Arturia packed a serious amount of power into the new AstroLab 37. After going through the full spec sheet and feature breakdown, what stood out to me immediately was how much of the flagship AstroLab ecosystem they managed to fit into a small, travel-friendly unit.
The full sound engines, the preset architecture, the macro workflow, the effects, and the live tools are all here. It feels designed for musicians who need a portable keyboard that performs like a main rig without the size and setup overhead.
The AstroLab 37 ships with 44 instruments and more than 1,800 presets, which gives you a large sandbox to work from. You get the same engines found in Arturia’s higher tier instruments. That includes virtual analog, samples, wavetable, FM, granular, physical modeling, vector synthesis, harmonic, phase distortion, vocoder, and Karplus. If you already work inside Arturia’s software libraries, this hardware ties directly into your existing workflow with almost no learning curve.
The 37 slim keys include aftertouch, and the color screen plus encoder makes preset navigation feel quick and deliberate without menu diving.
Performance and Live-Ready Workflow
The AstroLab 37 treats live control with the same level of seriousness as the larger AstroLab. You get four macro knobs with LED feedback, four effect knobs including dedicated delay and reverb, ten instant preset buttons, and a full set of performance modes.
The vocoder input on the back opens up a lot of fun options for sets that need a quick shift in texture. I also liked how clean the connectivity looked. MIDI in and out, USB-C, USB-A host, balanced stereo output, mic and TRS inputs, Bluetooth audio, WiFi, and pedal input keep the keyboard flexible for studio, band setups, or a mobile rig.
Playlist Mode is a big deal here since it lets you assemble full setlists on the hardware itself. If you play hybrid shows, this solves the common problem of preset changes that span software and hardware. Artist presets are included as well, so you can load signature sounds without any extra downloads.
Deeper Editing Through Analog Lab and AstroLab Connect
If you want full control of every parameter, AstroLab Connect and Analog Lab Pro give you a direct extension of the hardware.
Edit macros, adjust effects, build playlists, and pull from the full instrument library. Arturia treated the AstroLab 37 like a true front end to their whole ecosystem, not a cut-down version. For musicians who want a small keyboard that still ties into deeper sound design sessions, this setup works well.
At the core you get a lightweight instrument that fits into small studios, DJ booths, rehearsal spaces, or travel setups while still operating as a full performance keyboard. The workflow stays focused, the navigation is clean, and all core sound engines are integrated in a way that feels consistent with Arturia’s higher tier products.
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