Arturia AstroLab 37 Review: A Compact Powerhouse for Live Performance

For years, the industry has chased the concept of "decoupling" the software instrument from the laptop. While various manufacturers have attempted to box VSTs into hardware, Arturia’s approach with the AstroLab series has been arguably the most direct: taking their industry-standard V Collection engines and running them natively in a stage keyboard.

Following the release of the 61-key and 88-key weighted versions, Arturia has released the AstroLab 37. This is a "backpack" version of the flagship, retaining the exact same internal processing power but shrinking the interface down to a 37-note form factor.

We spent considerable time with the unit, analyzing its build, its playability, and its viability as a professional live tool. Is this simply a preset player, or is it the ultimate portable synth module?

Build Quality and Hardware Design

Arturia has a reputation for hardware that punches above its weight class in terms of physical construction, and the AstroLab 37 continues this trend.

Upon first impression, the unit feels dense and as we've said before about the Keylab MK3, is built like a tank. The chassis is constructed almost entirely of metal, providing a rigidity that is often absent in controllers of this size. It feels premium. A serious instrument rather than a disposable MIDI controller. The aesthetic is rounded off with wood-panel sides, which, on the 37, seem to a be a veneer, but still it add a vintage aesthetic that aligns with the classic synths emulated within.

The Interface

The top panel is dominated by a circular color screen and navigation encoder. In use, the screen is crisp, bright, and easy to read under studio lights. The circular layout is visually distinct, though from a UI/UX perspective, one might wonder if the round bezel wastes screen real estate compared to a traditional square display. However, for live navigation, the interface logic holds up. It is fast and easy to move around, which at the of the day is paramount in the design of a stage instrument.

The tactile controls consist of a Mod Wheel and Pitch strip, along with the standard array of rotary encoders. The Mod Wheel deserves specific mention; despite the small footprint of the keyboard, the wheel offers a confident, smooth resistance that feels professional. Similarly, the rotary knobs have a pleasing amount of "drag" or torque, avoiding the loose, jittery feel of budget encoders.

The Keybed: "Slim" but Substantial

The most polarizing aspect of the AstroLab 37 will inevitably be the key size. Honestly, our initial reaction to the idea of a keyboard designed specifically for live performances being scaled down to a 37 key 'mini' size, was one of confusion. That changed quickly though once we got our hands on the unit. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Arturia makes some of the best mini keys around. It is important to clarify that these are not the "toy" keys found on budget consumer keyboards, nor are they identical to the standard Arturia KeyStep keys which we recently reviewed. They're very close in size, but the feel on the Astrolab is distinctly more premium.

In our testing, we found the action to be surprisingly robust. The keys feel semi-weighted (or at least tensioned heavily enough to mimic it), offering a softer touch with more travel weight than the KeyStep series. For a mini-keybed, it is arguably one of the best we have tested and despite the size, feels really good to play.

Sound Engines and Architecture

Internally, the AstroLab 37 is pretty much the same as its larger siblings. It is not playing back static samples (with some exceptions); it is running the actual synthesis engines from Arturia's V Collection.

The Engines

The unit ships with over 1,800 presets powered by engines such as Pigments, Mini V, Jup-8 V, CS-80 V, and the MiniFreak. Because these are generated in real-time, the sonic behavior is dynamic. Filter sweeps, resonance interactions, and envelope behaviors mirror the software exactly. It is essentially the Analog Lab software in a slick portable keyboard form.

For the touring musician, this offers an immense value proposition. You are essentially carrying a Jupiter-8, a DX7, a grand piano, and a granular synth in a chassis that fits in an overhead bin. If you already own the V Collection, the value is even higher, as you can transfer your custom patches to the unit, although we should mention the full V Collection is an additional purchase on top of the Astrolab.

Storage and Sampling

The unit includes 32GB of internal storage, 23 of which are available with 9 being taken up by preinstalled sounds. While this might sound low in the age of sample libraries spanning hundreds of gigabytes, it is fairly generous for this architecture. Most Arturia presets use negligible space, however, the storage does accommodate samples for engines like the CMI V, Emulator II V, the Augmented Series instruments, and the sample and granular engines within Pigments.

Live Workflow and Controls

The AstroLab 37 is explicitly designed as a "performance" keyboard, not a "sound design" workstation. You cannot edit oscillator waveforms or envelope decay times on the hardware unless they are mapped to a macro. Sound design is intended to happen on a computer, which is then synced to the device.

The control scheme follows the standard Analog Lab layout for macros, with controls for Brightness (usually Filter Cutoff), Timbre (usually Resonance or Wavetable position), Time (Envelope release or modulation speed) and Movement (LFO depth or FX mix). These can be remapped though to pretty much anything you want by editing the presets within the respective engines. There are also dedicated knobs for FX A, FX B, Delay, and Reverb.

There are some well thought out features access by way of the shift button. The macros double as a 3-band EQ when the Shift button is held and allows you to quickly balance the low, mid or highs of a patch quickly, a massive pro for gig environment. Holding Shift and turning the Brightness knob adjusts the patch volume separately from the master out.

The playlist mode cleverly allows you to organize presets into setlists. While the "Category" buttons (Piano, Lead, Pad) feel somewhat wasted during standard browsing, in Playlist mode, they become instant-access triggers for the first 10 patches of your set. This allows for verse-chorus patch switching with a single button press.

Latency and Switching

Switching between engines can incur a small load time. It is not instantaneous, but it is manageable. Arturia has implemented a "smooth transition" (spillover) feature where the reverb and delay tails of the previous sound continue to ring out after switching, covering the gap effectively.

There is also a user-selectable "Safety" mode that requires a confirmation click before changing patches. Useful if you are a vigorous player who might accidentally hit a button mid-solo.

Connectivity and Ecosystem

The rear panel hosts a comprehensive set of I/O:


Stereo Outputs: Balanced TRS.


MIDI: Standard 5-pin DIN In and Out.


USB-C: For computer connection.


USB-A (Host): This supplies 1.5A of power and data. You can plug a USB stick in for storage, or more interestingly, connect a second MIDI controller.


Combo Input: A mic/line input with a clever "pop-out" gain dial that retracts into the chassis to prevent damage during transport.


The AstroLab 37 includes Wi-Fi to connect to the AstroLab Connect mobile app. This allows you to manage playlists and browse the sound store from your phone. Bluetooth Audio allows you to stream backing tracks from a phone through the AstroLab’s main outs—perfect for practice or solo performances.

Integration is generally smooth. You cannot sync to the hardware though via Analog Lab plugin in a DAW. It's not a big deal, but would have perhaps been useful transferring patches from a specific project to the Astrolab. You can favorite them, or add them to lists but you must use the standalone version of the software to transfer patches. This is a minor workflow hurdle but worth noting for users who live inside their DAW.

Critique and Wishlist

While the AstroLab 37 is impressive as it is, but there are areas where the hardware feels slightly under-utilized given the DSP power available. We had a few wish-list items that we hope Arturia may add with a firmware update down the line.

1. Audio Input Routing

Currently, the audio input is seems to be dedicated to the Vocoder V engine. We couldn't find a way to route an external synthesizer or guitar through the AstroLab’s internal effects chains (Chorus, Delay, Reverb) as a generic pass-through. Given the quality of the Arturia effects, this feels like a missed opportunity.

2. The Sampler Omission

A basic sampler, or a loop player that could time-stretch samples alongside the synth engines, would add a lot of value. While samples are supported through some of the Arturia instruments, a more traditional sampler tool would be amazing too. Currently, you must hack it together using the limited mapping options in the Pigments engine, or settle for something like the CMI, which does have a sequencer and more robust mapping, but still feels clunky and locks you into the vintage sound of that unit. A simple sampler capable of more traditional mapping options to accomodate drum one shots, sequences and perhaps time stretched loops would really extend the utility of the device.

3. Recording

Given the amount of onboard storage, we'd love to see a simple record function to just grab an audio file of whatever you're playing. Being able to capture moments of inspiration would be a huge plus... even if it was perhaps done within the companion app.

Conclusion

The Arturia AstroLab 37 is a niche product, but it is a niche that many musicians have been waiting for, and Arturia have once again executed an immensely pleasing design, supported by quality construction and well though out features. It is not a cheap; at roughly €699/$799, it sits in a premium bracket comparable to the Arturia MiniFreak.

For the touring pro, the Astrolab 37 can fill the role of a high-fidelity sound module with keys attached. It is the perfect board for a secondary tier to sit above a larger 88 key workstation and provides an immense range of high quality sounds that can easily be leveraged to layer or fill gaps like vintage textures that other workstations may struggle to replicate authentically.

For folks striving for a DAWless setup, it brings the production-ready sounds of the studio into a setup that doesn't require a mouse and keyboard. For those with an electronic music focus and wanting to free themselves from their laptops, the fact that you can pack a JP8000, TB-303, MS20, modern instruments like the Minibrute and Minifreak and more into a backpack, the Astrolab 37 is a pretty insane value proposition.

Provided you accept it for what it is, a player, not an editor, this is a supremely flexible, rugged, and great-sounding instrument.

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Pros


Build Quality: Metal chassis and premium feel, built for the road.


Keybed: Excellent semi-weighted feel for mini-keys including Aftertouch.


Sound Engines: Access to 30+ V Collection engines (Pigments, Jup-8, etc.) without a laptop.


Live Utility: Smart "Shift" functions for EQ and Volume; seamless Playlist mode.


Cons


No Deep Editing: Sound design must be done on a computer.


Input Limitations: Would be great to be able to route external audio through internal FX chains (Vocoder only).


Technical Specifications


Keys: 37 Slim Keys (Velocity and Monophonic Aftertouch).


Engines: Virtual Analog, Samples, Wavetable, FM, Granular, Physical Modeling, Vector, Harmonic, Phase Distortion, Vocoder.


Polyphony: Variable (dependent on engine CPU load).


Audio I/O: 2x 1/4" TRS Out, 1x Combo Mic/Line In, 1x 1/4" Headphone Out.


Connectivity: USB-C, USB-A (Host), MIDI In/Out (DIN), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.


Storage: 4GB Internal.


Dimensions: Compact (Exact dimensions TBD).


Included Software: Analog Lab Pro, AstroLab Connect (iOS/Android).


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