Do you make music? Surely you know Arturia. Want to know what we think are their top 5 products? Come with us as we run through the highlights.
Beginning in France in 2000, the founders of Arturia, Frédéric Brun and Gilles Pommereuil, met when they were students at the Technological Institute of Grenoble. The University of Technology was the perfect breeding ground for two great minds to learn the craft of software engineering and hardware design.
Fast forward to 2022 and they have arguably the best vintage synth and keyboard emulations on the market, a huge range of analog synths, iconic software recreations of hardware audio effects, and every studio – both home and professional, and more.
With an overwhelming amount of product and the music community unaware of Arturia’s other offerings, we decided to compile a list of Arturia’s Top 5 for you. We asked the musicians of the office and the members of the Sydney Music Scene on their favorite products from the legendary company, including some we spent some time reviewing with.
The Keylab MkII: the all-purpose midi controller
Arturia’s midi controllers have seen many variations over the years and they’ve always had all the bells and whistles for stage and studio. The Keylab MkII – which is available in 49 keys or 61 keys – has full sized keys, 16 pads, 9 faders, 9 control knobs, a transport section for DAW control (or anything really!), a display, 5 pin MIDI in and out, sustain, expression, USB powered and loads and loads of other features.
Arturia’s midi controller design has always captured the attention of musicians with the wood veneer inlays, a profile small enough to be portable yet strong enough to feel like playing an analog synth, and the tangible controls . Keylab MkII also comes with Analog Lab V, Piano V and Ableton Live Lite.
Whether you want a controller for your studio or want to pair it with a laptop for live performance, it hits every mark to have creativity at your fingertips.
Check it here: Keylab Mk II
The Mellotron V: the sampled tape sampler
Who would have thought in 1963 that the Mellotron — a keyboard instrument that played samples — would itself be sampled! Arturia’s emulation of the infamous Mellotron is one of the best, and they seem to have the newest addition to the software market. Controls are plentiful with an ADSR envelope, tape saturation, noises, Wow and Flutter and the ability to change the home key range.
There are presets galore – yes, they have strawberry flutes so you can enjoy your Beatles vibes – and there’s even a neat FX section to load up with guitar pedal effects and amp simulations. and reverbs. On top of all that, you can upload your own samples!
It should be mentioned that the price is much lower than other outdated Mellotron emulations and the CPU usage is quite high. Get into a good bouncing/committing audio practice and you’ll be fine.
As part of our Engineering of the Sound video series we have reviewed the latest V Collection 9 where this Mellotron and 32 other instruments are grouped together. Watch it here: Arturia Collection V 9 | Full Demo and Review
Efx Fragments: sonic chaos in every direction
With effects and sound shaping being such an important part of modern productions, somewhat out of control plugins can create new and interesting sounds that you may never have shaped yourself. Enter the Efx Shards. This is new to Arturia and does not replicate a product of yesteryear.
They call it a creative sound shaper, but simply put, it’s a granular delay with endless possibilities. If you’ve ever found yourself happily lost in the chaos that Soundtoys Crystallizer can be, then this is for you. In fact, that might be what you’ll be looking for instead.
With a space-age display and adjustments for days, this effect plugin on a track or as a send will open your mind and your sound.
As part of the brand new FX Collection 3, we have made a video highlighting the 4 new releases (Efx Fragments is one) of the collection. Watch it here: Arturia FX Collection 3 | Full Demo and Review
Wurli V: a classic recreation in the Arturia lineup
The expense of buying and then repairing a vintage keyboard instrument is breathtaking. With emulations now rapidly outgrowing the function and longevity of these hardware units, it’s no wonder that when a member of staff was asked about his favorite Arturia product, he was quick to reply “The Wurli!” and they even own a 1970s Fender Rhodes!
This stunning recreation will do everything an original Wurlitzer 200A electric piano can do…and more. Open this hood for additional adjustment and add guitar foot pedals to expand your sound.
This emulation has been around since Arturia’s debut, but it only gets minor improvements with each new collection, proving they got it right the first time around.
Check it here: Wuerli V
AudioFuse 8Pre: The Interface You Didn’t Know You Need
Say what? Arturia makes interfaces!? Yes, they do and this one does it all. The AudioFuse 8Pre is an interface, a standalone 8-mic preamp, an ADAT expander and comes with Arturia’s FX bundle!
It’s a sleek unit in which each channel has a dedicated volume knob, 48v on/off knob, Phase knob, Pad knob and Meter. In this price range, you normally don’t see this feature. With 8 combo jacks as inputs, 8 outputs plus 2 main outputs, Word Clock, ADAT I/O supporting up to 96kHz of I/O, the USB C powered device has all your connections sorted.
With the classic Arturia design, sleek but slim, this interface may have escaped the cracks due to being more well-known in the software emulation game. But you heard it here first, this interface will seriously upgrade or overhaul your studio – or your stage.
Check it here: AudioFuse 8Pre
To learn more about this great company, Arturia, visit their website: Arturia.com
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