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Related Manuals for Arturia ASTROLAB
Summary of Contents for Arturia ASTROLAB
- Page 1 USER MANUAL _ASTROLAB...
- Page 2 Special Thanks DIRECTION Frédéric Brun Kevin Molcard PRODUCT MANAGEMENT Pierre Pfister PROJECT MANAGEMENT Philippe Cavenel SOFTWARE ENGINEERING Baptiste Aubry Corentin Comte Loris De Marco Pascal Douillard Mathieu Nocenti Marie Pauli Cyril Lepinette Christophe Luong Pierre-Lin Laneyrie Alexandre Adam Patrick Perea Pierre Mazurier Raynald Dantigny Yann Burrer...
- Page 3 Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Arturia. The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The software license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use.
- Page 4 So, fellow Sound Explorer, we couldn’t be more proud and grateful that you’ve chosen AstroLab to help you navigate your creative journey. May it inspire you for many years to come.
- Page 5 Be sure to register your product as soon as possible! When you purchased AstroLab you were sent a serial number and an unlock code by e- mail. These are required during the online registration process.
- Page 6 The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing. However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without notice or obligation to update the hardware that has been purchased.
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Page 7: Table Of Contents
1.3.3. Use Audio Plugiator (2008) ....................................8 1.3.4. Arturia Origin (2009) ........................................ 9 1.4. AstroLab Features ................................10 1.5. Register your AstroLab Hardware .......................... 10 HARDWARE OVERVIEW ............................11 2.1. Specifications..................................11 2.1.1. Physical specifications ......................................11 2.1.2. Electrical specifications ......................................11 2.2. - Page 8 Bluetooth Audio Streaming ....................................55 9.2. Wi-Fi Setup..................................... 55 9.2.1. Connecting to a Wi-Fi Network ..................................56 9.2.2. Using AstroLab as a Wi-Fi Hotspot................................56 9.2.3. Sync to AstroLab Connect....................................57 9.2.4. Reset WiFi............................................57 DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY......................... 58 10.1.
- Page 9 10.2. CANADA....................................58 10.3. CE ......................................58 10.4. UKCA ....................................... 58 10.5. ROHS ....................................... 59 10.6. WEEE....................................... 59 10.7. CHINA ..................................... 59 APPENDIX ..................................60...
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Page 10: Welcome To Astrolab
V Collection anthology of the most desirable vintage synthesizers and keyboards in the world. You can do almost anything on AstroLab that you can in Analog Lab — which, by the way, is included. AstroLab stands alone as a flexible and powerful keyboard instrument, letting you split or layer two instruments, add effects, and more. -
Page 11: Astrolab Instruments
• Wurli V2 AstroLab thus embodies the infinite soundscape of V Collection in a single, portable, and affordable keyboard. It is therefore ideal as the heart of a studio or live gig rig, or as a powerhouse addition to the setup you already have. -
Page 12: Use Cases For Astrolab
♪ If you own full versions of any V-Collection instruments, you may know that you can open them up and assign parameters within them to Macros in Analog Lab. Settings like these transfer to AstroLab seamlessly. If you’d rather explore sounds right from the hardware, the unique Screen Encoder — a circular high-resolution display surrounded by a control ring —... -
Page 13: Some Historical Context
1.3. Some Historical Context We believe AstroLab is the first instrument that truly delivers on the promise of software instruments embedded in hardware. However, there have been many synths that were created in the same spirit. Here are just four examples, including one of our own. -
Page 14: Open Labs Neko (2003)
Pulsar and Scope computer cards earned a cult following in the late 1990s. Analog synths, tonewheel organs, and wavetable synths were among the plug-ins it offered. It could only run one plug-in at a time, but the sound quality was excellent. Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - WELCOME TO ASTROLAB... -
Page 15: Arturia Origin (2009)
The keyboard version featured a ribbon controller. Origins are still in use and sought after today. Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - WELCOME TO ASTROLAB... -
Page 16: Astrolab Features
Presets, and more. To do so, simply follow the steps displayed on the AstroLab screen when turning it on for the first time. You'll be able to register it using the dedicated mobile app: AstroLab Connect. -
Page 17: Hardware Overview
2. HARDWARE OVERVIEW This chapter describes the physical hardware and I/O of AstroLab and gives brief descriptions of what each control does. We will learn how to use them to get musical results in upcoming chapters. 2.1. Specifications 2.1.1. Physical specifications... -
Page 18: Front Panel, Left Side
Looper Record Starts/stops recording of a MIDI loop Toggles Metronome on/off button Screen Displays navigates Presets, Edits Presets or shows sound sub- encoder Instruments, Effects, and all settings categories [p.14] Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - HARDWARE OVERVIEW... -
Page 19: Front Panel, Right Side
L to R: Part Volume, knobs categories L to R: Brightness, Timbre, Time, Movement Bass, Mid, Treble EQ Adjust Intensity Adjust dry/wet mix of the selected Insert FX [p.35] (parameter varies with knobs FX type) Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - HARDWARE OVERVIEW... -
Page 20: Screen Encoder Operation
Master Volume outputs 2.3.1. Screen Encoder Operation AstroLab’s powerful Screen Encoder is a button, knob, and display all in one. It provides intuitive browsing and editing of Presets, Instruments, Effects, and most other settings in the instrument. Operating the Screen Encoder is simple. -
Page 21: Rear Panel
AstroLab offers a professional-grade complement of I/O as follows. Number Jack What It Does Power switch Turns AstroLab on and off (long-press for off); accepts the included connector international power adaptor. USB connectors USB-A port for connecting storage; USB-C for computer connection. Headphone output Connects to stereo headphones;... -
Page 22: Flexible Pedals
2.5.1. Keyboard LEDs AstroLab has a multi-color LED for every note on the keyboard. These LEDs can display keyboard split points in a Multi Preset, or the notes played on the keyboard, or by the Arpeggiator/Looper. -
Page 23: Basic Operations
3. BASIC OPERATIONS 3.1. Screen Navigation There are 3 main screens in AstroLab. The easiest way to skip through them is by pressing the Back button repeatedly. This will take you through Preset Screen –> Filter Screen –> Home Screen –> Preset Screen –> Filter Screen, and so on. -
Page 24: Home Screen
3.2. Presets in AstroLab The most obvious method to get familiar with the vast array of sounds in AstroLab, is to use the Preset Type buttons. Start by pressing a Type button, e.g. Strings. Turning the Screen Encoder will take you through the many presets within this group. You can also use the Previous/Next buttons to step through the presets. -
Page 25: Filtering Presets
Types are categories of musical instruments, and may be browsed by selecting Types from the Home Screen as described above. Using the Screen Encoder, you can then browse and choose Presets within that Type. The Types in AstroLab correspond to those in Analog Lab. Clockwise from 12 o’clock, they are: •... -
Page 26: Instruments
Subtype. 3.4.2. Instruments Instruments in AstroLab correspond to the software Instruments in Analog Lab. A Preset can consist of one or two Instruments plus effects. A Single is a Preset that contains one Instrument; a Multi is a Preset that contains two Instruments. -
Page 27: Artists
♪ If you have liked Presets in Analog Lab, these will show up in AstroLab. 3.4.5. Sound Banks This menu lets you browse presets from within banks you have created, imported, or purchased from the Arturia Sound Store. -
Page 28: Filtering Shortcuts
Playlists are then further organized into Songs, which in turn have Presets for each song. You can then send them into AstroLab, where they show up as Playlists with the same Songs and Presets. We cover this in detail in the chapter devoted to Playlists [p.45]. -
Page 29: Entering And Editing Text
~ ` ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ - + = [ ] { } / \ | ' " < > ? , . 3.7.1. The Settings page Most of the general settings for AstroLab can be found under the Settings tab. Hold Shift and press Back to get to the Home page, where you will find the Settings tab. - Page 30 • of the LCD display. 3.7.1.2. Wi-Fi AstroLab comes with Wi-Fi built in. This is the page where you can set Wi-Fi Mode and connect. Using Wi-Fi, you can connect to your computer for direct interaction with Analog Lab. Of course, MIDI and Analog Lab communication also functions over USB (and MIDI over the 5-pin ports), but sometimes wireless communication is more convenient.
- Page 31 However, with MIDI Thru activated, the MIDI notes received on the Input is also sent to the output (on the same channel), as well as notes played on AstroLab’s keys. With MIDI Thru active, the MIDI Out connector acts as a combined MIDI Out/Thru port.
- Page 32 11) is the default value, but you can set it to anything else, like Cutoff Frequency (MIDI CC 74), Modulation Wheel (MIDI CC 1) etc. or an AstroLab-specific function like Leslie Fast/Slow or Arpeggiator on/off, or anything else you find useful.
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Page 33: Preset Architecture And Editing
Reverb then all feed the 3-band master EQ, the final output of which is controlled by AstroLab’s master volume knob. ♪ Note that even in a Single Preset, some AstroLab instruments have multi-timbral capabilities in their own right. Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - PRESET ARCHITECTURE AND EDITING... -
Page 34: Multi Presets
♪ The latter method is useful if, for example, you have a great synth bass locked down but are still searching for the right lead or pad to use with it in a Multi. Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - PRESET ARCHITECTURE AND EDITING... -
Page 35: Quickly Create A Multi
Parts: Like, Save, Move, Delete, Keyboard Settings, and Info. 4.2.3.1. Like/Unlike Preset As in Analog Lab, you can “Like” Presets. In AstroLab, they become available in the Liked section of the Library. If a Preset has been liked, the heart symbol in the center of the screen will be filled. If not, the heart will be outlined. -
Page 36: Splitting The Keyboard
! Any Presets you’ve deleted in AstroLab will also be deleted in Analog Lab when you sync the two. Factory Presets will not be deleted. 4.2.3.5. Keyboard Settings If your current Preset only has 1 Part, only the Part 1 tab will be seen. -
Page 37: Presets And Polyphony
Preset here, written by its creator. 4.3. Presets and Polyphony AstroLab manages polyphony to ensure that you will never hear audio dropouts, no matter what Instrument or combination of Instruments you load. Since different Instruments have different DSP needs, this can vary. In practice, you should be able to play as you wish, except maybe laying two forearms across the keyboard with the sustain pedal pressed. -
Page 38: Macros And Instrument Editing
5. MACROS AND INSTRUMENT EDITING Macros are one of AstroLab’s most powerful features. They let you control multiple aspects of a Preset’s sound with a single knob twist. The four Macro knobs are Brightness, Timbre, Time, and Movement, which will be familiar names if you’ve worked with Analog Lab or any V-Collection Instrument. -
Page 39: Macros In A Multi Preset
You can adjust each Part’s volume and stereo pan position. First, select a Part. Then, hold Shift and turn the Brightness knob to adjust the volume; turn the Timbre knob to adjust the panning. Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - MACROS AND INSTRUMENT EDITING... -
Page 40: Effects
6. EFFECTS AstroLab offers two assignable insert effect slots (also called FX) plus dedicated Delay and Reverb. (To be clear, when we say “FX”, we are talking about the insert FX. When we say “effects,” we’re talking about those plus Delay and Reverb, i.e., the totality of effects in AstroLab.) By design, this mirrors the effects chain in Analog Lab. -
Page 41: Grouping Fx
To edit the Insert FX, Delay, and Reverb, long-press the corresponding the On/Off button. 6.4. Insert FX The insert FX in AstroLab correspond to those in — you guessed it — Analog Lab. Again, the benefit is that you can easily tweak effects in the software, then transfer everything into AstroLab with all your edits intact. -
Page 42: Controlling The Fx
♪ To hear the any of the Effects you're tweaking, make sure the corresponding Effects Intensity knob is not at its zero position (mixed all the way down). 6.5. Editing Delay One of the two send effects in AstroLab is a delay with three options: • Analog: Old-school, warm, and good for pitch-shifting effects. -
Page 43: Editing Reverb
6.6. Editing Reverb AstroLab comes with a whopping 14 options for its Reverb for different musical applications: • Digital Reverb • Small Piano Room • Soft Room • Small Studio • Large Studio • Jazz Club • Small Concert Hall •... -
Page 44: Effects Presets
The boost/cut range of each band is -10 to +10 dB. 6.10. Supplement: Tables These tables list all parameters, and what they do, for all of AstroLab’s Insert FX as well as Delay and Reverb types. The best way to learn the pedal-style Insert Effects is simply to experiment and play with them. -
Page 45: Multifilter
Sets the release curve of the compressor Output Gain Compensate for reduction in volume if compression lowers the output level Make Up Enables automatic control of the output level Dry/Wet Balances the input signal and the compressed signal Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - EFFECTS... -
Page 46: Distortion
Selects the number of delay lines the chorus uses, with a different starting phase for each voice Stereo Switches the chorus between mono and stereo output Shape Toggles modulation LFO between sine and square waveforms Dry/Wet Controls the balance between the input signal and the chorused signal Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - EFFECTS... -
Page 47: Flanger
Chooses the wave shape of the panning to make the effect more gradual or abrupt LP Mono When on, exempts low frequencies from the panning effect for a more stable bass end Dry/Wet Controls the balance between the input signal and the panned signal Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - EFFECTS... -
Page 48: Analog Phaser
The position of the microphone in front of the speaker alters the overall sound Bright For extra treble Output Gain Use this knob to compensate for louder volume caused by the Drive knob Dry/Wet Controls the balance between the input signal and the guitar amp signal Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - EFFECTS... -
Page 49: Rotary Speaker
Adjust the balance between the bass speaker and treble driver in a cabinet Fast Activate the fast rotor speed of a Leslie cabinet Brake This simulates the rotary speaker rotors being stopped Dry/Wet Controls the balance between the input signal and the rotary signal Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - EFFECTS... -
Page 50: Playlists
To select Songs, use the Previous/Next buttons or the Screen Encoder. • 7.1.1. Playlist Hierarchy Playlists in AstroLab are divided into Songs, each of which in turn can contain up to 128 Presets. Think of Playlists, the top level of the hierarchy, as corresponding to different kinds of gigs. -
Page 51: Loading Playlists
Song by pressing the Preset Type buttons. If there is no Preset mapped to a button (because, for example, a Song uses fewer than ten Presets), that button’s LED is unlit. Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - PLAYLISTS... -
Page 52: Exiting Playlist Mode
If Analog Lab is not at arm’s reach for making Playlists, you can create Playlists directly on AstroLab. First, navigate again to the Playlists list from the Home Screen. If a Playlist is open, you can also simply press the Back button: Turn the Screen Encoder clockwise until you see the “+ New Playlist”... -
Page 53: Tempo, Midi Looper, And Arpeggiator
8.1.1. Tempo Sync Since many of the Instruments in AstroLab (and Analog Lab) have their own tempo- generating clocks, AstroLab lets you decide whether to leave it up to the Preset to determine tempo, or use the master tempo source. -
Page 54: Sync Source
AstroLab’s master tempo. 8.1.3. Sync Source AstroLab can use its internal clock for master tempo, or of course sync to an external source. Hold Shift and press Back to get to the Home screen. Navigate to Settings > Global > Utility . -
Page 55: Midi Looper
8.2. MIDI Looper AstroLab’s MIDI Looper records any performance played on the keyboard. As the name implies, you can use it for creative looping, but also for recording a linear performance in real time. The Looper records all MIDI notes with velocity as well as Continuous Controller (CC) messages —... -
Page 56: Arpeggiator
8.3. Arpeggiator AstroLab includes a classic synth-style Arpeggiator. Turning it on is as simple as pressing the Arp button. Now, held chords will be arpeggiated according to the Arpeggiator settings. 8.3.1. Hold Press Shift plus Arp to toggle Hold mode. When active, arpeggiation will continue after you remove your fingers from the keys. -
Page 57: Chord Mode
The lowest note played is considered the root. Now, your chord will be transposed with any single note you play as the root. Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - TEMPO, MIDI LOOPER, AND ARPEGGIATOR... -
Page 58: Scale Mode
Type Blues. Or, if the song has more of a major tonality, you could use Root Note E and Scale Type Mixolydian. Explore! 8.5.1.1. Scale Indicator You don’t have to be a music theory expert to make use of these scales, because AstroLab shows you exactly what notes each one encompasses in the key of C with this handy diagram: Select a scale, and the diagram appears with available notes in blue and unavailable notes greyed out. -
Page 59: Chord Settings
Major 7, Major 9, Major 11, Custom. • Part Selection : Determines which Part is affected when Chord is used with a Multi Preset: All, Part 1, or Part 2. Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - TEMPO, MIDI LOOPER, AND ARPEGGIATOR... -
Page 60: Metronome
8.6. Metronome Last but not least, AstroLab includes a metronome for practice, recording, and other applications. To turn it on and off, press Shift plus Record. Press the same buttons to turn the Metronome off again. 8.6.1. Metronome Settings Hold Shift and long-press Record to get to the Metronome settings. -
Page 61: Wireless Setup
9.1.1. Bluetooth Audio Streaming On computers, you may now need to select AstroLab as the audio output in your system preferences. On phones and tablets, this should happen automatically. You can now stream audio from the device to use AstroLab (plus whatever amplification or headphones it is connected to) as a listening system. -
Page 62: Connecting To A Wi-Fi Network
AstroLab itself. ! For similar reasons, while a Wi-Fi-connected AstroLab may appear as a MIDI port in a DAW or the Audio MIDI Setup utility on Mac computers, we do not recommend use as a MIDI controller over Wi-Fi at this time. -
Page 63: Sync To Astrolab Connect
AstroLab Connect is the phone and tablet companion for your AstroLab. It lets you browse and edit its sounds, and allows you to get new sounds from the Sound store. Simply scan the QR code displayed on the screen, and you'll be able to download AstroLab Connect and get started with the app. -
Page 64: Declaration Of Conformity
Directive on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/UE. 10.4. UKCA This device has been tested and complies with the essential requirements of the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1206). Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY... -
Page 65: Rohs
For more information about collection points and recycling of these products, please contact your local municipal office, your household waste disposal service, or the shop where you purchased the product. 10.7. CHINA 本设备包含型号核准代码为：CMIIT ID:2020AJ8307(M) 的无线电发射模块。 Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY... -
Page 66: Appendix
11. APPENDIX Arturia - User Manual AstroLab - APPENDIX...
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