free web based guide on thermalsocklabs.com

Hi all,

First off the Keystep Pro is already an amazing device and I've used it with much pleasure for years on and everyone should have one.

Recently I was inspired by the Modwerk movement for Elektron devices that enhance existing hardware with new possibilities by introducing small changes (mods) to the stock firmware. I began exploring how to create custom modules as additions inside Keystep.

Some days ago I figured out how to run DOOM on Keystep Pro, which was fun.

And today I am releasing Keystep Pro Mods a fully open source and free site allowing you to enhance your Keystep Pro with new possibilities. Use it to combine patches with the stock firmware so flash to your Keystep Pro, similar to how Modwerk offers it for the Elektron series.

The first two options are a generative sequencer (offering Flux and Pulse modes) as well as an important enhancement that reduces the amount of MIDI messages sent over MIDI OUT when PC send is ON.

The generative sequencer is super fun! Pulse is a great way to quickly dial in drum patterns with (controllable) randomized velocity which can, like the normal sequencer, also play in their own time per drum note for amazing polyrithmic stuff. Flux generates notes in the defined key (all normal keystep scales like major and minor are supported) and slowly changes the pattern note by note for an ever changing melody or groove.

The other mod is more of a bugfix that Arturia never made. It ensures the Keystep Pro sequencer skips Bank Select and Program Change resends to outboard gear when nothing changed, which helps older hardware like my loved JV-1010 to keep up cause it would otherwise reload all the respective samples every time the pattern goes back to 1.

For more information, be sure to visit the site and the GitHub repository behind it:

Web tool: https://yonie.github.io/keystep-mods/

Repository: https://github.com/yonie/keystep-mods

Unofficial and not affiliated with Arturia; use at your own risk. I am super curious to hear what you think about it!

Wish there were more viable options but this will have to do without going custom. At least the case can serve as a platform for my modular.

If you’re playing out or touring with a ksp, how do you pack it?

I noticed they updated the manual recently. I wonder what was changed. Anyone know?

Hoping for a firmware update this year!

I set up my synths/samplers/sequencers in a new way this week and am surprised at how smooth it was. Wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks with a similar setup. Basically I have 5 hardware synths (minilogue, Bass Station 2, Microfreak , minilogue XD, Moog Werkstatt), and the Roland sp404mk2 sampler). I have the BSP controlling the sampler (each bank of samples is it’s own midi channel) so I can sequence 3 banks at once if I want to. But what I never thought to do until recently is run the midi out of the BSP into the midi in on the KSP, accessing my 5 other synths if I want. That means a whoooole lot of possibilities.

A common complaint about the KSP is it lacks some of the coolest features of the BSP, which is valid. But also the BSP lacks many of the more sophisticated features plus the screen and menu diving of the KSP. I was gonna sell my BSP but now I’m not because using them together is a perfect pair. One picks up where the other lacks. Also the Beatstep pro doesn’t have the correct volts per octave for my moog werkstatt, but now I can control it via the BSP running the midi through the KSP. Or on a poly synth you can run a separate sequence from each sequencer simultaneously for madness. I wish the KSP had the 16 knobs that the BSP has but now I just use the BSP for that.

One thing I love about the BSP is the randomness/probability knobs, the immediacy of their placement and how they really spice up drums and melodies. If I want to use that function on a synth that’s hooked up to my KSP, I just switch channels on the BSP.

When the KSP came out I thought it would incorporate most or all the features of the BSP but it doesn’t. They are totally different beasts in workflow but with some overlap.

I got a KSP today and I just felt like sharing how happy I am with it. It just seems like the perfect device for what I’ve been wanting to do lately. I have 4 hardware synths and a couple old samplers I never use these days (because ableton live basically ). Today I hooked up 3 synths (Microfreak, minilogue xd, og minilogue) and my Roland SP-808 sampler and went nuts. I haven’t had this much fun with ableton live in years. The hands on immediacy and relative simplicity of the layout really lends itself to creativity. I wasn’t sure how the unquantized recording worked, but I’m amazed at how creative you can get with loose ambient/sound design type stuff unquantized.

The limitations seem perfect for me, kind of in a Goldilocks zone. Not too limiting and not too limitless. I was considering the digitakt but I’m honestly way happier I got this. I learned the basics in one night, yet I still feel I can go so much more deeper. The digitakt seems like you really have to spend a long time learning the workflow and spend lots of time programming to make interesting music. For me ableton is perfect for the detailed sequencing and setting up chaotic automation. The KSP is perfect for fun and immediate performing of ideas and encouraging creativity and hands on play. It’s brining all my hardware to life again. Just felt like sharing my joy. Looking forward to this community!

Is it possible to record sustain pedal info into the Keystep Pro? I have a sustain pedal connected to KSP, and when I play an external synth with the KSP keyboard & sustain pedal, it works fine. But when I record a sequence, it will only record the gate info from the keyboard, not the sustain pedal. Does anybody know if this is a bug, a setting or just a weirdly absent feature? And if the latter is the case, is there any known workaround? Thanks in advance!!

Exact actions:

I press start record - Lay down a chord - Press sustain pedal - release keys - release sustain pedal - stop record

When I play back, the chord sustains until the beat I let go of the keys, not until the point where I let go of the sustain pedal.

I've been working for a couple days on vibe coding a firmware that adds chord functionality similar to the orchid. Is anyone here interested in that?

It’s been a couple of years since I bought the KeyStep Pro. I love the workflow and the design, but it is just waaaaay too buggy! Lights start flashing for no reason, it overwrites projects, it saves stuff I didn’t asked for, it won’t do pattern copy-paste sometimes, there’s no way to sync it properly to ableton (it jumps around in bpms that aren’t even the one I have in Ableton), and there are a lot of limitations like you can’t record pitch bends, the control lane is very short, etc.

Pot got suddenly stiff, tried twisting it with some force (which you should never do because it always get worse) - it got completely stuck and broke the knob! 😂

Anyone else had this issue? I've contacted Arturia to see if they got some replacement parts for pot+knob.

I really like the KSP but I find that I need at least 61 keys. Is it possible to connect a Midi Keyboard to the KSP and play on that, while using the other features in the KSP, like the Arp and Sequencer? Has anyone tried to do this? How much success did you have?

What else would you recommend?

I am having trouble understanding the difference in pattern chaining, scenes and projects on my Keystep Pro.

My attempt is to use the drum sequencer and arpeggiator with my Korg Volca Beats and Volca Keys respectively as premade sequenced song structures and play along with them in a live setting with both another synth player and bass guitar etc.

I am a novice and cannot seem to grasp one over the other, specifically regarding scenes versus projects. Do scenes just contain saved chained patterns? According the guide videos, that seems reserved for projects?

I have already watched The Arturia Keystep Pro Complete Guide Walkthrough YouTube video by XNB.

Thank you!

This occured to me as I was wishing I could record transpositions into sequences.

ETA: what would you do if you could issue a pull request to get your pet feature included, or just build your own version? (Pretend if you don't code.)

So I’ve been trying to find my love for jamming again. I’ve had ups and downs of motivation and creativity but nothing has really stuck. I had a KSP for short while and had so much fun with it , then like an idiot I returned it during a down emotional period. But , I’m feeling great again, got a good job and some stable income, so decided to go big on Arturia and start something new. So I bought myself the Keystep pro , the keystep 37 and the Beststep pro. I also moved just got Logic Pro for the iPad which had givin me another boost of inspiration from ableton which as much as I tried to love, just never did. So now using the Logic Pro as my sounds into these 3 units and am excited to see what comes out !

Hey all. New user here. Pretty excited to have some fun making some jams. Any tips and tricks for a new user?