Moog Music Forum

Not out in the US yet, but this sure looks like it would be a wonderful and inexpensive little addition to my Sub Phatty

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/pro ... intro.html

I got one a few weeks ago.

Indeed a wonderful and inexpensive little addition to anyone looking for more things.

I used it once with my Sub Phatty and the Beatstep does exactly what it say it does.
The only downside is the non existing quick bpm sync button. Not found on controller and not in software. You have to dial it in and beat match to the rest of you gear.

On it's own with just one synth. Excellent.

I would also check out the EHX 8-step. It doesn't have the pad functions but sliders which may be a little more intuitive. And it's all CV.

Just got the Beatstep and it is awesome. A stand-alone analog step sequencer for $100? You can't beat that. It is super great. Sturdy, gorgeous, and works perfectly. A couple of minor quirks that hopefully will be addressed in firmware update, but I HIGHLY recommend it.

So how are you specifically hooking it up with the SP? Cv? Or just running the SP into the sequencer?

And can it be controlled be a clock, and potentially control the LFO on the SP via midi? For me a sequencer is useless unless it can take a clock source with specific bpm's.

wacopacco wrote:So how are you specifically hooking it up with the SP? Cv? Or just running the SP into the sequencer?

And can it be controlled be a clock, and potentially control the LFO on the SP via midi? For me a sequencer is useless unless it can take a clock source with specific bpm's.

So far I've only connected it to the SP via CV, and used the internal clock for sequencing. Ostensibly, though, it can be synced to an external midi clock. There is a dedicated button for this, actually. Also, with the (fairly complex) editor software, it appears that you have pretty deep control of the midi messages the knobs and pads send out, so in theory you could probably control any SP parameter with any control via midi, and in pretty interesting ways. I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet. Also it should be noted that there are both usb and DIN midi connections and you can apparently send midi messages from a DAW and have it translated to CV out. At least, according to the manual.

wingo wrote:Also, with the (fairly complex) editor software, it appears that you have pretty deep control of the midi messages the knobs and pads send out, so in theory you could probably control any SP parameter with any control via midi, and in pretty interesting ways. I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet.

Hm, might be a cool controller for the Sub Phatty Shift functions as well then. Interesting little unit.

wingo wrote:

wacopacco wrote:So how are you specifically hooking it up with the SP? Cv? Or just running the SP into the sequencer?

And can it be controlled be a clock, and potentially control the LFO on the SP via midi? For me a sequencer is useless unless it can take a clock source with specific bpm's.

So far I've only connected it to the SP via CV, and used the internal clock for sequencing. Ostensibly, though, it can be synced to an external midi clock. There is a dedicated button for this, actually. Also, with the (fairly complex) editor software, it appears that you have pretty deep control of the midi messages the knobs and pads send out, so in theory you could probably control any SP parameter with any control via midi, and in pretty interesting ways. I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet. Also it should be noted that there are both usb and DIN midi connections and you can apparently send midi messages from a DAW and have it translated to CV out. At least, according to the manual.

Hmm I may have to try this then. Why does no beatstep video talk about this? At least I haven't seen any. Most of Arturias videos seem to be on the surface type of stuff. Instead of a 4 min video I'd love to see so sonic state put out a good 20 min rundown.

wacopacco wrote:Why does no beatstep video talk about this? At least I haven't seen any. Most of Arturias videos seem to be on the surface type of stuff. Instead of a 4 min video I'd love to see so sonic state put out a good 20 min rundown.

Arturia already made five videos for the BeatStep: http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/pro ... media.html

Anyway, I'd just check the manual if you want to know about all of its features: http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/pro ... urces.html On page 22 it says:

"BeatStep will translate MIDI note data into Control Voltage and Gate signals and send them from its CV and Gate jacks to a modular synthesizer or any other device that accepts these signals. Use this parameter to select which MIDI track on your DAW will be the source of the note data."

I just got mine today, I hope to make a template for the Sub phatty's hidden functions on it soon. when I do I will upload it for all users. (my website is Fluxwithit.com) one thing of note. if you are using the CV instead of midi. be sure you have it plugged into a steady power source that gives it enough juice otherwise you will get warbly notes

Here is the Arturia BeatStep review video by Sonic State: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xUzqT37wk Only 11:30 though, not 20 minutes.

I picked one up this week. Step sequencer mode works great with my Sub Phatty, I still need to configure controller mode for specific use with the Sub Phatty. I plan on setting it up to control a bunch of under the hood settings. Very nice little unit, and cheap. Nice expansion for Sub Phatty owners indeed.

Tonight I finally got around to configuring my BeatStep as a expansion controller for my Sub Phatty.

I loosely based it on the software editor layout.

This is what I have now:

KNOBS

Mode: Control
Option: Absolute

1. LFO Range Selection (#76, 0-86)
2. Waveform Modulation Destination (#72, 0-86)
3. Oscillator 2 Beat Frequency (#13, 0-127)
4. Filter Envelope Delay (#103, 0-127)
5. Filter Envelope Hold (#105, 0-127)
6. Velocity to Filter Envelope Amount (#110, 0-127)
7. Velocity to Filter Envelope Decay/Release (#86, 0-127)
8. Filter Envelope Keyboard Tracking Amount (#79, 0-127)
9. LFO Keyboard Tracking Amount (#78, 0-127)
10. External Input Level (#116, 0-127)
11. Filter Poles (#109, 0-96)
12. Amplifier Envelope Delay (#104, 0-127)
13. Amplifier Envelope Hold (#106, 0-127)
14. Velocity to Amplifier Envelope Amount (#92, 0-127)
15. Velocity to Amplifier Envelope Decay/Release (#87, 0-127)
16. Amplifier Envelope Keyboard Tracking Amount (#80, 0-127)

PADS

Mode: Switched control
Option: Toggle

All pads are configured to use 0 for their OFF value and 64 for their ON value.

1. LFO Gate Reset (#93)
2. LFO MIDI Sync (#102)
3. Oscillator Gate Reset (#81)
4. (unused)
5. Filter Fast Decay (#117)
6. Filter Envelope Reset (#82)
7. Filter Envelope Multi Trigger (#114)
8. Filter Envelope Repeat (#112)
9. Glide (#65)
10. Legato (#68)
11. (unused)
12. (unused)
13. Amplifier Fast Decay (#118)
14. Amplifier Envelope Reset (#83)
15. Amplifier Envelope Multi Trigger (#115)
16. Amplifier Envelope Repeat (#113)

What do you think? Is this a good setup for a Sub Phatty expansion MIDI controller? Anything you'd change about the layout or assignment of MIDI CCs? I especially enjoy having dedicated buttons for LFO Gate Reset and Filter and Amplifier EG Multi Trigger and Repeat so far.

If this setup turns out to work for me, I plan on making a proper template to print out and put over the knobs and pads. For now I have labeled them using some masking tape and a pen, but that probably won't last very long.

One downside to the BeatStep I encountered tonight: if you turn on some pads in control mode, then switch to sequencer mode and then back to control mode, all pad lights are off again. Of course the setting they control is not actually changed on the synthesizer, but the current state of the toggles is not shown on the BeatStep. I feel this is a bug in the BeatStep firmware and I'll report this to Arturia.

But all in all: I like the addition of a step sequencer and extra dedicated hardware knobs so far!

breun wrote:One downside to the BeatStep I encountered tonight: if you turn on some pads in control mode, then switch to sequencer mode and then back to control mode, all pad lights are off again. Of course the setting they control is not actually changed on the synthesizer, but the current state of the toggles is not shown on the BeatStep. I feel this is a bug in the BeatStep firmware and I'll report this to Arturia.

Arturia told me this is fixed in the next BeatStep firmware update.

Thanks for posting about this. There's been so much talk about the sequencer, it's easy to forget this is also a box of MIDI knobs. Speaking of which, how do they feel? (In case anyone's curious, the knobs on the new Bass Station II feel very solid and smooth.)

The BeatStep's knobs and pads feel nice and solid. The unit as a whole does as well, by the way, no plastic housing, nice weight.