Arturia – BeatStep – Compact MIDI Controller & Sequencer with Creative Software for Recording – 16 Pads, 16 Encoders

Solidly built MIDI Controler with 16 knobs, 16 pads, and some bonus sequencing capabilities
I’m a bit of a later adopter of the Arturia BeatStep, but I put a lot of thought into which of the affordable pad/knob MIDI controllers I thought would work best for me, and the BeatStep was the clear favorite. To seal the deal, Amazon randomly put it on sale for quite a bit less than the usual asking price of around $100 U.S. At that price (or even at the usual street price), it feels like a very nice device for the money.PROS – The build quality of the BeatStep is impressive. The overall unit has a weight and toughness to it that you just don’t find in products in this price range. I’ve owned comparable MIDI controllers from Akai and Korg, and while they function just fine, the lightweight plastic feel of them just doesn’t feel like as nice of a product as what you get from Arturia. The additional heft from the metal backing probably help stabilize the pads during finger drumming, too.The original BeatStep is a MIDI controller and (very basic) sequencer that doesn’t necessarily excel at any one task, but is capable of more than you might expect. I thought the connectivity options were amazing – USB MIDI and 5-pin DIN MIDI out, plus CV Sync in a $100 controller!? It’s pretty amazing that you could hook this single device up to a desktop DAW, iPad, or hardware synth and have all sorts of options for controlling notes and sequencing. A lot of older hardware gear only uses 5-pin DIN, so that’s a major advantage to have that connectivity right off the bat. A lot of popular affordable gear from Korg, Teenage Engineering, etc. uses CV to sync between units, also. I haven’t tried it with all my gear yet, but I’ve seen enough online to suggest it should work, and you can adjust the voltage and other parameters though a very robust online editor.I primarily bought the BeatStep to use as a MIDI controller, and it’s probably best suited for that purpose. Plug this thing into an iPad sampler, and it’s like have the control surface of an MPC with a powerful software sampler behind it. With 16 rotary knobs to adjust CC parameters, plus 16 more pads (and a single large knob usually mapped to volume, but it can be reassigned), there’s a lot of flexibility here. I actually thought the pads needed to be more sensitive, but again, that can be adjusted by the software.In sequencer mode, the BeatStep is very easy to use and interesting as a creative tool. The pads light up in this mode to visually display progress through the sequence. You can change the step time to stretch single bar patterns into multiple bars, or morph slow progressions into frantic note runs. You also have the ability to play the sequence backwards or at random. You adjust the note on each step by turning the 16 corresponding knobs (which are notched for feel), kind of like an old-school step sequencer. It’s not a terribly deep or one-size-fits-all solution for writing music, but it’s still well-implemented and a lot of fun to work with the sequencer in this way.CONS – Overall, I’m happy with the BeatStep, but there are some limitations you need to know about. The sequencer is basically monophonic, so you cannot really use the BeatStep to sequence proper drum beats. There’s also no velocity control in the sequencer, unlike in controller mode where the pads are velocity-sensitive. As I’ve hinted at already, there are sequencer apps on the iPad costing a fraction of this already affordable device that are infinitely more powerful.Arturia has addressed some of the other complaints, such as the CC knobs not working fast enough to be used for filter sweeps, etc. As a controller, the default setting for the pads are chromatic notes. You can change this to a number of different scales, which is neat. But there isn’t a convenient way to switch octaves like you would on a keyboard with octave up/down buttons. I believe you can hold “shift” and turn the big knob to transpose a number of steps, and this feature was expanded in a later firmware update. But I can’t imagine that would be a practical way to reach the “D” note in the octave above after you just played a “B” note in the lower octave on the pads.Finally, the BeatStep has no visual display, and in my experience with some of the other budget equipment I’ve used, this becomes a limiting factor pretty quickly. For example, how do you use the BeatStep to sequence other gear via MIDI or CV if you have no visual readout of the BPM setting? Or, if you want to transpose a sequence by 5 semitones, how can you tell how far you’ve turned the knob without a display? I think the original BeatStep had the bones of a much more powerful controller and sequencer, but Arturia left out just a few important things that could have taken it to another level. This appears to be part of the lesson that led to the BeatStep Pro, although that’s a notably more expensive device at about $250 U.S.CONCLUSION – Despite everything it’s missing, I really like what the BeatStep offers as a controller, and think I might enjoy some of the sequencing features as well. Considering I got it for not much more than the price of a Korg NanoKontrol2, there’s really a lot to like here. Also, the software editor is one of the more straightforward experiences I’ve had with a piece of hardware, and that’s a big help. The BeatStep doesn’t do everything, but I’ve found that what it does do is handled efficiently and reliably in an attractive package.UPDATE (09/26/16): It’s been a frustration of mine that the pads on the BeatStep are a bit stiff and really require a firm touch to register. I’m not talking about “touch velocity” – they definitely sense velocity, but it seems like you should be able to configure it so that even very light touches register as hits, and I haven’t really figured that out yet. Considered downgrading to 4 stars, but I’m not doing that yet because there’s a lot of other good things about this controller, and I suspect it might be user error or my own inexperience with pads talking. But I am considering a used Korg nanoKontrol (the 2006 model) or another option.

Definitely good quality and still supported
High quality products definitely built out of strong materials that will last you a lifetime. Software is very intuitive and once you understand how to sync the controller it works very well with any daw. Lightweight as well as high quality knobs can take a beating and so can pads they are sensitivity controlled just like any beat pad and makes it very easy for streamline work. Arteria support team is extremely intuitive and is willing to help you with any questions you may have that is why honestly as a all-around producer I use them for everything. 80 bucks definitely is a good price too can’t beat it I’ve seen plenty on the market that are low quality and are about the same price but this one definitely has the money’s worth as well as a value for the money. Want something high quality they can keep up with your workflow definitely use this one!

This is my first delve into pad controllers as I come from a piano/guitar background. After a lot of research on a midi pad controller for a budget which main feature was to kick off samples/sounds with my keyboard, I settled with this over the Akai LPD8 (which is considerably cheaper) and there didn’t seem to be much of a selection with the amount of pads and slim design.I have not been disappointed with the quality as it has a robust base. The dials on it may be a plastic/rubber feel but doesn’t feel cheap and nasty. It was easy to setup with registration and installation and I could use it straight away without having to read much documentation. I love the sequencer and have it set up on my midi keyboard controller (Yamaha A88) using Logic Pro X on my MacOS. I am enjoying the experimentation of the different beats and sequencing and it definitely helps with the workflow.

Muy completo

Este es un dispositivo controlador para músicos que ha tenido bastante aceptación. A pesar de que en mayo (dentro de pocos meses) saldrá la versión PRO, he comprado 2 unidades. Puede usarse como superficie de contacto con 16 botones giratorios sin fin y 16 pads para disparar muestras o sonidos -como un teclado-. Puede configurarse de muchas maneras para controlar instrumentos VSTi o cualquier otra herramienta virtual MIDI. Además, hace las funciones de un secuenciador de hasta 16 pasos, muy fácil de programar y con muchas ventajas.Tanto para un aficionado que empieza como para un profesional es una herramienta robusta y de gran calidad. Se alimenta por la misma conexión USB por donde envía y recibe datos; retiene hasta 16 configuraciones en su memoria (aunque se desconecte) y se sincroniza con el DAW sin problemas. También tiene salida de control CV/Gate y MIDI (DIN).En mi caso es aún más complicado porque he conectado dos unidades y funciona cada una independientemente y sin problemas.Perfecto para DJs, compositores o amantes de los secuenciadores. Tiene un acabado robusto y un diseño atractivo a un precio más que razonable. Quizá ha bajado de precio porque saldrá la versión PRO pero este dispositivo no se queda antiguo y su precio es muy bajo.Nota: Es importante descargar drivers, actualización firmware y editor de la web de Arturia. El sofware para descargar no está muy a la vista.