Arturia KeyLab 61 mk3 Ultra

The five-octave KeyLab mk3 in the Ultra finish: orange panels, dark wooden end cheeks, and not one internal difference from the standard 61 — same aftertouch keybed, same touch-sensing controls, same Analog Lab Pro integration.

Buy it for the same reasons as the standard 61 — it's the studio-centrepiece size — and pick the Ultra if the room is allowed some colour. Streamers and studio-tour channels have noticed; this is the controller that reads instantly on camera.

Function-first buyers lose nothing choosing the plain black or white. Everyone else finally gets a controller that doesn't disappear into the desk.