# KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 vs Oxygen Pro 49: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 (Arturia) and Oxygen Pro 49 (M-Audio) among midi keyboards. KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 is the cheaper of the two at $299.

## Side by side

| Spec | KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 | Oxygen Pro 49 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $299 | $299 |
| Brand | Arturia | M-Audio |
| Released | 2023-05 | 2021 |
| Keys | 49 | 49 |
| Key type | synth | semi_weighted |
| Drum pads | 8 | 16 |
| Knobs | 9 | 8 |
| Faders | 9 | 9 |
| Aftertouch | No | Yes |
| Connection | usb_midi_din | usb_midi_din |
| Bundled software | Analog Lab Pro, Ableton Live Lite, NI Komplete Select, UVI Model D, Loopcloud 2-month | Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools First, MPC Beats, AIR Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet, TubeSynth |

## Key differences

- Key type: KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 synth vs Oxygen Pro 49 semi_weighted
- Drum pads: KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 8 vs Oxygen Pro 49 16
- Knobs: KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 9 vs Oxygen Pro 49 8
- Aftertouch: KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 No vs Oxygen Pro 49 Yes
- Bundled software: KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 Analog Lab Pro, Ableton Live Lite, NI Komplete Select, UVI Model D, Loopcloud 2-month vs Oxygen Pro 49 Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools First, MPC Beats, AIR Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet, TubeSynth

## What reviewers say

**KeyLab Essential 49 mk3** — Two whitelisted testers cover this 2023 Mk3: Sound on Sound reviewed the exact 49-note unit, MusicRadar the 61-note version of the same line. Both call it a slick, good-value refresh, praising the new mid-panel screen, deep Analog Lab V integration, scripted multi-DAW support and the synth-style key action. Both are qualitative with no lab measurements; Sound on Sound flags more integration limits. (2 sourced reviews.)

**Oxygen Pro 49** — Two hands-on reviews of the Oxygen Pro 49 survive verification: Sound on Sound (May 2021) and MusicRadar (27 May 2021). Both recommend it as a feature-rich, competitively priced controller, and both flag the light, springy keybed and the time needed to learn the feature set. Neither outlet published lab measurements. Note that MusicRadar's build-quality passage is a verbatim reprint of Sound on Sound's text under its 'The web says' heading, so chassis assessment rests on one independent source, not two. No claim is made here about coverage by outlets that were not fetched. (2 sourced reviews.)

## Sources

- KeyLab Essential 49 mk3: https://www.arturia.com/store/keylab-essential-49-mk3 (arturia.com, verified 2026-06-19)
- Oxygen Pro 49: https://www.m-audio.com/keyboard-controllers/oxygen-pro-49.html (m-audio.com, verified 2026-06-19)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/midi-keyboards/arturia-keylab-essential-49-mk3-vs-m-audio-oxygen-pro-49/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, KeyLab Essential 49 mk3 ($299) vs Oxygen Pro 49 ($299) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/midi-keyboards/arturia-keylab-essential-49-mk3-vs-m-audio-oxygen-pro-49/
License: CC BY 4.0.