The Lowdown
The SL MkIII Midi keyboard and controller is the latest update to its venerable SL controller series, and it comes in 49-key and 61-key versions. Its standout feature is its ability to sync hardware / outboard synthesisers as well as DAWs and software synths, becoming the centrepiece of a DJ/producer studio or live performance rig. It’s got USB for plugging your laptop, MIDI In and Out jacks, and sockets for sending control data to analogue synth gear. It comes with five full-colour displays for viewing parameters, 16 velocity-sensitive pads, eight encoders, eight faders, a plethora of buttons as well as transport controls. It integrates tightly with Ableton Live, but it also works with other DAWs.