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Pro Tools Astra Keyboard is a backlit Pro Tools keyboard for Windows with a full numeric keypad, low-profile scissor-switch keys and five selectable brightness levels. Two USB 2.0 ports on the back turn it into a hub for a mouse, a shuttle controller or a licence dongle.
Five brightness levels, because edit suites are dark and studios are not.
Pro Tools is a keyboard-driven application. Anyone working at speed is using shortcuts constantly, and in a darkened edit suite an unlit keyboard slows that down. The Astra addresses it with backlighting at five selectable levels, so it reads correctly in a dim post room and does not glare in a bright tracking room.
The action is low-profile scissor-switch, light but responsive, which suits long sessions better than a deep-travel mechanical board. The slim black chassis includes a numeric keypad, which Pro Tools uses heavily for transport and edit functions. Two USB 2.0 ports sit at the back, and the keyboard uses two separate USB cables, one for the keyboard itself and one for the hub, so the hub does not interfere with the keyboard being recognised at boot.
At a Glance
| Brand | Avid |
|---|---|
| Model | Pro Tools Astra Keyboard |
| Platform | Windows |
| Backlighting | Five selectable levels |
| Key action | Low-profile scissor switch |
| Layout | Full size with numeric keypad |
| USB hub | Two USB 2.0 ports |
| Cabling | Two USB cables, keyboard and hub separate |
| Dimensions | 19.75 x 7.75 x 2.25 in |
Why Does This Keyboard Use Two USB Cables?
One cable serves the keyboard and one serves the built-in USB hub. Keeping them separate avoids the boot-time recognition problems that occur when a keyboard is presented to the computer through its own hub.
Is This Keyboard Only for Pro Tools?
It works as a standard Windows keyboard for anything, but the layout and the backlighting are built around Pro Tools shortcut work. If you are not editing in Pro Tools, the value is mostly the backlighting and the hub.
Is There a Mac Version?
This is the Windows model. Avid produces the Astra layout for both platforms, so confirm the platform before ordering. Call 844-687-4208 if you need the Mac version.
What Is the Backlighting Range?
Five selectable levels, from a low glow suitable for a darkened post suite up to a level that stays readable under normal room lighting.
Why Avid
Avid has set the standard for professional audio and video production since Pro Tools arrived in 1991. The company's tools are the default in film post, broadcast and commercial music, to the point that Pro Tools session compatibility is a hiring requirement in most professional rooms. The MTRX and HD I/O hardware lines exist to give those sessions converters and routing that hold up under the scrutiny of a scoring stage or a dub theatre.