ARTURIA ASTROLAB Unboxing, First Impressions & Demo 

👏🏾 Very happy they got you one Woody! I think you’re so the right musician to try it out! Enjoying watching you test it! 🍿

Congrats, they sent you one! This looks so nice. That it sounds great was to be expected.

Very informative video as usual. Thanks!

Very nice indeed, and yes I did watch the whole episode Woody apart from a interruption part the way through so put you on pause, once again thanks for all the hard put into making this for us, cheers from New Zealand.

Amazing playing (and sounds)!

Very enjoyable video,woody!

Thanks Woody for your in detailed unboxing.I Use the Analog Lab software with KeyLab MK plus other Arturia MIDI controllers.Arturia just keeps building on great ideas.

Beautiful instrument thanks for the video I did watch to the end.

I just can’t get past the round screen. If this is geared towards live performance, it’s at a disadvantage with the 7 inch touchscreens on Fantom’s and Montages. Price seems high for what you get. You can buy V Collection, a controller and a decent MacBook Air for same amount of money.

Thanks Woodie!

Love the sounds on this one. Warm, rich and luscious. You should do a full version of "the way it" is btw. Sounds great on this keyboard 🙂

It's a huge step forward to allow fast use of VSTs when playing live. But I am too in love with plugins which are not Arturia so I prefer going on stage with 2 controllers, one MacBookPro and one audio board. Software like GigPerformer makes everything extremely powerful.

It's a good looking piece of kit, isn't it? And yes I was still watching when you got to the sounds. Still very intrigued by this thing. I look forward to a fuller demo of the patches. But nice vid so far, sir.

Finally!

First things first, doing we all love that little, round screen! 😅

My GAS for this is strong even though I have absolutely no need for a stage keyboard that's only going to sit right next to the PC with all the same plugins installed on it. My only complaint is that Pigments, SQ80 V, CS80 V, and other are poly aftertouch capable. A channel aftertouch keyboard is a conspicuous limitation at this price point.

I was at IMSTA London today, 1st June and the gentleman I was speaking to at the Arturia stand said that they were sending you an Astrolab.

Thanks for this, great video as always. FWIW I just A-B tested an Astrolab against a Nord Electro 6D 61 key version. I'm looking for a compact stage keyboard with great pianos, EPs and other sounds. I was v impressed by the build quality of the Astrolab, and while the rotary screen thing seems like a gimmick at first I quite liked it. What really surprised me, in a bad way, was the keyboard. I like good quality semi-weighted waterfall keys (like on Nords, Yamaha YC61 etc) and thought the Astrolab would be a contender (although not waterfall). But it wasn't. The keys felt quite flimsy, very lightweight for a semiweighted action and with really sharp edges in between the white notes. Going from the Astrolab to the Electro 6D was like day after night by comparison, I was really surprised how great the Nord keyboard felt after the Astrolab. Spent about 20 minutes with each keyboard... and FWIW I bought the Nord. I know keyboard action is v much a personal preference thing. But it felt like Arturia didn't compromise on build quality with the Astrolab apart from the keybed, which was really disappointing. An Astrolab with a Fatar TP8O as used in the Nord would be superb IMO.

niceeee

I guess this is a perfect hardware addition to the Arturia VST suite. You could use their VSTs for production and sound design, then you use this on stage. But I am still a Roland addict

Thanks!

Woody for president!

So i have a few questions that may be dumb(i am a noob lol). So how does the sound come out of the thing, is there soundboxes in there and does it sound good? 2. question: So it comes with all the presets. So i can also play the keyboard when connected to my mac book, and play these notes with all its presets in my daw, even if i havent bought the stuff that the astrolab already brings? Thanks already if somebody answers me

Somebody’s learned his Bruce Hornsby very well 😍

Agree with the other commenters, when saw this I thought be right up his alley. This is for someone that’s wants quality sounds as “ plug & play” with minimum hassle which is no criticism but that’s my impression of Woodys approach to instruments. Yes I do think It’s a bit pricey& a bit too much of form over function- but that’s never done Apple any harm 😉 If it wasn’t such a loaded term I’d tempted to call this equivalent to a modern “ rompler”.😅

Sounds amazing. Great build quality. I just wish the iOS app would connect to it. Are you able to use it?

I confess I hevent read all the comments so it may have been mentioned. You noted the lack of USB audio, but I thought if you were connected to the PC you would basically use the computer based versions of the instruments to generate the sounds anyway. I know that is not compulsory, but if you are modifying sounds and auditioning them would that not be the asiest way?

Are the 10 favourite buttons quicker in loading? they would have to be for performances!

Thanks to you , i was on my way to order it as a modul conecting to my 88 key roland rd 2000, You mentioned that there is a delay of 2 -4 seconds when lowding patchs or sounds , it is critical , cant use it when playing live

Man you need to try the Korg Modwave! It sounds like u-he Hive in a hardware, and better. Simply the best synth modern sounding I have EVER heard.

Very nice, Woody . Congratz ! Are you gonna keep it?

I just got one for myself, maybe you can explain how to save and explain how to find it after you stored it and also how to bring it back up layer quickly. I am not good with tech explanations in the manual.

How u doing?, Woody, you created breathtaking masterpiece-

Thanks for the review. Cute keyboard. Well, 8 notes of polyphony, not a lot and a little bit short for pro use with strings, pads and piano, in my opinion. Even 16 is not enough today. But if you have Analog Lab V on your laptop, with same sounds, you can have a lot more if needed. Maybe Arturia will launch a "pro version" of it soon?

Next time, Arturia needs to give you first testing rights as your videos are very informative and you go deep into the products that you test and review.

Emjoyable video, Woody, thanks. It’s a good-looking unit and I really wanted to like it, but as a stage instrument it has too many limitations, particularly polyphony and those patch load times. Plus it’s the same price as a MODX+ which has far deeper editing, much better polyphony, a full-size touch screen AND an audio interface built in which, coupled with a laptop or iPad, brings more possibilities for expansion too.

If anything could use a 7" color screen after the Arturia Orgin this is it

Watching

My favorite feature is the LED rings that change to reflect each patch as it is loaded (combined with endless encoders). On all my keyboards, I am so tired of parameters jumping whenever I touch a knob or fader (or doing nothing until I reach the "latch point"). The only other keyboard that I know of that implemented something like this is the Nord Lead 3. I can't understand why this feature isn't more common.

Great video! You drew on it with a pencil :D

Does the washer have a sequencers and filters

When I saw this board, I really liked it and was entertaining getting one... until I saw the pricetag. Given the feature set, I feel it is a wonderfull companion to a more knob pr function synth, but this is so expensive and no 88 keys means that I'd prefer to have two more keyboards. A great idea, but it's in bad spot pricewise I think.

That screw connector has me a bit worried. By essentially extending the plug, wouldn’t this add external leverage and thereby increasing movement on the internals?

Panerai Radiomir? 16:40 the scribbled pencil on the back panel adds a lovely touch to the finish! 😂

Love this Keyboard - if you don't need it anymore please send it to me, Woody. :)

which knobs correspond to ADSR? Like on Analog Lab.

Nice package but bang for buck I’d rather pick up a used Yamaha MX61, cheap iPad for Loopy Pro and FM Essentials and Melas Tools to modify to your hearts content. In the process save about $700. If you’re fixed on semi weighted keys just grab a MODX6 for about $900-$1000 coupled with Soundmondo and Melas Tools and still have $500 or so left in your pocket. If Arturia could bring this in closer to $1,100 - $1,200 instead of $1,600 they’d have something.

Yeah, using a pencil with the lead forward to point at things is rarely a good idea. 😁

I ordered an AstroLab as soon as it was available; I've been using V Collection for years, and Pigments since it was released. Only complaint is the time to change patches can be long

So how good or bad the keys are?

Why are screens on hardware keyboards getting so small these days? The screen on this thing looks like a smart watch lol

I did watch all the way through and my main concern still remains, this is just a restricted version of Analog lab in a very nice chassis. I use NI kontrol S88 MK3 which gives me access to analog lab and on a huge screen with physical controls. I get that for stage you might want something easy that you can setup quickly. But when I play live all I need is my laptop and kontrol. I know you have a kontrol S61 mk3 so would be interesting to do a comparison between Astrolab and analog lab. I love the aesthetics of the Astrolab, but just think it's a lot easier and gets better results from the software version.

Nice looking and sounding synth .. i'd find the 8 note polyphony a bit worrying in what seems to be mostly a performance-oriented synth. How does the keyboard feel quality-wise? Arturia aren't exactly known for their high quality keybeds!

Looks very nice, but so expensive!

Please, compare the keybad with korg PA5X. Thanks 😀

17:00 Unfortunately I don't think it's a nice design. The computer USB C next to the USB A is prone to costly mistakes. I myself damaged part of the synth functionality with regards to MIDI playback when I disconnected the USB C cable from the back to reconnect it back in only to hear a high pitch sound from my speakers resulting from some likely short circuit. I noticed that when I was reconnecting it I did touched the USB A port. The design should have placed more separation between both ports. Sometimes people will disconnect and reconnect a cable from the back panel without seeing where they are inserting it back, especially when the keyboard is sitting in a tight desk.

Nice looking keyboard ..what does semi weighted mean ?

Ha, a great example of how the design of this keyboard is so much better than the functionality. Loading time, editing options, effects and polyphony make my Juno DS laugh. I also prefer the sound of the DS.

Still watching 🙈😂

to be a stage keyboard there are some design flaws imo, all the control are on the right / far right and this make complicated on-the fly adjustment using your left hand (as usually happens on stage), shift functions requires two hands to be reached (one hand to keep shift button down - no hold option unfortunately - and one hand to move the knob)s. Arp has not a tap tempo, to set or adjust the tempo you need to dive into arp menu, so unless you programm arp / sequence in advance and play to click, there is no way to use it live on the fly. patch loading in some cases take several seconds (thought luckly there is no sound cut of the previous patch). having to spend additional money to access "normal programming parameters" is a bit of a blocker. using the screen as "enter button" sometimes is not always working at first push. thought the build quality has a premium feeling.

Manufacture?

Mini Moog's volume was on the right.

It would be nice if they developed an app to connect with an iPad or something for a larger display but it looks like a nice quirky thing and sounds great. They have some niggles to workout,

Loading time for sounds? Howcome other high end keyboards only have a boot up time, but swapping instruments is instantaniously? How can this new synth screw that up? If you make music in a studio recording everyting seperatly will be no problem, but if you play live, and want to swap sound, that would be cringe worthy.... I wonder for what kind of musician this instrument was made for. Who accepts a avarge loading time from 3 seconds? (as i hear you say it can be from 2 to 4 seconds, so i take it that the avarge time would be 3 seconds) Since i never owned a synth, i wonder if other brands also have this? Thanks for this unboxing and sound demos. Have a nice day. Kind regards, Ronald.

It seems like they kinda fixed poor keybeds Arturia tends to have on cheaper models. Good move on their part. Also had a chance to try this screen. Dammit still can't see a thing on the screen without my second pair of glasses! ... Why ppl doing that is beyond me. Maybe they will have new model with big screen?

Why only 61 notes? 🤔🤔

Bit of a three body problem going on there in the boot up.

Music with a cheap computer for a typewriter revolution. ;)

Keyboard remind me of crappy maudio old keyboard Why Arturia doesn’t use Fatar keybeds on their premium keyboards instead of opting cheap alternatives?!

Well, the haven't improved their keybeds. Look at how uneven the keys are. That's a shame.

30 minutes of talking, 3 minutes of actual synth sounds.

23 minutes into a 33 minute video before you switch it on is too much, Woody. You do you of course, but I hope feedback is welcome.

1500 euro device with no usb audio...? No, thanks.

You should NOT post videos with your dishwashers running in background-common sense 🤣

The most pointless keyboard ever made. A midi keyboard and a laptop with Arturia's software is still way cheaper and just as good.