Last year at NAMM Arturia debuted a completely analog low-cost synth – but yesterday they presented two scaled-down versions of some of their other products. The MiniLab keyboard MIDI controller and cutely-named SparkLE both are brand new introductions here at NAMM 2013, so we decided to take a closer look at both of them!

Arturia SparkLE Drum Machine

What It’s Got: Nice pads, slim and portable form factor, wide assortment of controls.
What It’s Not: Completely standalone – shines most when paired with the Spark plugin
Price: $299 / €249
Software: Full Spark software included
More Info: SparkLE on Arturia’s site

Arturia MiniLab MIDI Keyboard

What It’s Got: The right size, and 25-velocity sensitive mini-keys that feel solid for the price
What It’s Not: A high-end keyboard with aftertouch
Price: $129 / €99
Software: Analog Lab software included, but also works just as well with any MIDI controlled synth.
More Info: MiniLab on Arturia’s site

Many DJs often find themselves looking for a piece of gear that will make it easy to enter the world of production for a reasonable price, and these units from Arturia are right along that same line of thinking. Both easily will slide into a backpack alongside your laptop. Arturia’s build quality is very reasonable for the price range, and the fact that they’re wrapping in the same software that comes with the higher-price units in their lines makes the units even more compelling.

For more NAMM 2013 coverage:

• Follow us on Instagram for photos from the convention floor
• Check out our NAMM 2013 category page