Arturia BeatStep Pro

Arturia BeatStep Pro | Reviews
87
the fl y, but this is still a nice feature.
Here you’ll also fi nd a touchpad for
creating glitchy note repetitions, though
my MIDI’d Jupiter-6 couldn’t hack the
pace at times (it is 30 years old).
It takes two
So far we’ve only mentioned how to
program the pitch of notes, but each
sequencer also allows you to alter the
gate time and velocity for each step.
When using MIDI this is straightforward,
but with CV you can of course use the
Velocity lane to control fi lter cutoff or
any other patchable parameter. Things
get even more interesting when you
bring the second sequencer into the
equation. It also has two CVs and a Gate
output so, while it could be used to
control a second synth, it could equally
be employed to alter two additional
synth parameters – but using a different
pattern length – in order to create some
great polyrhythmic changes.
The Drum sequencer works a little
differently; each pad gets a separate
track within the pattern – the classic
X0X drum machine approach. Each
pad/track sends MIDI On/Off, and pads
1-8 trigger the rear panel Drum Gates,
though it’s a shame pads can’t be set to
different MIDI channels. A nice touch is
that each pad gets a Shift parameter
(instead of Pitch) for moving individual
steps backwards or forwards in time.
Unlike
Roland’s TR-8
where pattern
changes are
permanent, the
BeatStep Pro
requires that you
store them after
making any changes. This can be
frustrating when you fi rst switch
patterns and realise that you’ve lost
everything, but for live performance this
makes sense, allowing you to tweak
patterns on-the-fl y without the worry of
getting back to where you started. The
same thing applies to the 16 Projects.
Each Project holds 16 patterns for each
of the three sequencers and a separate
Control Mode preset.
Though it isn’t perfect in every
sense, there’s so much to the BeatStep
Pro that it can be overwhelming if you
insist on learning every feature. I
suspect users will pick and choose what
they use depending on their individual
requirements. For the money little else
comes close – I will be buying one.
To get the most out of
the BeatStep Pro you’ll
need to access the MIDI
Control Centre software,
though this may only be
to upgrade fi rmware and
confi gure some global
connectivity options
before going it alone.
In the BeatStep Pro’s
Control Mode nearly
every encoder, button
and pad transmits user
defi ned MIDI data via
MIDI and USB. You can
also select between MIDI
CC or MCU/HUI protocol
output modes for the
encoders. This allows the
BeatStep Pro to sit very
much at the centre of
your studio or live rig
(until your head explodes
from the number of knob/
button possibilities).
With this in mind, the
confi guration software is
an important part of the
equation. It also allows
you to backup, restore
and manage settings,
Projects and patterns.
Something I didn’t
expect was the ability to
edit the sequences
themselves. This follows
the DAW-style piano-roll
approach, while the
Drum sequencer takes
the grid-based route.
It would have been
nice to rely a little less
on the software, but the
Pro is still very capable
as a standalone unit.
MIDI Control Centre
I suspect that users will pick and
choose what they use depending
on their individual requirements
VERDICT
BUILD
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VALUE
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EASE OF USE
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VERSATILITY
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RESULTS
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Plenty to offer in terms of
connectivity and controller
capabilities, and great value.
SPECS
2 monophonic step
sequencers
16-track drum sequencer
(one track per pad)
16 Projects, each with 16x2
sequences, 16 drum
sequences and a
controller map
Connectivity: CV/GATE
outputs (1 volt per octave
CV, 10 volt gates), 8 drum
gate outputs, Clock sync
with multiple standards,
MIDI In/Out with supplied
MIDI adaptors, USB class
compliant
Includes: 2x MIDI adaptors,
1x Clock adaptor, 1x Anti
ground-loop adaptor
Size :
415 x 163 x 36mm
Weight :
1.450kg
ALTERNATIVES
Korg SQ-1
£79
Much closer to an
‘old-school’ step-sequencer
in concept, but far more
trimmed-down than the
new Arturia box.
www.korg.com
Doepfer Dark Time
£379
Classically-styled 2x8 Step
CV/Gate sequencer .
www.doepfer.de
Koma Elektronik
Komplex
1,699 euros
Four 16-step sequencers
and an 87-point patchbay
make this a beast of
sequencer – if you can
afford it.
koma-elektronik.com
FMU296.rev_arturia.indd 87 12/08/2015 17:28