The Midlife Synthesist Shrinks the Studio: Astrolab 37 in the Spotlight

Arturia’s Astrolab 37 is the synth equivalent of a pocket rocket—half the size of its older sibling, but promising not to skimp on firepower. The Midlife Synthesist wastes no time pointing out that this isn’t just a shrunken toy; it’s meant to deliver the same punch as the original Astrolab, minus the studio real estate. The question is, who’s actually going to want this little beast?

You get the full Analog Lab experience, minus the computer leash, and the 37 manages to cram in a buffet of sounds, from lush pianos to classic synths and Pigments presets. It’s a bold move, but sacrifices have been made for the sake of portability and price. If you’re a gigging artist who’s allergic to lugging a 61-key monster, this could be your new street weapon.

Despite the smaller panel, Arturia’s managed to squeeze in nearly all the original controls, including four macro knobs—brightness, timbre, time, and movement. Sure, the names might sound like something out of a yoga retreat, but they’re actually clever shortcuts for real-time tweaking. You won’t find dedicated cutoff or envelope controls here, but if you’re more about playing than programming, these macros do the job.

The Astrolab 37 is clearly built for performers who want to get expressive without getting lost in submenus. Quick access to sound banks, effects, and performance features like arpeggiator and chord modes means you can focus on the gig, not the manual. If you’re after deep sound design, look elsewhere—but for live playability, this layout keeps things fast and fun.

Let’s get one thing straight: the Astrolab 37 isn’t just a glorified sample player. Arturia’s modelling tech is under the hood, cranking out sounds that react and evolve as you play. The Midlife Synthesist highlights that these aren’t just multi-samples—tweak a preset and you’ll hear the difference. This is where the Astrolab 37 earns its keep.

With up to 48 voices of polyphony and two-part multitimbrality (split or layer), the sonic arsenal is impressive for such a small slab. You won’t find this kind of flexibility in most competitors at this size or price. If you want to hear the real impact, though, you’ll need to check out the video—words can’t do justice to the sound when you start pushing those macros.

Now for the elephant in the rave bunker: price. At $699, the Astrolab 37 lands in a crowded field, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Waldorf Blofeld and Roland JD-XI. The Midlife Synthesist doesn’t dodge the controversy—many will argue you’re better off with Analog Lab software and a decent MIDI controller, especially since Arturia sells plenty of those too.

But for those who want to ditch the laptop and keep things self-contained, the Astrolab 37 offers something different. It’s not for everyone, but if you crave a portable, computer-free rig with a massive sound library, this could be your new secret weapon. As always, the real test is whether it fits your setup—or if you’d rather spend that cash on more cables and caffeine.