Arturia has released its free AstroLab 2.0 firmware update ↗ (opens in a new tab) for the AstroLab 37, 61 and 88 stage keyboards. The headline addition is Sound Edit, a new front-panel editing view that exposes selected instrument parameters beyond the hardware’s previous macro-based workflow.
The update also brings more than 60 new sounds, MiniFreak V5 compatibility, sampler and Synthx performance improvements, and refinements to preset management, Analog Lab linking and stage-operation features. The release was first detailed in Synthtopia’s report ↗ (opens in a new tab).
Key Takeaways
- AstroLab 2.0 is a free firmware update for AstroLab 37, 61 and 88 owners.
- New Sound Edit pages provide access to individual parameters such as envelopes, filters and glide, where supported by the loaded instrument.
- Arturia has added more than 60 sounds, with 67 new factory presets listed in the release notes.
- A new eight-velocity-layer sampled acoustic piano joins brass, strings, upright bass and electric bass sounds.
- Sampler performance, Synthx polyphony, Analog Lab connectivity and several live-use functions have also been revised.
Sound Edit moves AstroLab beyond macro-only tweaks
Until now, AstroLab’s hardware editing approach centred on its four macro controls. Version 2.0 adds Sound Edit pages that give players access to deeper parameters in compatible instruments, including envelopes, filters and glide.
Sound Edit is opened from the preset menu with a long press of the main encoder, or by holding Shift while using the main encoder. AstroLab’s four macros can then shape the parameters made available by the Sound Edit page.
That is a useful change for producers using AstroLab as a writing instrument rather than solely a preset player. A keyboard part can now be shaped more directly at the instrument: tightening an envelope for a rhythmic synth stab, adjusting a filter for an arrangement transition, or changing glide behaviour for a lead line. It does not turn every AstroLab instrument into a fully open-ended synth editor, as the available controls depend on the instrument, but it should reduce the number of small adjustments that need to be handled elsewhere.
For anyone learning how filter movement, envelopes and modulation affect a patch, our guide to sound design tools for beginner producers offers useful context alongside the new hands-on editing workflow.
New sampled sounds broaden the stage and writing palette
AstroLab 2.0 adds more than 60 sounds, including a new sampled acoustic piano built from eight velocity layers. The additional factory material covers funk and orchestral brass, pop strings, upright bass and electric bass, while the supplied release information documents 67 new presets in total.
For electronic producers, these additions are most immediately useful as playable sketching sounds. A convincing piano, bass or strings patch can help establish harmony, register and arrangement before parts are replaced, layered or recorded into a DAW. For live players, the expanded library offers more ready-to-play choices without requiring a separate laptop-based instrument setup.
The update also improves sampler polyphony and introduces rotating sampler voice management. In practical terms, this is aimed at making the instrument’s sampled sounds more robust when playing denser chords or sustaining notes. Producers working with sample-based instruments will recognise the importance of voice allocation from software tools too; our overview of using drum machines and samplers in beat making explains some of the wider creative considerations around sampled sound sources.
Performance and connection refinements
Alongside the sound additions, Arturia says AstroLab 2.0 improves Synthx polyphony and overall performance, while adding compatibility with MiniFreak V5. The supplied information does not specify the full scope of that MiniFreak compatibility, so owners should check Arturia’s update material before planning a session or set around it.
Analog Lab linking and file-transfer stability have also been improved. That will matter most to players moving sounds between a computer-based preparation workflow and the hardware keyboard: fewer connection or transfer issues are valuable when presets need to be organised before rehearsal or a show.
Other changes are more hardware-specific. AstroLab 37 receives an improved aftertouch feel, and the Octave LEDs now display transposition. Arturia has also revised the preset experience with a new list of ready-to-play presets.
What AstroLab owners should do next
Existing owners can consult Arturia’s official AstroLab update page ↗ (opens in a new tab) for the firmware and update information. Before installing, it is sensible to note any set-critical presets and confirm the update process fits around upcoming sessions or performances.
The meaningful workflow change is Sound Edit. After updating, try it on patches already used in productions or live sets rather than treating the new sound library as the only headline feature. A few targeted edits to envelope timing, filtering or glide may be enough to make a familiar preset sit more deliberately in a track or performance arrangement.