Arturia’s KeyStep mk2 MIDI controller is short for Flow State

Arturia’s KeyStep It is one of the most popular MIDI controllers As ever, especially with modular synth users and the DAWless crowd. It is small, cheap, has an easy-to-use sequencer, and provides good connectivity. But it was also released in January of 2016. The world of music gear moves slower than, say, smartphones, but Arturia has several consoles released after KeyStep is already in its third generation. $139 Keystep MK2 It takes this classic and updates it with a host of new sequencing and composition features that Arturia has developed over the years.

Compared to the original, KeyStep mk2 has twice the number of arpeggio modes (16), eight times the number of sequence save slots (64), and features generative sequencing, chord mode, and scale mode. Scale mode can be beneficial for those less skilled players by ensuring that every note is in key. But I always found it to feel a bit unnatural on a traditional keyboard. (Although it’s my favorite design on the board controller.)

The things that are most exciting to me are the new arpeggiator modes, the Spice and Mutate generative features, and the way they interact with the sequencer. When I’m feeling stuck or uninspired (which happens often these days), they offer a shortcut to generating ideas that goes beyond just randomly jotting down notes.

So much of any creative work is about getting in Flow stateBut that takes time. You don’t just sit down and immediately go into a state of flow. You need to find it. And when your time is limited due to demanding work or children, it can be difficult to find. KeyStep’s generative and iterative features make it easy to get over that initial hump when I sit down to make some music.

Often times, I’ll start by playing a simple ARP game. I’ll pick a chord – just three or four notes, usually, nothing wild. Then I’ll press the mutate button. This starts changing notes, adding octave jumps and breaks, and generally introducing a bit of chaos. A quick press adds just a touch of randomness, while a longer press can change the sound of your original arpeggio into something completely unrecognizable.

I’ll generally do this a few times until I find something I like. Then I will ask for the spice value. This is another generative feature, changing the tone gate length and adding latches. If Spice doesn’t do anything interesting to my ears, I’ll roll the dice by holding Shift and clicking the Spice touch bar three times. This “reveals” a new set of random changes for me to call using the Spice parameter.

Once I have a short phrase I like, I can then save it to the sequencer, and this is where things get more interesting. I can repeat the phrase, expanding the sequence to 32 or even 64 steps. Since the KeyStep sequencer is polyphonic, I can record overdubs or play countermelodies, chords, or bass lines alongside this semi-random sequence.

I might quickly hit the shift button again here or adjust the Spice setting, but once I have a fuller audio clip that I like, I can pass it along behind To the audio sequence operator by selecting the “User Sequence” ARP mode. This last uploaded sequence is used as the basis for the arpeggio. However, he doesn’t just play notes. Sets the sequence pattern to any notes you play. If you play the same notes, it will sound the same, but it will be more fun to play completely new chords or advance the chords. If you have a chord progression in the song, but feel like it sounds a bit lifeless, this can be a great way to liven it up.

Now, when I’m stuck, I don’t waste 30 minutes playing music and scrolling through presets or getting frustrated because my drum pattern is so boring. I just started playing. The point isn’t necessarily to use any sequence or ARP I play on KeyStep, although I often do. Instead, it’s just about making something – anything – and seeing where my creative impulses take me next.

Arturia has smartly kept the price and basic design about the same – 32 keys in a shallow body with minimal hands-on controls. But there are some clear differences. The knobs and switches for controlling the sequencer and voice sequencer have been replaced with some lightly tapped buttons, and there’s now an infinity encoder and a small OLED display in the middle of the keyboard.

From a physical standpoint, the biggest change is in build quality, and that’s not a good thing. Although the KeyStep mk2 doesn’t look cheap, it’s certainly not up to the standards of the original. The OG KeyStep had a metal base. It was much heavier than you would expect from looking at it, and you felt that it could not only withstand the rigors of tourist life, but could also be used as a self-defense weapon. The MK2 replaces the metal base with plastic, and the controls feel less solid overall.

That’s my only real complaint, though.

The KeyStep mk2 is not a silver bullet that will cure writer’s block or put you in a flow state instantly. But it’s actually proven to be a useful tool when I’m feeling down or uninspired while staring into space Ableton Live a class.