Even now this unit is still awesome, had mine for quite some time and it was such a massive improvement on the original somewhat flawed Beatstep which I also have.
great review Nick! one thing I'd have liked you to mention is that if you go from a short pattern (16 ) to one double the length (32) the second pattern starts half way through, because the sequencer sees step 17 as the next one to play. This puts a fly in the ointment if you want to treat patterns as segments of a song.
sonicstate 'Wait to Load Project' is the closest thing I can find, which quantizes project changes, but there's nothing I can see on the pattern level. I live in hope that they gave you a work in progress firmware with the feature in development though :)
Great! This is making me even more convinced! Yes, it's just what I need and what I've been looking at for ages! Thanks for clearing the very little mist in my eyes, that made me think twice. 10/10
Hey great video Nick. A comment about the voltage - you mentioned that you weren't sure how that worked. They would most likely use a voltage regulator which takes an input voltage of 5v and converts it internally to 12v - thus allowing 10v over your CV outputs. Voltage regulators can step up or step down input voltages. (the manual talks about 12v) There are some modular guys who are testing out voltage differences on the BeatStep Pro - as there's a lot of interest how accurate it is. So far all I hear is good results. I've only had mine for a week now - so not much time to play ... but really impressed with it.
Just FYI, power is measured in Watts. James Watt was a famous Brit that invention the stem engine and a model of an early steam engine is at the Science Museum in London. Anyway, it is power that can't be created without a power generator, Volts can be increased but going from 5V to 10V would halve current given the same Wattage input. Watts = Volts * Amps..
That Pro is amazing! Maybe to much tech for me to grasp but this great review is sending my back to my basic BeatStep to learn more about it. Great shirt Nick and a fantastic review!
Ooooh! I knew I was in the right place when I saw that Simmons SDS8. I'm using my Beatstep Pro with two Simmons brains. Stopped by to get some tips as usual.
Bought one today, I have mc505 and mc909 which haven't the best lasting sequencer pad buttons, the Arturia Beatstep Pro seems an absolute BEAST of a sequencer and so reasonably priced it borders on ridiculously cheap for the features you get...wahoo ..can't wait .
This thing looks amazing, especially considering the price. Thanks for the great review, als always. Would it be possible to use it as a MIDI-CV interface, i.e. play an analog synth from a MIDI keyboard as opposed to sequencing it?
To answer my own question: yes, it can. But only when the sequencer is not running. It is even described in the manual. This thing becomes more interesting by the day.
When this showed up, I was a bit bummed that you need the app for so much of the configuration, especially around the analog integration. I look to external sequencers specifically because I don't want to have my PC handy. I would have paid a bit more for a small OLED or something that lets you navigate parameters locally. But I can't have everything, I guess. :) It's a nice and solid unit, though, with a ton of features.
Looks fantastic. Would I be able to use with a Volca Sample and have extended patterns? I have an AJII, MS20 kit, Minibrute and Virus TI2, I think this thing would be perfect to jam on if a Volca Sample will trigger properly, then I might get both at the same time.
It'll be a boost switch mode power supply. Not a very complicated circuit - just a single IC and 2 or 3 external components and you can get a higher power rail: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boost_converter
I love your reviews. It's great to have someone discussing new gear who actually knows what he's talking about. I just got one of these...now to get cracking on learning the ins and outs. This video has given me lots of inspiration. Thank you!!
For anyone considering this unit: It has no usable MIDI thru. It quantizes everything you record, with no option to turn off quantizing. Arturia have known about these flaws for three years without addressing them. This is the perfect product for anyone with an extemely simple MIDI setup, no need for more MIDI/CV controllers and plans to make robotic sounding music only.
Typically Mr Batt, a voltage can be boosted using a Ferrite Ring wound with Copper Wire and Switching Transistor. It's probably been miniaturised into a single component by now.
Can you make a demo on showing how to control Behringer Model D via Arthuria Beat Step Pro; lot of people seem to be using those gears but there is no good video on showing the connectivity of both of them . Also I am planning to connect the midi from Arturia beat step pro and key step to the model d using the Y MIDI cable, so that I can have an arp from BEAT STEP continuously playing while I play live lead in to the model d using the Keystep. Pleas show a video of how to connect model d with the beahringde MODEL D! Thnxxx.
I wanted to get this but I read a lot of problems and bugs from folks about issues they have had that are not yet fixed with the Beatstep Pro. People who had this returned it for the Electribe 2 instead even though there are no CV outputs/inputs on the Korg Electribe.
Account Von Fraude You are stepping into a very deep pit. :) It is a fun place, though. I Just wanted an oscillator to go run into my minibrute, and told myself I would never fill up one 19" space... so I got the second 19" mount, and now I can totally see burying myself in a roomful of cables and flashing lights wondering where my money went.
13:50 My god this jam at the end is so cool. Your demos are so inspiring, Nick. I might have to get a BSP even though it has notorious encoder and usb port problems...
Tom's Diner was one of the best remixes ! Can you do some synth reviews alongside Nick Rhodes and Thomas Dolby ? Aside from Georgio Moroder being a synth pioneer, Rhodes & Dolby trail blazed midi mastery !
Note: drum triggers are just gates 0 or 10v NOT dynamic triggers. Also the knobs have no master offset so you can't do realtime accent or gate length mods unless you can turn knobs very fast. It's a cool unit but no master offset knob is a shame for me.
I wish you'd come to my house and show me how to set mine up. Your a genius. I've seen other videos but they talk to bloody fast but you your amazing 👏
Useful information. Can you tell me if it possible to trim/scale the pitch control Voltage coming out of this device? I have a MiniMoog that isn't quite 1 Volt per octave. Ah, you answered it. Sorry! No scaling What a stupid, stupid omission! Crossed off the buy list - Sigh...
Thank you Nick! would this work OK with a Kaossilator Pro? I've never managed to get it set up like u did in the Kaossilator review. Really appreciate any feedback. Thanks.
@8:56 you ask how it is possible to have a 5V input and a 10V output (how can you have more voltage coming out than coming in?). The answer is a circuit called a "boost converter" (or step-up converter).
There are two major issues with this unit. 1. Patterns switch immediately, not at the end of the currently playing pattern. Not sure why they did this. 2. It has a problem where it randomly stops sending midi notes out of Seq 1 and 2. It will also hold notes as well. Arturia needs to fix these issues ASAP! But overall, it's a wonderful sequencer!
Little bit difficult working out connecting drums machines - you can run one in via one of the midis but can you connect via the drum out when eg drumbrute impact only has three ins with multiple sounds for each . I’d want the two midi outs for two synths.
Excellent review once again! Does anyone know what that "Program Review" device Nick was using to (I think) switch camera views? Also what was the black box next to his laptop that I believe all the audio was being plugged into?
Can MIDI CC (such as LFO rate) be sequenced on the Beatstep Pro? If not, is there a hardware unit that does allow you to sequence external gear's knob twiddles (either from the sequencer or from the external gear)?
If anyone is having problems make sure the randomness and probability knobs are turned all the way to the left. That had me befuddled for about a half an hour. Also it would of been nice if the metronome was onboard and not just a midi note.
wow I can see that even a single sequencer here is vastly superior to the original Beatstep, no wonder Arturia dropped the original. I have the original and for the most part only really used it as a basic midi controller. Now we have 2 much better sequencers and a drum controller too, not bothered about CV myself as all my hardware is midi I`m sold I think
Hello nick, great review as usual! Could you please tell me the commands I should use in the MCC to allow my beatstep pro to control program change on a sub 37? I was able to do it for the slim phatty but for some reason I can't find a way to switch banks on the sub 37. Thanks!
You need to set the LSB and MSB bytes which are on each of tha BSP pads if you set them to Program change mode. But they only work after you send the Controller setup to the BSP
I've been around synths for a couple of years, but It wasn't until recently that I've gained interest in Midi CC, so please bear with me. I've tried all sorts of combinations of CC 0, CC 32 and program changes to no avail. Can you please guide me through the process using a practical numerical example? Ex: I want to go to bank 4, preset 16, what would be the commands and CC values that I need to use? Or if there's any documentation readily available it would be great as well, Thank you!
Nick! Do you know what settings I need to use in the MIDI control centre to sequence a Korg Odyssey module via CV/Gate (and or connections, I've heard you ALSO need to trigger the trig in?)? I've sequenced it from my Keystep via CV/Gate no problem but cannot get the BSP to sequence the Karp module....
what about Midi-CC in Seq Mode? I see 3 channels to be selected on the left where i can dial in values for the individual steps. But what about MIDI-CCs and how much of them can be assigned at the same time? Shame that it doesnt transmit on individual MIDI-Channels in the Drums Section. Volca Sample?? Cant be controlled then !!! A shame.
that first synth pad Nick plays sounds like EX-Machina one...you will know which one if you wached the movie/listened to the soundtrack..is that coming from erebus?
Hello, I'm not entirely sure where to write this so I'll just put it on this video as it's the most recent, I've been looking at analog synths lately, the ones that has been interesting me the most has been the KORG Monopoly and the ARP odyssey. I got myself a soft synth version of the monopoly, obviously it doesn't sound exactly like the analog version, but it's a fairly close fit I'd say (I tried recreating a synth I knew was created on a monopoly, got very close). but I get this feeling the monopoly is very limited in what it does and I'm not entirely sure if it's my limited knowledge or if it's the synth itself. one of my biggest criterias is that the synth is polyphonic, very preferably being able to play 3 keys at the same time, the odyssey doesn't give that sadly. which from my research the Monopoly does offer. also, to add on top of all this it this will be my first synth analog synth, I've been working with software for several years now being too afraid to step into the hardware world because of the price tags. I'm very serious about music and very passionate so I don't want some crappy synth. as a guideline for what I want to use the synth for, without having a lot of technical names: I want a synth can have lots of textures to the sound, maybe through a lot of oscillator settings or something similar, I tend to work in the envelope, filter and oscillator settings, I love reverb. I tend to over use it most of the time, though it's not at all important that the synth has it, I can just use reverb through the pc instead. I lean towards softer and filling sounds, warm sounds. so yea, now that the huge rant is kind of over, I'm looking for input on what kind of synths you think I should look at. or is monopoly a good choice? thanks for reading and as a last little thing, I'll add a couple track names that has 'hits home' with what I like in synths, maybe it will help you understand more what I'm looking for. and a HUGE thanks for anyone who read this "The answer - gattobus & Millolab" - just the whole thing basically "Mango & Jan Martin - Pillows (Original mix)" -the synth that comes at 1 minute "Kollektiv turmstrasse - last day (david August Revision)" most sounds "Aparde - loom" - the lead base synth
+Valom one thing that scares me a bit about the monopoly as well is that I'm afraid I'll just make the same sound over and over again with it. I havent had the soft synth version for a long time but I end up making the same thing over and over.
I absolutely love this unit, it’s an amazing piece of hardware but I have one minor problem with it: Aesthetically the user interface is wonderfully well made, except the horrible color choice of the purple and yellow. Is there a way to apply some kind of thin plastic overlay/skin to it? quite a minor issue and mainly personal preference but it would be great to see another option Amazing demo as always
Its sad this cant sequence CC or more than just the one aux cv output (velo) which still sucks since its per note n no continuous. I saw all those knobs n was hoping you could at least sequence them each per step. Why wouldn't they include that? Even the old AN1X could back in the 90s.
OKAY so this is a strange and (possibly) dumb question, but is it possible to send audio through the cv ins through a line in cable (or an aux) and sample it into a track? I'm asking because I'd like to know if I can play an instrument with a 1/4 inch out, convert it to an 1/8 inch, and be able to use it in a beatstep pro project.
Over the last decade or two i have bought, sold, and part exchanged dozens upon dozen of pieces of electronic music hardware (even including some rare bits of kit, like the "Movement" drum machine from the early 80's). And i can say without any hesitation that the BeatStep Pro that i bought is the single most troublesome piece of kit that i have ever owned. And unfortunately, i have found their customer service to be equally bad, if not worse. They are one of those companies who are deliberately unhelpful when you contact them "properly". But the second you say something like this openly and public, THEN you might get some pathetic offer of help. Not that they ever do actually help, they just want to look good in front of you all.
It is a massively flawed and poorly made product. I've owned mine for years and wish I could sell it but don't want to cheat someone into buying it. Get the sense it'll die soon anyway - amazed its made it this long given how jankily its made.
@@robinr22 Thanks for commenting. I was starting to feel very alone on my side of the fence! This is one of those issues where, if you are not one of us that have had these problems, then Arturia carry on looking to most people like a great company that make great things. The specific faults that my Beatstep has are just not something that I would have thought to look up before spending my money. After years of trying I have now at last found a way that I can get some kind of minimal use out of it, but nothing to justify that cost. Which is such a shame though, as when I originally unboxed it, the feel of the build quality seriously blew me away. But as soon as I began struggling with basic functions (and Arturias "help") then I soon found that there were others with the exact same issues. I hope that you have had better luck with any other home studio kit that you have bought over the years. There have been many times when I wonder why the hell we choose a life with the frequent frustrations, annoyances, and expense that being an amateur music producer brings. But like most obsessions or compulsions, it's more like this life chose us.
Can you do microtonal stuff with this? It looks like the outputs are all scaled to 12tet scales. Can you configure the user scale for not 12 tet scales?
Is there a way of hooking up two Volca Drums (each with 6 voices that can be assigned to either a single or 6 separate MIDI channels) to the BSP's drum sequencer? For instance, could row 1 of the BSP pads control Volca Drum 1 via MIDI channel 10 and then row 2 control a 2nd Volca Drum via channel 11? (or whatever MIDI channels)? Can this thing do triplets? Can you microstep nudge notes or step shift sequences?
Hi brother! Based on your experience. How can I save different BMPs for different projects in the BSP. I need to change time for the different songs. If it is not possible, is there any hardware that will allow me to do this? I have a Roland SPDSX with BPM for each song, but I did not get sync with the BSP. Obviously does not transmit messages Sync via midi, is there any magic box that does this work? thank you very much
Yuzhou Qu Read my August 22nd comment again, it might make more sense the 2nd time around. Read it slowly, from beginning to end. Hint especially at the end ;)
been thinking of getting one of these for a while now. just wondering, can the drum sequencer also be used as a third "regular" sequencer? i mean, can i use seq 1 - seq 2 and the purple drum sequencer all 3 for synth? for example 1 is my rev2, 2 is my nordlead and 3 is my blofeld? or is the purple drum section really just for drums? 🧐
Am I right that I can set up an individual midi channel for each of the three sequencers (the two melodic and the drum sequencer) that is being output via midi? So with a midi splitter box or gear that has midi thru I can drive three different synths/drum machines without using a computer / midi over usb? If that's right that would make the beatstep pro a super handy tool!
Hey, thats exactly what I did. I already set it up like that: Going out of the Beatstep Pro's midi out into the Kenton Midi Thru 5. Than going into the Arturia Microbrute and the Korg Volca Keys and Beats via midi. You can change the midi channels for the 3 sequencers (2 melodic and the drum sequencer). For the drum sequencer you can also change the midi note each pad is sending. Works just fine that way, hope you get the gear soon and have a good time testing it out! www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/m-thru-5.shtml
i want to know that type of things as well. It will always be within the limitations of the synths you are using though, this is not some kind of looper, if you see what i mean.
orbitalchiller I have a pigtronix infinity looper , and I can accomplish a loop , but the thing is the midi sync from my minilogue to the loop pedal is wacky , because my minilogue is receiving master clock from my arturia drumbrute.
I ve been looking into the Pigtronix Infinity as well. I want to keep my gear as simple and computerless as possible and play long sequence and be able to stack upon them. I guess the Arturia BSP is a machine with so much connectivity possibilities you could just pick one to experiment with it and always find a compromise. I wish they would have made a Beatstep Pro / Keystep sandwish. Maybe a Keystep Pro is on the way ? BTW i have a minilogue too, nice sounding synth. :)
Amazing piece of gear - my next purchase. I'm glad I didn't buy the original (although I wanted to! it was back ordered in Canada for flipp'n ever) and bought the collection of volcas (no sample yet). Now I can control and rearrange my r3 synth, Volcas and DR-3 from one spot. I was using the Trigger finger pro, but I've found its better as a drum pad (beat creator, which I absolutely love for its sampling capabilities. - the Sync out is fucked but if you use it as slave and record the AUDIO on a Daw track its works perfectly as the midi notes drift or something) and DAW controller. I just wonder how long the Beatstep Pro will take to get here... it's also 299.99 here plus tax ... boo. That parting track was super rad Nick, albeit short.
They're also $299 usd though. I don't know why cdn retailers are listing it at $299 cdn, but I'm happy with that, considering how bad the exchange is right now. I hope they don't smarten up!
+Turm Ulus interesting. I'd have to look into that. 299 is tomlee pricing and they are on order. ...everything up here went up here big time in the last 4 months. example : I bought my volcas for 160..... now they are 200! but I bought the TFP for 399....but now it's 249...... ( I got a rebate because it was actually dropped to 199 before these price hikes and within one yr of my purchase. .. so I was choked!) . Anyway 299.99 is beyond my current budget so I'm saving up for this Beatstep Pro. it looks fantastic. ...If only it had a battery option....
cresshead 1. incorrect! by setting last step to 12 or 9 or whatever you want. you can even have different lengths on each sequence for polyrhythms. 2. no, also not even quantizing on the pattern changes, although that's the most requested feature for future updates. the thing to understand is that despite having modern features it's more like an old modular sequencer (e.g., ARP. SQ-1, etc) than a groovebox or electribe in its roots. features that might look like are there for live performance tweaking are more for fast ideas and inspiration.
Well after a few days of owning a beatstep pro it's going back to see if I can get a refund. There are so many bugs, has been ok with eurorack but anything old I've used it with has been a nightmare, below are a few of my favourite bugs Just plain clock out doesn't start on the first beat!!!! so say a built in arp triggered by clock is never in sync. Din seems ok though?! The midi note range for the knobs is mid C to C 6?? why?? you have to transpose everything down several octaves which means that the knobs are telling you the wrong octave. As mentioned the scaling is out and if all you have is CV/gate then there is nothing you can do to alter this and everything plays out of tune! Settings will randomly change and requires frequent reboots when attached via usb. Oh and the noise! even with the ground loop thing Saving setups via usb only save the current project not the whole memory, so you have to sync (arturia's word for saving the internal memory) each project separately, that's 9 syncs and 9 times renaming files because Arturia doesn't give you the option to name a file when you save it...again why?!?!? You may think some of these complaints are a bit petty but taken collectively and having to constantly find work arounds it all adds up to a whole pile of annoyance and dead creativity, and support is non-existent. I can see the possibilities of beatstep it is a cheap alternative to eurorack sequencers, this is the second incarnation maybe the next will be something worth getting but i'm not counting on it. The brute series sounded like cheap gimmicky plug-ins and this has been my first and probably last Arturia purchase, well done Arturia, you have replaced Novation at the top of the list for ill conceived, badly implemented, cheap rubbish....but it looks more stylish. So there it is in a nut shell; as bad as Novation stuff but looks better
+David Noir Sorry to hear this - Did you update the firmware and do you have an outstanding support ticket with Arturia? Let us know details and might be able to investigate
+SourceDistributionTV yep updated firmware, support got back to me, seemed to not really understand what I was on about and referred me to the manual....yeah I read the manual, I wouldn't be asking support a question if it was in the manual?! More bugs: Clear pattern button only clears step data, pitch and gate data kept intact There is no way to clear a whole project only clear patterns (see above) Midi channels not stored with patterns...??? Even if no steps are selected random and probability will still fire off notes Random within the given parameters surely is what is wanted, not uncontrolled, cacophonous chaos? try it; select an empty pattern, push the start button, turn the random and probability up..... pot info only stays on the tempo/value screen for a second or two, why not have a setting that allows you to have the pot's you've just selected value stay on the screen. I know what the tempo is I don't need constant reminding Gate times can't be set across a pattern only individually; you set the gate times, decide they are too short, set all 16 again, decide now a bit too long, set all 16 again, meanwhile the screen is flicking betwixt pot data and the tempo......yes I know what the tempo is !!!!. I'm sure there is something more tedious than this but right now I can't think of it...oh yeah thought of it; the manual To be fair the manual may cover some or all of these problem but it is so crap and uninformative I gave up...will have another crack later today All this was found after about 3/4 hours of using beatstep pro (hmmm...didn't I learn this lesson several times before; putting 'pro' in the title doesn't always mean 'pro' in the most literal/dictionary sense) Yeah, yeah, we welcome customer feedback etc etc, heard that literally a thousand times before
+David Noir Clock out starts on the first beat here, I never had a problem with that. MIDI note range is C0 to C6, centered around mid C. Plus, if you transpose down several octaves, the knobs update the note value they give you. Scaling is OK for me here. It becomes wrong when I don't use the Y cable adapter. Some receiving units don't calibrate exactly to 1V/Oct though. I didn't have noise with the ground loop cable. Do you make sure you connect the Power part of the Y cable to a power socket and not to your computer ? Saving setups via USB, you can create a setting for the controller assignment on your computer, then send it to multiple projects in BSP via drag and drop. (there's a [+] button to unfold the computer memories and get access to the controller map only). I recall that this feature might not work perfectly right now but it's there. And regarding your second message: Clear pattern does clear step, pitch and gate data. I just tested it. I'm on the latest firmware. Clear project, true, there's no way to do it. MIDI Channels are global for the device. You can change them using the CHAN button though. I understand your frustration but some of these complaints seem really odd to me, MIDI clock out, clear pattern data especially.
+Sébastien Rochard Ok i'll give you that the clear button will erase pitch and gate data, it did seem to get more reliable but would still mess up sometimes and required a reboot to get it working again I don't understand you thinking my complaints seem 'really odd' though. Some complaints you agree are bugs; saving set ups via USB, no project clear. Some complaints you didn't understand; I didn't mention midi clock, I was talking about clock, have you synced it to another sequencer with clock? you won't succeed, you push the play button and BSP will miss out the first 2 or 3 pulses so sequencers don't start at the same time. The complaint about midi note range? C0 is middle C C6 is six octave above, just within the human hearing range, you have to transpose down via arturia software to get notes below middle C. Look in the manual it says note range is six octaves +/- from C0 but in reality it is C0 to C6 Most complaints you didn't even mention; gate times, random function, stoopid implementation of buttons and screen. It seems really odd that you chose only to comment on a few of my complaints And wow dude did you not think I knew about the CHAN button, my point is that the midi channel should be saved for the project, every DAW and MIDI piece of equipment can save MIDI channel data going right back to the invention of MIDI. Why do you think that Arturia is not completely moronic for not having that on BSP? I had to write down MIDI channels for projects on a piece of paper and have it next to the BSP My conclusion is that BSP is too amateurish to be taken seriously, it is badly implemented and stifles creativity and for the many reasons I've given. It is junk, and I wish reviewers would be a bit more objective.
I believe the "solid" feel and the "mass" is due solely to lead weights. It will make it seem to be more well made but that is an illusion, (I'm not saying it isn't well made). With all the gear we have to lug around, maybe that's not a good idea. It's pure marketing. I wish they wouldn't do it but this is becoming more prevalent. If I'm wrong about this, I would be surprised.
It also serves the purpose of making it more difficult to get yanked off a table, however a heavy item would be more likely to break when it hits the floor.
so the drum part do not send midi, just trigger? Then you can't have it control say the volca beats right, just sync to it? If so, it's a pity. I like the beats but the memory are very limited and no way to chain patterns.
What is project ,what for is it ? working only with cv gates analog ?? is possible to create all song with automatic changing pattern ? im using midi to trigger my modules ,my beat pro dont remember pattern recorded in order when i switch off how to resolve ?
I love this. Great thorough walk through. I'm glad to see someone who actually gets to know gear explaining what things really do.
This youtube channel never fails to deliver, such great quality content.
Deserves way more subs
I've never noticed until now that Nick is changing the camera angles himself on an iPad while doing the review.
Even now this unit is still awesome, had mine for quite some time and it was such a massive improvement on the original somewhat flawed Beatstep which I also have.
great review Nick! one thing I'd have liked you to mention is that if you go from a short pattern (16 ) to one double the length (32) the second pattern starts half way through, because the sequencer sees step 17 as the next one to play. This puts a fly in the ointment if you want to treat patterns as segments of a song.
Rich Edwards I think there is a setting for that behaviour in the software? (Not with the BSP now)
sonicstate 'Wait to Load Project' is the closest thing I can find, which quantizes project changes, but there's nothing I can see on the pattern level. I live in hope that they gave you a work in progress firmware with the feature in development though :)
sonicstate, I've been a huge fan of your channel for years! that is all :)
Great! This is making me even more convinced! Yes, it's just what I need and what I've been looking at for ages! Thanks for clearing the very little mist in my eyes, that made me think twice. 10/10
Hey great video Nick. A comment about the voltage - you mentioned that you weren't sure how that worked. They would most likely use a voltage regulator which takes an input voltage of 5v and converts it internally to 12v - thus allowing 10v over your CV outputs. Voltage regulators can step up or step down input voltages. (the manual talks about 12v)
There are some modular guys who are testing out voltage differences on the BeatStep Pro - as there's a lot of interest how accurate it is. So far all I hear is good results.
I've only had mine for a week now - so not much time to play ... but really impressed with it.
Ranz Adamson I think the chip is actually called dc to dc converter
Just FYI, power is measured in Watts. James Watt was a famous Brit that invention the stem engine and a model of an early steam engine is at the Science Museum in London. Anyway, it is power that can't be created without a power generator, Volts can be increased but going from 5V to 10V would halve current given the same Wattage input. Watts = Volts * Amps..
I love you Nick! Thank you for all the awesome videos and for one of the best channels on TH-cam!
That Pro is amazing! Maybe to much tech for me to grasp but this great review is sending my back to my basic BeatStep to learn more about it.
Great shirt Nick and a fantastic review!
Definitely a possible future purchase. Wish they make it in black too though!
Future is here and the black version is available atm :P
@@MrStanley85 Further in the future: I got mine last month.
Even further in the future, I ordered a black one this morning.
The future is now, forget the past.
Wow! Din Sync, Midi, USB and CV... instabuy!
Ooooh! I knew I was in the right place when I saw that Simmons SDS8. I'm using my Beatstep Pro with two Simmons brains. Stopped by to get some tips as usual.
Bought one today, I have mc505 and mc909 which haven't the best lasting sequencer pad buttons, the Arturia Beatstep Pro seems an absolute BEAST of a sequencer and so reasonably priced it borders on ridiculously cheap for the features you get...wahoo ..can't wait .
This thing looks amazing, especially considering the price. Thanks for the great review, als always. Would it be possible to use it as a MIDI-CV interface, i.e. play an analog synth from a MIDI keyboard as opposed to sequencing it?
To answer my own question: yes, it can. But only when the sequencer is not running. It is even described in the manual. This thing becomes more interesting by the day.
Nice one nick i spent almost 4 months testing this
there is an issue with fw1.1.1.6 with sync but will be fixed in the next FW
When this showed up, I was a bit bummed that you need the app for so much of the configuration, especially around the analog integration. I look to external sequencers specifically because I don't want to have my PC handy. I would have paid a bit more for a small OLED or something that lets you navigate parameters locally. But I can't have everything, I guess. :)
It's a nice and solid unit, though, with a ton of features.
can I use this unit to sequence my old Roland mc202 ? thanks mate
+Robin Fitton it doesn't mate .. its cv sometimes its either speeding up or slowing down
+Robin Fitton I just want stop start to work and time to sync
that is why Elektron does a better job at sampling/sequencing in spite of the higher price tag.
Looks fantastic. Would I be able to use with a Volca Sample and have extended patterns? I have an AJII, MS20 kit, Minibrute and Virus TI2, I think this thing would be perfect to jam on if a Volca Sample will trigger properly, then I might get both at the same time.
Beeing new to using a Beatstep Pro your Video helped me a lot getting startet and quickly achieve satisfying results. Thanks a lot!
It'll be a boost switch mode power supply. Not a very complicated circuit - just a single IC and 2 or 3 external components and you can get a higher power rail:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boost_converter
This one aged well! This thing will end up in the hall of fame.
Have had mine for a few weeks, apart from a couple of firmware niggles it has been great fun. Some pattern nudging etc would be nice though!
Nick your the best for explaining every nook and cranny.
I love your reviews. It's great to have someone discussing new gear who actually knows what he's talking about. I just got one of these...now to get cracking on learning the ins and outs. This video has given me lots of inspiration. Thank you!!
This guy actually explains what the equipment does, I like his videos a lot. Thanks.
For anyone considering this unit: It has no usable MIDI thru. It quantizes everything you record, with no option to turn off quantizing.
Arturia have known about these flaws for three years without addressing them.
This is the perfect product for anyone with an extemely simple MIDI setup, no need for more MIDI/CV controllers and plans to make robotic sounding music only.
Id love for these reviews to be more frequent. Maybe a weekly gear/software review?
Typically Mr Batt, a voltage can be boosted using a Ferrite Ring wound with Copper Wire and Switching Transistor. It's probably been miniaturised into a single component by now.
Can you make a demo on showing how to control Behringer Model D via Arthuria Beat Step Pro; lot of people seem to be using those gears but there is no good video on showing the connectivity of both of them . Also I am planning to connect the midi from Arturia beat step pro and key step to the model d using the Y MIDI cable, so that I can have an arp from BEAT STEP continuously playing while I play live lead in to the model d using the Keystep.
Pleas show a video of how to connect model d with the beahringde MODEL D! Thnxxx.
I wanted to get this but I read a lot of problems and bugs from folks about issues they have had that are not yet fixed with the Beatstep Pro. People who had this returned it for the Electribe 2 instead even though there are no CV outputs/inputs on the Korg Electribe.
Need. I have a Microbrute and will be getting my first Euro(c)rack soon so this is a must have.
Account Von Fraude You are stepping into a very deep pit. :) It is a fun place, though. I Just wanted an oscillator to go run into my minibrute, and told myself I would never fill up one 19" space... so I got the second 19" mount, and now I can totally see burying myself in a roomful of cables and flashing lights wondering where my money went.
Yeah when I bought the Microbrute I already knew that Euro was in my future at some point, just a matter of saving up the $ for some first modules.
13:50 My god this jam at the end is so cool. Your demos are so inspiring, Nick. I might have to get a BSP even though it has notorious encoder and usb port problems...
Tom's Diner was one of the best remixes ! Can you do some synth reviews alongside Nick Rhodes and Thomas Dolby ? Aside from Georgio Moroder being a synth pioneer, Rhodes & Dolby trail blazed midi mastery !
Note: drum triggers are just gates 0 or 10v NOT dynamic triggers.
Also the knobs have no master offset so you can't do realtime accent or gate length mods unless you can turn knobs very fast.
It's a cool unit but no master offset knob is a shame for me.
Hey Nick! Will you be taking a look at the new Launchpad pro?
I find myself spacing out to the music and then having to go back to actually listen to the information hahah
Other than the cv I think my mpc will do what I need. I guess I will need something like this if/when I do need CV.
I wish you'd come to my house and show me how to set mine up. Your a genius. I've seen other videos but they talk to bloody fast but you your amazing 👏
Useful information. Can you tell me if it possible to trim/scale the pitch control Voltage coming out of this device? I have a MiniMoog that isn't quite 1 Volt per octave.
Ah, you answered it. Sorry!
No scaling What a stupid, stupid omission! Crossed off the buy list - Sigh...
Thank you Nick! would this work OK with a Kaossilator Pro? I've never managed to get it set up like u did in the Kaossilator review.
Really appreciate any feedback. Thanks.
Thanks for a great review - just ordered one... looks awesome!
Just waiting for them to expand the CC range on the drum sequencer so I can fully utilize my Novation Drumstation.
Thanks Nick! This was super helpful and I got a Beat Step Pro now.
Best BSP demo I've seen. Brilliant Nick. Cheers
@8:56 you ask how it is possible to have a 5V input and a 10V output (how can you have more voltage coming out than coming in?). The answer is a circuit called a "boost converter" (or step-up converter).
There are two major issues with this unit.
1. Patterns switch immediately, not at the end of the currently playing pattern. Not sure why they did this.
2. It has a problem where it randomly stops sending midi notes out of Seq 1 and 2. It will also hold notes as well.
Arturia needs to fix these issues ASAP! But overall, it's a wonderful sequencer!
So, NO POLYPHONY at all ?!
I really can't sequence chords with an analog poly synth ?
Maybe a way with the drum sequencer track?
Thanks
Little bit difficult working out connecting drums machines - you can run one in via one of the midis but can you connect via the drum out when eg drumbrute impact only has three ins with multiple sounds for each . I’d want the two midi outs for two synths.
Do the 12 volt gates mean that you have to attenuate if for a lot of synths, for example an ms20?
Excellent review once again! Does anyone know what that "Program Review" device Nick was using to (I think) switch camera views? Also what was the black box next to his laptop that I believe all the audio was being plugged into?
Stephanie McKeon MIDI Designer Pro on an Ipad is the swticher controller, the blsck box was the Behringer X-AIR 18 Mixer
sonicstate Thank you!
Can MIDI CC (such as LFO rate) be sequenced on the Beatstep Pro? If not, is there a hardware unit that does allow you to sequence external gear's knob twiddles (either from the sequencer or from the external gear)?
If anyone is having problems make sure the randomness and probability knobs are turned all the way to the left. That had me befuddled for about a half an hour. Also it would of been nice if the metronome was onboard and not just a midi note.
What a bang for a buck!. Reading some of the comments, ill take this with a few bugs over a Rene any day!
+djvartan Actually, it is the perfect brother to Rene :)
wow I can see that even a single sequencer here is vastly superior to the original Beatstep, no wonder Arturia dropped the original. I have the original and for the most part only really used it as a basic midi controller.
Now we have 2 much better sequencers and a drum controller too, not bothered about CV myself as all my hardware is midi
I`m sold I think
great review as always, Nick. and thanks for pointing out a few features that i hadn't learnt yet (because who reads manuals, amirite?).
Hello nick, great review as usual!
Could you please tell me the commands I should use in the MCC to allow my beatstep pro to control program change on a sub 37?
I was able to do it for the slim phatty but for some reason I can't find a way to switch banks on the sub 37.
Thanks!
You need to set the LSB and MSB bytes which are on each of tha BSP pads if you set them to Program change mode. But they only work after you send the Controller setup to the BSP
I've been around synths for a couple of years, but It wasn't until recently that I've gained interest in Midi CC, so please bear with me.
I've tried all sorts of combinations of CC 0, CC 32 and program changes to no avail.
Can you please guide me through the process using a practical numerical example?
Ex: I want to go to bank 4, preset 16, what would be the commands and CC values that I need to use?
Or if there's any documentation readily available it would be great as well,
Thank you!
Nick! Do you know what settings I need to use in the MIDI control centre to sequence a Korg Odyssey module via CV/Gate (and or connections, I've heard you ALSO need to trigger the trig in?)? I've sequenced it from my Keystep via CV/Gate no problem but cannot get the BSP to sequence the Karp module....
As always, flawless review. Thank you !
what about Midi-CC in Seq Mode? I see 3 channels to be selected on the left where i can dial in values for the individual steps. But what about MIDI-CCs and how much of them can be assigned at the same time? Shame that it doesnt transmit on individual MIDI-Channels in the Drums Section. Volca Sample?? Cant be controlled then !!! A shame.
that first synth pad Nick plays sounds like EX-Machina one...you will know which one if you wached the movie/listened to the soundtrack..is that coming from erebus?
Top Dog. Your the GOAT when it comes to the synth world Bro 👊💪🔥 you and Loopop 👊💪🔥
hi nick can I use this to sequence my Roland mc202
"Now it's here... *pause* ... here it is." Love it. Great video as usual - thanks guys
Hi, great video! Can you do 5/4 or 7/4 time measures?
Love your shirt & nice track
Say I recorded midi sequences with hardware synths, would it be easy to put the combined midi into a daw via the usb midi?
The first 19 seconds sounds like cash money millionaires project chick from the early 2000's
So could both the cv input output jacks be changed to just midi via the pc software
I want one, I bought online a microfreak, I'll probably buy this one also soon
since the simmons has 1/4 inch trigger outs and the beatstep has 1/8 inch, do you just use an adapter to link the two? or a special cable?
Hello, I'm not entirely sure where to write this so I'll just put it on this video as it's the most recent, I've been looking at analog synths lately, the ones that has been interesting me the most has been the KORG Monopoly and the ARP odyssey.
I got myself a soft synth version of the monopoly, obviously it doesn't sound exactly like the analog version, but it's a fairly close fit I'd say (I tried recreating a synth I knew was created on a monopoly, got very close). but I get this feeling the monopoly is very limited in what it does and I'm not entirely sure if it's my limited knowledge or if it's the synth itself.
one of my biggest criterias is that the synth is polyphonic, very preferably being able to play 3 keys at the same time, the odyssey doesn't give that sadly. which from my research the Monopoly does offer.
also, to add on top of all this it this will be my first synth analog synth, I've been working with software for several years now being too afraid to step into the hardware world because of the price tags. I'm very serious about music and very passionate so I don't want some crappy synth.
as a guideline for what I want to use the synth for, without having a lot of technical names: I want a synth can have lots of textures to the sound, maybe through a lot of oscillator settings or something similar, I tend to work in the envelope, filter and oscillator settings, I love reverb. I tend to over use it most of the time, though it's not at all important that the synth has it, I can just use reverb through the pc instead. I lean towards softer and filling sounds, warm sounds.
so yea, now that the huge rant is kind of over, I'm looking for input on what kind of synths you think I should look at.
or is monopoly a good choice? thanks for reading and as a last little thing, I'll add a couple track names that has 'hits home' with what I like in synths, maybe it will help you understand more what I'm looking for. and a HUGE thanks for anyone who read this
"The answer - gattobus & Millolab" - just the whole thing basically
"Mango & Jan Martin - Pillows (Original mix)" -the synth that comes at 1 minute
"Kollektiv turmstrasse - last day (david August Revision)" most sounds
"Aparde - loom" - the lead base synth
+Valom one thing that scares me a bit about the monopoly as well is that I'm afraid I'll just make the same sound over and over again with it. I havent had the soft synth version for a long time but I end up making the same thing over and over.
Valom MonoPoly will work polyphonically, but only via the keyboard, you cannot access each voice from CV and Gate input. but its a great synth
great job, love your tutorials.
I absolutely love this unit, it’s an amazing piece of hardware but I have one minor problem with it:
Aesthetically the user interface is wonderfully well made, except the horrible color choice of the purple and yellow. Is there a way to apply some kind of thin plastic overlay/skin to it?
quite a minor issue and mainly personal preference but it would be great to see another option
Amazing demo as always
Nice access t shirt!
Want
Its sad this cant sequence CC or more than just the one aux cv output (velo) which still sucks since its per note n no continuous. I saw all those knobs n was hoping you could at least sequence them each per step. Why wouldn't they include that? Even the old AN1X could back in the 90s.
OKAY so this is a strange and (possibly) dumb question, but is it possible to send audio through the cv ins through a line in cable (or an aux) and sample it into a track? I'm asking because I'd like to know if I can play an instrument with a 1/4 inch out, convert it to an 1/8 inch, and be able to use it in a beatstep pro project.
Markus Cancilla OH duh ! I totally get you...it doesn't sample any audio, it only controls through midi signals.
Over the last decade or two i have bought, sold, and part exchanged dozens upon dozen of pieces of electronic music hardware (even including some rare bits of kit, like the "Movement" drum machine from the early 80's). And i can say without any hesitation that the BeatStep Pro that i bought is the single most troublesome piece of kit that i have ever owned. And unfortunately, i have found their customer service to be equally bad, if not worse. They are one of those companies who are deliberately unhelpful when you contact them "properly". But the second you say something like this openly and public, THEN you might get some pathetic offer of help. Not that they ever do actually help, they just want to look good in front of you all.
It is a massively flawed and poorly made product. I've owned mine for years and wish I could sell it but don't want to cheat someone into buying it. Get the sense it'll die soon anyway - amazed its made it this long given how jankily its made.
@@robinr22 Thanks for commenting. I was starting to feel very alone on my side of the fence! This is one of those issues where, if you are not one of us that have had these problems, then Arturia carry on looking to most people like a great company that make great things. The specific faults that my Beatstep has are just not something that I would have thought to look up before spending my money. After years of trying I have now at last found a way that I can get some kind of minimal use out of it, but nothing to justify that cost. Which is such a shame though, as when I originally unboxed it, the feel of the build quality seriously blew me away. But as soon as I began struggling with basic functions (and Arturias "help") then I soon found that there were others with the exact same issues. I hope that you have had better luck with any other home studio kit that you have bought over the years. There have been many times when I wonder why the hell we choose a life with the frequent frustrations, annoyances, and expense that being an amateur music producer brings. But like most obsessions or compulsions, it's more like this life chose us.
I have a Simmons SDS9. Did you connect it to the BSP using CV or MIDI? curious what voltage was used if using CV...?
Can you do microtonal stuff with this? It looks like the outputs are all scaled to 12tet scales. Can you configure the user scale for not 12 tet scales?
Was the Arturia Beatstep Pro ever discussed on Sonic TALK?
Sonic TALK 410 c. 34:50
Is there a way of hooking up two Volca Drums (each with 6 voices that can be assigned to either a single or 6 separate MIDI channels) to the BSP's drum sequencer? For instance, could row 1 of the BSP pads control Volca Drum 1 via MIDI channel 10 and then row 2 control a 2nd Volca Drum via channel 11? (or whatever MIDI channels)? Can this thing do triplets? Can you microstep nudge notes or step shift sequences?
Thanks so much for keeping everithing so simple to understand. even for a dumb like me.
I did a few tutorials on how to set it up in cubase and logic if you go to my page
Terry marsden Great video. That was really helpful.
Hi brother!
Based on your experience. How can I save different BMPs for different projects in the BSP. I need to change time for the different songs. If it is not possible, is there any hardware that will allow me to do this?
I have a Roland SPDSX with BPM for each song, but I did not get sync with the BSP. Obviously does not transmit messages Sync via midi, is there any magic box that does this work?
thank you very much
Its priced as $300 CND, pretty cool.
*****
$30 bucks more then a Volca for what your getting?
The Canadian Dollar just now under .75 cents? Blame China :)
+Jim Shannon LMFAO, blame China? You need to take some economic classes before you start blaming.
Yuzhou Qu
Read my August 22nd comment again, it might make more sense the 2nd time around. Read it slowly, from beginning to end. Hint especially at the end ;)
Is it possible to record the transpositions shown on 13:50?
been thinking of getting one of these for a while now. just wondering, can the drum sequencer also be used as a third "regular" sequencer?
i mean, can i use seq 1 - seq 2 and the purple drum sequencer all 3 for synth?
for example 1 is my rev2, 2 is my nordlead and 3 is my blofeld? or is the purple drum section really just for drums? 🧐
Yes as of Firmware 2.0 (2 years ago) but it is restricted to 2 Octaves. It may have been upgraded since then though
Can it record directly from inputs from a midi keyboard while using the sound from any connected device ?
Nick is the best of al the review..No doubt
Am I right that I can set up an individual midi channel for each of the three sequencers (the two melodic and the drum sequencer) that is being output via midi?
So with a midi splitter box or gear that has midi thru I can drive three different synths/drum machines without using a computer / midi over usb?
If that's right that would make the beatstep pro a super handy tool!
Simon Burkhardt Yes!
SourceDistributionTV Damn, now I want that thing. ;)
Hey, thats exactly what I did. I already set it up like that:
Going out of the Beatstep Pro's midi out into the Kenton Midi Thru 5. Than going into the Arturia Microbrute and the Korg Volca Keys and Beats via midi.
You can change the midi channels for the 3 sequencers (2 melodic and the drum sequencer). For the drum sequencer you can also change the midi note each pad is sending.
Works just fine that way, hope you get the gear soon and have a good time testing it out!
www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/m-thru-5.shtml
+Sonicstate can I hook this up to a let's say a korg minilogue and record a sequence via midi , then play overtop of it ?
@sonicstate
i want to know that type of things as well. It will always be within the limitations of the synths you are using though, this is not some kind of looper, if you see what i mean.
orbitalchiller I have a pigtronix infinity looper , and I can accomplish a loop , but the thing is the midi sync from my minilogue to the loop pedal is wacky , because my minilogue is receiving master clock from my arturia drumbrute.
I ve been looking into the Pigtronix Infinity as well. I want to keep my gear as simple and computerless as possible and play long sequence and be able to stack upon them. I guess the Arturia BSP is a machine with so much connectivity possibilities you could just pick one to experiment with it and always find a compromise. I wish they would have made a Beatstep Pro / Keystep sandwish. Maybe a Keystep Pro is on the way ? BTW i have a minilogue too, nice sounding synth. :)
Amazing piece of gear - my next purchase. I'm glad I didn't buy the original (although I wanted to! it was back ordered in Canada for flipp'n ever) and bought the collection of volcas (no sample yet). Now I can control and rearrange my r3 synth, Volcas and DR-3 from one spot. I was using the Trigger finger pro, but I've found its better as a drum pad (beat creator, which I absolutely love for its sampling capabilities. - the Sync out is fucked but if you use it as slave and record the AUDIO on a Daw track its works perfectly as the midi notes drift or something) and DAW controller. I just wonder how long the Beatstep Pro will take to get here... it's also 299.99 here plus tax ... boo. That parting track was super rad Nick, albeit short.
They're also $299 usd though. I don't know why cdn retailers are listing it at $299 cdn, but I'm happy with that, considering how bad the exchange is right now. I hope they don't smarten up!
bjaminbjamin Moog Audio has them in stock
+Turm Ulus interesting. I'd have to look into that. 299 is tomlee pricing and they are on order. ...everything up here went up here big time in the last 4 months. example : I bought my volcas for 160..... now they are 200! but I bought the TFP for 399....but now it's 249...... ( I got a rebate because it was actually dropped to 199 before these price hikes and within one yr of my purchase. .. so I was choked!) . Anyway 299.99 is beyond my current budget so I'm saving up for this Beatstep Pro. it looks fantastic. ...If only it had a battery option....
Q. 4/4 time signature only correct? another Q. no song mode i guess but can you select and chain patterns?
cresshead 1. incorrect! by setting last step to 12 or 9 or whatever you want. you can even have different lengths on each sequence for polyrhythms. 2. no, also not even quantizing on the pattern changes, although that's the most requested feature for future updates. the thing to understand is that despite having modern features it's more like an old modular sequencer (e.g., ARP. SQ-1, etc) than a groovebox or electribe in its roots. features that might look like are there for live performance tweaking are more for fast ideas and inspiration.
Well after a few days of owning a beatstep pro it's going back to see if I can get a refund. There are so many bugs, has been ok with eurorack but anything old I've used it with has been a nightmare, below are a few of my favourite bugs
Just plain clock out doesn't start on the first beat!!!! so say a built in arp triggered by clock is never in sync. Din seems ok though?!
The midi note range for the knobs is mid C to C 6?? why?? you have to transpose everything down several octaves which means that the knobs are telling you the wrong octave.
As mentioned the scaling is out and if all you have is CV/gate then there is nothing you can do to alter this and everything plays out of tune!
Settings will randomly change and requires frequent reboots when attached via usb. Oh and the noise! even with the ground loop thing
Saving setups via usb only save the current project not the whole memory, so you have to sync (arturia's word for saving the internal memory) each project separately, that's 9 syncs and 9 times renaming files because Arturia doesn't give you the option to name a file when you save it...again why?!?!?
You may think some of these complaints are a bit petty but taken collectively and having to constantly find work arounds it all adds up to a whole pile of annoyance and dead creativity, and support is non-existent.
I can see the possibilities of beatstep it is a cheap alternative to eurorack sequencers, this is the second incarnation maybe the next will be something worth getting but i'm not counting on it. The brute series sounded like cheap gimmicky plug-ins and this has been my first and probably last Arturia purchase, well done Arturia, you have replaced Novation at the top of the list for ill conceived, badly implemented, cheap rubbish....but it looks more stylish.
So there it is in a nut shell; as bad as Novation stuff but looks better
+David Noir Sorry to hear this - Did you update the firmware and do you have an outstanding support ticket with Arturia? Let us know details and might be able to investigate
+SourceDistributionTV yep updated firmware, support got back to me, seemed to not really understand what I was on about and referred me to the manual....yeah I read the manual, I wouldn't be asking support a question if it was in the manual?!
More bugs:
Clear pattern button only clears step data, pitch and gate data kept intact
There is no way to clear a whole project only clear patterns (see above)
Midi channels not stored with patterns...???
Even if no steps are selected random and probability will still fire off notes Random within the given parameters surely is what is wanted, not uncontrolled, cacophonous chaos? try it; select an empty pattern, push the start button, turn the random and probability up.....
pot info only stays on the tempo/value screen for a second or two, why not have a setting that allows you to have the pot's you've just selected value stay on the screen. I know what the tempo is I don't need constant reminding
Gate times can't be set across a pattern only individually; you set the gate times, decide they are too short, set all 16 again, decide now a bit too long, set all 16 again, meanwhile the screen is flicking betwixt pot data and the tempo......yes I know what the tempo is !!!!. I'm sure there is something more tedious than this but right now I can't think of it...oh yeah thought of it; the manual
To be fair the manual may cover some or all of these problem but it is so crap and uninformative I gave up...will have another crack later today
All this was found after about 3/4 hours of using beatstep pro (hmmm...didn't I learn this lesson several times before; putting 'pro' in the title doesn't always mean 'pro' in the most literal/dictionary sense)
Yeah, yeah, we welcome customer feedback etc etc, heard that literally a thousand times before
+David Noir Clock out starts on the first beat here, I never had a problem with that. MIDI note range is C0 to C6, centered around mid C. Plus, if you transpose down several octaves, the knobs update the note value they give you.
Scaling is OK for me here. It becomes wrong when I don't use the Y cable adapter. Some receiving units don't calibrate exactly to 1V/Oct though.
I didn't have noise with the ground loop cable. Do you make sure you connect the Power part of the Y cable to a power socket and not to your computer ?
Saving setups via USB, you can create a setting for the controller assignment on your computer, then send it to multiple projects in BSP via drag and drop. (there's a [+] button to unfold the computer memories and get access to the controller map only). I recall that this feature might not work perfectly right now but it's there.
And regarding your second message:
Clear pattern does clear step, pitch and gate data. I just tested it. I'm on the latest firmware.
Clear project, true, there's no way to do it.
MIDI Channels are global for the device. You can change them using the CHAN button though.
I understand your frustration but some of these complaints seem really odd to me, MIDI clock out, clear pattern data especially.
+Sébastien Rochard
Ok i'll give you that the clear button will erase pitch and gate data, it did seem to get more reliable but would still mess up sometimes and required a reboot to get it working again
I don't understand you thinking my complaints seem 'really odd' though.
Some complaints you agree are bugs; saving set ups via USB, no project clear.
Some complaints you didn't understand; I didn't mention midi clock, I was talking about clock, have you synced it to another sequencer with clock? you won't succeed, you push the play button and BSP will miss out the first 2 or 3 pulses so sequencers don't start at the same time. The complaint about midi note range? C0 is middle C C6 is six octave above, just within the human hearing range, you have to transpose down via arturia software to get notes below middle C. Look in the manual it says note range is six octaves +/- from C0 but in reality it is C0 to C6
Most complaints you didn't even mention; gate times, random function, stoopid implementation of buttons and screen. It seems really odd that you chose only to comment on a few of my complaints
And wow dude did you not think I knew about the CHAN button, my point is that the midi channel should be saved for the project, every DAW and MIDI piece of equipment can save MIDI channel data going right back to the invention of MIDI. Why do you think that Arturia is not completely moronic for not having that on BSP? I had to write down MIDI channels for projects on a piece of paper and have it next to the BSP
My conclusion is that BSP is too amateurish to be taken seriously, it is badly implemented and stifles creativity and for the many reasons I've given. It is junk, and I wish reviewers would be a bit more objective.
Excuse my confusion but are we talking about one measure here? how many messurs can you line up
Arturia is to the new millenium that Moog was to early '70s. Great tech that helps create great sounds.
I believe the "solid" feel and the "mass" is due solely to lead weights. It will make it seem to be more well made but that is an illusion, (I'm not saying it isn't well made). With all the gear we have to lug around, maybe that's not a good idea. It's pure marketing. I wish they wouldn't do it but this is becoming more prevalent. If I'm wrong about this, I would be surprised.
It also serves the purpose of making it more difficult to get yanked off a table, however a heavy item would be more likely to break when it hits the floor.
so the drum part do not send midi, just trigger? Then you can't have it control say the volca beats right, just sync to it? If so, it's a pity. I like the beats but the memory are very limited and no way to chain patterns.
rox2u No it does send MIDI too, on all 16 pads, just the first 8 will send trigger too
Could I use the Korg MicroKORG with the Arturia Beat Step as well for looping?
What is project ,what for is it ? working only with cv gates analog ?? is possible to create all song with automatic changing pattern ? im using midi to trigger my modules ,my beat pro dont remember pattern recorded in order when i switch off how to resolve ?