Keystep a make 64 step seq6/24/2023 Being able to dial in a numerical BPM value would’ve been useful here. Remember to have this on the correct setting before kicking off your loop to get the most out of the other subdivision options mid-performance - i.e., if you’re looking for 16th notes, set the knob to 1/16 and then adjust the tempo knob to suit. All the popular arpeggio patterns are available with the Mode knob, and the Time Div control adjusts the subdivision of the arpeggiated notes. The Hold button is accessibly placed below the Arp/Seq switch to prolong chords when the keys aren’t depressed. You can vary the swing amount and gate time by holding Shift and pressing the appropriate key on the keybed. Switch the left-most lever to Arp, hit the Play button, hold down some notes, and behold, an arpeggio. It’s super easy to nut out when you’ve got so few controls in front of you. If you’re looking for fun, look no further than the arpeggiator. If you’re normally the wheels type like me, don’t worry, KeyStep’s sliders feel natural and let you do everything you could with wheels or joysticks, plus more - you can jump directly to a different pitch or modulation setting by touching a position on the pad. Touch-sensitive ribbon pads control pitch bend and modulation. Besides that, the starting note of F always feels a bit random and aftertouch requires some muscle. I’m not a fan of mini-keys but for whatever reason the KeyStep didn’t really bug me - probably because it’s unashamedly a synth controller and not trying to be a hammer-action set of ivories worthy of Beethoven’s Fifth. The keys feel pleasantly squishy but can take a decent thrashing. KEY COMPONENTSīuild quality is second to none. KeyStep has CV I/O for connection to your analogue synths - a useful feature if you’ve wanted to control your VIs and modular gear from the same unit. Its built-in arpeggiator and sequencer gives it a useful creative edge when making music, jamming with mates, and performing live. I wish Arturia had released a bigger version of Keystep Pro where you can control more aspects of the sequencer.Arturia has worked hard to ensure KeyStep isn’t just another MIDI controller. I updated fireware and worked my around midi routing but after tweaking around, everything is working now synced nicely! It is also not possible to record the arp mode in to a pattern easily, I find that a pity, maybe it will be fixed in the future updates? I have to say, everytime when I turn my system on, a great jam is starting! And it just get better until I stop it!īut sadly there few issues I had, mostly syncing problems which I had to fight my way around. I hooked 4 different desktop synth (Three Roland boutique units and one rack synth JV 1080, minimal effects with Ableton). Keystep Pro has been so far the best tool for me to bring out those sounds! Learning phase was quite quick and after 2 months of playing around I can quickly build a beat or create sequence with the help of chain mode. I needed a device that it can control various synths at the same time while building up the jam. Thomann fixed it quickly, thank you, and that increased the stars for quality from 2 to 4. The moment I connected usb, the KSP power failed and I had to return it for repair. Quality: After two months of usage, I wanted to upgrade the firmware through usb on macbook. Which in a way increases the number of steps to 16x16=256 per sequence. That increased the stars for features from 3 to 5.įeatures: For more complex sequences I can insert up to 16 phrases in one sequence. So now I can play the KSP at less than 1 BPM which is great for super slow soundscapes. Sure I could set midi channel via the menu dive but that is not an option for live stage.Īlso, I tried to use an external analog clock to control the BPM of the KSP using the auto clock-in, but the KSP did not react in any way to the external clock, but through the midi control center I could set the sync in on clock and at 1ppq, so that did the trick. I cannot select 2 channels simultaneously for combined solo. Handling: It seems I can play only one of the 4 channels solo when the others are sequencing. Now with 4 machines in 1 Keystep Pro, I can discard all oldies because this Keystep Pro does everything - and more - what its predecessors could do. Years back as a DAWless hardware player I started with 1 Beatstep, then upgraded to 2 Beatstep Pro, and after I moved to 3 Keysteps.
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