a striking ultra orange finish.” No 88-key version — the hammer-action model stays in black and white only.
What You’re Actually Getting
For those who haven’t seen the standard KeyLab mk3, our full hands-on review is the right place to start. The short version: it scored 4.8/5 and became a daily driver for us, largely because of the redesigned semi-weighted keybed with aftertouch, the vibrant 3.5″ full-colour display, nine touch-sensitive faders and rotary encoders, and the tight integration with Analog Lab Pro and major DAWs including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase and Bitwig.
The known trade-offs remain unchanged: no polyphonic aftertouch, 12 pads rather than the mk2’s 16, and no CV outputs for modular connectivity. Those are design decisions baked into the mk3 platform, and the Ultra edition doesn’t address any of them.
What it does offer is a distinctly bold visual identity. The orange — Arturia calls it “ultra orange” — covers the chassis with a black-and-orange colour scheme that makes the standard white and black options look conservative by comparison. For performers who use their controller as part of a visual stage setup, or producers who simply want something that doesn’t look like every other keyboard on the desk, the Ultra finish is a legitimate differentiator.
Pricing and Availability
The Arturia KeyLab mk3 Ultra is available now:
Pricing is identical to the standard black and white versions. The included software bundle — Analog Lab Pro, Ableton Live Lite, Mini V, Piano V, Augmented Strings and Rev PLATE-140 — is also unchanged.
If you’re on the fence about the mk3 platform itself, read our full review first. If you already know the mk3 is the right controller for your workflow and want the orange one, that decision just got a lot simpler.
