Arturia Astrolab 37: Sanjay C Unleashes a Portable Sonic Street Weapon

Arturia’s Astrolab 37 lands as a compact, standalone keyboard that’s clearly gunning for the mobile producer and the gigging musician who’s sick of lugging around a full-size beast. Sanjay C wastes no time pointing out that this isn’t just another MIDI controller—it’s a self-contained synth rig you can actually take on a plane, to a cramped stage, or just wedge onto your already-overflowing studio desk.

The real kicker? It’s from a company best known for their software synths, now crammed into a travel-friendly slab of hardware. This is Arturia flexing, putting their virtual classics inside a box you can sling in a backpack. Sanjay C’s approach is refreshingly direct: he’s not here to coddle, he’s here to see if this thing actually delivers for producers on the move.

Here’s where the Astrolab 37 starts to flex its muscles. Sanjay C dives into the built-in sound library, showing off emulations of everything from the Juno and Moog to the mighty CS-80. You’re not just getting a handful of presets—this is a serious chunk of Arturia’s software arsenal, running natively, no computer tether in sight.

He makes it clear: you can scroll through Analog Lab presets, tweak them on the fly, and even load your own custom sounds. It’s a proper bridge between the laptop world and hardware, and unlike the Yamaha Reface toys, you’re not boxed in by a tiny, static sound set. For anyone who’s ever wanted to ditch the laptop but keep the sounds, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for.

Sanjay C doesn’t sugar-coat it: the Astrolab 37’s slim keys are a compromise. You get velocity and aftertouch, but if you’re used to the full-size, semi-weighted action of the bigger Astrolab 61, you’ll feel the difference. For quick parts, chords, and lightweight travel, it’s totally serviceable—but don’t expect grand piano vibes. Still, if portability is king in your setup, this is a trade-off you’ll probably make with a grin.

Connectivity is where the Astrolab 37 starts to look like a proper 2025 street weapon. Sanjay C highlights the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB-C options—meaning you can sync, transfer, and control without a rat’s nest of cables. The USB-C port does the usual MIDI and preset shuffling, but Wi-Fi lets you connect to your computer or mobile device, even acting as a hotspot if you’re stranded in a Wi-Fi dead zone.

The mobile app is a slick touch, letting you browse presets and build playlists faster than you can say ‘where’s my encoder?’ For live performers, this is a genuine workflow upgrade. Sanjay C is hopeful Arturia will keep pushing the app, maybe even adding deeper sound design tools. The back panel is loaded for its size: USB-A, audio ins and outs, pedal ports, and MIDI—enough to slot this into just about any rig without a fuss.