!["Despite Arturia's impressive work, the downsizing has led to some unfortunate losses: A review of the AstroLab 37."]](https://backingtracksfullcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Despite-Arturias-impressive-work-the-downsizing-has-led-to-some-758x325.jpg "\"Despite Arturia's impressive work, the downsizing has led to some unfortunate losses: A review of the AstroLab 37.\"] 1")
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What is it?
Just when you thought you couldn’t fit another keyboard in the AstroLab stable, Arturia introduced what could be the most important model in the range yet.
Following the hugely popular original 61-key and 88-key avant-garde stage keyboards is the new 37 slimkey edition with velocity and aftertouch.
The keybed seems similar and potentially identical to that of the MiniFreak synthesizer and the chassis has the sturdy build quality we’ve come to expect from the French manufacturer. In fact, it feels even more compact and portable than the MiniFreak despite the same key count.
The styling is unmistakably AstroLab, and on the face of it, it looks like Arturia has managed to cram everything into the smaller box. Even to the point of ditching the fancy screen-equipped rotary dial, instead favouring a separate screen and a smaller rotary dial for menu navigation.
While the previous two models were clearly skewed towards live performance, slipping into the pro stage-piano camp, the 37-key version looks to crossover into both live and studio scenarios with its more forgiving footprint. The build quality and form-factor will certainly lend themselves to becoming a giggable second keyboard as well as a studio mainstay.
Performance
When we first looked at the AstroLab 61, I was rather enamoured by the little screen with its integrated rotary dial. However, after the first few hours of use, the novelty started to wear off. Turns out, it wasn’t the most user-friendly experience as your hand obscured the screen whilst turning the dial, and don’t get me started on the issue of fingerprints.
With this new edition, doing away with the seemingly unnecessary adornment, navigation through the menu system feels a little less cumbersome.
When it comes to the rest of the controls, it’s business as usual. AstroLab 37 features the same four master encoders for shaping sounds and four FX encoders for controlling and manipulating the onboard effects. The layout of the mod and pitch wheels mimics that of the previous models, too. Again, we’re sure serious players will bemoan the positioning above the keybed and not to the side, but it seems less of an issue within this form factor.
The overall menu user experience feels exactly the same and the interface isn’t overtly cluttered. Generally, Arturia has done a great job of reducing everything down to this bite-sized package without removing too much.
The dearly de-Parted
As much as a sterling job Arturia has done, there are some unfortunate casualties in the downsizing, though they’re not real deal-breakers, mercifully.
As this form-factor is steering away from a pure performative, two-handed affair, there is less of a need for some features that really lean into this. Notably, there is a lack of physical controls for accessing Parts 1 and 2. From a performance angle, I get that the secondary keyboard in a live setting is often used single-handed. However, even in this scenario, splitting the keyboard is useful and having quick access to the individual parts is sensible.
The reason for this is that the two-part architecture of the larger models does not exist here. Rather confusingly, you can still browse patches that feature two parts in the Connect app, but you won’t be able to access the controls.
The most obvious omission when peering at the rear I/O panel is the reduction of the vocoder inputs from stereo to mono. Now, while in a vocoding sense, a mono signal is fine, having a stereo input was great for processing audio into such instruments as Pigments. On top of that, looking at the rear panel, it’s not like there’s not enough room for a stereo input, so perhaps this and the aforementioned multi-Part omission are due to a reduction in processing power in this model, and a case for creating a wider gap between models and price points?
The other big change is the reduction in ports in the Control/Pedal section on the 61- and 88-key models. There, you were afforded the use of a Sustain, Expression and two customisable jack inputs, labelled Aux1 and Aux2. With that, you could connect up to four pedals, should you so wish.
Key points
Clearly, the real big change with this more diminutive edition is the keybed. It would be unfair to compare Arturia’s slimkeys against their full-size counterparts; the difference is so vast. Yes, they are way better than mini keys, but they’re not a patch on full-size keys when it comes to playability and performance. However, for a secondary live keyboard and for most production uses, slimkeys work just fine.
I mentioned earlier that it would make sense if this keybed is exactly the same as the MiniFreak. I was able to compare the two during testing, and I found they feel quite different from one another. It’s hard to say whether this is a manufacturing discrepancy or that the keybeds are totally different, but the result is that I much prefer the action and aftertouch of the MiniFreak, the AstroLab 37.
Each key on the MiniFreak unit we have for testing has a very obvious aftertouch keypress across the board. Whereas the AstroLab doesn’t have the same consistency across all 37 keys. That said, I’m not a huge fan of the aftertouch on the slimkeys anyway. Even on the MiniKreak, I wish for more of an obvious travel to the key press, allowing for greater articulation whilst playing.
The action, generally, is a lot spongier than that of Korg’s Minilogue range and the excellent Yamaha Refaces, but not unplayable, it must be said.
AstroLab Connected Universe
Reliance on external apps and software sometimes feels like a way of either shoehorning extra features or exposing deficiencies in the original design of a product. Not that either of those is a bad thing, as at least there’s a fix, right? In the case of AstroLab, it’s not just a case of one app, but the integration of a whole ecosystem, which is designed to join up with existing products.
In this instance, AstroLab Connect (iOS and Android) is the app used to bridge the gap between the hardware and Analog Lab Pro software. Thus creating a wider ecosystem that also integrates Arturia’s MIDI controller keyboards. Its main aim is to further enhance the ability to browse presets and playlists, affording you a slightly better user experience than trying to navigate the small onboard screen. I like the fact that there are a few more options available when it comes to editing sounds on the fly; however, it feels like it could go a lot further.
Another issue I had during testing was the flakiness of the app’s connection with the hardware. The app connects to the keyboard of WiFi, which should be a robust and fast connection. Here, though, the process was fraught with problems. Chief among those was the connection dropping out after a relatively short period of time being idle. I also noticed the connection sometimes dropped out when I moved away from the keyboard, but only by a few feet.
Verdict
Despite my misgivings with the app and the keybed, and more specifically, the aftertouch. I really like AstroLab 37. I’m a big fan of the idea as a whole. Porting all of that V-Collection/Analog Lab Pro power into hardware is no mean feat, and the application of the top-level control with the eight macros is just right. There’s plenty of tweakability at your fingertips without the need for any prior knowledge of over 40 individual instruments. That in itself is a triumph, but perhaps the real win here is that you get all of this power distilled in such a useful and portable form factor.
That form factor, though, will not be to everyone’s tastes, but I think it throws AstroLab open to an even wider audience. An audience of not just performers, but also producers. There is one big caveat here and that’s the price. $/£799 is quite a lot and many home and small studio producers will likely think that buying a KeyLab with Analog Lab included, will suffice. However, it has to be said that there isn’t a keyboard of this size in the KeyLab range and you don’t get half as many instruments bundled in. Not to mention having all that softsynth power in a rugged, portable and standalone package.
Hands-on demos
Arturia
Alternatives
Specifications
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Price |
£ 2,099 / €2,499 |
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Key features |
11 included sound engines Over 1600 in-built sounds 10 quick-select preset buttons 4 Macro pots for tone editing 4 pots for effect control USB/MIDI and wireless connectivity Music stand included Main and Headphone output |
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Contact |
