If you hear details on lacking features, definitely let me know. I scanned the feature list of both but I probably missed something. Curious if it is critical or not.

haven't checked the Pro and what it does, but it might be in the scale modes and the 'strum' thing. which might well be retro-updated, if the Pro was released first?

Appears you are right. It seems like the Pro has some limitations for it’s cost actually. Its made by a different product team than the 37. If I can find a B stock one or something maybe Ill get it, but for now the 37 makes more sense.

The Pro also can only be slaved to sync and not stepped manually by a pulse/gate signal. This is a bit of a niche feature admittedly, but important to me. I contacted Arturia about it and they said it might be possible, but the way it works under the hood is totally different so it would take some doing. It also would have to ignore the time shift and gate knobs (taking the timing and note length from the incoming pulse). If they implement that, I will get the Pro in a heartbeat, but pretty happy with the 37 for now.

Sold my keystep for what I paid for it (2nd hand). Although it was a good piece of gear, I hated that it never had a screen for tempo (at least).
Bought this. Checked it quickly. Seems good.

question:
can the Keysteps receive midi clock/midi sync as slave, whilst sending analog sync out the other side to other devices?

ie: can you use it as a midi-dinsync converter? (sync a dinsync machine to a midi sequencer)

Keystep Comparison:

oo-weeeee 8 drum gate outputs.. 4 sequencer channels...
*do we care about Strum*?

Hi,

Wherever I look the KeyStep 37 size is said to be 550 x 147 x 35 mm. But clearly the height including the knobs is much over 35 mm.

Can someone tell me the full height?

I need to know how to adapt the height of my pull-out tray under my desk - where I plan to have the KeyStep 37 I am about to order.

Thanks!

Mine looks to be 54~55mm including the knobs.

Thanks a lot! :-)

Can the Pro version record pitch/mod wheel? Doesn't say on the chart above, so i'm guessing it can't (at least according to another person on a forum i vist it can't)?

It's really weird how you can't record pitch or modwheel on these newer units, if there was one change i had imagined it would have been exactly that.
It's also exceptionally weird that Pro version doesn't have strum?? Why? I must say i was surprised of how much i like that on my Keystep 37, quite unique function. I don't think my Pyramid sequencer can do that, well it probably can if you set it up somehow, but not as easy as this.

If keystep 37 could record one more midi-channel, record pitch/mod-wheel and 2 CC's it would have been like the coolest midi sequencer ever. It's an immensely fun sequencer as it is so it's a bit sad they didn't make it go from great to "mind blown". And yeah, there's the pro which can record CC(??) it seems (really weird that i can do CC but not the more basic things like the pitchwheel).

I went and grabbed a 37. The Price is right and it does a lot for the cost. The one thing thats mildly annoying is unless you want it to play random arps or sequences, you dont want it to receive sync from your DAW, only send MIDI out. For whatever reason that always gives me problems. But away from the DAw thats not really an issue.

I like the strum feature a lot. It can do some great stuff.

first report on the 37:

was looking for the small version but was offered a cheap deal on the 37. now wondering if i needed the extra features ... -which demand some attention: i'm working my way around it without the manual first, so the first test was just poking around to see what happens. (well-designed gear doesn't need too much of a manual IMO) - and i installed the MIDI Control Centre to see what that does.

first impression: a different presence to what i expected, more 'substantial'. seems less like the mini-keyboard i was thinking of, and it is weightier - in a good way: it has a quality feel and looks quite posh when it's on. and doesn't slide around. i was envisaging something a bit more 'low key': chuck it on a shelf and don't notice it.

it is very very *white*. so it's a weird choice to do text in mid-blue, which doesn't give great contrast for small fine text, for the shift functions. and flashing bright backlit buttons. is it true we can turn that down? wish it wouldn't flash when it's in chord mode, and don't necessarily need the tap tempo flashing either.
when it's off, it doesn't look overwhelming, just a white keyboard, about the size of a cz101. (already wondering what it would look like sprayed mid/dark grey.. but will i keep it? terrified of soiling the whiteness.)

now i need to read the manual, because i can't see how you assign the midiCCs or what they are. really, the legend 'semantics' should make this clear, and it should be possible without software - but on the plus side, the software seems to act as a librarian for MIDI CC setups, and is very easy and quick.

had some unexpected operation with the arp, not sure how to set octaves yet.

oh. you have to have the unit connected to enter the MIDI Control Center.
(which means having to fetch it and a usb cable and clearing some space)

? ... but you don't for some of the earlier models, such as BeatSteps.

mmm? (maybe the software will eventually be updated)

Its really not that bad man. Lol. Its a pretty straightforward controller. And yes to update the hardware it helps to plug in the usb.

yes did that. whatever version of MIDI Control Center i have installed does not have a Keystep37 UI - for assigning CCs. - but it does for BeatSteps.

i'm told that the original Keystep has a Brightness setting?

if they'd made a KeyStep36 i'd be chuffed AF lol (<-> )

aren't you overthinking things? Just start using the keyboard and play melodies and chords

Am I the only one thinking the multi-octave arpeggiator implementation on the 37 is a bit off?

In the Inclusive and Exclusive (up and down) modes, I'd expect that if I play a chord and have additional octaves enabled, that it would linearly go up through all the notes, and then down. Example: holding C1+E1+G1 in Exclusive mode, with +1 octave, I'd expect: C1, E1, G1, C2, E2, G2, E2, C2, G1, E1, repeat.

Instead it plays the chord up and down in the first octave, then does the same for every additional octave! Same example: C1, E1, G1, E1, C1, C2, E2, G2, E2, C2, repeat. I've never seen any other arpeggiator act like this — isn't that counter-intuitive? There doesn't appear to be a setting to change this kind of behavior to how it works on e.g. a microKORG or Prophet '08.

Also, there seems to be strange lag that makes it very hard to change chords when in hold mode and stay in time; does anyone have a strategy here?

Lots of little things like this are marring a potentially fantastic device…

Anything on the Arturia forum bug page?

It's not a bug, that's the intended functionality as stated in its manual.

Hey guys I have a quick yet difficult question. Or maybe it is a dumb question. Can the KeyStep 37 and/or the KeyStep Pro be used to control/sequence the Moog DFAM and Moog Werkstatt-01? I know the voltage of the DFAM and Werkstatt is -5V to 5V. If the voltage of the KeyStep 37 and KeyStep Pro is 0V to 10V it seems they would be incompatible with the DFAM and the Werkstatt-01. Am I correct in this thinking since neither have MIDI and both have to be controlled through CV? Any information you guys can provide and solutions would be much appreciated! Thank you!

Gate can be set to 5v. Page 56 of manual.

• PITCH has two options, each with its own keyboard reference settings: ◦ 1 Volt/octave (0-10V) ◦ 0 volt MIDI note range: C-2 to G8 ◦ Hertz per volt (max ~12V) ◦ 1 volt MIDI note range: C-2 to G8 (1V reference default: C0) • The GATE output has three options: ◦ S-trigger ◦ V-trigger: 5 volts ◦ V-trigger: 12 volts • The MOD output has eight options ranging from 0-12 volts. By setting the Max voltage for this output, you can fine-tune the effect of the MOD output or accomodate devices that do not respond well to higher voltage levels. See Chapter 9 [p.64] for a description of the related MIDI Control Center parameters. Note: The keyboard Shift functions will also work on the CV output.

would be nice if you could run the MIDI Control Center without it attached, and see what the parameters are ...

also: a 'Gate' mode would be good for sequence playback eg: only plays when note on/key on. currently plays continuously-only, unless i've missed something. (another reason why i'm trying to run the editor 'offline')

triggering a volcaFM with 3 note polyphony is interesting when you dial in more notes than it can do. note-stealing produces 6/7/9/11/13 etc.

just noticing a few things: the editor (version i have) doesn't do much and seems incomplete for the 37.

i think the KS37 could have more stuff implemented in firmware. would be nice to be able to switch off MIDI start command, different sync modes on in and out sides (ie: receive 1 step sync in, send out dinsync 24?).

switch off the flashing ?! (option)
multiple chord memories? some way of having a handful of chords to assign to keys? (wild one there)
other stuff?
the editor is not great though. where is the user chord library? (thinking: Bomer's Mouse Keyboard !)

last post on this for now:

QUESTION: my friend who has a Keystep32 assures me that the MIDI Control Centre has a 'dimmer' knob for the button LEDS.

well the 37 version doesn't, and i can't load the 32 interface because i don't have that device connected - required if you want to see each device's configuration.

does this dimmer control really exist? and why not on the 37?

Keystep (32) does have an LED brightness setting. It's all the way at the bottom if you scroll down.



If it's not on the 37, perhaps it will be added in a future firmware update.

Question for the keystep 37 owners:
Can I capture a pattern that extends over more octaves than what the keystep 37 offers using an external midi keyboard that has more octaves?