Arturia has released a new standalone synthesizer It’s called AstroLab. This is basically a 61-key stage keyboard in hardware form, which makes it perfect for live performances. The synth has ten custom sound engines and 35 virtual instruments, including access to the vast majority of emulations found. . Its price is 2000 dollars.
You can recreate this cheaply by just buying some software tools and a MIDI controller, but this is a stage keyboard. In other words, it’s designed with live performance in mind. The case is durable and built to withstand the rigors of touring, and it has plenty of great sound design tools that come in handy when gigging.
There are four control knobs and 12 input FX options with the ability to convert any sound up to 32 bars. The instrument even captures MIDI, so people can easily switch to another instrument and play the same part. The multitimbral feature allows players to set a split point across the keyboard to make it easier to pick up two instruments at once. This is a big deal when playing live because you never know how long it will take the keyboard to load a preset.
If you want to dance to the sound of a robot singing people “in the world” until 5 in the morning, AstroLab keyboards come with a port to connect an encoder and a microphone. Of course, the synthesizer has the usual facilities like mod wheels, an arpeggiator, and various chord scale options. Finally, there’s an associated mobile app called AstroLab Connect that lets users organize their own presets and download new sounds from the store. The keyboard is now available at Arturia and various retailers.
