Arturia's Key Step is one of the most popular MIDI controllers ever created, especially among modular synthesizer users and DAWless fans. It's small, cheap, has an easy-to-use sequencer, and offers decent connectivity. But it was also released back in January 2016. The world of music equipment moves slower than, say, smartphones, but Arturia has several controllers out. after KeyStep, which are already in their third generation. $139 KeyStep mk2 takes these classics and updates them with many new sequencing and composition features developed by Arturia over the years.
Compared to the original, KeyStep mk2 has twice as many arpeggiator modes (16), eight times as many sequencer save slots (64), generative sequencer functions, a chord mode and a scale mode. Scale mode can be handy for those of us who are less experienced musicians as it ensures that every note is on key. But I always found it a little unnatural on a traditional keyboard. (Although I prefer this layout on a tablet controller.)
What I'm most interested in are the new arpeggiator modes, the Spice and Mutate generative functions, and how they interact with the sequencer. When I'm feeling stuck or uninspired (which happens a lot these days), they offer a shortcut to idea generation that goes beyond just throwing out random notes.
Much of any creative act involves getting into flow statebut it takes time. You don't just sit down and immediately enter into a state flow. You need to find him. And when your time is limited due to a demanding job or children, it can be hard to find. KeyStep's generative and iterative features make it easier to overcome this initial hurdle when I sit down to write music.
I often start by playing a simple arpeggio. I'll pick a chord – just three or four notes, usually nothing wild. Then I'll click the change button. This causes notes to shift, adding octave jumps and rests, usually just causing a little chaos. A quick press adds just a little randomness, but a long press can turn the original arpeggio into something completely unrecognizable.
I usually do this several times until I find something I like. Then I'll type in the Spice value. This is another generative function that changes the gate length of notes and adds ratchets. If Spice isn't doing anything interesting to my ear, I'll roll the dice by holding down the Shift key and tapping the Spice touch strip three times. This “throws out” a new set of random changes that I can make using the Spice parameter.
If I have a short phrase that I like, I can save it in the sequencer and this is where things get interesting. I can duplicate the phrase, expanding the sequence to 32 or even 64 steps. And because the KeyStep sequencer is polyphonic, I can record overdubs by playing counter melodies, chords, or bass lines along with this semi-random sequence.
I could quickly hit the Mutate button again or fine-tune the Spice parameters, but once I have a more full-sounding passage that I like, I can skip it. back to the arpeggiator by selecting arp mode “user sequence”. This uses the last loaded sequence as the basis for the arpeggio. However, it doesn't just play notes. It maps a sequence pattern to any notes you play. If you play the same notes, they will sound the same, but it's much more fun to play completely new chords or chord progressions. If you have a chord progression for a song but feel like it's sounding a little lifeless, this can be a great way to liven it up.
Now, when I feel stuck, I don't spend 30 minutes scrolling through presets and getting frustrated that my drum pattern is too boring. I'm just starting to play. It's not even about using any sequence or articulation that I play on the KeyStep, although I do that a lot. Instead, it's just about doing something—anything—and seeing where my creative impulses take me next.
Arturia has wisely kept the price and basic design more or less the same – 32 keys in a shallow housing with minimal manual control. But there are some obvious differences. The knobs and switch for controlling the sequencer and arpeggiator have been replaced with light, clicky buttons, and the center of the keyboard now features an infinity encoder and a small OLED display.
From a physical perspective, the biggest change is in the build quality, and it's not great. While the KeyStep mk2 doesn't look cheap, it's definitely not up to the standards of the original. The OG KeyStep had a metal base. It was much heavier than you'd expect from looking at it, and it looked like it could not only withstand the rigors of touring life, but also be used as a self-defense weapon. The mk2 replaces the metal base with a plastic one, and the controls feel less durable overall.
That's my only real complaint though.
KeyStep mk2 is not a magic solution that will cure your writer's block or immediately put you in a state of flow. But it's proven to be a handy tool when I'm feeling frustrated or uninspired staring at empty space. Ableton Live session.
