ArturiaBeatStep - Compact MIDI Controller & Sequencer with Creative Software for Recording - 16 Pads, 16 Encoders

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.

This is a seriously groovy bit if s*** fans. The only trouble seems to be that I don't know how to use it but my mate Kevin says that he is absolutely sure that if I could go to night school and learn the rudiments of electronoc particles and how they are transmitted along cables comma, I could make a great deal of use of it with my Arturia micro (little) system.That's Kevin!ButI honestly think that if you have a grasp of software ( and yourself in a dark alley) you could quite possibly make this work.I bet it sounds good fans!Paul.

This was so fun I ended up buying two of them - and a BeatStep Pro - although sadly they've since gone up in price. I mention this because using a pair of BeatSteps with a modular synthesiser opens up all kinds of possibilities. You can use CV from one BeatStep and gates from another to make classic 1970s-style one-finger basslines, for example. Or you can load a bunch of sequences into the BeatSteps and use them as a left-hand rhythm accompaniment to a right-hand melody.The BeatStep is a surprisingly versatile thing. It's a dual-use control surface / step sequencer, although I only ever use it as a step sequencer. But it also works as a CV/Gate converter. And it outputs CV/gate plus MIDI simultaneously, so you can use a single BeatStep to drive two synthesisers, one with MIDI and one with CV/Gate.It has sixteen encoders that are physically aligned with the sixteen pads, which is one thing it has over the BeatStep Pro. The Pro has an odd arrangement where it has 2x8 rows of encoders that map onto a 1x16 row of steps, so it takes a bit of mental mathematics to work out which encoder controls which step, whereas with the original BeatStep the knobs and pads are aligned. The BeatStep also has a random play mode, which is curiously missing from the Pro model.The random mode is more useful than it sounds. You can use the BeatStep to generate an endlessly varying stream of ambient chords, for example, by randomly switching between notes, with the result fed into a huge reverb. Or you can use it to generate a random gate pattern that's still synchronised with MIDI. That's not possible with the Pro.Beyond that the BeatStep is appealing because it's simple. It uses a standard USB-Micro USB cable, it has just enough memories for patterns to be useful, it syncs reliably to MIDI, and you can alter the patterns and knobs in real time, unlike the sequencers on the Korg Volcas.Bad stuff? One of my BeatSteps eventually went haywire, randomly flashing lights. The CV output is transposed two octaves up, which is jarring if you aren't expecting it, although thankfully the MIDI output is find. In theory you can transpose patterns on the BeatStep by sending it a MIDI note - but it mirrors its input directly to the output, so in practice the MIDI note plays on top of the sequence. There's no digital read-out for the tempo control, so if you absolutely have to play at 140bpm you'll need an external clock source or a very good ear.

This is my first synth controller, and I purchased it to operate an analogue modular synth as well as DAW. I'm impressed. It's nice and compact, light weight, but has a nice user-friendly interface. The knobs and pressure pads are responsive and solid, the features intuitive and avoiding unnecessary complications while also being quite comprehensive. The sequencer worked out of the box for both my analogue synth and FL Studio. Definitely recommend.

so i have 2 of these controllers, i did complain to tech support whilst they were in warranty and had no help whatsoever, they even got a video of my first unit sending midi messages that were wrong and denied there was anything wrong with it, even though they admitted the midi messages were not correct.so the main problem with this unit, the rotary encoders are terrible, the tempo one would send the wrong messages, if i turn it one way it would jump around and send the wrong midi messages, all the encoders have the same issues.the pads on mine have turned brown and are impossible to clean, they do not work correctly, they did when i first got it, i just think the rubber material is not very good quality.its very hard to sync it to a DAW, theres no tempo display so its hard to tell what BPM you are on, the pro version has this feature.i cannot recommend these products, they are not a joy to use, just expensive toys.

The build quality of the controller is excellent and it is a doddle to set up and use. Fits in a laptop bag for portability and looks great. All pads and rotary controls feel good and it's easy to create sequences with it. Definitely recommended.