Arturia AstroLab 2.0 update adds sound design tools

Arturia’s lineup of stage keyboards, the AstroLab series, has received a major software update that moves past its previous limitation as a glorified preset browser. While the hardware previously bundled vintage synth emulations, sampled pianos, and original instrument plugins into playable units, users were restricted to light tweaks using four macro controls and basic effects without deep sound design capabilities. The AstroLab 2.0 update changes that entirely.

The latest firmware introduces a dedicated Sound Edit menu allowing musicians to dive deep into the individual parameters of any instrument. Although jumping straight into a blank patch from scratch requires some menu diving and isn't instantly intuitive, crafting custom sounds becomes straightforward once users navigate through the settings.

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The most efficient workflow for building patches from scratch involves establishing a custom category for templates and saving initialized patches for each instrument there. For instance, users can upload a basic Moog bass patch template via the AnalogLab desktop app, tweak it extensively, and save it as an entirely brand-new sound directly onto the hardware unit.

Because a firmware update cannot introduce additional physical knobs and buttons, operators must still execute all adjustments utilizing the four macro encoders while paging through settings four parameters at a time. While this approach demands some time and isn't tailored for spontaneous on-the-fly tweaking during a live performance, it successfully accomplishes the task.

Alongside sound design capabilities, Arturia added a fresh collection of multisampled instruments featuring realistic acoustic pianos, string arrangements, and brass sections designed to close the realism gap with competitors. In total, the update delivers 67 brand-new patches.