Arturia BeatStep Pro Controller & Sequencer

Overview

BeatStep Pro is unique: a world-class controller, performance sequencer and composing tool all in one very connectible package.

BeatStep Pro is unlike anything you have ever used on stage or in the studio. Wherever you are, whatever gear is available, taking control of the creative process has never been so easy.

Step into the spotlight

Two independent melodic sequencers and a drum sequencer put thousands of on-the-spot ideas at your disposal.

With BeatStep Pro you are master of the performance, taking full control of virtual devices, analog and digital instruments, drum machines and iPad apps all at once. 16 Projects are instantly accessible, each of which contains 16 sequences per melodic sequencer and 16 patterns for the drum sequencer. That’s over 4000 possible combinations per Project!

Each melodic sequence can be up to 64 steps long with individual articulation of pitch, velocity and gate time per note. These are the most powerful step sequencers ever made. The drum sequencer has 16 separate tracks per sequence (one per pad). Record in real time from the pads or use the step buttons for that classic drum machine workflow.

Perfect performance

BeatStep Pro brings together the most unique and sought-after performance effects available: a looper with a touch strip, a randomizer, swing settings and a slew of hands-on controls that will make your performances the stuff of legend.

Take control

Control mode lets you trigger clips in your favorite DAW, play sounds from an external device or make magic with your plug-in of choice. Take your music from idea to reality with BeatStep Pro.

Plays well with others (very, very well)

With BeatStep Pro you can connect to virtually any musical device within reach: computers, virtual instruments, modular synths, drum machines; anything with USB, MIDI in and out, CV/Gate outputs, Clock in and out, or DIN sync. From the oldest music technology to the newest and beyond, BeatStep Pro is bound to become the centerpiece of your setup and the heart of your creative efforts for many years to come.

BeatStep Pro: musical mastermind

Once in a great while a product comes along that is so incredibly useful, so brilliantly simple that it fills a musical gap like nothing before it. BeatStep Pro fits that description perfectly. It offers an astounding array of control options, sequencing capabilities and potential connections, and whether your setup is all analog, all digital, or any blend of the two, it will gravitate to the center of everything you do and stay there.

BeatStep Pro: As unique as the music you will make with it.

BeatStep Pro thrives at the center of a diverse, powerful system. We designed it to be compatible with almost any hardware or computer-based device you might want to use with it.

USB and MIDI in/out ports establish two-way communication between the digital and analog worlds. Control, sequence, and synchronize other equipment, courtesy of BeatStep Pro.

The melodic sequencers provide three 1/8" jack connectors each: Two CV outputs for Pitch and Velocity and one for a Gate output.

You can also take advantage of your favorite drum sounds using MIDI or the eight drum gate outputs. Sync a vintage drum machine, or trigger its sounds with the patterns you create with the BeatStep Pro!

And all the while the BeatStep Pro will keep the system in perfect sync.

Create

BeatStep Pro will supercharge your creative process at the show or studio. Two independent step sequencers and a separate drum sequencer make it a highly versatile, instantly variable creative tool. As a MIDI controller it has enough customizable knobs, pads, and transport controls to drive your music where you want it to go. And with an unprecedented diversity of connections it provides the missing link between technology that was, is, and is to come.

Perform

BeatStep Pro was born for the stage. 3 integrated sequencers and 16 Projects, each loaded with 16 sequences per sequencer, means you can bring thousands of ideas to the show. Perform them as planned or make massive modifications on the spur of the moment, changing sequences and Projects with the system running; everything will stay in sync thanks to the rock-solid analog and MIDI clock i/o connections.

While you’re at it, use the touch-sensitive looper/roller strip to deliver cutting-edge fills and breaks at will. Then add a dash of unpredictability with a twist of the Randomness and Probability controls.

Immediate access to an unlimited number of options means your performances will always be fresh and exciting.

Powerful, sturdy, simple to use

BeatStep Pro is incredibly powerful, but it’s also simple to use. Setup is a breeze with color-coded connections on the back panel that help you know what to plug where. And the color of the backlit Step buttons will always match the current sequencer, so you’ll always know which sequence is being edited.

There’s nothing complex about using the BeatStep Pro: it doesn’t rely on sub-menus, multi-function buttons, or convoluted processes. Everything you need to know about your Project is right in front of you, with an independent display for each sequencer so you know at a glance which sequence is playing.

Beneath it all, BeatStep Pro is a solid piece of hardware that is built to last. That’s essential for such a fantastic device, because it will be hard to stop using it once you start! The pads, buttons and knobs will always be ready to make music when you are.

Three modes of operation

Melodic sequencer

BeatStep Pro features two melodic step sequencers. Record the pitch, duration and velocity of a note in real time using the pads or an external keyboard and your sequence will play back, quantized at the step resolution. You can also enter notes in step mode using the knobs and Step buttons.

Sequences can have up to 64 steps, with a total of 32 sequences per Project and 16 Projects in all.

Drum sequencer

In addition to the two melodic sequencers, BeatStep Pro features a 16-track drum sequencer. As with the others, these sequences can be recorded in real time using the pads. But you can also enter the steps using a classic drum machine workflow; the choice is yours.

The knobs can be used to define the velocity and duration of notes, and they’re also able to shift the timing of the notes away from the quantized values. That way your patterns will have exactly the kind of groove you want.

MIDI Controller

Knobs, buttons, and pads: BeatStep Pro has quite a few. And they’re fully customizable using the included MIDI Control Center application. Use BeatStep Pro to make your MIDI devices and VST instruments do exactly what you want them to.

All the controls you need

Careful thought went into the layout of the front panel and the selection of the rear panel connections. Here’s a brief description of each section:

1-TRANSPORT

Send MIDI Machine Control messages to start and stop your favorite DAW. Use Record mode to enter sequences or drum patterns in real time.

2-TRANS LNK/PRST LNK

Link your sequence preset or transposition changes so all sequencers change at the same time.

3-SWING & Randomizer

Set swing amount per sequencer or globally. Add subtle or wild amounts of pattern unpredictability with the Randomness and Probability controls.

4-Display

Displays the Tempo or the selected parameter value, which may be edited by the encoder. Tap a tempo or enable/disable the metronome with the gray button.

5-Sync mode

Select the internal clock or slave to a DAW, external MIDI clock, or analog/DIN sync.

6-Sequence control section

Select sequences independently, set the Knobs mode for each sequencer, and mute or unmute sequences.

7-Project/Control mode

Choose one of the 16 Projects or enter Control mode from here.

8-Touch sensitive knobs

Touch a knob to see its value in the display without editing it, then use the knobs to edit the pitch, gate, velocity values and timing shifts per step.

9-Step buttons

The 16 Step buttons enable and disable the steps in the current sequencer during playback. They also can be used to select the current sequencer’s preset.

10-Pressure sensitive pads

The 16 highly responsive pads allow you to play sounds either in Control mode or Drum mode. They are also great for playing notes into the melodic sequencers and transposing the sequences during playback..

11-CV/Gates

The 1 volt/octave CV/Gate outputs and the VELO output give each sequencer three ways to control a modular synth or our MiniBrute/MicroBrute analog synthesizers.

12-Drum gates

External devices can be triggered by Pads 1-8 and the drum sequencer using the Drum gate outputs.

13-Clock

Send or receive standard square wave clocking signals by way of the Clock connectors. Use one of the included MIDI adaptors and BeatStep Pro will send or receive DIN sync with stop/start messages.

14-MIDI

BeatStep Pro will interface with any MIDI equipped gear using the included MIDI adaptors.

15-USB

The USB port allows for standard class-compliant bus-powered operation. Use a USB power adaptor to run BeatStep Pro in a standalone situation.

Features

• 2 monophonic step sequencers
• Up to 64 steps per sequence
• Note, velocity and gate time settings per step
• Note tie
• 16-track drum sequencer (one track per pad)16 Projects, each with 16x2 sequences, 16 drum sequences and a controller map.
• MIDI controller mode
• Fully customizable for knobs, step buttons and velocity and pressure sensitive pads
• Send MIDI CC, note data, program changes
• Performance controls
• Randomizer with Amount and Probability settings
• Real-time looper/roller touch strip
• Independent swing amount per sequence
• Touch sensitive knobs
• Tap Tempo
• ConnectivityKensington lock
• 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