Easily Add a Pocket Operator to your Setup with Arturia Keystep!

Easily Add a Pocket Operator to your Setup with Arturia Keystep!
Today I'm showing how to easily add a Pocket Operator into your setup using an Arturia Keystep! While I'm demonstrating on a PO-32 Tonic and Keystep 37, this technique will work with all Pocket Operators, as well as all Keysteps!
Enjoy the video :)
Arturia MIDI Control Center:
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GEAR IN THIS VIDEO
Teenage Engineering PO-32 Tonic: amzn.to/2SYPgaI
Arturia Keystep 37: amzn.to/2Uylg60
Behringer Model D: amzn.to/3gPassQ
Zoom Livetrak L-12 (audio recorder): amzn.to/3wSqGHi
Questions? Ask them below!
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[@free2muse]

I appreciate the hands on approach. It’s nice to see someone actually show the connections first before just jumping into the programming. Thanks man.

[@FreeBeat]

Glad I can help! I started going over the cables and connections because I always got frustrated when I was first getting started in electronic music, everyone just seemed to fly through the hardware setup process lol. Thanks!

[@free2muse]

@@FreeBeat yes exactly! Thx again.

[@Two-Eyed_Boy]

Cool topic! I usually just try my best to listen to the count and mash the play button in time with the thing I'm jamming with like a caveman but I'll have to try this!

[@FreeBeat]

Hahaha I do that way more often than I'd like to admit!

[@therealesttoolyjones]

That part at 2:13 about needing software is SUCH A VITAL PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT JUST ENDED MY HOURS OF FRUSTRATION THANK YOU

[@rookmaster7502]

Man, your instructional and communicative skills are truly superb! Every step in the tutorial explained and demonstrated clearly such that viewers need not guess exactly what you are doing and why you are doing it.

[@FreeBeat]

Thank you so very much, I appreciate it!

[@Jin-Hu]

This just came in super handy, my first foray into modular has just commenced and I'm using PO33 & 35 for the drums in my little system controlled by a Keystep, your guide just lead me to a 3 hour long magnum opus :) thank you so much

[@danhectic5629]

i have Factory & will be grabbing the Street Fighter version soon- i bought a keystep 32 a while ago & never use it- THANKS!

[@FreeBeat]

Time to start jamming!

[@Sarahbuildsstepsequencers]

So helpful, Free!! You have *way* more hits than misses - incredible for a daily poster!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much!

[@natjes6017]

That was awesome! So pleased you show which connections you use and how to make everything work together, including using the computersoftware. Hats off 😃

[@FreeBeat]

Glad you liked it, thanks so much!

[@cody0710]

simply a great vid. fun to watch how the keystep generates a pro level harmony around at 7:00 ish.

[@FreeBeat]

Definitely a happy little accident haha.

[@jammintoast]

This was actually super helpful dude thanks!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@iosmusicman]

Simple & neat demo. Cheers. Lee

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@nerfytheclown]

You are a pretty good drummer. Looking forward to the show

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much, see you there!

[@Debussyfields]

Thank you so much for this

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@jayfunk5988]

Soon as the Model D come in 😁 Great set up!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@bjamminsincebirth3494]

Great video!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much!

[@neonpop80]

Thaaaank you sooo much!

[@SoldierSide36]

Thank you!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@jacobthewinner]

Great vid! Can you make a similar video having the keystep 37 sync with the Microfreak, while the Keystep also sequences the NTS-1? thats my one setup I haven't pulled off perfectly yet. I bet you could do it!

[@FreeBeat]

I can certainly give it a shot!

[@popwa6977]

GOOD MY FRIEND!!!!

[@FreeBeat]

Thank you!

[@StaggGz]

Nice

[@CmdrMic]

Great! Brain melted.

[@stupidnamegenerator]

TY! But I had to set it to "1 pulse (Korg)" for it to actually sync with the BPM in the Keysteps display, "1 pulse (Clock)" is too fast. But then SY2 acts strange, using SY4 or SY5 works fine!

[@draconianrhythms]

Ahh I feel like I neeeed that Model D. But I just bought the Crave, so should really try to suppress these urges x)

[@FreeBeat]

Gotta control the gas hahaha

[@JAK_Makes_Music_]

I’m upset that I own so many midi keyboards but not a key step. I guess I’m going to buy one, it works with literally everything on my tabletop setup

[@FreeBeat]

They are great keyboards!

[@pressure-spirals]

Very helpful video. Thank you very much. Is it possible to connect a keystep with a po 33 played as a sampler?

[@sergeycherebedov3017]

Wow!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@carnmarth334]

This is AMAZING. I have three POs and didn't even know that they could be synced to any non-Teenage Engineering gear. Does this apply to every Pocket Operator?

[@pressure-spirals]

That's great stuff! Thank you for showing this feature and how to do it. I was wondering if the po 33 can be used as a sampler and play the samples through the keystep. Making a sample synthesizer

[@FreeBeat]

Absolutely! Keep in mind that you can't actually play the samples themselves from the keystep, you can only start and stop the sequencer. Thanks for watching :)

[@pressuridion]

@@FreeBeat oh I see. Thank you for your answer. I wish I could play sample pads or stabs with the keystep :( Oh well, I m planing on buying both gears anyway. Keep up the good work

[@spiegelkind2387]

Great! This way I can use my OP-Z as a master clock for POs without losing the stereo signal while the Line Module remains unavailable in my region.

[@FreeBeat]

Absolutely, thanks for watching!

[@flashter]

Had to choose "1 step (Clock)", SY5 (middle PO) and SY4 (final PO) to make it work. But Im getting a horrible noise coming from the right channel of the Keystep 37. Any idea? A workaround is using a SY5 PO with zero volume at the start of your PO chain. But its a waste.

[@nickwebster6318]

Hey man... love your channel. This doesn't really relate to this video but... I play synths in a band... ahem we're called the paper skulls check us out. But I have a korg nts-1, volca sample, keys, fm, and a microkorg all through a mixer in my rig right now and I wanted to upgrade my speakers... I feel like I'm losing clarity playing them all at once. Right now I'm playing them through and old bass amp that I've had since high school. I was wondering what speakers you use, and what you would suggest as far as a good high end, middle of the road, and cheap solution might be? Thanks 😊

[@Two-Eyed_Boy]

Sounds like you need to push sound in a live setting moreso than a recording setting then right?

[@nickwebster6318]

@@Two-Eyed_Boy yes but I wouldn't mind learning about what I should be using in any case

[@Two-Eyed_Boy]

@@nickwebster6318 I'll definitely defer to Mr. Free Beats, but I suspect that bass amp is getting muddy pushing the primarily low frequency of your setup. There are dedicated keyboard amps that support a broader frequency range, or you could also run from your mixer to a PA for better results. I'm strictly a headphone musician at the moment so again I'll defer Mr. Beats

[@FreeBeat]

I'm honestly not that knowledgeable in the speaker department. I only use a pair of headphones in my studio. Maybe someone else can provide some suggestions!

[@Concreteowl]

The midi control centre, no iPad version?

[@vitaharvey5332]

I’d give this a like but it kinda has the perfect number of likes imho

[@FreeBeat]

This is acceptable 🤣

[@AlexIsASeraphim]

Need me a KeyStep.

[@FreeBeat]

They are pretty great!

[@dauhloweme8127]

I have an nts1 and I use it to clock two pocket operators, I just upgraded my midi controller to a used keystep 32 that I'm curious if I should use to clock all the devices or countine using the nts1. If I where to use the keystep as a master would I switch the back to midi clock then chain the po's off the nts-1 or do I use the keystep cv out to the nts1 cv in?

[@FreeBeat]

I don't believe the NTS-1 has CV in, so you would have to use the key step.

[@dauhloweme8127]

@@FreeBeat The nts1 dosnt have cv in/out but does have sync in/out and if I understand correctly that's where the clock in/out is on the nts1. If I use the keystep as the master and it's controlling the nts1(through midi) will both device's arpeggiators be in sync with each other or will I need to also use the keystep's cv out to the nts1's sync in, then chain the po's from its sync out like it is now?

[@dauhloweme8127]

@@FreeBeat The goal is to keep the arpeggiators in sync with the po's at the end of the day but since you have shown me in this lovely video how neat it is to have the start/stop function on the keystep control the po's I'm curious what the most optimal setup is for doing just that while maintaining the sync.

[@MrChuckDugan]

So is the sound of the Model D passing through the PO? Or are they both going through an interface?

[@FreeBeat]

They are both going into my interface.

[@jasons8798]

hey i have a novation sl mk3 can i just plug it in like i do my regular hard synths?

[@FreeBeat]

If it has 3.5mm sync in/out jacks!

[@tomster]

As for Arturia Midi CC settings, POs usually run on 2 PPQN.

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks!

[@thisisjasonzimmermann]

The only options in the Midi CC setting are 1 step (gate), 1step (clock), 1pulse (korg), 24ppq, and 48ppq. I'm going through each of these and my PO is not responding. Doesn't respond to play/pause and the tempo is whacked. What am I missing here? I am noticing the div effects the tempo of the po as well. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[@asmundervik3289]

​@@thisisjasonzimmermann the "1pulse (korg)" option gives you 2 PPQN which is compatible with the POs. However, the POs use a lower voltage for sync than most other gear (just 1 volt). For some reason, SY4 works better than SY2 when taking sync input at 2 PPQN, I don't know if this is because the sync signal is then just taken on one channel.

[@LomaGnome]

Do you have the capture the sound from the synth as well as the PO separately to combine them for us to hear?

[@FreeBeat]

Correct. All of my audio goes into a Zoom Livetrak L-12, is recorded to an SD card, and then synced with the video in editing. Thanks for watching!

[@LomaGnome]

@@FreeBeat Thank you, this new hobby is rapidly looking like I'm making a studio. Those PO's are a wee bit of a gateway drug

[@theForestRoom]

How can I make the pocket operator control the clock of the Arturia keystep? All the research I’ve done seems to make the Arturia the “master” controlling tempo of pocket operators, but can it be done the other way around?

[@FreeBeat]

I'll try to figure that out, shouldn't be too difficult. Thanks for watching :)

[@itsJoel59]

Do you have to set up the keystep sequence settings every time you want to jam with the PO or is it just the first time?

[@FreeBeat]

Just once, unless you go in and change them again

[@itsJoel59]

@@FreeBeat Amazing 😻

[@MrFolkpunkkid]

Would i be able to go the opposite way and use the keystep to control the synth sounds on a PO like the robot?

[@FreeBeat]

Unfortunately the PO's don't support MIDI :(

[@felipefuentes1832]

Hi. The cable for sync is mono or stereo? Thanks!

[@FreeBeat]

It's stereo on the male end and splits into two female mono ends.

[@Ro-pg2lb]

Would this work with the arturia minilab mk2?

[@FreeBeat]

Unfortunately it would not, as the minilab does not have sync in and out jacks.

[@simonturpin5578]

Hi ! can you confirm that tempo in po is twice the tempo in key step?

[@FreeBeat]

I don't remember about being the case, but I have a combined the two forever.

[@stupidnamegenerator]

Late answer :) Try "1 pulse (Korg)", worked for me to get the same BPM on both.

[@leewightman8619]

I just match the BPM and key as i record one track at a time and record the next sequence on top iv neve4 really used any sync functions on my gear yet

[@marcelocg]

Is a PO capable of clocking the MPC?

[@FreeBeat]

I don't believe so sadly.

[@felixlindman409]

Hey thanks a bunch but I have an issue. When i use the clock you use I get like double speed on my PO-32. The "gate" works but does not start the volca on 1 after stopping the clock. Anyone have an idea on how to solve this?

[@felixlindman409]

Nevermind, It does not reset regardless. I guess that is just how the PO-s work?

[@thisisjasonzimmermann]

@@felixlindman409 where did you land here? I'm following the video and my PO tempo is all over the place.

[@felixlindman409]

Nope, no luck im afraid, something funky with po sync towards certain devices :/

[@artg7909]

Nice toy.

[@FreeBeat]

I like to think of them as more than toys :) Thanks for watching!

[@mattcero1]

I'd always explain your cables i.e. NOT "you know the drill" but "A stereo eighth inch male mini" or "1/8" TRS male" . Great video otherwise, thanks.

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah, this video was uploaded over 2 years ago, when I only had a core audience of folks watching. I explain my cables every time nowadays (if applicable of course).

[@JAK_Makes_Music_]

I’m upset that I own so many midi keyboards but not a key step. I guess I’m going to buy one, it works with literally everything on my tabletop setup

[@FreeBeat]

It's a great keyboard! I recommend the Keystep 37 if you have the funds and space :)