[with corrections to my original post; corrections are in brackets]
With my mkii I got AnalogLab V, with ~2K patches. [corrected: as it turns out ~9K patches; is it actually Collection X, disguised?]
Collection X offers ~10K patches, but at quite a cost: $599
- if you tried it - is it worth the money?
- is there an upgrade/discount for those like me who already have AL V? [correction: see above - do I actually have Coll X? And no upgrade is needed?]
- From AL app - Store link gets me to marketplace with lots of smaller-than-X bundles. Is there an overlap b/w Collection X and those bundles? Or they are completely separate/non-overlapping? [correction: is there an easy way to determine if bundlesâ contents is already on my machine, among the ~9K patches that came with AL V?]
Math-wise: at the current prices for individual bundles I can see how I, if I like enough smaller bundles, will soon end up spending in total as much was Collection X costs.
Your inputs are appreciated!
Analog Lab is basically a nice preset player for the synths found in V Collection. You can adjust the presets using the pre-made macro controls, but you canât edit the individual synths themselves unless you own V Collection. I would start with Analog Lab, and if you find yourself wanting more capabilities for whatever youâre playing/recording, then think about getting the full V Collection.
If you do want to buy V Collection (or Sound Packs or anything else), ALWAYS wait for a sale. You may also get a further discount based on any other Arturia products you own, if you check the price when you are logged in to your account. Sales just happened at the end of the year, so Iâm not sure when the next will be.
EDIT: Also Pigments is not a part of V Collection, but it is the most incredible thing Arturia produces. I would think about getting that before V Collection, and itâs also significantly less expensive.
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Pigments - interesting!
When I filter down my available presets (in ALab app) on âPigmentsâ - I see 249 presets.
Looks like at least some of Pigments are included.
Iâm confused re: what collection I actually got OOTB with ALab s/w that came bundled with mkii 
âBundledâ = I had activation code in the box, went online and downloaded ALab using the code.
Keylab mkii came with Analog Lab V, which I think is now Analog Lab Pro. Pigments presets are also available in Analog Lab, so youâll have a taste of what it can do.
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The great thing about owning the V collection is you can open the actual synths etc from within Analog pro and tweak or completely design your own sounds from scratch.
Iâm currently on v8 collection but also have piano v3 (came with my Keylab mk2 I purchased a few weeks ago)
Come the next sale I will update because I love tinkering with the actual synths and for example the CS80 in vX is the new version, hence even though I have the previous version, I canât open it from Analog labs as the presets are from the newer completely rewritten version.
I could just update that one instrument but am going to upgrade to X so I get the new stuff, so I can edit any sound I want in analog Pro (also own pigments which I highly recommend)
If youâre not interested in creating your own sounds etc, it might not be worth buying, obviously up to you.
Definitely wait for the next sale though
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You get 35 individual synths/keyboards/pianos with VCX along with four âaugmentedâ instruments which are hybrids (brass/strings/wind/voices). Pulling that all together is Analog Lab which is your âmaster of ceremoniesâ through which you can harness the power of all 39 instruments via 9,000 tweakable presets.
âŹ599 / 39 = âŹ17.11 each. If you already own Arturia software products, commonly youâll find you are offered a discount on that too. But even at âŹ17.11 the price is an absolute giveaway. But whether itâs going to be âworth itâ for any specific person is entirely subjective. No one can answer that for you.
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It is now the time to get Pigments 5 on sale! 
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Thanks for all the suggestions! Will be on a lookout for sales
In meantime: another small Q.
In ALab lists of presets: some have the âAâ logo next to them; most donât. What does it signify when itâs there?
According to the User Manual, it indicates Factory-Featured presets. So basically, Arturiaâs favorites.
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