Arturia definitely has something else up their sleeve, especially still needing a KeyLab update, on their 25th anniversary. That said, I have already been waiting, so I got the MK2, immediately following the release of the AstroLab. However, all of the players I know really love this keyboard. For me, it was the price, pads, and functionality. While I needed something a bit more specific with the KeyLab MK2, hating on people for the tools they choose is just weird. The AstroLab seems to be a good fit for a lot of keyboard players.
I think people just got up in arms because they're used to Arturia making full synthesizers, whether in software or in hardware. V Collection, Microfreak, Minibrute...so on and so forth. So when they see Arturia releases another instrument with a keyboard that just happens to be not a full-on synthesizer on its own, they were caught off guard. Roland has their Fantom line. Yamaha has their MODX/Montage/whatever line. Korg has their stuff. If Arturia wants to get into the stage keyboard game, great! Personally I won't have any use for it, but good for them.
@@DylanParisMusic I do have to say though, I was up at Sweetwater earlier today so this video's timing is impeccable. It really is a lovely piece of gear, and I'd love to have an excuse for it. I bet if I did live gigs in a band, or even for that matter if I did professional keyboard solo performances, I'd likely get it. The keys feel great, it has just enough control for live use, the V Collection of course sounds fantastic...I could go on and on. As for a sound-design first approach...honestly I don't see how they could pull that off easily without just making their own taking on an NI device with the brains onboard. Just imagine having to design it in such a way that all the controls map to the corresponding controls in the VSTs. Hell, Modular V on something like that would be...well, hell.
For me it was more the fact that they are asking for 2k. For that price point you would have expected more considering what they are asking for. The tiny screen in itself is an insult. Its so bad that they even made an app for you to have to use your dang phone...for preset browsing? Seriously? Again they are asking for 2k for a keyboard that doesnt even have a proper poly keybed. Idk the design choices here...again for 2k...is just off puting.
It’s actually quite efficient. If I’m creating sounds or programming patches, I hate being locked into my keyboard screen and navigating all the parameters. A laptop is much better for that. If I’m performing, the ONLY time I look at the screen is for changing patches. I only need knobs for general modifications to effects, Eq, volume, etc. And it sounds amazing. So, it’s very practical for me.
Thinking something is stupid is one thing, but getting mad about it? At least find better things to get mad about that actually justify it lmao The little nest thermostat on the front does look dumb tho
I wouldn't say I was angry but just more deflated, because Arturia has been getting it so right lately and I was probably expecting more from them. The first Keylab was let down by that dodgy key bed that they got on the cheep because it was known for keys lifting but the they solves that the next time round. It just feels like they're going back to their old was of doing it on the cheap. Personally I have been using a Keylab 88 and a laptop on stage for a while now, so I see this as a solution to a problem that didn't exist. If Arturia are listening, a nice key bed with a large touch screen would of got me really going on a stage piano. If I was to go out and buy something new for the stage today for the same price I would buy Numa GT by studiologic.
I think the keyboard looks gorgeous (I definitely don’t hate the thermostat design). I also think the sounds are great and the playlist app looks awesome. But if I were to spend 1500+ dollars on a keyboard I still would go for a Yamaha or a Waldorf Iridium because I indeed would also prefer to do sound design on the device. That being said, I actually question my own motives here, because I have a Korg Wavestate and whenever I want to do sound design really seriously, it goes way better with the laptop attached to it than without it. And designing pigment patches on the laptop, giving them some good macro knob modulation options, and then put them in a playlist doesn’t seem a bad workflow at all….
I think there is a huge market of people who just want to play presets on a keyboard and are not into sound design. I’m not part of this market so I don’t complain and just say it’s not for me. The only thing I am disappointed about is that there still no new version of the Analog Lab midi keyboard.
There are a lot of terminally online people who will get mad and start a big stink about literally anything. Unless it's about an actual problem with the product or the business practices of the company behind it, I've found that it makes life a lot easier to just ignore them.
True, true it seems like today it's common for a counity to love some thing to the extreme or to hate it... Like this seems to be a fine product and to be a full synth would make it heavier and more expnsive... So this is great for those who want a midi controller that can still make sounds.
This sounds like an interesting keyboard, but I think the biggest issue with it is the limitation of only two splits or layers (if true from what I hear). I only play live, in bands as I don't do studio recordings. I don't use any tracks or sequences, everything is actually played live. I have songs with 6 or more splits on my MODX. I have songs on my laptop using up to 9 VST's in a single song for splits & layers. I also connect my laptop with two or three MIDI keyboards at once. I can't imagine being limited to just 2 splits. Huge over sight from Arturia. Otherwise vs a lot of hardware synths, the Astrolab sounds pretty good with all those classic synth engines.
I been using a keylab and my laptop for a few years on stage so this hasn't every been a problem for me and I find it as a solution for a problem that wasn't there.
It is a plug out synth like the Roland System-8. There are several synths that mimmick other brands with their filter (Jupiter 50, KingKorg a.o. doing Moog, Oberheim, P5 etc.). The Arturia is comparable to the Jupiter 50 that had the option of an iPad with propietary cable to edit parameters (also possible via menu on unit itself). The idea was the tablet to be a "programmer" as Roland had for JX-3p and D50 a.o..
I was able to test one at Guitar Center. I didn’t like the usability of the thermostat style dial. However the resolution was better than I expected and my eyes aren’t great. Wasn’t impressed at all generally but I’m a desktop musician, and the AstroLab isn’t geared toward me. Really, really surprised they didn’t release a Keylab MK 3 though especially with Korg and Native Instruments releasing controllers with poly aftertouch and midi 2.0. I thought that was a no-brainer. I also agree with a few comments about the opportunity for a hardware based Pigments. Waldorf’s are so expensive that something in the $1,500 range would have been awesome.
I'm interested in comparing the Astrolab with the Roland Go Keys 5. No wait, hear me out... 61keys, Zen Core sounds and able to accept more from Roland cloud, and has a mic input.
If had to buy a stage piano today for about the same money, then it would have to be the Numa GT by studiologic. It has many inputs and output puts plus you can load up your own sounds and an onboard mixer for anything going into it and out.
there are other products in the pipeline with this platform; mostly bigger and smaller keyboard; but in the future it's possible they make another line with more tweakability. The thing is this is sold as an analog lab hardware version; not a V collections hardware version; so a version where you could get deep into every parameter would also need to ship with the full V collection. I'm not sure it will take this direction since Arturia's vision of performance tools veered towards a limited set of macros (even in the software); as someone who likes to make patches for scratch it simply adds a layer of work that I don't need (assigning macros to parameters and so on). In a way it does seem like a big challenge to make a hardware machine that will allow you acces to every tweak available in the whole V collection so I don't know. Their take on the hardware synth are the minifreak and polybrute (and the rest of the analog line); so I'm really not sure this will happen. Still there's margin between 4 knobs macro and what they have on their controller line (ie around 16 knobs macro; which is a bit more usable if you want to tweak a synth).
Very thoughtful video. Appreciate your considered POV. AstroLab is not for me. Already have V Collection X and run it on a MacBook Air M1 and controller. I think AstroLab will do great in the Praise market. Presets only, no computer needed. Just pick a sound and play. It is essentially a standalone Analog Lab V. If you want anything other than a standalone Analog Lab V, there are better options. In general, "stage keyboards" or "preset players", aren't a great value prop if you're into sound design or production. In the case of AstroLab, you'd need to spend $600 to get V Collection X to edit any of the preset synths (assuming you have the pc/mac covered).. But for people who just want to plug and play, this makes as much sense as any competiting offerings from Yamaha, Roland, etc.
Macbook Air and Controller would probably replace most gear most people talk about on youtube! I keep almost buying one but have to remind myself I already have my desktop and I'm not really playing out right now
If you don't play live and are mostly into synths for sound design then yeah, this isn't for you. This is for the player who really likes using the Arturia stuff when recording but doesn't want to mess around with a laptop and interface at the gig, which is basically the exact thing my keyboard player needs. The dealbreaker is the lack of layers - with this he'd still need another full-featured stage piano as a second board (making all the piano sounds on the AstroLab kind of moot,) whereas with something like the Yamaha CK61 has three layers, meaning he can use an 88 key midi controller and use the Yamaha for all control and sounds.
You say you understand people who are angry. I absolutely do not understand people who are angry. Nowadays, everyone has the opportunity to find out absolutely everything about an instrument online. And if somebody doesn't like the instrument, nobody's forcing him with a gun to his head to buy it. Being angry about a keyboard makes absolutely no sense.
Astrolab is nothing less than a workstation. HOWEVER, it lacks its own sequencer, drum kits, the ability to reproduce natural sounds or at least physical modeling (except of pianos), you can't edit the sounds you've iimported through the software, and you can't use it as a controller. So, in reality, it's not a workstation. It's not a synth. It's not a controller. It's a limited preset player that loads some sounds slowly because it doesn't have its own engine. I'm in love.
It's bi-timbral (two patches at a time). Still pretty weak, but better than one, at least you can do splits and make patches that are a liitle more interesting.
I own a Hydrasynth Deluxe and the Astrolab reminds me of the opposite. On HSD you can do lots of deep sound design from scratch. On Astrolab it's about less is more. I see the value and benefit of both. However for the price of the Astrolab I'd rather buy a Korg Wavestate mk 2 for less than half the price, has a lot more polyphony, more sound design options, up to 4 layers, and sounds as good or better.
Yeah this is a bit of a misrepresentation on my part! So the mpcs or the maschine you can layer sequences of many presets whereas with the AstroLab you can play one preset or pair / split at a time, but you can’t simultaneously layer a bunch of presets in a sequence
It would be far more interesting if it included all of the Arturia V Collection VSTs. Edit and create sounds, macros etc at home or in studio, take the Astrolab to the performance. At this price if I've got to spend hundreds more to fully access it's potential I'll say NO!
Honestly this is a fair point! I’ve had the V Collection for so long that it was moot for me but they should totally include the whole collection with this keyboard
As a gigging keyboard player, it’s just not for me. Being able to edit envelopes or LFO shape in a live setting is huge. I also don’t think there’s much overlap between people interested in pigments, and people that wouldn’t want to edit it, I’m sure it’s there, but just not as big as the market that doesn’t care about pigments or the market that wants to edit it.
@@b00ts4ndc4ts Fantom 6 with EX expansion. Sometimes I bring out my Mopho X4 that I’m considering changing out for a hydrasynth deluxe or UB-Xa. I used to use the VR-09 and the X4, but now the ACB Jupiter 8 really makes the X4 redundant, the X4 needed a similar amount of button presses to access similar synth parameters as the Fantom does, ie switching what envelope I’m editing or switching oscillator tuning. The DSI is certainly faster with LFO parameters though.
@@TheLazerTank I have been checking out the ub-xa, looks very versatile bit of gear. Behringer have been hitting the mark for me but alot of people knock it. Personally I have had no problems with any of their gear ever. What kind of music do you perform?
If I could play keys this would be great for live gigs. Arturia want people to go play shows maybe? The price seems fair, compare that to a “stage guitar/bass” setup. Instrument + pedals/board/power supply + amp(s), well over this price for decent gigging equipment I think. Thanks for coming to my reverse rant?
We haven't been doing this for 30 years with any workstation, have we? The difference is that while with the workstations we've been using live all these years we could choose between synths, natural sounds, and anything else you can imagine. Really, now, what more does it offer in reality than a 2005 Fantom? Less, certainly.
It's just not true, that this was supposedly the first keyboard that let's you bring your plugin sounds from the computer to the stage. Roland Fantom for example and especially the Fantom 0 that is way cheaper than this Arturia crap does allow that. Not only can you get the Real Jupiter on that board, but you can basically use any of their Zenology and Roland Cloud plugins live on that board. And it has a lot of controls and a big touchscreen. This Astrolab thing is just low quality high price BS.
No, this doesn't make any sense for a life performance. Only being able to play one preset isn't going to cut it in a life performance. You have to be able to layer multiple sounds and you need keyboard splits like play the bass with your left hand and a piano plus pad plus strings with your right hand and also if you play high velocity with your left hand bring in a kick drum or a crash or something. Nobody who is playing life just makes one single sound.
@@DylanParisMusic It's an idea developed by non touring musicians. In a band the guitar player plays a guitar, the drummer plays drums, the bassist plays bass but the keyboardist plays everything else. The keyboardist always plays a multitude of instruments, never only one sound alone. I think it's just a stupid idea from Arturia. Gigging musicians already have their Nautiluses, Fantoms or Montages. It would be easier for them to sample their Arturia sounds onto their Workstations rather than buy a keyboard that costs as much as their workstations but can only play one single sound.
AstroLab is not a controversial synthesizer. Its a synthesizer with all imbedded Arturia plugins, nothing more, nothing less. It's a new norm today having boxes and synthesizers with plugins. Like Roland System1/8 plugout, MPC Key 37/61 and Machine+/Ableton push3 standalone.
@@mudi2000a There are a lot of "plugin" synths out there. Roland Fantom or Yamaha Monate M. If you have money and like Arturia, when buy it. But it's not a controversial synthesizer in my opinion.
I doubt are people are mad about a product a company makes, no? That would be crazy. I can see people not being interested, but mad? Personally, the keyboard doesn't call to me and I already have a thermostat haha. Cool vid.
There are better stage pianos for the price. More traditional in number of keys, sounds, controls, multi-timbrality, and functions. More splits and layers. More zones. This is called a stage piano but I hear stage piano and I’m thinking 88 keys and Casio PX-5S, PX-560, PX-S31000, Roland RD-88, RD-2000, Yamaha YC-88, CK88, CP88, Kurzweil SP7, Korg Grandstage, and Kawai MP11SE. This is like the middle between a stage piano and synthesizer. More synth than stage piano.
When the version 2 comes out, all the shills saying how they love the micro screen will warm to the new version with a proper screen and more controls. This happens all the time. The Montage was the best sounding thing with 'advanced' BS circuits to make the sound realer. Then the cheap MODX arrived and suddenly they sounded the same without the BS circuit. Now we have a new Montage with more poly (using the same presets as before) but it sounds better because of BS. It is all marketing to sell carp to idiots. This is a bad first draft trying new ideas.
Are there reviewers who say they love the screen? I think it's kinda cool as far as a multifunctional piece of design but I can't think of anyone saying they love it
Soooooooo, built a FrankenLab instead…… Wazzit you ask? Komplete Kontrol S49 I already owned, Analog Lab Pro that I already owned and a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 off ebay for $66 and another $12 for Charger for it. Works well with the Max 2 Voice Layer/Split idea. S49 Keyboard MKI , I traded 2 Volca’s for it so lets say $200 Analog Lab Pro I think the upgrade from Intro was $69 Surface Pro Tablet $78 so total of $347
@@DylanParisMusic Im strictly in the studio, using the Surface Pro 4 on a Laptop Stand. Its one extra power supply plugged into AC Power and a single USB Cable………unless Im going to record in which case 2 USB Cables, one for the Audio Interface or more likely my Zoom Livetrack L-8 but this more of a Crackpot idea and practice setup than for actual music making. Think my Yamaha SeqTrak plugged into the S49 be fun too. The built in speakers on the Surface Pro plenty loud for me to noodle around I mean Practice on.
@@DylanParisMusic just thought of another question. I think it says it comes with 1300. Any idea what if any the limit of Presets you can have loaded in is? Thank you.
@@Madmohawkfilms it has about 22.8 gigs or so of storage I think? I added a ton of extra presets from a few different V Collection synths and it went from 7.2 to 7.8 or so gigs filled, so there's a lot of room. Probably like 10 or 20 thousand?
The AstroLab is not controversial in the least. People are a bunch of idiots, that's all. I was totally unaware of the AstroLab until I saw the first video, which happened to be by Dr Mix. The design is gorgeous. But as soon as he started playing it, I realised that this is a keyboard to be taken out on the road and just sound great. And that's exactly what it does. It's wonderful that Waldorf make sophisticated studio synths, but they've gone bankrupt before, their QA and software update processes leave somewhat to be desired, and frankly, they operate in a pretty expensive niche. If you insist on doing sound design on hardware, get a Quantum or an Iridium. You should also ask yourself: what would be the point for Arturia to produce such a 'pure' synthesiser, based on their plug-ins? As said, it's a niche, the product would be very expensive, and as such, a big financial risk. And there are already contenders for that niche, like the aforementioned Waldorf. In contrast, there are a _lot_ of people for whom the AstroLab is the perfect keyboard. It just so happens that there isn't a great deal of overlap with the audience that watches the usual 'see what Behringer copied this week' kind of videos. So, do I like the AstroLab? I love it! I like Arturia anyway, and this is a brilliant product. So, will I get one? Nope. It's not for me. I'm too old, and I have better things to do than getting beer thrown at me while on stage. Explain to me one thing, though: why are you comparing a $1600 keyboard, which comes with most of the V Collection and Pigments, and a professional audio output, to a $1500 laptop? Did you get the V Collection and Pigments for free? If you take the price of a KeyLab MkII, the V Collection, and Pigments, I calculated that this leaves €250 for a laptop. Good luck with that.
They should of learned that people want more control not less, only two voices at a time and horrible polyphony. Goofy thermostat screen, no sliders, workstation would of killed the game.
@@ldandcodepending on what part of the UK you are from this is total acceptable, people tend to type as the would say it. Personally I am dyslexic so I don't get hung up on it because the amount of people who correct my spelling. Although at one time it did bother me when someone like yourself would try and correct me, so please if you're going to do it, at least be kind and try not come across like you are. Or don't it entirely up to you.
@@kamilchosta5526 it's not a good Idea, because how we instinctively go to twist a knob like that you end up covering the screen with your hand, also some one with impaired vision is going struggling with the size of that screen on stage. Laptop and midi controller is still the best option and this is solving no problems just making them
@b00ts4ndc4ts oh, i havent thought of that. Your point is valid. In general, it would make more sense to me if the astrolab was Hammer action with at least 73 keys to be potential great stage piano replacement. 8 controls would be sufficient. Many stage pianos have very limited control and worse audio quality, and I would compare this to stage pianos rather than midi controllers. Still I think it's overpriced. They should at least include V Collection at that price
It's controversial by design and Arturia knew it full well. First, releasing the synth that is not even as functional as Arturia's own plugin Collection was controversial from the start. Second, less physical controls than Arturia's own midi keyboard - Arturia knew it's going to be a boiling point for some. Third, thermostat similarity was obvious not only to us but to Arturia engineers from the start (if not, they are completely out of touch with reality), Fourth, they knew the price for a VST player is too high. They have the whole marketing dept for that. So there's only three options: a) everyone who works at Arturia is out of touch with reality (which is obviously not the case) b) honest mistake made during the hype of times or c) they knew it and release it anyway. relying on synthfluencers influence on masses. I really hope it's a B option but in my mind it's a C.
@@tlkshowhst also true, but simplicity and performing can be two different things, i can't see it very usefull when onstage i have to tilt the tiny screen, moving the jog around that screen and pressing the same screen at the same time... dunno maybe it's good for some but the truth is that this is highly debatable move
I think the idea is you just make a playlist of sounds and then change them between songs. Not sure you're meant to use the screen while performing. That said, do you think synth youtube people actually have influence? I really go back and forth on this. I genuinely think the audience is smarter than that, people know what they're into and watch videos about stuff that interests them. I don't think youtubers could make a bad product successful even if they wanted to, but I could be naive.
@@DylanParisMusic i have my doubts about people understanding the truth. Too many people believe that youtubers release the review of the same gear in a span of 2 hours is just a coincidence. (In 2024 on TH-cam mind ya). Also i don't believe there was BAD product of lately. 99 percent of gear released in last 5 years was good or really good. There's no bad gear per se, just some questionable prices (and they seems to reduce with time, just look at Drumlogue goes from 7 hundreds to 350 or something).
Arturia have a track record for using the parts bin to make there gear, the motor industry have been doing this for some time now. Personally I think they could of done away with it and just put a touch screen iPad on a midi keyboard.
You could definitely multisample some or find some keygroups but that is a limitation of the Akai plugins so far I think. I think Fabric XL might have some though.
What's up man! Yeah I think they should look into different size configurations of this for sure. Sounds like some folks really want 88 and I think a smaller version would be cool too
@@DylanParisMusic yeah man. I could see the value in having all of them made. I still wish they would redo the Keystep 37 with real wheels and a solid transport bar.
They should just make pigments a standalone unit for 2K, a quantum killer for sure
I'm currently transferring every pigments preset over (the supported ones anyway). I agree, a standalone tweakable pigments in a box would be rad!
It is a beautiful machine. And I actually loved the feel of the keys.
Agreed on both counts, might be my favorite feeling keys
Arturia definitely has something else up their sleeve, especially still needing a KeyLab update, on their 25th anniversary. That said, I have already been waiting, so I got the MK2, immediately following the release of the AstroLab. However, all of the players I know really love this keyboard.
For me, it was the price, pads, and functionality. While I needed something a bit more specific with the KeyLab MK2, hating on people for the tools they choose is just weird. The AstroLab seems to be a good fit for a lot of keyboard players.
I think people just got up in arms because they're used to Arturia making full synthesizers, whether in software or in hardware. V Collection, Microfreak, Minibrute...so on and so forth. So when they see Arturia releases another instrument with a keyboard that just happens to be not a full-on synthesizer on its own, they were caught off guard.
Roland has their Fantom line. Yamaha has their MODX/Montage/whatever line. Korg has their stuff. If Arturia wants to get into the stage keyboard game, great! Personally I won't have any use for it, but good for them.
Yeah I think this is totally right, I do hope they make something a bit more sound design focused after this
@@DylanParisMusic I do have to say though, I was up at Sweetwater earlier today so this video's timing is impeccable. It really is a lovely piece of gear, and I'd love to have an excuse for it. I bet if I did live gigs in a band, or even for that matter if I did professional keyboard solo performances, I'd likely get it. The keys feel great, it has just enough control for live use, the V Collection of course sounds fantastic...I could go on and on.
As for a sound-design first approach...honestly I don't see how they could pull that off easily without just making their own taking on an NI device with the brains onboard. Just imagine having to design it in such a way that all the controls map to the corresponding controls in the VSTs. Hell, Modular V on something like that would be...well, hell.
@ndguardian really good point! Would likely end up as a big touchscreen focused thing and not even sure that would be a device people liked
For me it was more the fact that they are asking for 2k. For that price point you would have expected more considering what they are asking for. The tiny screen in itself is an insult. Its so bad that they even made an app for you to have to use your dang phone...for preset browsing? Seriously? Again they are asking for 2k for a keyboard that doesnt even have a proper poly keybed. Idk the design choices here...again for 2k...is just off puting.
It’s actually quite efficient. If I’m creating sounds or programming patches, I hate being locked into my keyboard screen and navigating all the parameters. A laptop is much better for that.
If I’m performing, the ONLY time I look at the screen is for changing patches. I only need knobs for general modifications to effects, Eq, volume, etc.
And it sounds amazing. So, it’s very practical for me.
Sliders would have been help ngl, but that space is probably used for a iPad mini or midi sliders.
It's a player's keyboard, not a creator's keyboard. If you're all about the presets with minimal knob-twiddling, the Astrolab is ideal.
Getting one for my kids so they can be introduced early without overwhelming them
Thinking something is stupid is one thing, but getting mad about it?
At least find better things to get mad about that actually justify it lmao
The little nest thermostat on the front does look dumb tho
Hahaha I kinda think it’s nifty but it’s maybe over designed vs functional 🤣🙏
I wouldn't say I was angry but just more deflated, because Arturia has been getting it so right lately and I was probably expecting more from them.
The first Keylab was let down by that dodgy key bed that they got on the cheep because it was known for keys lifting but the they solves that the next time round. It just feels like they're going back to their old was of doing it on the cheap.
Personally I have been using a Keylab 88 and a laptop on stage for a while now, so I see this as a solution to a problem that didn't exist.
If Arturia are listening, a nice key bed with a large touch screen would of got me really going on a stage piano.
If I was to go out and buy something new for the stage today for the same price I would buy Numa GT by studiologic.
I think the keyboard looks gorgeous (I definitely don’t hate the thermostat design). I also think the sounds are great and the playlist app looks awesome. But if I were to spend 1500+ dollars on a keyboard I still would go for a Yamaha or a Waldorf Iridium because I indeed would also prefer to do sound design on the device. That being said, I actually question my own motives here, because I have a Korg Wavestate and whenever I want to do sound design really seriously, it goes way better with the laptop attached to it than without it. And designing pigment patches on the laptop, giving them some good macro knob modulation options, and then put them in a playlist doesn’t seem a bad workflow at all….
I think there is a huge market of people who just want to play presets on a keyboard and are not into sound design. I’m not part of this market so I don’t complain and just say it’s not for me. The only thing I am disappointed about is that there still no new version of the Analog Lab midi keyboard.
@@mudi2000awhat would you change on the key lab if you were updating it?
@@b00ts4ndc4ts it should at least get the same updates as the keylab essential. And maybe Poly At.
There are a lot of terminally online people who will get mad and start a big stink about literally anything. Unless it's about an actual problem with the product or the business practices of the company behind it, I've found that it makes life a lot easier to just ignore them.
This is likely the smartest answer on TH-cam
It's a dumb product, no matter what you say.
True, nowadays being mad online is a hobby for a lot of people and I feel sorry for them
True, true it seems like today it's common for a counity to love some thing to the extreme or to hate it... Like this seems to be a fine product and to be a full synth would make it heavier and more expnsive... So this is great for those who want a midi controller that can still make sounds.
This sounds like an interesting keyboard, but I think the biggest issue with it is the limitation of only two splits or layers (if true from what I hear). I only play live, in bands as I don't do studio recordings. I don't use any tracks or sequences, everything is actually played live.
I have songs with 6 or more splits on my MODX. I have songs on my laptop using up to 9 VST's in a single song for splits & layers. I also connect my laptop with two or three MIDI keyboards at once. I can't imagine being limited to just 2 splits. Huge over sight from Arturia. Otherwise vs a lot of hardware synths, the Astrolab sounds pretty good with all those classic synth engines.
The irrational anger out there is crazy. Long live the Thermostat!
It is a pretty cool thermostat!
I been using a keylab and my laptop for a few years on stage so this hasn't every been a problem for me and I find it as a solution for a problem that wasn't there.
It is a plug out synth like the Roland System-8. There are several synths that mimmick other brands with their filter (Jupiter 50, KingKorg a.o. doing Moog, Oberheim, P5 etc.).
The Arturia is comparable to the Jupiter 50 that had the option of an iPad with propietary cable to edit parameters (also possible via menu on unit itself). The idea was the tablet to be a "programmer" as Roland had for JX-3p and D50 a.o..
If you could use the connect app to do full sound design for v collection synths that would be pretty sweet!
I was able to test one at Guitar Center. I didn’t like the usability of the thermostat style dial. However the resolution was better than I expected and my eyes aren’t great. Wasn’t impressed at all generally but I’m a desktop musician, and the AstroLab isn’t geared toward me. Really, really surprised they didn’t release a Keylab MK 3 though especially with Korg and Native Instruments releasing controllers with poly aftertouch and midi 2.0. I thought that was a no-brainer. I also agree with a few comments about the opportunity for a hardware based Pigments. Waldorf’s are so expensive that something in the $1,500 range would have been awesome.
I'm interested in comparing the Astrolab with the Roland Go Keys 5. No wait, hear me out... 61keys, Zen Core sounds and able to accept more from Roland cloud, and has a mic input.
I haven’t heard of the go keys I’m gonna look that up!
@@DylanParisMusicCheck out Woody Piano Shack "Roland Release Kick-Ass Synth and NOBODY NOTICES"
If had to buy a stage piano today for about the same money, then it would have to be the Numa GT by studiologic. It has many inputs and output puts plus you can load up your own sounds and an onboard mixer for anything going into it and out.
there are other products in the pipeline with this platform; mostly bigger and smaller keyboard; but in the future it's possible they make another line with more tweakability. The thing is this is sold as an analog lab hardware version; not a V collections hardware version; so a version where you could get deep into every parameter would also need to ship with the full V collection. I'm not sure it will take this direction since Arturia's vision of performance tools veered towards a limited set of macros (even in the software); as someone who likes to make patches for scratch it simply adds a layer of work that I don't need (assigning macros to parameters and so on). In a way it does seem like a big challenge to make a hardware machine that will allow you acces to every tweak available in the whole V collection so I don't know. Their take on the hardware synth are the minifreak and polybrute (and the rest of the analog line); so I'm really not sure this will happen. Still there's margin between 4 knobs macro and what they have on their controller line (ie around 16 knobs macro; which is a bit more usable if you want to tweak a synth).
Very thoughtful video. Appreciate your considered POV. AstroLab is not for me. Already have V Collection X and run it on a MacBook Air M1 and controller. I think AstroLab will do great in the Praise market. Presets only, no computer needed. Just pick a sound and play. It is essentially a standalone Analog Lab V. If you want anything other than a standalone Analog Lab V, there are better options. In general, "stage keyboards" or "preset players", aren't a great value prop if you're into sound design or production. In the case of AstroLab, you'd need to spend $600 to get V Collection X to edit any of the preset synths (assuming you have the pc/mac covered).. But for people who just want to plug and play, this makes as much sense as any competiting offerings from Yamaha, Roland, etc.
Macbook Air and Controller would probably replace most gear most people talk about on youtube! I keep almost buying one but have to remind myself I already have my desktop and I'm not really playing out right now
@@DylanParisMusiccan play out with iPad/404 😉
If you don't play live and are mostly into synths for sound design then yeah, this isn't for you. This is for the player who really likes using the Arturia stuff when recording but doesn't want to mess around with a laptop and interface at the gig, which is basically the exact thing my keyboard player needs. The dealbreaker is the lack of layers - with this he'd still need another full-featured stage piano as a second board (making all the piano sounds on the AstroLab kind of moot,) whereas with something like the Yamaha CK61 has three layers, meaning he can use an 88 key midi controller and use the Yamaha for all control and sounds.
I appreciate the real world insight!
You say you understand people who are angry. I absolutely do not understand people who are angry. Nowadays, everyone has the opportunity to find out absolutely everything about an instrument online. And if somebody doesn't like the instrument, nobody's forcing him with a gun to his head to buy it. Being angry about a keyboard makes absolutely no sense.
its the spoilt kids nowadays.
In this price range I want an internal supply and yeah a real screen, editablity and more controls.
Astrolab is nothing less than a workstation. HOWEVER, it lacks its own sequencer, drum kits, the ability to reproduce natural sounds or at least physical modeling (except of pianos), you can't edit the sounds you've iimported through the software, and you can't use it as a controller.
So, in reality, it's not a workstation. It's not a synth. It's not a controller.
It's a limited preset player that loads some sounds slowly because it doesn't have its own engine.
I'm in love.
It's bi-timbral (two patches at a time). Still pretty weak, but better than one, at least you can do splits and make patches that are a liitle more interesting.
True!
I own a Hydrasynth Deluxe and the Astrolab reminds me of the opposite. On HSD you can do lots of deep sound design from scratch. On Astrolab it's about less is more. I see the value and benefit of both. However for the price of the Astrolab I'd rather buy a Korg Wavestate mk 2 for less than half the price, has a lot more polyphony, more sound design options, up to 4 layers, and sounds as good or better.
Another great vid! Also sweet shirt!
Thanks man! 🙏🖤
@7:58 what do you mean only one patch at a time? I thought you could split the keys for several different sounds at a time? 🤔
Yeah this is a bit of a misrepresentation on my part! So the mpcs or the maschine you can layer sequences of many presets whereas with the AstroLab you can play one preset or pair / split at a time, but you can’t simultaneously layer a bunch of presets in a sequence
Not for what I do, and I have analog lab, but it is a cool design.
Super fair! It’s definitely a niche device I think. Kinda cool as a dawless sound module but probably too spendy to justify that
@@DylanParisMusic For sure. If I did live performances I would absolutely be interested
It would be far more interesting if it included all of the Arturia V Collection VSTs. Edit and create sounds, macros etc at home or in studio, take the Astrolab to the performance. At this price if I've got to spend hundreds more to fully access it's potential I'll say NO!
Honestly this is a fair point! I’ve had the V Collection for so long that it was moot for me but they should totally include the whole collection with this keyboard
As a gigging keyboard player, it’s just not for me. Being able to edit envelopes or LFO shape in a live setting is huge. I also don’t think there’s much overlap between people interested in pigments, and people that wouldn’t want to edit it, I’m sure it’s there, but just not as big as the market that doesn’t care about pigments or the market that wants to edit it.
Just out of interest, what are you using on stage at the moment?
@@b00ts4ndc4ts Fantom 6 with EX expansion. Sometimes I bring out my Mopho X4 that I’m considering changing out for a hydrasynth deluxe or UB-Xa. I used to use the VR-09 and the X4, but now the ACB Jupiter 8 really makes the X4 redundant, the X4 needed a similar amount of button presses to access similar synth parameters as the Fantom does, ie switching what envelope I’m editing or switching oscillator tuning. The DSI is certainly faster with LFO parameters though.
@@TheLazerTank I have been checking out the ub-xa, looks very versatile bit of gear. Behringer have been hitting the mark for me but alot of people knock it. Personally I have had no problems with any of their gear ever.
What kind of music do you perform?
If I could play keys this would be great for live gigs. Arturia want people to go play shows maybe? The price seems fair, compare that to a “stage guitar/bass” setup. Instrument + pedals/board/power supply + amp(s), well over this price for decent gigging equipment I think. Thanks for coming to my reverse rant?
I think you’re on to something there!
We haven't been doing this for 30 years with any workstation, have we? The difference is that while with the workstations we've been using live all these years we could choose between synths, natural sounds, and anything else you can imagine.
Really, now, what more does it offer in reality than a 2005 Fantom?
Less, certainly.
@@aresoltero sounds like you are all set! Rock on with the Fantom ‘05 people love old guitars… synth players can have that feeling too
It's just not true, that this was supposedly the first keyboard that let's you bring your plugin sounds from the computer to the stage. Roland Fantom for example and especially the Fantom 0 that is way cheaper than this Arturia crap does allow that. Not only can you get the Real Jupiter on that board, but you can basically use any of their Zenology and Roland Cloud plugins live on that board. And it has a lot of controls and a big touchscreen. This Astrolab thing is just low quality high price BS.
First keyboard that lets you play arturias sounds
What a bit like a laptop does?
easy solution, move on, why spit your venom online?
For that price the MacBook seems like a wayyyyy better option but I get the point of performance boards
Yeah especially if a person could only have one or the other I’d have to agree!
@@DylanParisMusic also if the astrolab has the CMI V then I think you could do a makeshift daw with drums and arranging and everything
No, this doesn't make any sense for a life performance. Only being able to play one preset isn't going to cut it in a life performance. You have to be able to layer multiple sounds and you need keyboard splits like play the bass with your left hand and a piano plus pad plus strings with your right hand and also if you play high velocity with your left hand bring in a kick drum or a crash or something. Nobody who is playing life just makes one single sound.
I think the idea is you'd be a player in a band, or if you're solo you'd have another device with other tracks playing.
@@DylanParisMusic It's an idea developed by non touring musicians. In a band the guitar player plays a guitar, the drummer plays drums, the bassist plays bass but the keyboardist plays everything else. The keyboardist always plays a multitude of instruments, never only one sound alone. I think it's just a stupid idea from Arturia. Gigging musicians already have their Nautiluses, Fantoms or Montages. It would be easier for them to sample their Arturia sounds onto their Workstations rather than buy a keyboard that costs as much as their workstations but can only play one single sound.
AstroLab is not a controversial synthesizer. Its a synthesizer with all imbedded Arturia plugins, nothing more, nothing less. It's a new norm today having boxes and synthesizers with plugins. Like Roland System1/8 plugout, MPC Key 37/61 and Machine+/Ableton push3 standalone.
You forgot Korg Wavestate, modwave and Opsix and even Yamaha has released the Montage M as a plugin. It makes a lot of sense for digital synths.
System 8 makes sense. You can at least edit the damn thing.
@@mudi2000a There are a lot of "plugin" synths out there. Roland Fantom or Yamaha Monate M. If you have money and like Arturia, when buy it. But it's not a controversial synthesizer in my opinion.
it is not a synthesiser, its a preset player
SOME People are upset. they are the minority but they are the noisy ones....
I doubt are people are mad about a product a company makes, no? That would be crazy. I can see people not being interested, but mad? Personally, the keyboard doesn't call to me and I already have a thermostat haha. Cool vid.
Haha thanks for watching! you'd be surprised how angry some people are about this thing, even in the comments of this video
There are better stage pianos for the price. More traditional in number of keys, sounds, controls, multi-timbrality, and functions. More splits and layers. More zones.
This is called a stage piano but I hear stage piano and I’m thinking 88 keys and Casio PX-5S, PX-560, PX-S31000, Roland RD-88, RD-2000, Yamaha YC-88, CK88, CP88, Kurzweil SP7, Korg Grandstage, and Kawai MP11SE.
This is like the middle between a stage piano and synthesizer. More synth than stage piano.
Fair points!
When the version 2 comes out, all the shills saying how they love the micro screen will warm to the new version with a proper screen and more controls. This happens all the time. The Montage was the best sounding thing with 'advanced' BS circuits to make the sound realer. Then the cheap MODX arrived and suddenly they sounded the same without the BS circuit. Now we have a new Montage with more poly (using the same presets as before) but it sounds better because of BS. It is all marketing to sell carp to idiots. This is a bad first draft trying new ideas.
Are there reviewers who say they love the screen? I think it's kinda cool as far as a multifunctional piece of design but I can't think of anyone saying they love it
Evangelion merch spotted,subscriber gained
hell yeah, thanks haha
Soooooooo, built a FrankenLab instead…… Wazzit you ask? Komplete Kontrol S49 I already owned, Analog Lab Pro that I already owned and a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 off ebay for $66 and another $12 for Charger for it. Works well with the Max 2 Voice Layer/Split idea.
S49 Keyboard MKI , I traded 2 Volca’s for it so lets say $200
Analog Lab Pro I think the upgrade from Intro was $69
Surface Pro Tablet $78 so total of $347
That sounds potentially cumbersome but also very very cool!
@@DylanParisMusic Im strictly in the studio, using the Surface Pro 4 on a Laptop Stand. Its one extra power supply plugged into AC Power and a single USB Cable………unless Im going to record in which case 2 USB Cables, one for the Audio Interface or more likely my Zoom Livetrack L-8 but this more of a Crackpot idea and practice setup than for actual music making. Think my Yamaha SeqTrak plugged into the S49 be fun too. The built in speakers on the Surface Pro plenty loud for me to noodle around I mean Practice on.
@@DylanParisMusic just thought of another question. I think it says it comes with 1300. Any idea what if any the limit of Presets you can have loaded in is? Thank you.
@@Madmohawkfilms it has about 22.8 gigs or so of storage I think? I added a ton of extra presets from a few different V Collection synths and it went from 7.2 to 7.8 or so gigs filled, so there's a lot of room. Probably like 10 or 20 thousand?
@@DylanParisMusic thanks for the info, I hear V collection usually gets a sale in June so might grab then for the extra presets
The AstroLab is not controversial in the least. People are a bunch of idiots, that's all.
I was totally unaware of the AstroLab until I saw the first video, which happened to be by Dr Mix. The design is gorgeous. But as soon as he started playing it, I realised that this is a keyboard to be taken out on the road and just sound great. And that's exactly what it does.
It's wonderful that Waldorf make sophisticated studio synths, but they've gone bankrupt before, their QA and software update processes leave somewhat to be desired, and frankly, they operate in a pretty expensive niche. If you insist on doing sound design on hardware, get a Quantum or an Iridium.
You should also ask yourself: what would be the point for Arturia to produce such a 'pure' synthesiser, based on their plug-ins? As said, it's a niche, the product would be very expensive, and as such, a big financial risk. And there are already contenders for that niche, like the aforementioned Waldorf.
In contrast, there are a _lot_ of people for whom the AstroLab is the perfect keyboard. It just so happens that there isn't a great deal of overlap with the audience that watches the usual 'see what Behringer copied this week' kind of videos.
So, do I like the AstroLab? I love it! I like Arturia anyway, and this is a brilliant product. So, will I get one? Nope. It's not for me. I'm too old, and I have better things to do than getting beer thrown at me while on stage.
Explain to me one thing, though: why are you comparing a $1600 keyboard, which comes with most of the V Collection and Pigments, and a professional audio output, to a $1500 laptop? Did you get the V Collection and Pigments for free? If you take the price of a KeyLab MkII, the V Collection, and Pigments, I calculated that this leaves €250 for a laptop. Good luck with that.
I'm a great believer of what ever works for you.
The best money I have spent is on insurance for my gear when out gigging.
people getting mad because a product doesnt comply to their wishes, pretty spoilt i say.
Uh. If you don’t like it don’t buy it. It’s not for sound design kids.
Great video and I feel you've handled the discustion well!
Thank you!
I would NOT buy that!! Akai MPC Key 37 wins
If I had to pick between those two I’d also pick the Key 37!
MPC key 37 is a totally different device for a completely different audience.
ive been having fun with my korg microkey 37 hooked to M1 Air with Garageband
They should of learned that people want more control not less, only two voices at a time and horrible polyphony. Goofy thermostat screen, no sliders, workstation would of killed the game.
I don't see the point in it, Keylab 61 and a laptop is just as good if not better.
@@ldandcodepending on what part of the UK you are from this is total acceptable, people tend to type as the would say it.
Personally I am dyslexic so I don't get hung up on it because the amount of people who correct my spelling. Although at one time it did bother me when someone like yourself would try and correct me, so please if you're going to do it, at least be kind and try not come across like you are. Or don't it entirely up to you.
I think the thermostat itself is good but agree there is very little control available.
It's very overpriced for what this is now.
@@kamilchosta5526 it's not a good Idea, because how we instinctively go to twist a knob like that you end up covering the screen with your hand, also some one with impaired vision is going struggling with the size of that screen on stage. Laptop and midi controller is still the best option and this is solving no problems just making them
@b00ts4ndc4ts oh, i havent thought of that. Your point is valid.
In general, it would make more sense to me if the astrolab was Hammer action with at least 73 keys to be potential great stage piano replacement. 8 controls would be sufficient. Many stage pianos have very limited control and worse audio quality, and I would compare this to stage pianos rather than midi controllers.
Still I think it's overpriced. They should at least include V Collection at that price
It's controversial by design and Arturia knew it full well.
First, releasing the synth that is not even as functional as Arturia's own plugin Collection was controversial from the start.
Second, less physical controls than Arturia's own midi keyboard - Arturia knew it's going to be a boiling point for some.
Third, thermostat similarity was obvious not only to us but to Arturia engineers from the start (if not, they are completely out of touch with reality),
Fourth, they knew the price for a VST player is too high. They have the whole marketing dept for that.
So there's only three options:
a) everyone who works at Arturia is out of touch with reality (which is obviously not the case)
b) honest mistake made during the hype of times
or
c) they knew it and release it anyway. relying on synthfluencers influence on masses.
I really hope it's a B option but in my mind it's a C.
Or it’s designed for simplicity and performing, not tweaking.
@@tlkshowhst also true, but simplicity and performing can be two different things, i can't see it very usefull when onstage i have to tilt the tiny screen, moving the jog around that screen and pressing the same screen at the same time... dunno maybe it's good for some but the truth is that this is highly debatable move
I think the idea is you just make a playlist of sounds and then change them between songs. Not sure you're meant to use the screen while performing. That said, do you think synth youtube people actually have influence? I really go back and forth on this. I genuinely think the audience is smarter than that, people know what they're into and watch videos about stuff that interests them. I don't think youtubers could make a bad product successful even if they wanted to, but I could be naive.
@@DylanParisMusic i have my doubts about people understanding the truth. Too many people believe that youtubers release the review of the same gear in a span of 2 hours is just a coincidence. (In 2024 on TH-cam mind ya).
Also i don't believe there was BAD product of lately. 99 percent of gear released in last 5 years was good or really good.
There's no bad gear per se, just some questionable prices (and they seems to reduce with time, just look at Drumlogue goes from 7 hundreds to 350 or something).
Arturia have a track record for using the parts bin to make there gear, the motor industry have been doing this for some time now. Personally I think they could of done away with it and just put a touch screen iPad on a midi keyboard.
Because its stupid
You could definitely multisample some or find some keygroups but that is a limitation of the Akai plugins so far I think. I think Fabric XL might have some though.
If they made it in a 37 key keyboard I would have been interested
What's up man! Yeah I think they should look into different size configurations of this for sure. Sounds like some folks really want 88 and I think a smaller version would be cool too
@@DylanParisMusic yeah man. I could see the value in having all of them made. I still wish they would redo the Keystep 37 with real wheels and a solid transport bar.
It’s controversial cause it’s overpriced
I keep going back and forth on this, cause it's definitely expensive. What do you think the price should be?
@@DylanParisMusic I’d say 900 CDN would be a fair price for it.
Interesting product but only bitimbral which is very limited
What features would you want added?
Makes no sense at all. Dumb.