Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which hardware to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Arturia AstroLab is a stage keyboard that runs Arturia's software instruments in standalone hardware, with 11 synthesis types and 1,800+ onboard presets.
Arturia KeyStep 37 mk2 by Arturia. A 37-key slimkey controller and standalone sequencer with an OLED screen, four encoders, generative tools, and CV/Gate.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Arturia AstroLab | Arturia KeyStep 37 mk2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699 (37) / $1,999 (61) / ~$2,399 (88) | $229 |
| Dubspot Score | — | 8.8 |
| Formats | Standalone Hardware, MIDI DIN, USB-C | USB-C, MIDI DIN, CV/Gate |
| Models | 37, 61, 88 keys | — |
| Sound engines | 11 types (virtual analog, samples, wavetable, FM, granular, physical modeling, vector, harmonic, phase distortion, vocoder, Karplus) | — |
| Onboard presets | 1,800+, expandable to 10,000+ with V Collection and Pigments | — |
| Macros | Four knobs (Brightness, Timbre, Time, Movement) | — |
| Effects | 12 insert effects | — |
| Performance | Arpeggiator, MIDI looper, chord and scale modes, multis and split | — |
| Connectivity | MIDI DIN, USB-C, USB-A host, balanced stereo in, pedal inputs, Bluetooth audio, WiFi | — |
| Included | Analog Lab Pro, AstroLab Connect app | Analog Lab Intro, DAW starter license |
| Latest firmware | AstroLab 2.0 (front-panel Sound Edit, 60+ new sampled instruments) | — |
| Keys | — | 37 slimkey, velocity and aftertouch |
| Sequencer | — | Polyphonic, up to 64 steps, 8 voices, up to 64 sequences |
| Arpeggiator | — | 16 modes |
| Display | — | OLED with four mode-aware encoders |
| CV/Gate | — | Four assignable outputs |
| MIDI | — | Full five-pin DIN In and Out, USB-C |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.