Hey everyone! Hope you're having a great day!

I have recently bought an Arturia Keylab essentials 49 mk3 and some times some of the keys don't work (from E key under the arpeggiator button up to the B key under the second fader). I have the split mode turned of and even the arturia midi center doesn't read these keys. I'm completely sure that there's no physical damage done to the keyboard I think it's a software problem and it's so annoying.
Sometimes I start playing the other keys and it gets fixed and sometimes I tweak the pitch wheel and it's fixed and sometimes I change instruments in Analog lab while I'm playing and it gets fix. But this time I did every possible thing(unplugged it a couple times) and it's still not registering these keys...

Has any of you ever faced such problem? It's really annoying I wasted an hour fiddling and nothing happened...
please help!!!

 

Unfortunately, this controller like so much other current entry level audio gear is cheap plastic crap. Welcome to the future. Planned obsolescence is the rule.

 

If it is not mechanical, it is probably a ribbon cable trouble.
It happens on cameras/lenses too.

You need disassembly.
Search for "arturia Keylab essentials disassembly teardown"

There are some vids about different failures (mainboard connector, keys, USB ...)

Good luck !

PS : you may ask a friend,family,electronic specialist ... too.
Not only Arturia.

 

I couldn't find any teardown videos of my model.
It has some other problems to like the lights not turning of after being AFK... you either have to unplug it or turn them of or dim them from the midi center... This wasn't a problem when I first plugged it in it all happened after I installed the midi center and analog lab... To me it seems more like there is some serious firmware issues...
Regarding the keys, I saw a video on YouTube where a guy took things apart (another model) and cleaned the key beds of the board... I'll consider an internal cleanup...

 

Another thing I thought I should mention is that there doesn't seem to be a way to flash the firmware (holding octave buttons while turning on the device doesn't work) so if any of you knows how to do a firmware flash please help!!!!

 

intermittent problems are hard to diagnose, but I agree it sounds like a loose connection. The data from the keyboard is transmitted to the circuit boards via ribbon cables, sometimes during construction they are not fully seated and work loose in shipping. also if they are dropped they cable can pop outsince the connectors can unlock due to the shock.

usually the keyboard is attached via a series of phillip head screws on the bottom, back and side of the keyboard. I've taken a apart an arturia keylab (version1) 25 key, and an 88 key current version. The ribbon cable repair worked for my problems. which were different than yours, one row of pads was not being recognized on mine.

 

firmware flashing is done thru the midi control center, at least for both my keyboards. thats the way I did it.

 

Guess I'll have to get my hands dirty and hope I can put things back in order without bricking the entire thing...

 

I just found out that you can do a reset factory by holding the first and the second button bellow the display while plugging it in(not the octave buttons)... I'll have to try all of these when I get back home... Thanks for your help!!

 

You have a warranty on the device, contact the Arturia support team and/or exchange it.

Arturia Keylab 49, dead keys - is there a fix?
https://audiosex.pro/threads/arturia-keylab-49-dead-keys-is-there-a-fix.58393/

Arturia Minilab MKII Factory Reset & Firmware Update

Arturia Minilab MKII Factory Reset & Firmware Update

Arturia Minilab mkII Pad Backlighting Setup ,Firmware V1.1 Test

 

Last edited: Jan 11, 2025

I didn't get it "directly" from arturia. In my country there are companies that import such things and are providing warranty... I contacted them and I'll be sending the controller... Hopefully they don't rip me off by making excuses and get me a new unit or an equivalent

 

W

Lol...What's even funnier is that I came to this forum to seek help choosing a midi controller and the users recommended this... Not saying it's a bad forum y'all are amazing people...
I bought mine from an import company (arturia doesn't sell it's products officially in my country) and I bet they can't fix a thing without breaking two other things. Best I can hope is a refund

 

I would NEVER advice any Arturia product ... and i'm french

 

I find it difficult that a brand new controller came with a few defective keys. Can happen, but it's usually difficult. I have a Minilab mkII for a few years now, and it still works great, even though I don't really like it (keys are way too sensitive, I only use it for kontakt strings/brass/winds).

Honestly, if possible, just send it back. Maybe get another one, maybe try another controller. I wouldn't do as much as taking a single screw out if it's still covered by warranty. I'm pretty sure your country has at least some consumer protection, enough for you to not get scammed if you aren't getting your stuff from the black market.

 

everything breaks, its a law of the universe.

Arturia keyboards are repairable. most of the damage is caused in shipment, the 88 key for example is a metal case, which makes the keyboard 32lbs, it includes a metal laptop tray, and a metal music stand. if any of these bits come loose in shipping they'll beat the shit of the rest.

They are quite sturdy, but everything in the world breaks eventually. its not like you look at them, sneeze and they stop working.

 

with a good cellphone camera and a screwdriver and some common sense you can repair your own shit if its out of warranty.
people who are too scared to even try to fix something amaze me.

my father taught me to fix my own shit, even if you don't have a clue how it works, you can figure it out if you try.
I work on my own car, my own house, my own electronics, my own computers.

you learn a little bit more, each time you do it. and you get confidence and understanding.

 

I deliberately bought all my arturia keyboards, broken. They were very cheap because of people too scared or too dense to fix them.
i got my 88 key mkII Keylab for 200$ including shipping, and repaired it perfectly.

it pays to understand how to troubleshoot and fix things. Cellphone cameras are a godsend for documenting how to dis-assemble anything.

 

Seeing the whole world from your own point of view. Quite ignorant and arrogant towards your fellow human beings.

 

You can also become a press officer at Arturai and leave the repairs and hassle entirely to your customers.
Not a word about how you feel when you unpack your new keyboard and parts are missing or the keyboard is not working.

In your own worldview, all of this can be repaired. I attest to your lack of empathy for other people. Help, the I-people are coming!