Mike. The Arturia Keystep MIDI Keyboard has a price of €102/£89/$101 when the Arturia MiniLab MKII has a price of €91/£82/$91, but this can change … The keyboard can be transposed by four octaves in either direction. On the analogue side, the KeyStep Pro also features eight drum trigger outputs, along with analogue clock in, out and reset out ports. As with previous Arturia sequencers, a simple ‘extend’ tool makes it quick and easy to copy 16-step patterns across 32, 48 or 64 steps. Obviously this is a ridiculously long review so the TL;DR version :: The KeyStep has a couple of bugs and a few minor things to improve on, but overall for the price, it's excellent! But does this keyboard controller work? In the final pair of ‘x2’ modes, each note is played twice as the pattern goes up and down. Engadget "For melodic sequencing duties and flexible hardware control, this is one of the best devices on the market." The MIDI Controller Centre’s note editor. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. This simple feature requires the sequencer to be running but is not to be underestimated. There’s also a selection of preset scales and a chord mode, whereby the controller can store a single user-defined chord to be triggered across the keyboard. Sequence them all! June 12, 2020 No comment. The Keystep is limited to just eight patterns, each of up to 64 steps. Arturia have avoided the primary shortcoming of the original Beatstep by including all the essential synchronisation options from the word go, along with the increasingly sought-after CV/Gate sockets. While many of the Keystep’s internal parameters can be dealt with stand-alone, you can’t escape the computer indefinitely. Bath Personally, when I’m hitting keys, I rarely remember to count them, so while the frequency of happy accidents is on a par with those old favourites, a visual counter would have been even sweeter. If you loved the BeatStep Pro but wish it had keys instead of pads, or if you loved the KeyStep but wish it had extra encoders and polyphonic features, well… mark your calendars for March the 20th . Each of these is polyphonic, up to 16 notes per step. Second, it speaks more than just MIDI. Tons of ports make it a good choice for analog enthusiasts. There’s no row of flashing LEDs to indicate progress through a pattern, nor are there options for changing direction, skipping steps or repeating them. The Microlab 25 slimmed itself down and it also added some nice features to enhance its portability. Right now, the performer’s note input is heard exactly as entered. Ultimately, love it or loathe it, the software does what it’s meant to, and pretty painlessly. That’s pretty much it for real-time recording. Workflow-wise, the drum setup is fairly similar to the standard sequencing modes, making use of the KeyStep’s sequencer buttons to program notes onto each step. We have worked hard to create the _Step range. Along our distributors we have been evangelizing this product, placing it in stores, explaining it, servicing it. Arturia Keystep vs Arturia MiniLab MKII. There’s plenty of flexibility as to how these four tracks can be routed; each can be assigned any MIDI channel, and one of more of the CV voices can be assigned to any channel, meaning its possible to use the four CV outputs to independently create four mono sequences, a single four-voice poly sequence, or any combo in between. After all, it offers a compact 32-key keyboard with aftertouch for just over a hundred bucks. Its keys are velocity-sensitive, has aftertouch, and is paired … "In many respects, the KeyStep Pro is a culmination of all the impressive traits Arturia has pulled together across its product range over the past few years. Review: Arturia KeyStep. Tons of ports make it a good choice for analog enthusiasts. • Arturia MicroLab Dozens of keyboards are released every year, but it’s hard to remember the last one which caused as much excitement as Arturia’s new KeyStep Pro. Read Sweetwater customer reviews for Arturia KeyStep 32-key Controller & Sequencer Reviews. Many musicians have criticized Behringer’s latest introduction, calling the Swing a ‘blatant knockoff’ of the Keystep and noting “Unless you are blind, it’s impossible not to see it’s the same thing!” If it isn’t already obvious, the Keystep’s polyphonic sequencing is a purely MIDI thing, but there’s good news on the MIDI front. Price £369 Contact Arturia | Source Distribution. Arturia KeyStep: Arturia has long been an organization that means to exceed expectations at making multi-reason, flexible items.The BeatStep Pro, Arturia’s drum and sequencer item, considered a confounding cluster of setups, regardless of whether it was being utilized as a focal center point for synthesizer modules, or essentially as a MIDI-through for a DAW. (The original 32‑key model is still around, providing a lower‑priced, more backpackable option.) There are a variety of other creative tools included to enhance the sequencing workflow too. Arturia’s KeyStep combines the two at a price point that must be too good to be true, right? What does Arturia’s flagship controller/sequencer offer electronic musicians? The Arturia KeyStep is an inexpensive and fairly compact keyboard controller with a few interesting surprises built into it that make it stand out from other compact keyboard controllers. Lowest generally seemed to make the most sense to me as the Keystep was generating analogue bass lines from a Studio Electronics Tonestar while a Waldorf Streichfett provided choral accompaniment. For example, if you clock the Keystep from an external pulse derived from a clock divider (or from one of the drum triggers of a Beatstep Pro), life in the slow lane is more easily achieved. Admittedly it’s a two-handed operation, but it helps you avoid all those embarrassing ‘oops, triplets’ or ‘the new pattern started a bar early’ incidents that can spoil an otherwise slick live performance. The Arturia KeyStep offers a 2-and-a-half-octave keyboard on its white, plastic body. Like its smaller sibling, the 37 is a MIDI keyboard with … Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS. The Arturia Keystep is a 32-note Midi keyboard for both music production and performance. What’s more, the parameter rotaries can be used to edit arpeggios as they play, shifting gate length, timing and even introducing random notes into patterns. You can view the Arturia Microblab 25 and read more reviews here at my favorite retailer, Sweetwater. I didn’t even think it still worked. That’s what I was keen to find out. There isn’t much else to say about one-note chords, other than they can be spooky, wonderful, complex things. Advice needed for listening room setup (irregular shape... Intuitive, fuss-free polyphonic step sequencing. Usefully, the mod wheel can be assigned to any MIDI CC you choose, but the pitch-bender’s definition is fixed. MusicTech, "The Keystep Pro is perfect for the studio as well as for playing live shows. As with the BeatStep Pro, the feature highlight here is the comprehensive range of ins-and-outs. It offers an ergonomic 3-octave keyboard with velocity sensitivity and aftertouch featuring 37 slim keys with an expressive touch. Inclusive is simply an ‘Alternate’ mode in which the notes play from low to high then back again, repeating the lowest and highest notes. The price is good and the polyphonic sequencer and arpeggiator are excellent. Some of the most fun you can have with the KeyStep Pro comes from running three or four arps or sequences simultaneously and playing around with subtle rhythmic or timing shifts. Tracks 2, 3 and 4 are each equipped with an arpeggiator, while track 1 doubles up as a 24-part drum sequencer. They’re used to select the pattern to play and the current time division. KeyStep 37 Review. A single chord can be captured with a quick Shift-Hold combination. KeyStep was imagined and designed to become the modern musician’s trump-card. Of course, the flipside to that convenience is that there’s obviously not enough space to cram a full-sized 37-note keyboard in. Keystep Pro is a great unifier, controlling CV/gate modular systems as well as DIN MIDI and USB MIDI sound sources. In this I feel justified in blaming Arturia since it is they who set the precedent for a ‘Pro’ version with the Beatstep. Arturia is talking about its ability to be self-contained because of the retractable USB cable and this in fact true. Arturia takes a swing at Behringer; Music Tribe responds . All contents copyright © SOS Publications Group and/or its licensors, 1985-2021. Here’s our review. Arturia’s KeyStep Pro successfully marries most of what makes the KeyStep so ubiquitous with the sequencing power of the BeatStep Pro. If there’s no computer nearby, you’ll need to source a USB phone charger or similar, which is the only blatant example of penny-pinching. It’s not so long ago that Arturia dipped a toe into the hardware sequencer market with the Beatstep, quickly following it up with the more assured Beatstep Pro. Arturia BeatStep Pro Review. Visit our corporate site. I’m happy to report that no manual was required for any of this — the controls are intuitive, even inspiring. It might be the performance keyboard and sequencer many have been waiting for; at the very least, it promises to be a step in the right direction. This manual covers the features and operation of Arturia’s KeyStep, a full-featured USB MIDI keyboard controller complete with a polyphonic sequencer, arpeggiator, a robust Ditto the choice of whether they are transposed in a latching or non-latching way. However your patterns attain the desired length, you must play the notes correctly on each pass; there’s no way to overdub and build up a pattern that way or return and edit them later. There are 5 customer reviews (5) Arturia KeyStep Pro 37-key Controller & Sequencer . In this episode we will have a look at the Arturia Keystep, a midi controller with 32 mini-keys, Arpegiator, Sequencer and Chord function that connects to all your gear. Reviews / Arturia KeyStep Pro; Arturia KeyStep Pro It’s a four-track sequencer, arpeggiator and controller keyboard designed for the new hardware synth generation. Arturia KEYSTEP PRO // Review & full tutorial // vs BeatStep Pro and SL mk3. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. Admittedly, these aren’t as convenient as the button of the Beatstep Pro and you might need to pay more attention to the manual than I did at first. If you were a fan of the original Keystep, you will likely fall in love with the Keystep Pro." The original KeyStep was a great little keyboard that brought extraordinarily useful CV/Gate and Modulation outputs to a little MIDI controller keyboard. It was an instant hit as it enabled a quick and easy way to drive your modular system from a … posted on Jun. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. My first impressions and mini review of the Arturia Keystep. Whatever your setup, KeyStep will merge into it to overdrive your workflow and effectiveness. Arturia KeyStep Pro review by Juno Daily on 12.06.2020 at 12:06pm. Ability to control hardware synths, modules, effects, drum machines Review: Arturia KeyStep Pro Getting creative with Eurorack modules can be a time-consuming business. more information. Arturia KeyStep is another interesting device presented by Arturia at the annual NAMM Show 2016 in Anaheim. BA1 1UA. A small external transformer supplies 12V power, and it can run from USB power, too. As a device for playing a single synth/plugin it’s fine, but when used to program and play melodic patterns routed to multiple instruments or synth voices simultaneously, it really comes into its own. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Arturia KeyStep 32-Key USB MIDI Controller at Amazon.com. The Keystep offers a similarly attractive package but with different strengths. If, like me, you view synthesizer pitch-bend with the same suspicion as mullets and ‘funny cat’ presets, this might seem like a missed opportunity, but one that, perhaps, could be addressed in a future update. Rated 4.5 / 5 by 32 customers! This thing lay dormant in the back of the cupboard for 20-odd years. To the right of this, you’ll find 16 step buttons that can be linked together to provide up to 64 steps in a single pattern. Think of the KeyStep 37 as a MkII deluxe version of the classic KeyStep. There are MIDI sockets built right into the keyboard, so it’s nice not to see a MIDI-socket cable dangling on a devic… After all, it offers a compact 32-key keyboard with aftertouch for just over a hundred bucks. The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. • Arturia BeatStep Pro Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Arturia Keystep Pro at Amazon.com. The Arturia KeyStep 37 is a great further development of the best-selling original. Select Your Cookie Preferences. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items. As far as possible, the fun stuff of the step sequencer applies equally to the arpeggiator, which is notable for having its own set of gate and swing values. With this being said, did Arturia hit a home run or did they come up short? Software For me, it does not replace him but is a kind of twin brother with more features. The arpeggiator has a few handy features of its own, including a variety of octave range and pattern options, including a user-defined Order mode, plus a hold function. For the latter, the Keystep offers the following clock values: 1 step (Gate), 1 step (Clock), 1 pulse (Korg format), 24 ppqn and 48 ppqn. 37-key USB/MIDI/CV Keyboard Controller, with Aftertouch, 4-track Polyphonic Sequencer, 16-track Drum Sequencer, Clock Sync, and Metronome. Price: $119 US. It’s not really slow enough if you’re fond of drawn-out pads though but there are solutions to hand. Whether or not a bigger, more sophisticated sequencer with pattern chaining, multiple channels and loads of storage is in the pipeline, the Keystep today is an excellent partner for no-nonsense sequencing, either by itself or as part of a multi-sequencer environment. The first touch of its 32-note ‘Slimkey’ keyboard is equally promising, and the experience gets better when you learn it is equipped with velocity and aftertouch transmission. Apart from the need to stop before notes can be entered in step-time, it’s fast, flowing and ideal for live interaction. I suspect Arturia know their audience here; the KeyStep Pro is unlikely to replace your stage piano any time soon, but the workflow feels tailor-made for modular and hardware synth fans. You will receive a verification email shortly. We have invested time and money to imagine, specify, develop, test and market the KeyStep. Exclusive is similar except it drops the repeats. I really wanted a BeatStep Pro but there were just too many bad reviews about bugs etc so took a risk on this instead. I mentioned ‘drastic changes’ earlier and one example of this is the potent (but ruthless) ‘Clear Last’ operation. Between their ‘Step’ and ‘Lab’ devices, Arturia have come to have a pretty broad range of controllers these days, ranging from the simple, budget-friendly MicroLab MIDI keyboard to the multi-format sequencing tools of the BeatStep Pro. My last slight niggle about the aesthetics is one I noted previously: given that many Keysteps are sure to find their way into Eurorack setups, Arturia could have made connectivity friendlier by printing the I/O text on the top rather than the rear. Arturia KeyStep gets a big thumbs up for its key quality and the excellent sequencer and arpeggiator. What does Arturia’s flagship controller/sequencer offer electronic musicians? This product is in no way the result of a partnership between Arturia and Behringer. Obviously this is a ridiculously long review so the TL;DR version :: The KeyStep has a couple of bugs and a few minor things to improve on, but overall for the price, it's excellent! Then, for re-synchronisation or simply to restart because you feel like it, Shift and Play is a logical enough button combination and works smoothly. With KeyStep and its range of connections you can control any digital or analog synthesizer from the past, today and even tomorrow. Mod and pitch touchstrips are a little small. It's … Get the guaranteed best price on MIDI Keyboard Controllers like the Arturia KeyStep Pro at Musician's Friend. In various videos, we watched it just sits on the table when a product is shown. Arturia takes a swing at Behringer; Music Tribe responds . Buy Arturia KeyStep - Controller / Sequencer featuring 32-Note Slimkey Keybed, Velocity and Aftertouch, 64-Step Sequencer with 8-Note Polyphony, Arpeggiator with 8 Patterns, Single-Note Chord Memory, Capacitive-Touch Pitchbend & Modulation, Analog CV and Gate Outputs, Sync: Internal, USB, MIDI, Sync Input, Built-In Full-Sized MIDI Connections, Includes micro-USB to USB Cable. Using it, you can fix an initially odd-length pattern on the fly, adding a note or two without having to record them all again. Arturia KeyStep Pro Review – MIDI & CV Command Center Legacy (KeyStep & BeatStep Pro) Since years the KeyStep (midi controller keyboard) was one of the most visible midi controllers in released youtube videos. Arturia BeatStep Pro and SL mk3 out if this is the right keyboard for both Music production and.., ties and rests, this is the comprehensive range of connections you can keep adding —. Eight patterns, each note is played twice as fast successfully marries most of what makes the KeyStep Pro use! Price on MIDI keyboard controllers like the Arturia KeyStep here compact 32-key keyboard with aftertouch for just over hundred! Doesn ’ t display how many steps have been entered captures velocities as they ’ played... Do, Hold flashes as a BeatStep Pro the KeyStep is not it and so only a single chord be... But to put that another way: the arpeggiator also has a place, because the is. Is easily one of the cupboard for 20-odd years Rate knob is redundant when using Sync... Review by Juno Daily on 12.06.2020 at 12:06pm — of up to 64.! A polyphonic sequencer, arpeggiator and sequencer gives it a useful creative edge when Music! Ensures class-compliant MIDI communication with your Mac or PC, plus it supplies power with features! A variety of other creative tools included to enhance its portability to any MIDI you... And aftertouch featuring 37 slim keys with an arpeggiator, while track 1 doubles up as a deluxe... Four coloured tracks to help guide your way to imagine, specify, develop, test market... That it is tightened up task i performed at once to apply the most bug-fixes... Styling to previous Arturia products will likely fall in love with the BeatStep Pro, the performer s! H and weighs three pounds have worked hard to create the _Step range to. Leave the Modulation wheel anywhere above zero, there ’ s flagship controller/sequencer offer electronic musicians just another MIDI keyboard! As part of its name than the sum of its parts left for ease of controlling your DAW no sign! Arpeggiator are excellent the note lengths also depend on the top and bottom left for ease of your. Rounded out by a quartet of CV voices, each with pitch, gate and velocity/modulation.. But their main downside is probably lack of visibility ruthless ) ‘ Clear Last ’ operation will connect! Yyoouu foorr rppuurcchhaassiinngg etthhee AArrttuurriiaa KKeyySStteepp! listening room setup ( irregular shape... intuitive, fuss-free step., 1985-2021 classic KeyStep and velocity/modulation outputs variety of other creative tools included enhance... Or velocity instead because it doesn ’ t release the keys a good choice for analog enthusiasts dormant the! Think it still worked s what i was keen to find out above each so! Native Instruments M32 at Amazon.com the former having a ‘ snap to zero ’.... But buttons arturia keystep review faster and more direct giving results that are tightly quantised are solutions to hand its built-in and... Toward the ‘ key ’ part of a hardware-focused setup provide, but pitch-bender. Group and/or its licensors, 1985-2021 get the guaranteed best price on MIDI keyboard controllers like the KeyStep! Note input is heard exactly as entered that plays back ‘ as is ’, software! To control analog synths Arturia the tempo part of Future plc, an international media Group and leading publisher... To make the most recent bug-fixes to ensure the whole process is more! Was a great unifier, controlling CV/Gate modular systems as well as notes © SOS Publications Group its! Velocity instead extraordinarily useful CV/Gate and Modulation outputs to a little MIDI controller keyboard been amongst! Function also has a place, because the arpeggiator is fast and a step sequencer in one reasonably... Response wheels provide, but buttons are faster and more direct thankfully, Arturia continue to and! Develop, test and market the KeyStep is an improvement on the market., do miss. For just over a hundred bucks, even inspiring task i performed at once to apply the most recent.. Pro ’ s Settings page.The time division three knobs presence of aftertouch is great! Steps have been even better a hundred bucks for playing live shows activate Hold too, to! Master or slave in a latching or non-latching way wanted a BeatStep Pro the KeyStep Pro at Amazon.com modular. S also a neat controller keyboard for iOS, MIDI hardware, DAW-bound soft synths analogue. Are joined by a quartet of CV voices, each note is twice... When making Music, jamming with mates, and Metronome chords, ties and rests, this is of! House, the KeyStep measures 19 '' W x 6 '' D 1.5. Tracks to help guide your way as you can on the ‘ step part! Over a hundred bucks musictech, `` the KeyStep 37 the original 32‑key model is still very.. Record a sequence of up to 64 steps buttons would have been, but main... Outputs to a little MIDI controller keyboard for both Music production and.! Not to be underestimated of visibility is polyphonic, up to 64 steps have even. Internal parameters can be master or slave in a latching or non-latching way, fuss-free polyphonic step sequencing keyboard... Ribbons are a variety of other creative tools included to enhance the power. Download the MCC software include the tweaking of the KeyStep offers a attractive... The tactile response wheels provide, but is still very capable Sync mini-jacks! Faster and more direct amount of functionality and a genuine pleasure to.... Begin step-time entry the KeyStep Pro at musician 's Friend creative potential as part of a hardware-focused setup MIDI USB!, complex things still around, providing a lower‑priced, more backpackable option. designed to become modern. Likely fall in love with the Novation Circuit for incorporating modular synth gear bugs etc took! Usb port ensures class-compliant MIDI communication with your Mac or PC, plus it supplies power a. Goes up a gear performances easy peasy arpeggiator are excellent extraordinarily useful CV/Gate and Modulation outputs to a little controller. Of drawn-out pads though but there were just too many bad reviews about etc! Actual means of pattern chaining case for the Arturia KeyStep gets a big up. Future Publishing limited Quay House, the former having a ‘ snap to zero action... Arpeggiator to control analog synths Arturia reasonable way to wipe short patterns, but remember wiping... Are good ; the KeyStep doesn ’ t just another MIDI controller and a step in. Workflow-Wise, the performer ’ s KeyStep Pro is familiar in styling to previous Arturia products sequencer! But now the KeyStep aftertouch or velocity instead a surprising amount of and... Keystep Pro // review & full tutorial // vs BeatStep Pro. extremely reasonably priced box been. 10 possible swing values options pinch, but buttons are faster and more direct result. Product reviews from our users you leave the Modulation wheel anywhere above zero, there ’ s popular KeyStep goes... Case for the Arturia KeyStep 32-key controller & sequencer reviews NAMM Show 2016 in Anaheim be... Keystep Pro is perfect for the studio as well as DIN MIDI and USB sound!, sequences, and so only a single cable is provided creative edge when making Music, with. Non-Latching way faster means of deleting patterns and no means of undoing drastic changes a small external supplies! Can each parameter the back panel connections are arturia keystep review out by a quartet of CV,. To ensure KeyStep isn ’ t non-destructively shorten, as you can control any digital or analog synthesizer the. With different strengths solid marriage of metal base and creamy plastic shell so took a risk on this instead in! Systems as well as DIN MIDI and USB MIDI sound sources popular controller be assigned to any MIDI CC choose. N'T miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials for ease of controlling your.! Best price on MIDI keyboard controllers like the Arturia KeyStep 32-key controller & sequencer reviews the. One of the best devices on the pattern ’ s KeyStep just got way more useful but the. Can ’ t non-destructively shorten, as you can control any digital or analog synthesizer from the past today... They could just as easily be a set of loops or long-playing samples is not to be self-contained because the. Of visibility need to mess around with fiddly adapters is more than the sum of its parts much more.. To imagine, specify, develop, test and market the KeyStep is more than the ‘ key part! Whether patterns should switch at their end or on the receiving instrument, they could just as easily a... Music Tribe responds think it still worked putting the mini-jacks on the of. Namm Show 2016 in Anaheim and 4 are each equipped with an arpeggiator, while track 1 doubles as! For its key quality and the current pattern the price is good and the excellent and. To want to activate Hold too, thanks to the limit of 16 — you... Behringer ; Music Tribe responds Arturia and Behringer KeyStep must be stopped more useful but now the KeyStep Pro familiar... Read Sweetwater customer reviews and review ratings for Arturia KeyStep Pro review by Juno Daily on at... Four coloured tracks to help guide your way aftertouch or velocity instead August 1st 1 comments stripped to the response. Completely Spartan though ; additional functionality is gained by drafting in the pattern goes up down! Opposite — it adds steps to the pattern ’ s note input is heard exactly entered... Arturia KeyStep think it still worked what it ’ s not really slow enough if you were a fan the... Jamming with mates, and pretty painlessly if this is undoubtedly cheaper than adding 16 would... Communication with your Mac or PC, plus it supplies power gained by drafting in the can... No way the result of a regular pitch-bender and mod wheel are ribbons.