Arturia Astrolab - Avant Garde Stage Keyboard - Sonic LAB review
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- čas přidán 8. 04. 2024
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Arturia's new Stage Keyboard . Designed to fix the issue of how you take your in the box sounds and play them live from a keyboard. These sounds are 27 of the V Collection 9, including modeled pianos, organs but also their software synthesizers CS80V, Pigments too. So its essentially a player for patches from their software line-up.
You don't need to own any of these to play the sounds, but if you do want to write and save your own presets.
AstroLab has a twin layer setup with a split or layer - each can hold a patch from th4 V Collection, so a piano and say a complex Pigments patch.
Polyphony is 48 voices for physically modeled sounds such as Piano V3, and Tonewheel Organ and 8 notes for Pigments and the other Synthesizer collections (these patches will often include internal FX)
In addition there are two assignable insert FX and two send FX - a delay and a reverb engine.
Sound modification is via four Macro controls which are assigned at a patch level - you cant change this unless you own the software instruments, in which case you can save your own patches and load them into the Astrolab. I should note that as of this version, real-time editing of the sounds on is not possible, you need to tweak them on your computer then send the patches over to Astrolab - we hope this is sorted ASAP as it makes a lot more sense.
For the full product details, check the Arturia website:
www.arturia.com/products/hardware-synths/astrolab-61/overview
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#soniclab #arturia #astrolab
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including extra Q&A and a couple of sampled instruments
Arturia: “Do you have any experience with keyboard design?” New Engineer: “No, but I have extensive knowledge of Nest Thermostats” Arturia: “you’re hired!”
Yes there is a resemblance 😄
It's funny cause it's TRUE!!!!
What is that Nest keybord. Never heard of it. How much dollars?
@@oupahens9219 2k
It's probably the Anders 2.1" IPS rotary encoder.
The BEST thing about this keyboard is reading the comments from disappointed synth heads who were hoping Arturia’s announcement was going to be ‘Le Superfreak’ synthesizer or something 🤪 Instead they got V collection in a keyboard with a giant smartwatch for a display / control interface!! 😬
🤣😂🤣😂
Scratching their heads because they don’t know what a stage piano even is. 😂
Actually very cool to hear some piano work from you, Nick.
Peels off sticker "ooo, isn't that satisfying " - love it. Great review as usual!
30 seconds in Nick and it's already the best review of this thing. Do a Fun Friday with this.
Thanks Jim. I think there may be a FF
A lot of the other reviews don’t actually explain what the thing is/does.
Regarding of the sound in your hands, i think it suits you, dear Nick. Great intro !
Im
Digging this ! Great demo/review
Pulls up Oberheim patch labeled “Jump Again” … doesn’t play Jump. Impressed by the restraint.
I wish others would show the same restraint with that Radiohead song. 😂😂
"No Jump" should be right up there with "No Stairway"
I think it’s beautiful
Ah the old software/cloud/computer integration challenge aye. Looks awesome. Also liked the Korg Keystage vibe. I want better integration!!
Great sounds, pretty instrument. The limited polyphony and bi-timbrality would be a deal breaker for me. Wonderful in depth review as always.
As someone who makes electronic pop music using mostly Arturia V Collection and the Korg Gadget VSTs this really appeals as a way to get things happening live. It still seems a little unfinished as a product, but even as it stands the idea of having my own Arturia presets on call directly from within the keyboard seems like a good thing. The V Collection also has a vocoder, so presumably that'll work using the audio in easily enough. Now, if Korg can release Gadget in the same vein everything would be so tidy for me and take away the need for ipads and laptops. Also, please could I have the Moon on a stick? 🙂
stylistically I love it
Actually sound wise, it has extremely high quality sounds, sample sounds, and from their own software department, V Collection and etc....
But price... 😕😕😕😣
Ulrich Schnauss, -yes aways in good taste over here. A minikeys Astrolab37 with a sequencer for the rest of us homeboy two finger maestros please 😅
Did you just ask for minikeys? There are people who actually like minikeys? 😉
For those complaining about it not being knob per function (its not meant to be, it's a stage keyboard) Arturia have an old synth called Aturia Origin which is probably more like what youre imagining
To be fair there's no confusion at all...Stage keyboards are a specific set of keyboards used typically by live performers that have quick access controls for muscle memory to most of the common functions you need on the fly for the most common sounds you'll use on the gig, See Roland's stage keyobards, Nord's, Yamaha stage, Studiologic, etc, etc. We don't want it to be a synth with synth parameters i.e per oscillator control, we want it to actually have the functionality of a stage keyboard, pretty much any and everyone out there. Only stage pianos, typically 88 may or may not have those as it's for mainly piano sounds, weighted hammers. Also the controls for drawbar organs most times double in synth mode as the most common parameters needed for limited but specific synth editing with the knobs giving access to other additonal parameters like fx commonly needed on stage,etc. So no, we're more so confused why a stage keyboard would be more limited in functionality for stage usage than their cheapest midi control for the same set of sounds (has the standard faders and knobs), yet they called it a stage keyboard, a specific classification of keyboards. Seems like this will be more at home in a studio than on stage.
Someone at Arturia, how can we sell more plugins?
Someone else at Arturia, why don't we make a hardware keyboard that plays presets that can't be edited unless they buy the appropriate plugin.
Someone else at Arturia, sounds like a win win to me $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Looks nice, sounds good to me, the Price was attractiv, so i just ordered one.
Fair play to Arturia for taking themselves down this route they are an amazing company ❤️💪🏼🙏🏼
Awesome! 😊
Went to the wire a bit on this one, didnt get it till later than expected. 😀
muy interesante lo ultimo que ha lanzado Arturia, cuento con Atturia MInilab MK II y nunca me ha dado problema, pero este veo que es un sintetizador con sonidos muy profesionales.
A module-version and a 49-key-version in the syle of the keylab would be awesome!
The UI looks very swish, but I think you'd always feel a bit of a gap between the physical controls and the software, in a way that you might not in other stage keyboards like a Nord or Yamaha. My impression is that those traditional keyboards might have more limited functionality but would feel a bit more solid and immediate. If you want the Arturia sounds for live performance you could use a small laptop running Analog Lab with a small audio interface (e.g. Scarlett 2i2) and a MIDI keyboard. Assuming you already have a laptop this would be a much cheaper option.
Hmm. Arturia seem to have learnt from the Minifreak V, where the VST is far better value than the hardware version, by doing it the other way around with the Astrolab, giving us a hardware device which runs all its plugins (just like Roland and Korg, and now Yamaha too). Is that really what we want, though - one keyboard that does a lot of sounds, but you can't edit them onboard, and can't use them multitimbrally with a hardware sequencer? I think calling it a "stage keyboard" could be a bit of marketing spin, to distract for it not having any workstation features, plus it doesn't have enough keys or performance features to be a real stage keyboard - handling samples, for example. Only 4 macro knobs, and no assignable performance buttons/sliders etc? Perhaps we're all meant to use computers for sound design and composition now, and only need a preset-only instrument to go on the road with, so maybe this is a clever idea? It looks smart, the central heating controller is neat (although that screen is quite small), it seems to sound good and play well, and could be the only instrument you'd need on stage, or in your living room, and that'll probably be enough to make it sell, if it can compete with the Nautili, MODXs and Fantom-Os of this world, all of which give you more hands-on controls for your money, but with lesser selections of instrument models, although how many different modelled analogue synths do you really need? Especially ones that you can only edit FOUR parameters of in the box? Even the humble Korg Microstation gave you more to play with than this (I love that thing!)
Looks like one of those keyboards I'd walk past and ignore in Costco.
Very interesting addition to the Arturia line. But, I suppose my query would be, aside from not needing to bring along your laptop with you to gigs, what advantages would this set-up have - if any - over owning a laptop equipped with V-Collection X, Keylab 61 Mk II MIDI controller, and Apple MainStage?
Yep, nothing at all. That Keylab is more capable. But for latency maybe and polyphonic aftertouch, if it has some?
Well, you get to avoid memes from fans who see you with a laptop on stage and make a short saying "keyboard guy intensely reading his email"
@@Wagoo 🤣
@@oupahens9219 I've not noticed any latency yet and I'm running V-Collection X on an early 2015 MacBook Pro.
Exactly!
Remember Arturia Origin? This reminds me of that but with a V Collection keyboard/sound set
The origin is a sore point for me. Cost me a lot of money and it was pretty much abandoned by arturia and they didn't fulfill their promises. Kind of killed the brand for me.
@@supercompooper I feel for you. I understand a V Collection in a box but this should have been a MPC style groove box.
They only really didn't deliver the promised CS-80 template for the Origin - you can still build a CS-80 in the Origin though with the modular system.. it's just Arturia provided templates were more efficient somehow so you got more polyphony
I've been thinking they should make an Origin 2 for a long time.. and combining it with Piglets and maybe some of the Freak stuff too.. to make something to go up against Quantum/Iridium. But yeah Astrolab seems a very different implementation for a very different market in the end
@@Wagoo He encoder broke three times for me or it's some regulator issue for whatever but right now it just seized up and broke and I don't think I'm ever going to bother to fix it. Plus it crashed if you sent it MIDI aggressively.
@@Wagoo and then sometimes it just likes to freeze for whatever reason
Ahhh release day excitement.... came here 1st as you get it down in a sensible 35 minutes.
Looks and sounds very nice. Nice to see Arturia are getting in on the stage/home piano/keyboard with integrated software engine. Have been really liking what Roland are doing with included zencore engine too. Not for me but these are great all in ones with amazing breadth and quality of sounds compared to historical "home" keyboards. Thanks for the stream Nick.
I wonder how they’d do Pigments hardware with all parameters
It really strikes me that this product is under developed or feature incomplete. Why V Collection 9 instead of X? That little display inside the dial that looks like a Nest Thermostat just doesn't cut it for me. At the price point of $1,999, they really should have included the full V Collection X. It should also have the full set of presets from Analog Lab installed, not that subset of 1,200 it currently has. And, A complaint I have about almost all pure digital synths/keyboards is the lack of audio over USB to your DAW.
No USB audio is a bizarre omission in a synth with no analog elements.
Excellent, thanks for this. Do you know if someone owns the V collection but an older version (like me) can you still edit and save the sounds? I always keep the Arturia software up to date but have never upgraded my version.
not sure. Our understanding is that it's linked to V Collection 9 versions
@@sonicstate ok mate, cheers for the reply 👍
This looks tempting... Guess I'll be canceling my pre-order for the UB-Xa.
Arturia origin mk2! i wonder if they will finish this one.
Versatile instrument, seems like a solid deal for what you get; high cost of entry.
This looks ideal for keyboard players that play with bands, and like to do their sound design in the box, Pigments being on there is amazing... but I have baseball bat shaped fingers and will stick with my sequencers :)
What was that on the bowedatrins tab?
If only Spectrasonics had to come out with a hard ware that could control their softwares with an attachment to lock the iPad to the keyboard
❤️❤️❤️
Oh this comment NAILS it! Not sure why Spectrasonics blew this opportunity. I've been wanting that for years from Spectrasonics.
I mailed Spectrasonics on the same 😂.
Great video Nick!!!!
My lord that thing sounds good. A lot of sounds in that box but some firmware to iron out. For the price I think they should have bundled the V collection though.
I suspect there will be offers coming along the road
A decade or more ago there was a hardware VST box that advertised you could store your computer instruments in this box and play them with a MIDI keyboard/controller. It has been unavailable for a long time, so it did not do a complete job as some would wish...I assume? Anybody remember the name of this device? Arturia seems to have done the same thing placing their V-Collection in a box so you can leave your computer at home.
Muse receptor?
@@sonicstate That sounds like it. Good memory!!
I guess we can now really expect to see Korg Keystage with Gadget inside in some foreseeable future.
Probably inevitable
Hope so.
I’d be up for that or if they ported the entire Legacy collection to a single hardware keyboard. Their other keyboards are on a Linux platform so hopefully that’s coming. I’d love a Prophecy and Minikorg on the piece of hardware
And with all the full Module Pro expansions included (the ones purchased that is). That would be a killer unit.
@@jenslempke7501 not sure Korg or any such company would include everything with such device. The idea is that they sell it to you at some more or less acceptable price and then you buy "downloadable content" like presets, sound banks etc separately. I just don't see how shareholders would allow missing such an opportunity.
"Nice one Nick."
For the price and intent, they shouldve released this as a new midi controller with two options: one package including V collection 10 and analog lab V in full for one price. Then made just the midi controller without the software for current owners for a lower price. That would have went over way better and competed with komplete kontrol and i would've bought one if the price was right since i own everything but am lacking a full size controller. But after the anticipation then let down, the korg keystage or NI mk2 or 3 is looking like a better option. Or should i wait around another year or two for a keylab mk3 with a fatar kb, poly/at, midi2.0..
Who would actually choose THIS as a "midi controller"? It's not made for that at all, and would be relatively garbage with that UI. On the other hand, their keylabs are proper controllers.
@@ChrisPBacon3000 well it's kinda garbage for everything really. I was just speaking hypothetically.
Wow. Arturia are the masters in great user interfaces. (which isn't at all about great look and still they get both). The r&d costs must be so high and still its offered at a great price.
Waer are the other,27 keys?
Interesting keyboard, but I would have expected a 73-key version for this price (£1599)... an 88-key around £1999... and this 61-key around the £1200 mark, personally. Not struck on the WHITE either although the wood looks great... black shell preferred however... and it will be just like Arturia to bring a black version out about a year or two from now to milk the format.
And with no Poly aftertouch at this price as well. 🙄
The Chroma version - inbound!
It’s great but will there be a 73 note keybed version? 61 notes is not enough for the serious gigging musician that this is aimed at.
Sounds lovely and looks sexy too!
Nice hardware
What about the keyboard though. 😅
what is the loading time?
how much does it way?
I don’t play keys unfortunately;y but this looks wonderful. I would have angled the display towards the player though.
blimey that is pretty and feature packed. i continue to enjoy arturia product, although i won't personally be after this one
Roland beat Arturia to this idea with the Jupiter X and Xm and they have the decency to include the editing software for free. I have the V Collection and love it to pieces, and I have been wishing for Arturia to make a standalone keyboard for ages, but this keyboard is overpriced if it does not include the V Collection. The Jupiter X is also 4 part multitibral whereas this thing is only bi-timbral.
Absolutely true!!! Roland beats this incredibly overpriced piece of beautiful shit 😂
Q. what is the % displayed below the patch used?
ok at 21 mins it's cpu used amount - cool
why wouldn't I just use a cheaper controller and a small laptop? The price of this thing is insane. They basically slapped a Ring thermostat control to a controller with some presets. Can we bring on the Keylab MkIII?
@roberthollander; exactly many people view on this ; a controller like arturia mk11 midi with has sliders; editing capabilities and knobs ; a mere $1400 MacBook Air ; with V collection installed ; beats this thing hands down
How are you going to make a modern Stage Piano without Poly After Touch? That's just dumb. The keyboard itself is fantastic and if I had a studio I would put it in there.
The pitfalls of winging it ! 😁
I like the design a lot, but am not convinced about the sound though. Sounds like VST in a box.. oh wait..
Arturia should have included 16-part multitimbrality (it’s all digital anyway!) and a 16-track sequencer. That would have been the Fantom and Montage killer. The way the new keyboard is now, specs-wise, it doesn't make any sense and is way too expensive. The MPC Key61 has more to offer IMO.
So is this Analog because of the DSP chip or is this digital?
It's not analog....
The more I have to fumble around the more the creative spark goes out the door.
When Nick says he doesn't know what instrument it is, it's a NED Synclavier.
Yes I realised later, but that clip got cut. A bit small to see 😄
@@sonicstate Thanks for the reply!
Its a Top Board, not a stage keyboard.
Screen is a joke, no other adjetives can describe it better, it sounds like you would expected if you ever played V-collection, and the packaging is very attractive, i wonder whats inside, a Pi or another kind of SOC, i wouldn't have resisted cracking it open and taken a peep, good first effort, but Mk2 will probably be the one to get in a few years, other than that i think it would make a really Killer top board for those very niche sounds.
This is an interesting product, but I feel like the initial price point is a little too high. At $2000, it seems like something more along the $1500-$1600 range would be more appropriate. Is it just me?
Arturia should have allowed this unit to sync with an iPad through the camera cable
Or better still made a slot to hold the iPad for editing the preset
What is that in the middle an Amazon Alexa?
I like the color scheme and design but... How come full-blown synth offers less controls than Arturia's own Keylab? I was expecting all that Keylab controls and more but what all we got was this moving screen... This is highly debatable move.
Real simulated wood grain 🤔
Ha yes it is that! But not unpleasant
@sonicstate Noob question but if you already own V collection and analog labs is there much piont in buying this?
Looks pretty good to me! @@sonicstate
@@maydaygoingdown5602 if you don't have a computer for live shows then yes. Otherwise, no. You can essentially take a midi controller and a laptop to a live show and it would serve mostly the same purpose. If you don't have a laptop or don't want to take one to a show, you can load up stuff on this and not need a computer
Probably a more robust solution for stage than relying on the plugins and needing to bring a screen or laptop.
Everything is very nice until you look for the price XD (2.000 USD)
Really wish Arturia would have learned from other wonky designs not to do that. It's a nest thermostat screen on a premium stage keyboard where what's needed is an ipad mini size touch screen.
Are those ansestry stues?
“Like one of those lifestyle home pianos”. 😂
Goodness knows how people judge me on interior design with my shattered Victorian piano heap?
NGL, I clicked on your channel to see if there was a home tour with the shattered piano heap...
(SPOILER: There wasn't. I didn't look at the vid from 3 years ago, because it didn't seem to be that, and I wanted to finish this one😮)
👍i LoVe !
💙⚪❤
Great keyboard if you don’t want to do too much editing on the fly….nice sounds….innovative screen.
Stage keyboard with a little beautiful tiny screen. 😢
Struggled to find this video Nick, could be worth getting your face in the thumbnail!
I bought one of Arturia's metal cased controllers and with it got the Analog Lab presets with it. Yes there were some editing, and yes, the surface control of the Arturia controller would be automatically mapped to the screen, which was impressive. With so many instruments in the collection, there were not any common controls and each control would be different for different patches. I am guessing we could NOT get basic subtractive controls on the Astrolab to control the entire collection. So, Arturia invented some macro's that did, however very limited and again changes from patch to patch. Too bad we could not get amp/filter ADSR sliders, filter/resonance knobs, LFO sliders, and more, all on the Astrolab surface. Now with the Analog lab and Astrolab we have more than a controller, we can set up and entire concert set for stage and leave the computer at home.
So for those who really love the V-Collection sound and editability here you have a stage synth that will have your Minimoog, CS-80 and Jupiter8 sounds all in your controller with limited on stage macro control. A good idea from Arturia, that offers a lot for about $2000 for hardware and full editing V-Collection. But missing a lot without basic subtractive surface control of the Astrolab stored patches. I am hoping the Astrolab DAC is superior to most under $300 computer interfaces and we will be hearing superior sound from the Astolab? A large display could also take the place of physical controls for editing quickly, but again missing. This new instrument will immediately fill the need of V-Collection users on stage...as long as the preset isn't in need of live tweaking. It is a real question mark for the synth stage market isn't it?
I pass. For that price you can get a Virus Ti2 with 16 parts, 120 notes polyphony, and a laptop with all the Arturia library on it and call the day. They could have done better.
Waiting for * Arturia Astrolab 2 * ... How long do you think it will take them to... → 1. Make 8 note polyphony into MORE, as standard... like 12? 24? 48? So 2 kids could play it at the same time, without running out of polyphony! (ie. silent notes)) ... and I saw in another review the player used his cellphone to access a lot of Astrolab features, like sounds and stuff... So, → 2. How long until they put that TINY circle window into a proper square screen (iPad style) in that empty space between the pitch rollers and that TINY unreadably small circular one (where you could hardly SEE what was on it! Shameful. Did the developers NOT catch that... or does everyone have to use their phone.
this keyboard is a solution looking for a problem and the problem that its trying to solve isnt a problem and to be honest whats the point if you could install the vst as a whole and be able to program the vst as in this keyboard is effectively a hardware version of the VST then it would be solvign a problem but it juast seems to me its a solution in need of a problem to solve and the problem it attempts to solve isnt a problem that needs solving
Presets… VA… don’t get it, who is buying this at this price?
Hipsters.
It’s a stage keyboard, it’s aimed at working musicians playing in cover bands, churches, stuff like that. There are lots of them out there, it’s a whole category of instruments. Look up ‘stage piano.’
@@sub-jec-tiv But the Astrolab would be the LAST choice in this pricerange of "stage pianos". It has one of the worst interfaces ever made. And with the wheels not on the left it can't be the bottom in a 2 keyboard rig.
The revu,is nice,and you have plesent vois.
Apparently os is based on Linux.
Why is it not 16 part multitimbral? Le Bonkers
I imagine its down to DSP power and also complexity of the UI - Arturia's live stream yesterday spoke about simplifying the complexity of music technology. Perhaps a keyboard like this would need to be more complex to use to allow for that level of multi-timbrallity, not to mention more outputs etc = more $$
Love SS and as always best demo out there.
But this thing is idiotic in 1000 ways. Stupidly designed.
They could have put the VST's in a proper, well-designed Keylab controller, and just added a quality screen. But no.
This Astrolab travesty makes no sense at all, and there are WAY better options around that price range, especially for live performance.
£1500 for a Raspberry PI with Vst's, and you can't even edit them.
What a joke!
French styling. Weird display, that's small. Lots of open space, maybe too much. Weird. Thanks.
Two parts.... What a miss.
Everyone who has reviewed this seems to be kind of bleh right?
at this price will have the same faith as origin
The display is toooooo small. No polyphonic aftertouch. Dead on arrival.
No one learned anything from ASM GLEN DARCY & COMPANY???😭😤😠😩😫😵💫🤮🤮🥴🥴🥴‼️‼️‼️🦠🦠🦠🅱️🅰️🅰️🅰️🅱️🅰️🅰️🅰️✅✅✅🙄🙄🙄🙄
Keybeds on Arturia are historically bad. Broken keys, sponge action, etc;
Wish Arturia would source their keybeds from Fatar instead of trying to invent their own…
No poly aftertouch and no midi 2 at this price point in 2024, really?! It supposed to be performance keyboard….
… and what’s with this piano lookalike keys that are NOT hammer action…
Love Arturia software but their hardware is crappy
Don't you just love it when the left hand tries to reach the controllers to the far right?
One more video that he has to play on the top octave not to look totally silly while trying to reach those knobs.
Designed by engineers that never played a keyboard in their entire life.
A preset player with very limited sound manipulation, limited polyphony ,no polyphonic aftertouch, for a huge amount of money with a tiny screen, no CV, no MPE, no Midi 2.0 and a 61 plasticky keybed for a stage keyboard?
And that cheap watch screen knob contraption looks it is going to fail in no time.
That is a big flop, sorry Arturia.
Stage keyboard? Really?
Guys st Arturia, who made this ridiculous display definitely NEVER played live on a real stage!😅
Yeah, and in the typical 2 keyboard stage stack (99% of all rigs), if this is on bottom, the 2 wheels SHOULD be on the left (not covered by the top keyboard).
Sounds just okay BUT the design is awful
Presenter sounds like Barry from Watford
That display is the stupidest I’ve ever seen. It looks ready to break off
Bad Demo ~~ sorry
Not a demo. A review 😀