Arturia Mini Astrolab 37 Review: A Compact Standalone Keyboard for Studio and Stage

Introduction

The Arturia Mini Astrolab 37 is a compact version of one of Arturia’s biggest new ideas. It is a mini standalone keyboard you can take while you travel or on stage, and there are sounds built in. It comes from a company famous for making software synths and pianos, and those virtual synths and pianos are now inside this small keyboard.

Arturia, like Native Instruments and other keyboard companies, has made virtual instruments and given us keyboards to control those virtual instruments on a computer. These are MIDI controllers, and Arturia is well known for its KeyLab and MiniLab MIDI controllers. But with the release of the Astrolab, they have put their computer software inside the keyboard itself. You can load up Arturia’s Juno software synth, an emulation of a Moog, or the classic CS80, and tweak them right on the keyboard with no computer hooked up.

You do not have full hands-on control of every synth parameter on the screen and with the knobs. There are limitations, but honestly, they have made something here that can take you from sound designing in your studio to the stage or on a plane pretty seamlessly. This is a practical use case for producers and performers.

Who This Keyboard Is For

The closest competitor to the Mini Astrolab 37 is the Yamaha Reface line of keyboards, but those are very limited with their included sounds. That is not the case here. You have a massive collection of sounds built in.

The Mini Astrolab 37 is for musicians who want a portable keyboard that still offers deep sound design options. If you have ideas in the studio and want to take them on the road, this keyboard makes that workflow much easier. It is also a strong option for performers who need a stage keyboard that can fit in a backpack or soft case.

The smaller size has some big advantages. The Astrolab 37 is much easier to carry, fits on a small studio desk, and can actually slide into some backpacks or soft cases. You cannot do that with the 61 or 88 key versions.

Main Strengths

Sound Library and Presets

The Mini Astrolab 37 comes preloaded with over 1,800 presets covering pianos, organs, electric pianos, strings, and much more. There are more than 10,000 additional sounds you can get through the Analog Lab software and the Arturia store. You can also create your own custom sounds.

The presets sound exactly the same way they do in Arturia’s virtual instruments on your computer. For example, the Tokyo Dreams preset uses the Arturia CS80, their emulation of Yamaha’s vintage keyboard. On the screen, you will see a little picture of the CS80, and you have a bunch of knobs to adjust the sound.

Scrolling through the presets reveals many familiar Arturia virtual synths, including Pigments, their wavetable synth. They have even included sounds from their newer augmented series of instruments. So it is not just vintage synths in here. You have pianos, electric pianos, and all the familiar Arturia sounds, all working right inside the keyboard with no computer necessary.

Controls and Layout

The Mini Astrolab 37 keeps most of the best hands-on controls of the 61 and 88 key versions. It has a full color screen used to browse presets. An encoder turns and clicks in, letting you browse sounds, select presets, edit effects, create playlists, and get into the settings. The buttons to the right and left of the encoder access more menu items or navigate the menu. You can also use the arrow buttons as previous and next buttons.

On the left side, you have octave up and down, pitch, and mod wheels. To the right of the screen, you have arp, chord, and scale buttons. On the left, you have instrument macro knobs that control multiple parameters to modify the sound of a preset. This mimics what you have seen in Analog Lab, with parameters like brightness, amber, time, and movement. There are also secondary parameters. Hold the shift key down and you can access volume, bass, mid, and treble.

To the right of the screen, you have effects controls. The first two are fully assignable, and the second two are dedicated to delay and reverb. You can turn them on or off using the buttons, and a long press lets you edit that effect or change it to something else. On the far right is the master volume. Under the encoders, you have quick access buttons for different preset types.

The screen looks vibrant and clear, but it is pretty small. It does not give you much visible feedback because there is just not enough room for it. You can see the parameters you are adjusting with the knobs and a very small representation of the instrument you have chosen. It looks good, but this is not a touch screen.

Arpeggiator, Chord, and Scale Features

The Mini Astrolab 37 includes an arpeggiator, a scale feature, and a chord feature. The arp has a bunch of options for chords and scales. You can choose a root note and chord and scale types, and you can record in chords as well.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Keybed Feel

The Astrolab 37 has 37 slim keys that are velocity sensitive and have aftertouch, but they are noticeably different from the Astrolab 61, which has full size semi-weighted keys. The slim keys are light and do not offer the same level of expressiveness. For quick parts, chords, and traveling light, they are totally fine. But if you are used to weighted or semi-weighted keys, it might take a bit of adjustment.

Missing Features Compared to Larger Versions

On the 61 and 88 versions of the Astrolab, you have dedicated split and layer buttons. You do not have those on the 37 version. You need to do splits and layers in the software only. The larger versions also have a play and record button that allows you to use a looper function. You do not have that function on the 37 key version.

Limited Hands-On Control

There is a desire for more hands-on control and more knobs. Arturia gives you so much detail for sound design on the computer that at times you may feel limited by the controls on this keyboard. The screen is small, and the encoder-based navigation can be slower than a touch screen or a larger display.

Button Noise

The build quality of the Astrolab 37 is pretty high, on par with the quality of Arturia’s keyboards and synths. The buttons do have a clicky sound, which some users may not care for. It is a minor point, but worth noting if you prefer quieter controls.

Portability and Build Quality

The Mini Astrolab 37 is much easier to carry than its larger siblings. It can fit on a small studio desk and slide into some backpacks or soft cases. The build quality is high, consistent with Arturia’s reputation for well-made keyboards and synths.

Connectivity and the Mobile App

While the Astrolab is standalone, it also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB-C connections. The USB-C connection lets you connect to your computer and use the keyboard as a MIDI controller, as well as transfer presets and playlists to and from the Astrolab. Wi-Fi is built in, so you can connect to your computer or mobile device using Wi-Fi as well. It also acts as a hotspot in case there are no Wi-Fi networks available.

The mobile app lets you easily look for presets and create playlists. It is a bit easier to navigate using the mobile device compared to the encoder on the keyboard. It is a nice option to have if you need a speedy way to find stuff. If you are on stage, this is probably the faster way to load up a preset, audition sounds, and navigate your playlist.

On the back, you have power, the USB-C connector, and a USB-A connector to add a storage device or control the Astrolab with a MIDI controller. Next, you have headphones and audio outs, audio inputs for use with a mic line or instruments, and then you have some pedal ports and MIDI ins and outs.

Buying Advice

The Mini Astrolab 37 costs $699, which gets you into small synth territory, not really into stage pianos, which typically cost a lot more. With small synths, you do get more hands-on control, but they are limited by what is already pre-built into the synth. With the Astrolab, this keyboard is running whatever is already in Arturia’s software synth collection, and whatever they think of next. The Astrolab can grow over time as Arturia adds more instruments and presets.

What Arturia provides is a studio to travel workflow that is pretty cool. They built a good reputation with their computer software instruments, and they have now made those sounds transferable to this small keyboard. Building sounds and songs on your computer and then taking them with you in a backpack or on a plane is now a lot easier.

Conclusion

The Arturia Mini Astrolab 37 is a compact standalone keyboard that brings a massive collection of virtual instruments into a travel-friendly form factor. It excels at portability and sound variety, making it a strong choice for producers and performers who want to take their studio sounds on the road. The slim keys and reduced hands-on control are trade-offs to consider, especially if you are used to larger keyboards. But for quick parts, chords, and traveling light, this keyboard delivers a lot of value.