Arturia's approach to stage keyboards shifted when they decided to embed their entire Analog Lab ecosystem directly into hardware, and the AstroLab 61 is where that vision became a fully realized instrument. Released in 2024, it's designed for musicians who want the depth of a software collection without being tethered to a computer during performances or studio sessions.
The AstroLab 61 features a 61-note semi-weighted keybed with piano-sized keys, velocity sensitivity, and aftertouch for expressive playing. Under the hood are 11 synthesis engines covering virtual analog, wavetable, FM, granular, sample-based, physical modeling, vector synthesis, harmonic, phase distortion, vocoder, and Karplus synthesis. You get 44 onboard instruments with over 1,300 presets built in, expandable to 10,000 additional sounds through V Collection and Pigments integration. The central navigation wheel is a circular encoder that lets you move forward and backward through menus fluidly, cutting navigation time compared to grid-based systems. Four assignable macro encoders give you hands-on control of multiple parameters simultaneously, while dual insert effects slots plus dedicated delay and reverb sends let you shape your sound comprehensively. The keyboard supports 48 voices of polyphony, includes an arpeggiator, 32-bar MIDI looper, and chord and scale modes to keep you locked in. Split and layering modes let you control two sounds at once, and the color-coded encoder screen makes parameter adjustments intuitive. Connectivity spans MIDI, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB, with microphone input for the onboard vocoder and stereo audio outputs plus headphone out.
The community response has been strong since launch, with musicians praising the deep Analog Lab integration, the included Analog Lab Pro software, and the wireless AstroLab Connect app that lets you manage sounds and playlists from your phone. The real-time sync between the keyboard and your computer running Analog Lab is seamless, and the preset transitions are smooth with no clicks or pops.
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