Arturia’s AstroLab, an ’avant-garde’ stage keyboard, is a wonderful fusion of hardware and software, attempting to give a tangible home to the company’s vast and beloved library of software instruments.
Brutes, Freaks, and Labs
Arturia is an interesting company. Entering the scene back in 1999 and focusing on software instruments for the better part of a decade, the company branched out into hardware by late 2000s, announcing the Origin hardware synthesizer and the Analog Factory Experience software/controller combo.
Both of these products relied on tight integration of hardware and software, essentially being physical manifestations of a by that point already extensive lineup of classic synth emulations. In the years that followed, the company’s hardware division set out on its own path, delivering some incredibly unique standalone synth designs. From the entry-level digital MicroFreak to the highest-end analog PolyBrute, it seems that almost every single one of Arturia’s hardware synths has managed to attract a devoted following — and for good reason.
Still, the hardware lineup diversified even more, and Arturia’s name soon made its way onto general studio equipment — various keyboard MIDI controllers, sequencers, and audio interfaces. Presented under the Lab, Step and Fuse lineups, these were not as obviously influential as the company’s other hardware, but still played a key role in supporting the company’s efforts in orchestrating the analog synthesis renaissance that began in the mid-2010s.
But despite this impressive portfolio, it seems that the original idea of a hardware-software hybrid never fully went away. Enter AstroLab, Arturia’s latest digital synthesizer, treading the line between the two -wares one more time.
Oh, but calling the AstroLab a digital synthesizer isn’t quite doing it justice. It’s a stage-keyboard-meets-workstation hybrid that’s meant to provide functionality appealing primarily to gigging musicians but also studio dwellers seeking a tad more immediacy in their workflow. So how well does it accomplish the tasks it sets out to? Let’s take a closer look.
Before we continue, we’d like to thank Arturia for providing us with a review copy of the AstroLab.
The idea…
The AstroLab doesn’t try to be its own instrument and lays no claim to a unique sound signature or character. Instead, it aims to faithfully emulate and bring to life a collection of famous synths, organs, and keys (with a few modern instruments thrown in) and marrying them to a sleek, modern, and straightforward user interface. Those with a penchant for collecting vintage gear might furrow their brows at the concept, but there’s a definite upside to not having to lug a truckload of keyboards around everywhere you go — and to having a simplified no-nonsense interface before you.
By borrowing presets from Arturia’s Analog Lab, which in turn borrows its instruments from the flagship V Collection, the AstroLab integrates perfectly with the company’s software ecosystem. This all can be a little confusing at first glance (especially for Arturia newcomers), so let’s explore what exactly the Analog Lab and the V Collection are — and how do they differ?
The Analog Lab and AstroLab share a lot of interface elements… | screenshot: magazin Mehatronika
In a nutshell, both are software instrument collections. Analog Lab is the simpler of the two, essentially being a vast library of ready-to-use presets based on instruments from the V Collection X. Each preset is controlled by four macro knobs labeled brightness, timbre, time and movement (though these can vary a little from preset to preset). The vague naming is intentional, as it tries to abstract the technical aspects and puts the focus on the sound itself — it’s all about playability and quick tweaks.
There’s a bit more to Analog Lab than just patches. There’s a dedicated FX section allowing you to chain up to four effects. Two of these slots are user-selectable, while the remaining two are always occupied by delay and reverb (there are several types of delay and reverb to choose from, however). There’s also some rudimentary multi-part functionality, enabling standard keyboard splits and “Multi Presets” (that’s what Arturia calls bi-timbral patches). Nothing too fancy — but nice to have.
Turning our attention back to the AstroLab — it’s as close as you’ll get to a standalone physical incarnation of the Analog Lab. Everything’s here, from the instrument selection and the four abstract sound shaping parameters to the FX section implementation. Even the patch browser operates in a similar way (although adapted to the AstroLab’s unique UI configuration) and the categories are all the same. If you’ve used Analog Lab before, the AstroLab will be second nature to you. In fact, the former now features a little Link to AstroLab button that completely syncs up the keyboard with what’s happening on your computer screen, mirroring every setting and allowing for seamless patch transfer.
Notice the same four knobs. | photo: magazin Mehatronika
Oh — we forgot to mention: Analog Lab comes bundled with the AstroLab, so this synergy works right out of the box.
What Analog Lab (and AstroLab, by extension) don’t offer, however, is direct control over the software instruments behind the sounds. You simply can’t get down to per-knob level and create new presets from scratch. To do that, you need the full V Collection.
As a little side note here: this whole situation of technically-having-the-instrument-but-not-quite should be familiar to Kontakt users. The Kontakt Player allows for using instrument presets but offers no tools for deep sound design. For that, you’ll need a “full” Kontakt license.
The V Collection does not come bundled with the AstroLab, so you have to shell out extra for it. Normally, this would set you back $599, but Arturia’s just introduced a permanent $199 upgrade offer alongside the free AstroLab Firmware Version 1.3 update — the first major release since launch.
Funny story about this new firmware — it caught us by surprise and had us redo parts of this review. We were wrapping up our original review when Arturia’s press team reached out and gave us the heads-up that a big new firmware update was on the way — as well as that sweet V Collection deal. Great, now we have to rework multiple bits of text and wait for the release date so we don’t spoil anything ahead of launch.
But hey, it’s hard to stay annoyed when there’s so much to love about this new release. We’ll cover it in a bit more detail later in the review.
V Collection doesn’t integrate with the AstroLab as directly as Analog Lab does, but rather unlocks swathes of sound design potential by allowing you to tweak every minute detail of a preset or even start a new one from scratch. This, naturally, has to be done on your computer, but any change you make will get reflected on a linked AstroLab in real-time. You can also transfer fully custom presets over to the AstroLab (just remember to assign some parameters to the four macro knobs so you have some extra hands-on control on the hardware itself). Patch at home and tweak on-the-go.
If the V Collection route doesn’t appeal to you, there’s always the option of buying Analog Lab Sound Banks. These are relatively inexpensive preset packs, and if you’re fine paying for extra sounds (or just don’t want to bother designing them yourself), they can be a good way to expand your sonic library.
Oh, and — the AstroLab also supports Pigments in much the same way as it supports the V Collection software instruments. If you’ve got a license, it’s possible to tweak, create and use your custom Pigments presets too.
Designed for hands-on control…
The AstroLab’s design is striking — there’s no denying it. The sleek white chassis stylishly framed by wood-colored accents makes it a treat for the eyes (and don’t get us started on the gorgeous optional wooden legs). The main panel is not too cluttered and is neatly divided into several sections making navigation easier.
There’s a solid chunk of unused space on the left side, and we’re sure that hands-on control aficionados have a list of things Arturia could’ve put here. Don’t get us wrong, having more knobs to twirl is always nice, but it’s not like an Analog Lab-based keyboard requires them.
Ultimately, one could also argue that a stage keyboard really only needs its interface to be as simple and robust as possible. And we’re definitely digging the simplicity that’s on offer — but if you’re someone whose creative process relies on the tools and degree of control provided by a full synth interface, the AstroLab might not be for you.
A very clever UI design, but there’s no beating the “smart thermostat” allegations. | photo: magazin Mehatronika
At the heart of the AstroLab’s UI is the screen encoder, a circular display surrounded by a rotary encoder (hence the name). The whole thing also acts as a button used for confirming dialed in selections. In a world where touchscreens are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, it’s nice to see such a tactile interface in a brand-new design (it makes a lot of sense too — instruments are meant to be deeply tactile things).
Below this are four buttons meant to further streamline navigation. The two arrow keys can be used in lieu of twisting the encoder. The remaining two, the shift and back keys, do pretty self-explanatory things. One lets you go back up a screen, and the other lets you access alternate button and knob functionality.
To be honest, seeing shift and back smack in the middle of the front panel made us more than a little concerned that menu diving galore was awaiting just around the corner. We’ll cover the overall user experience a bit later in the review. (And, spoiler alert, the menu system never got in our way. It’s pretty sleek, actually.)
Once you’ve got a sound loaded, the eight rotary encoders on the right-hand side of the panel will be your bread and butter. These control exactly what you think they do — first four knobs control the four preset macros, while the latter four control effects. Holding shift lets you access another layer of control, giving you a per-patch volume setting, a simple three-band EQ and more nuanced FX controls. Finally, keyboard splits and Multi Presets can be quickly dialed in thanks to three dedicated buttons sitting to the left of the encoders.
The rotary encoders look sleek and are gorgeously smooth. | photo: magazin Mehatronika
Traditional rotary encoders spin continuously and, unlike potentiometers, don’t keep absolute positioning information. Being able to quickly tell what your parameters are set at is crucial during performance, and the AstroLab tackles this by featuring fancy RGB LED rings around each knob, acting as a visual reference for parameter levels. These also have the added benefit of being much more legible in low-light situations than traditional knob markings.
Keeping up with the high-visibility theme, all the front panel buttons have color backlights. The quality of these is excellent, with the labels readable both in the dark and in well-lit environments. Finally, there’s a row of (rather subtle) lights right above the the keyboard, illuminating when the corresponding key gets pressed. We like the subdued design of these — they are easily visible without detracting from the AstroLab’s streamlined looks.
All these RGB elements aren’t just for show. The UI cleverly (and sparingly, to avoid visual overload) uses RGB lighting to group certain controls together or to show keyboard splits.
There is one very minor hardware tweak we’d like to see implemented. You might have noticed in our photos that white-backlit keys don’t quite look white. This is likely due to the AstroLab using regular RGB LEDs in its backlight system. Newer RGBW LEDs completely alleviate this issue by having a dedicated white segment. Sure, this doesn’t affect usability in any meaningful way, but it’s a bit odd that Arturia went with the cheaper LED technology, especially when every other aspect of the AstroLab seems so meticulously designed with no expense spared (as it should for the price).
This photo should illustrate our gripe with the white backlight. | photo: magazin Mehatronika
But we might be getting a bit too nit-picky right now, so let’s move on to the most important set of controls: the keyboard itself.
The AstroLab features 61 full-size semi-weighted keys with monophonic aftertouch. We’re normally fans of fully weighted keys when it comes to keyboard instruments, but these do hit a certain sweet spot when it comes to feel. There’s a decent amount of resistance, enabling nuanced and expressive playing (if perhaps requiring a somewhat lighter touch), all while having lightning-quick rebound times valued in synth and organ keyboards. This sort of all-rounder design makes a lot of sense on a keyboard that’s based around versatility as it makes playing all the various instruments and patches feel satisfying.
The keys themselves are lipped (in traditional piano fashion) but do have ever-so-slightly rounded sides. This, combined with the lighter key action allows for relatively painless glissandos (especially when compared to a grand piano — ouch).
We’re still not over that wood finish… | photo: magazin Mehatronika
With all that said, there is one key drawback (pun somewhat intended).
Designed with portability in mind, the AstroLab has a very short key pivot length (with the fulcrum likely being only a couple of millimeters behind the fallboard). The effects of this are increasingly noticeable the higher on the key you go, with the top third requiring significantly more force to play. While you likely won’t be spending a lot of time this far up, the AstroLab’s slightly shorter overall key length (~14 cm as opposed to the standard ~15 cm of most keyboards and acoustic pianos) certainly doesn’t help and means you might have to venture up a bit more than usual, especially when playing complex passages.
Short pivots aren’t unique to the AstroLab, with a lot of keyboards (and especially those erring on the side of portability) sporting similar designs. Musicians used to playing on keys like these likely won’t care much — but those used to acoustic pianos (where there’s often several centimeters between the fallboard and the fulcrum making the key feel very consistent) might have some problems adjusting.
To sum it all up, the keyboard does feel pretty good. The responsiveness and snappiness will outweigh the aforementioned negatives for many people. If you’re still unsure whether it’ll work for you, just make sure to try before you buy.
These just feel amazing to operate. | photo: magazin Mehatronika
The pitch bend and mod wheel sit above the left-hand side of the keyboard. This is not the most common placement, but Arturia likely opted for this choice to shave off some width (side note — even though it’s very compact, the AstroLab is actually quite hefty at 13.2 kg). The wheel positioning might feel a little weird at first, but it took us only a couple of hours to get used to it.
What didn’t take a lot of getting used to is just how gorgeous these controls feel. Both wheels are made out of solid metal and have a substantial heft to them while still gliding incredibly smoothly and registering even the smallest of nudges. They are just a joy to operate. Also, as a little flourish, the mod wheel has an extra LED indicator next to it that marks its current position. Necessary? Certainly not. But we love that it’s there.
Finally (and pretty importantly for a 61-key keyboard), there’s a set of buttons for transposing everything up or down an octave (or two). An 88-key version of the AstroLab would have made for a more capable overall package, but the smaller keyboard used makes sense given the portability considerations — and should be more than sufficient for most genres.
A closer look at the AstroLab hardware
Whew — that’s all of the front panel covered, but there’s still a lot more hardware to explore.
Starting with the back panel, there’s, naturally, the usual lineup of ports. Output-wise, there’s a pair of balanced audio outs and a dedicated headphone out (all 6.35 mm jacks, naturally). Full-size MIDI in and out (configurable to thru, too) are also present, as well as four pedal inputs (for sustain, release, and two utility aux pedals). The AstroLab features two USB ports, one USB-C for connecting the keyboard to a computer (this is the principal way for syncing the two and also transfers MIDI data) and one powered USB-A for attaching extra storage or peripherals (with up to a 7.5 W power draw).
Pedal inputs galore! | photo: magazin Mehatronika
The power connector has a threaded locking mechanism to prevent any would-be accidents on stage. Next to it is a power button which illuminates a little Arturia logo when the power is on (absolutely adorable). That being said, on devices like this we do prefer clunkier mechanical switches as they provide a little more assurance, but we haven’t run into any issues so far so we can’t complain much.
You’ll be thankful that the robust power connector has a locking mechanism once someone accidentally tugs on your cable during a performance. | photo: magazin Mehatronika
But here’s a surprise: a pair of Combo XLR/TRS jacks fully equipped with microphone preamps allowing you to connect either line- or mic-level signals. There’s even a little pop-out gain knob right next to them. Huh. Interesting. How’d a full little audio interface end up in here?
While there might be more functionality planned in the future (especially given the stereo inputs, perhaps even allowing you to use the AstroLab as a basic audio interface), for now these can only be used as audio ins for compatible instruments (you’ll likely be connecting mics for use with the Vocoder V and using the line ins for synths which support external audio, like the KORG MS-20 V or the Mini V3).
There’s no built-in way to pass a dry mic signal through (something which could be a very popular feature among singer-songwriters), though there are workarounds involving custom-made patches and multi-part functionality.
Also keep in mind that there’s no 48 V phantom power on the mic inputs, so you’ll either need to get a separate phantom power supply or to stick to dynamic mics.
That’s quite the assortment of connectivity options — but Arturia wasn’t quite done yet, instead also managing to cram Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into the AstroLab. Both of these can be used to pair the keyboard with a computer and remotely manage presets and other settings using Analog Lab. When connected via Bluetooth, it’s also possible to wirelessly transfer MIDI information as well stream audio to the AstroLab (though the latter did feel a bit finicky, especially when it comes to latency).
In Wi-Fi mode, it’s possible to either join an existing network or open up a hotspot for other devices to connect to (which is especially important on stage). Analog Lab integration works much the same way as it did with Bluetooth, but there’s no wireless audio streaming. There’s also no MIDI over Wi-Fi — kind of. The user manual does comment a bit on this, stating that this functionality got intentionally disabled (for now) because it’s unreliable even though the hardware technically supports it.
Oh gosh, you’ve got our AstroLab Wi-Fi password now. No unsolicited connections! | photo: magazin Mehatronika
For those interested in remote control using a smartphone or tablet, there’s a companion AstroLab Connect app available for iOS and Android. It’s much like a stripped-down version of the Analog Lab, letting you browse and organize AstroLab’s on-board presets as well as purchase and download additional Sound Banks from Arturia’s store.
The fact that the AstroLab features such robust wireless capabilities got us very curious about its internal design. In a lot of ways, it’s similar to an SBC (or more precisely, an embedded computer) which makes it somewhat unconventional, even for a digital synth. The official spec sheet lists a 64-bit hexa-core ARM CPU paired with 4 GB of DDR4 RAM. On top of that, there’s 32 GB of built-in eMMC storage which stores the keyboard’s firmware and all your presets (the system reserves some space, so there’s around 22 GB left over for user data). There’s also a dedicated DSP that helps speed up emulation and free the CPU up, but there’s not a lot of information on it aside from the mentions in the user manual and marketing materials.
Yeah, when we said this review was going to take an SBC-y turn, we weren’t kidding.
To make matters more interesting, it seems that the AstroLab actually runs Linux with a deeply customized version of Analog Lab on top. This is pretty obvious once you take the firmware size into account (the latest firmware at of the time of writing is 6.26 GB) and when you factor in the AstroLab’s boot time (it takes a solid 25 seconds). We’d love to analyze the exact design of the system’s guts — is it a SoM-based setup, like Korg’s Wavestate, or a fully custom board or maybe even something else — but we’re not too keen on tearing down our AstroLab down. (Any volunteers?) Sadly, this will have to stay a mystery to us (said volunteers, please let us know your findings).
The AstroLab experience: UI, nice-to-haves, and limitations
A good user experience starts with good packaging, and the AstroLab definitely nails that part. There’s not a lot provided in the box besides the keyboard itself: just the power supply, a USB cable and a physical user manual (we know, quite surprising nowadays). You’ll need to bring your own keyboard stand (unless you pick up Arturia’s custom wooden legs) and might also want to get the first-party music stand. In our testing, the AstroLab works just fine with most pedals, so you shouldn’t run into issues on that end.
The AstroLab’s UI is extremely well-designed — we’ve already kinda spoiled this fact. Selecting presets is easy thanks to the ten quick category selection buttons and scrolling through using the screen encoder is a joy. Hitting the back key with an instrument loaded brings you back to the category selection which does offer a couple of extra categories not directly accessible from the front panel, while hitting back again while on this screen (or pressing shift + back on any interface screen) brings you to the home menu. From here, it’s possible to search through presets sorted in several different ways (by type, by software instrument and by artist tribute) or search through liked presets, sound banks and user-made playlists. Finally, this is also where you’ll find the general settings.
The home screen is a simple rotary menu. | photo: magazin Mehatronika
While this might sound tedious, in reality there’s a very limited number of menus you’ll dive into. Sure, you might have to dig around a couple of menus while switching effect types or managing your playlists on-device, but it never feels daunting. Even if you get lost searching around the UI, you’re always just one button press away from the home menu or a preset category you’re looking for.
With all this mention of playlists, it might be a good idea to explain what they are. Playlists, like the name implies, contain songs, both of which are ways to sort your presets in a friendly way meant for live performance. A song can contain any number of presets that you’ll need to switch between quickly while performing a musical number (with the first 10 presets in the list getting automatically assigned to the 10 front panel category buttons), while a playlist contains any number of songs, providing an easy way to group all songs you’ll be performing during a concert or a gig.
Assembling STEM Dreams… | photo: magazin Mehatronika
We especially love the AstroLab’s way of handling preset changes which allows for rather smooth transitions. As long as a note is sustained manually or using a pedal, the AstroLab will keep it going, even if a new preset gets loaded. This can keep on indefinitely until the next note is pressed, at which point the sustained sound gets stopped and the new patch sounds.
This, of course, can’t always cover up the time required for the AstroLab to load a new patch up (which, depending on the patch, varies from near-instant to a couple of seconds). You’ll have to plan ahead a little and, ideally, check beforehand how your specific selection of presets behaves.
It’s also worth mentioning that, while the AstroLab can’t tweak every knob of the software instruments powering the presets (this has to be done using a computer with a V Collection license — we’ve talked about this), it is possible to save presets with the parameters that can be edited on the AstroLab changed. This might seem a bit pointless, but there are legitimate uses. Imagine you stumble upon a bass synth patch you really like, but its timbre knob is initially set a bit too high or an effect needs replacing. Rather than have to tweak it every time (especially during live performance), you can save it as a new patch and have it always ready, set up just the way you like it. Simple!
Loading two sounds up at once is also not complicated with the dedicated multi-part controls streamlining the procedure. Same goes for keyboard splits. The built-in arpeggiator and looper are similarly easy to operate, and we’re especially happy that there’s next to no menu diving required (do note that despite the presence of a dedicated play/pause and record button, the AstroLab can not be used as a DAW control surface).
It’s also not uncommon for features to share the same menu — as is the case with the chord and scale mode menus or the metronome, tempo and looper settings. While this is a very good design, especially when taking into account live performance, it seems to have been designed in after the user manual got written, as there’s still references to separate menus for all of these settings in the documentation. No big deal — we’re sure this is going to get rectified sooner rather than later.
A lot more annoyingly, some features seem to have disappeared during the menu unification. Things like selectable time signatures or global tuning options are mentioned in the docs, but not present on the AstroLab itself (the former is really important as the built-in metronome insists on accentuating the downbeat and right now it’s “stuck” in 4/4). We’re not sure why this is the case, but it’s a bit disappointing seeing it still not fixed months after release.
Let’s not not give credit where it’s due — setting the precise tempo with the screen encoder is very intuitive. Yes, it does feel like you’re using a thermostat — but there’s a reason this type of interface is great for numerical value selection.
While it’s impossible to run the metronome on its own (like you would on a standard digital piano), the AstroLab can sound it while the looper is running. The metronome’s tempo setting also affects the arpeggiator’s speed. Both the looper and arpeggiator are simplistic but offer all the functionality you’d realistically need on stage — and if overdub recording gets added to the former, it could become a proper little performance powerhouse.
Scale and chord mode also make an appearance. In our opinion, these are always superfluous, but if they are functionality you rely on (and you shouldn’t), you’ll be glad to hear that they are well-equipped.
We’ve delved deep into the gorgeous parameter controls and overall good key feel, so there’s no need to repeat ourselves. Everything is right at your fingertips and noodling around searching for presets and shaping sounds is a delight.
Interplay with Analog Lab is flawless and is one of the sleekest hardware-software integrations we’ve ever seen. Being able to tweak settings on your computer or load up the AstroLab with custom patches to be used standalone offers incredible versatility. And the real-time parameter syncing is a powerful tool, even in the studio, as it allows for zero-latency monitoring of Analog Lab instruments in a production environment. It’s as good as it gets.
There are some limitations to keep in mind, however. When the AstroLab initially launched, it featured instruments taken from the older V Collection 9. As of writing, most of the instruments have been updated to their V Collection X versions and most of the missing ones have been added, including the entire Augmented lineup of hybrid software instruments. Two notable omissions are the CP-70 V1 and the Mellotron V, though some of the latter’s sounds are available through the AstroLab’s Pigments-powered sampler engine.
There are also some polyphony considerations. Most pianos, electric pianos and organs have 48-voice polyphony, whereas polyphonic synths generally have 8- or 16- voice polyphony (with some exceptions). Augmented instruments and Pigments generally have 8-voice polyphony, though this limit can get dynamically lowered for some presets. The system also bypasses effects built into the instruments and routes everything to the master FX section in order to optimize resource usage.
These polyphony limits rarely got in our way, though we did occasionally notice odd voice stealing behavior, especially on Pigments-containing Multi Presets. This usually happened when the AstroLab’s CPU load was approaching 100% and is likely a measure to prevent audio crackling or drop-offs caused by an overstrained processor — stability is paramount in a stage keyboard.
STEM Dreams! | photo: magazin Mehatronika
Now that stability got mentioned: it’s what the AstroLab experience is all about. It’s simply a step above the standard MIDI-keyboard-and-computer setup that’s commonly seen nowadays. There are no worries about a computer going down, no worries about a piece of software crashing, and no worries about a USB cable failing, just to name a few. It takes out many variables and potential points of failure — and that’s not mentioning the utility of having so many iconic instruments crammed into one travel-friendly keyboard.
Sound quality and demos
Now for the most important question: how does the AstroLab sound?
Good. It sounds really, really good. Every bit as good as Arturia’s software offerings, if not even slightly richer in timbre, and the former were already some of the most true-to-life synth emulations out there. If you like V Collection X instruments, you’ll love the AstroLab.
And with all the expressive nuance made possible by the responsive keyboard and those dreamy pitch bend and mod wheels, it’s possible to layer some delicious soundscapes quickly.
Enough talking — it’s best to let you hear for yourself, so here’s a collection of samples we’ve made using various patches. Everything was played right on the AstroLab, and there was no extra sound processing done. We simply recorded straight into a DAW and exported the audio as-is.
Let’s kick things off with a classic electric piano preset, the default Clean Mark V.
Here’s a set of quirky lo-fi keys dubbed Autumn Keys. No, the crunchy noise heard here isn’t a flaw. It’s intentionally a part of the preset.
We’ve used Soft Reso Lead to showcase the pitch bend wheel and aftertouch. The latter controls vibrato amount and adds a nice layer of expression to the melodic line.
Tirun is a very deep and atmospheric pad, and the AstroLab delivers its earth-shattering rumbles and piercing highs with ease.
Finally, here’s Arp Fast, a simple analog arpeggiator preset.
We would’ve kept making these all day long, but these five should give enough of an idea. Sounds pretty awesome, right?
Addendum: The AstroLab Version 1.3 update
The AstroLab got its first major firmware update just as we were wrapping up this review — we’ve already whined a bit about this. Sure, there were some minor updates before, but those were mostly bug fixes and other minor quality-of-life improvements. This time around, with Version 1.3, we get a whole lot of new stuff.
Remember when we mentioned that the AstroLab initially mostly supported V Collection 9 instruments? Well, that’s one of the big changes in the new firmware, with the update bringing support for most V Collection X instruments — Acid V, MiniFreak V, Augmented BRASS and Augmented WOODWINDS have been added, while the Mini V and Wurli V got updated to their new and reworked versions. To complement these additions, an extra 290 presets also come with the update.
This brings the total number of instruments featured in the AstroLab up to 40 and the number of presets to over 1500.
The update also seemingly fixes some bugs and refines some elements of the experience, though we can’t really say we see any differences since we had no issues with our unit prior to the update either.
Hopefully Arturia keeps up the habit of updating the AstroLab and tapping into the versatility its hardware design provides. We can see new instruments and features getting added for years to come, and it could be a strong selling point for the system.
Conclusion: a starward instrument
Writing conclusions is oftentimes incredibly hard. Summing up all the (often conflicting) thoughts and opinions is daunting — and when you add the nuance price and intended audience into the equation, it gets so much more complex.
At its core, the AstroLab is a stage keyboard, made for the musician on-the-go. At its MSRP of $1,999 (1,599€), it isn’t cheap, but it’s the most robust way to bring Analog Lab in front of an audience. Naturally, this pits it against the Nords, Rolands and Yamahas of the world — and when framed like this, the price becomes competitive. The AstroLab feels every bit as robust and reliable as its contenders. The choice thus boils down to the ecosystem which appeals to you the most, with Arturia’s offering especially appealing if you’ve already bought into their software.
The AstroLab has some snazzy features for the studio too, but whether there’s place for one in yours boils down to your creative preferences. We’ve mentioned this already — if you’re someone who wants an instrument that natively allows for control over every minute sound detail and enjoys spending hours patching sounds, you might want to keep looking. On the contrary, if you’re someone who isn’t all that interested in much more than tweaking ready-made presets (which is why Arturia offers those Sound Banks in the first place), the AstroLab could be a match made in heaven.
photo: magazin Mehatronika
We wouldn’t necessarily recommend getting an AstroLab purely for studio use, though. While it does offer some unique advantages compared to a more traditional Analog-Lab-with-a-MIDI-keyboard setup, the price makes it a bit of a tough sell if you never see yourself using it without a computer around.
But with Arturia working diligently and pushing new features out, this might completely change soon. Even just a couple of features, like MIDI over Wi-Fi and full audio interface functionality with a more robust looper implementation could turn the AstroLab into a proper productivity machine. The hardware is all there.
Those who swear by DAW-less setups will likely see a strong appeal already, viewing the AstroLab as a perfect device for harnessing the power of Arturia’s software without breaking their vows of computational abstinence. Different strokes for different folks.
At the end of the day, we ourselves quickly fell in love with the AstroLab and its charm. Something about returning to an idea more than a decade later and perfecting it also just speaks out to us.
It might have taken Arturia a few tries over the years, but their virtual instruments finally got the home they deserve: a real instrument.
He’s also the key person behind Mehatronika's English translations, especially of education- and maker-oriented texts.
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