Arturia has released AstroLab 2.0, a free firmware update for its AstroLab stage keyboards. Previously, the line was essentially a preset browser: users could tweak patches with four macro controls or add effects, but real sound design was impossible. The update adds a Sound Edit menu that exposes individual instrument parameters, allowing musicians to build fully customized sounds directly on the hardware.
The workflow is not especially quick, as it requires menu diving and paging through settings four at a time with the same macro knobs. Still, the source notes that creating custom sounds is fairly easy once you get there, especially by saving initialized patch templates from the desktop AnalogLab app. The update also brings 67 new patches, including multisampled pianos, strings, and brass sections, which the source says should help close the gap with competitors that had better acoustic instruments.
Additional tweaks include improved octave LED transposition display, more responsive aftertouch, and claims of more reliable app connectivity. The source found the desktop app connection solid but the mobile AstroLab Connect app still flaky. The update is available now at no cost to all AstroLab owners, a move that adds value to existing hardware rather than pushing a new model.