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.
The EP-35 K.O. AMP is Teenage Engineering's first amplifier: a 35W battery-powered combo with an XLR mic preamp, a USB audio interface, 16 effects and Bluetooth 5.3.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Arturia AstroLab | Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. AMP |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699 (37) / $1,999 (61) / ~$2,399 (88) | $399 list ($375 at Thomann US) |
| Dubspot Score | — | — |
| Formats | Standalone Hardware, MIDI DIN, USB-C | Hardware, Portable amp |
| 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 | 8 guitar and 8 mic effects, each with an amount dial |
| 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 | — |
| Latest firmware | AstroLab 2.0 (front-panel Sound Edit, 60+ new sampled instruments) | — |
| Developer | — | Teenage Engineering |
| Power | — | 35 watts |
| Speakers | — | 4-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter, mono 1+1 |
| Frequency response | — | 50 Hz to 20 kHz (-6 dB), 94 dB SPL at 1 m |
| Battery | — | 20.1 Wh lithium-ion, 2-hour charge, up to 12 hours at volume 5 |
| Mic input | — | XLR, 0 to 54 dB gain, switchable 48 V phantom |
| Guitar input | — | 6.35 mm, 0 to 18 dB gain, Hi mode |
| Line in/out | — | 3.5 mm stereo in and out |
| USB audio | — | USB-C interface, 2 in and 8 out, charges to 27 W |
| Bluetooth | — | 5.3 with LE Audio, Auracast and a broadcast pairing mode |
| Price | — | $399 US list, £349 UK; $375 at Thomann US |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.