How-To: Sequence and control synths using the Arturia Keystep

Hey guys! 🙂 Here is another tutorial on the Arturia Keystep! In this video, I show you guys how to use the "Kbd Play" function to sequence and play synths live at the same time. This is a nifty little feature that I think some people may have overlooked/missed! I have used it in a few jams and demos in the past and have received questions regarding this topic nearly everytime. lol So, I thought it would make a neat video.
I think the Keystep is a great keyboard and can be a great center piece of a simple setup: The simplicity and connectivity, along with some poly synths and a drum machine... definitely some fun to be had. lol
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the video. Thanks for watching, littleBIGsynths 🙂
Please be sure to like, comment, subscribe, share, etc 👍
Interested in more tutorials? Check out these other videos:
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or explore my channel:
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For even more content, follow me on Instagram: @littlebigsynths

[@BsYtHandle]

Finally! A channel that knows what it's talking about and yet doesn't assume that its viewers also have that level of knowledge. Thank you.

[@gerryk9]

Exactly! I'm a big fan of this channel now

[@manmaas]

Still worth its weight in gold two years later. Clear and concise and very useful for a midi novice like myself. It's been driving me nuts trying to get everything talking together. This is a great help. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

[@Dedabile]

I came here to learn about the keystep. This video made me a lot poorer in the end since I fell in love with the sounds of the JU-06 right away.

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

Those boutiques are great, I got the jx-03. It was a tough decision between the 06 and 03. I still think the 03 is a slightly better deal.

[@littleBIGsynths]

Want more tutorials? Share some topics and questions you may have. 😉👍 I always try to make tutorials on questions that I tend to come across more frequently. Feedback is always highly appreciated. Thanks! 😊

[@juanbenitez8291]

Hey Bro, my name is Juan Maizares. I would like to start with, Im a big fan of your music. How could I get a hold of you? And ask questions. Please get back to me when you have the time of course. Thank you

[@juanbenitez8291]

I would like to become a patron of yours. How do I go about it? Please hit me up.

[@darkeye79]

Can you do the arturia controlling volcas please

[@trippyhippyy1428]

@@darkeye79 I have keystep connected to volca keys and arturia microbrute. With this tutorial rock and roll

[@jmmesaaudio]

Thank you, so much! Very useful. Excellent, keep going with you tutorials. 👍👍

[@stoneware]

SUCH a great tutorial. Unlocking the deep features of the Keystep! 👍🏽🔥💜

[@talking_mudcrab]

Just found your channel and an explanation to what I was looking for! Many thanks sir

[@amdclx4635]

Youre thru vs out midi description finally made it make sense to me, thank u!

[@aarongarwood4431]

Thankyou - a great simple informative breakdown of the keystep

[@myhandlehasbeenmishandled]

Finally exactly what I'm looking for. I wish more people posted videos like this. Details and a description how and what they are doing. I have a hard time finding these kinds of videos. My search skills must suck really bad.

[@Febs86]

Great review man, this little Keystep is powerful. Keep up the great work looking for to more reviews 👍

[@seanspartan2023]

Thank you so much for this! I've been wondering how to do this with my Keystep for awhile

[@diego_orellana]

Great video! Nice tracks

[@thomasmacisaac1503]

Good stuff; quick and informative!

[@kieranmeehan2096]

Really helpful video. Thank you

[@EleniEliades_]

Great channel! Any information about using the Keystep is quality information and time well spent as far as I'm concerned. Thanks, I learned quite a bit. 💥🎹💡🐒🌟

[@kark2303]

Very clear tutorial, thank you my friend !

[@1of437]

Another awesome video!! Thank you!!

[@BoomJitsu]

Bravo man, best video on midi routing I’ve seen on KZbin

[@LuisTorres-qz5kr]

Really useful, thanks for sharing!

[@Denver_Risley]

Very nice! I've been trying to learn how to maximize my Keystep's potential and this is a great start. Thanks for sharing.

[@New_Zealand_Music]

Nice, synthwave groove

[@gemdos7373]

Super helpful, thank you for this

[@montorgueilrecords]

Clear and simple! I like! I suscribed immediately ! 😎

[@glitch314]

I just got my Keystep a week ago and I didn't know it was such a beast until I watched your tutorial. Great job! Thank you.

[@gerryk9]

Glad your works. Mine doesn’t record over midi or USB. Came preprogrammed with 8 sequences in the 8 slots. Can’t get rid of them.

[@chrisstaniforth5629]

Interesting watch!! Nice

[@p4trickpants]

Great vid, thanks bro!

[@kuldipdegon7310]

Very useful tutorial. Thanks

[@78thandSynth]

Very helpful. 🤘

[@luke3055]

Great informative video, midi can be so confusing. Love the overlay graphics showing what’s going on

[@MikeH_PR]

This was one of the videos that led to me receiving my own Keystep today 👍🏻

[@ElliotAtkins]

Great tutorial!

[@Digithalis]

great job master, very cool video!

[@cliffnboyzy]

Great video thank you!!

[@musics5720]

Thank you, lBs! This video has greatly aided in my understanding of how triggering hardware synths works-and not to mention how MIDI channels work, as well. Cheers!

[@dmian4546]

Excelent video!

[@ludwigkopp8130]

A great win for every key step user 👌 maybe I have to buy one now

[@gerryk9]

Thank you. This is exactly what I was looking to do

[@Almanacs]

Thanks for sharing this. And your jam sounds awesome.

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you for watching! 🙂👍

[@Aqua-28Purpz]

The ending was fire🔥

[@hartware6155]

I loved this tutorial. It spawned a few ideas, thanks!

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you! 🙂

[@RobRymill]

One of the clearest tutorials for the Keystep I've found

[@returnofthenative]

I'm an old guitarist who's taken to synthesis like a drummer to drink. Got to sub to that. excellent simple explanation, thank you & muchly appreciated.

[@bauhausoffice]

Great stuff really. There’s a lot of videos on KZbin about this same subject but it almost appears that the channel is trying to almost show off or impress. The issue with that is that most people that are looking for this type of material are beginners like me so this guy has got it right. Keeping it simple. Thank you so much

[@AndyVonal]

That was fun! I have thought about getting a Keystep for a while now. I own a Beatstep Pro and enjoy using it (even though it can be a bit frustrating at times) But I think this little device is a bit of a "no-brainer" (sorry for the cliché) because it's so flexible. Thanks for the tutorial...good job!

[@jafarex]

Great tutorial! Thanks :)

[@catmastertrash2447]

Excellent video! Straight to the point and explained articulately. I can't take gear for a test spin anywhere locally, so I like to understand what I'm getting into before ordering online. Bravo sir

[@NyndeLOL]

Thank-you! I just recently bought that keyboard and that video helped me a lot :D

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thanks. Glad it helped! Congrats on the Keystep. Hope you are enjoying it. 👍

[@TheFloridaSam]

Thank you. This is exactly what I was looking for! I've got the SE-02, JP-08, TB-03, Behringer Model D and a Drumbrute Impakt. The Keystep was the last piece of the puzzle.

[@Si_in_Finland]

Very helpful video, thank you very much !

[@littleBIGsynths]

Awesome! Thanks for watching. 🙂

[@spot1119]

Never,ind. cuz of this video I finally figured it out. Thank you. Liked and subscribed

[@DjArum19]

Very useful, thanks!

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you! 🙂

[@trippyhippyy1428]

Nice stuff good sir..Big love xx

[@spacey_jones]

Great stuff!!!

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you! 🙂

[@SeanEC79]

Thanks for explaining, I was wondering how to do this but now I know

[@GatekeeperMetal]

Thanks for this! I've placed an order for the keystep pro but I'm super impressed at how much you can cram into this little guy.

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you for watching! 😁 Niceee! Congrats. The Keystep Pro is gonna be a sequencing beast for sure. I already preordered mine as well. 😉 lol I have both the Beatstep Pro and the original Keystep; love them both, but with the Keystep Pro... I may no longer have a need to keep the Beatstep pro around anymore. Lol 😏

[@alexandrumihaibudes3852]

Thank you - simple, clear! subscribed

[@littleBIGsynths]

Awesome! Thank YOU! 😊

[@GennaroGiugliano]

Hi,many thanks for your tutorial arturia keystep and setting hardware. I have a buy it yesterday and konnect my volcas synths on ketron midi thru. It's a very easy and beautiful creative simple melody and sequences. Best regards from Naples ( Italy) :)

[@littleBIGsynths]

Hey! Thank you! 😊 Glad you enjoyed the video. Congrats on the Keystep. Have fun jamming 😉👍

[@noodlingaround2023]

Cool.. Many thanks

[@phillindablank]

I don't even have a keystep or any of the roland boutiques but i still found this useful :)

[@stoneytony9351]

Very helpfull thanks

[@Livefreetrader69]

This video made me buy a keystep literally just now. Hahaha! Thanks man!

[@joshuabpolys]

👍🏼 thank you!

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank YOU for watching! 🙂

[@hovermotion]

Great info for new users who have no clue what they are doing...like me...easy to understand the basics video...I am thinking of getting the Key step 37

[@crgl2009]

Great! I can do it too with the Behringer Swing !

[@joeMW284]

thanks bud.. this is what I've been looking for. The Kbd Play + channel key combo was what I was screwing up. Would be sick if you could simultaneously output different sequences to different channels but I suppose we'd be looking at a more advanced piece of hardware.

[@littleBIGsynths]

Yes!! Its an awesome feature for sure. 🙂 I have had lots of fun jams using this feature. As far as seperate sequences go, that's where the Keystep Pro will come in. 😎 👍 Can't wait.

[@oskie66skye]

Thanks a lot!

[@jacobclayton4828]

Excellent tutorial! The Keystep is without a doubt the most useful piece of synth gear I’ve acquired so far. Its affordability, versatility, and ruggedness make it a no-brainer for anyone’s setup imho.

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

It's great, but you can't control the gate of the individual notes, and you have only one sequencer track. Amazingly, the keystep pro has 3 or 4 tracks, and you can change the gate on each note. But, it's also $500! Worth the money for sure, considering how expensive sequencers can get. I don't need something as complex as the octarack- which costs over a thousand. The original keystep provides plenty to work with for more minimal synth music. I have a beatstep pro too, and I'm just figuring out how to combine the two in a jam session. Still, someday I'm getting the Keystep pro. Maybe the price will drop a hundred in a few more years on the used market, but maybe it won't considering how great a piece of gear it is...

[@NTRSN-Archive]

Well I find not my way with it .

[@arubot1]

very cool music, kinda sounds like BSMR, great explanation too. i have a keystep with behringer model d and drumbrute, missing a polysynth to make nice use of kbd play as you have

[@MrDStar1988]

Awesome tutorial. Does this also apply to the CV out? I have a synth that doesn't have MIDI and I'd like to sequence that one while playing a lead on the one that does have MIDI.

[@nebula0697]

This man's videos are so crystal clear, great stuff. Maybe someone can answer this tech question I have the Keystep and Minibrute 2 which has the same sequencer. I can get it to do typical straight electronica lines, which are fun and have that sequenced sound. However trying to use rest, ties, and swing to create more funky lines is just impossible. Is there a cure for this condition? I come from loopers so just used to playing whatever line into the looper. I wonder if it's because I need to be able to write out the line I hear in my head in musical notation (which would be a nice thing to learn anyway) and even then I don't know if I could ever make lines so easily, and so funky, as picking up a bass or other instrument. I was wondering is are there sequencers that allow you to live record into the ratchet spaces in between the beats, so the experience ends up feeling like a looper?

[@trippyhippyy1428]

Great Tutorial really helped me a lot in connecting & playing my 2 synths with my keystep. Which audio interface are you using here ? Thanks a lot

[@valdiskrebs566]

Great tutorial! You are a good teacher. I wonder if the JU-06A works like the JU-06, where you can play BOTH a lead and a sequence at the same time??? 🤔

[@alexeykurilo4381]

it is great, thanks you

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@NevilleHayfield]

Love it Bro 👊💪👏🔥 This is Exactly what I was thinking of doing. Was into my Synth's back when I was a youngster. I was 21 when I had to sale my gear. JP8000,DX7, DX27S,CS1X MC303 and a few other bits. I was Gutted. Long story. Anyway, 24 years later. I am a single parent, with 2 Awesome Boy's. I've started wanting to try and get them into the Synth world 🔥. Or it might be a midlife crisis 😵‍💫. So I've got myself a keystep 37, volca sample 2, Volca Fm, Novation circuit and slowly trying to Build it up. On the circuit, can I use synth 1 on a different midi channel to Synth 2, and drum 1, 2 etc etc. Love the video. Wicked stuff. Love from the UK 👊💪👏👍🙏🔥🔥🔥

[@jamessusbilla]

thank *YOU*

[@TheMachinesWon]

Hey, love your channel, it's been really helping me learn the volcas and now the keystep. Question: could i connect the volca keys/fm/bass to this via the same midi quad and then a volca drum in the same way you synched for a 4 channel set up? Guessing the answer is yes but should i expect anything different from this tutorial. that being the option to have sequences on the volcas solo off any of the volcas and create one sequence on the keystep?

[@moriartyism]

Man i don't have good heart enought to tank u, because tanks to u and your SHIFT 1 OR SHIFT 2 IN KEY STEP i could recieve signals accordingly, YOU SAVE SO MUCH TIME AND released me from AGONY, TANKS MAN tanks tanks :)

[@sprungjitsu8465]

Awesome

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thanks! 🙂

[@madmac66]

Brilliant video

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

realized something, I have a yamaha tx81z and a yahama tg33-- both have midi thru! so fortunately I can daisy chain those with the keystep. No need for a midi splitter in such a setup. I need to try that, now! I highly recommend these older rack synths, btw, they usually have a midi thru port and you can typically get them at a good price.

[@cgraysonsmith]

Excellent, very easy to follow! One bit at the end though, I didn't get how you had the JU-06 playing a sequence and then still being able to play it. Are you just hitting play on the sequence and then, as the Keystep is still set to the MIDI channel for the JU-06, it can still play the notes of the JU-6? Appreciate the clarification! Your videos are very well done and appreciated!

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you! 😁 Since the JU-06 has 4 voices(set to poly mode), it can play a sequence using 1 voice, while playing live at the same time using any remaining voices. Hope this answers your question. 😉👍

[@Colo_skiing_ian]

Great video, thanks for the good info. Question: how are you routing the Audio out? Do you line out each individual device or do they chain together and have a single audio output? If I have a 3 or 4 modular synths and a key step will I need a mixer to get that audio into my Pioneer Nexus 900 to mix into my DJ sets? \

[@saluddiaz]

Love your videos! Thanks always learning from you. I was wondering if the same can be done with the km-25 (Roland 25 key for the boutique)

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you so much! 😊 Glad to hear that. The K25 alone can not. You can however, sequence other gear with certain Boutiques though. I know the SE-02 is capable of sending its sequence data to other synths. 👍 I hope that's what you were asking. Lol Anyways, thanks for watching. 🙂

[@saluddiaz]

littleBIGsynths thank you so much for replying! Do you have a tutorial on that? Or guide me where to find one?

[@rmanpojo8485]

great video.... Thanks alot. Does this work with midi and midi over usb as well? My setup is Keystep, Neutron (Behringer) and -PC (with N.I. Reaktor or Kontakt). So I connect Keystep with midi cable with The Neutron and the Neutron with midi over USB with my P.C. The Keystep with Neutron and SQ1 is a great trio as well.

[@ALTARBEATZ]

THANX BRO!!!

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you for watching! 🙂

[@ALTARBEATZ]

Because your video I bought it 💪✌️

[@marklondon2008]

Which Volca sample drum patches are you using - they sound hot!

[@minimal.camera]

Great tutorial, thank you! I just ordered a Keystep, looking forward to it. The camera shake in this video does make it a bit hard to watch, there's an easy solution for that in post: use video stabilization in your video editing software. I use Davinci Resolve (free version), and the stabilizer is great for relatively small camera shake movements like those in this video. The stabilizer in Premiere is great as well.

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thank you! 🙂 Yeah. The setup I was using for this video was a bit more unstable than usual, but I have found a bit more sturdy setup since then. I have been shooting and editing all of my videos on my phone for awhile now. It is more convenient for me since I am rarely in front of a computer. It also simplifies the process for me since I already do most things on my phone anyways. Of course, there are a lot limitations to this workflow... including limited software/apps. Thanks for the suggestion though. Good to know these things so I can be aware of these things and continue to try and better my production skills. 👍

[@minimal.camera]

@@littleBIGsynths ok, hats off to you, I had no idea you were doing all of this on a phone! What do you use as a video editor? I've dabbled in Google Photos editor, it is pretty quick but tedious to do anything remotely fancy. I find editing on a computer much faster (especially with multiple monitors). If you ever switch, I highly recommend DaVinci Resolve 15, it is rock solid. Version 16 has stability issues, unfortunately. Resolve does require a pretty powerful computer to run well, Adobe Premiere is better if you only have a slower computer, but Premiere is also pretty expensive.

[@josemaenpaa7745]

Very good job on this tutorial! Tried it, works great, but I have a problem with Volca beats: it plays on double tempo when it's synced in. Any help on that?

[@neilfodde1576]

Great tutoring question can that set up be ran to a amplifier for a live set up ? Thanks Neil

[@littleBIGsynths]

Thanks! 🙂 Totally! All of the audio is combined and mixed in a audio mixer and then the output of that mixer can be sent to a PA system, monitors, powered speakers, etc. 👍

[@s3nsec0rruptr80]

I sold my keystep because I couldn't figure this out--I was pushing one button too many. Seeing it in action, I just ordered another! By the way, the jams were great! The second to last one, the minor key one really reminded me of an old 80s coldwave song and now I'm going to have to figure out what...

[@s3nsec0rruptr80]

"Polaröid/Roman/Photo" by Ruth...ah, some of the band names before everything had to be Googleable.

[@s3nsec0rruptr80]

I've watched this a couple more times while waiting for the keystep to arrive and while I have a lot of love for my volcas and minilogue xd, this is making me want some roland gear too...this is video is a GAS monster!

[@keithbutler2222]

Great demo...how did you sync the sample up?

[@Heimstatte]

Hey man, this tutorial was fantastic! I realize it's a year old now, but if you could answer me these quick questions, I'd appreciate it: Is that a special 3.5mm MIDI cable connecting your drum machine to the Arturia? And: What would the difference be if you connected the MIDI out/thru of one of the synths to your drum machine, rather than using the "sync in/out" connections?

[@littleBIGsynths]

Hey! The red cable is a 3.5mm TS (mono) patch cable. It works just fine with the Keystep, but you should generally use 3.5mm TRS (stereo) cables when syncing Volcas. Mono cables, depending on the setup, dont always work. I just happened to grab this cable cause it was near by and it worked fine. Anyways, I generally prefer to use the SYNC method when using Volcas, rather than using MIDI/ MIDI cables. MIDI is definitely much more accurate and reliable, but can sometimes be a bit more difficult to setup... and can clutter up a space since they are full sized cables. Hope this answers your question. 🙂

[@Johnnyhaag79]

Cool what did you hook everything up to for sound. Mixer into powered speakers?

[@gordonoldfart7814]

Wow, he explained it and I understood him. Buy that man a beer

[@gordonoldfart7814]

No I was mistaken

[@il_Med]

great! A question: how have you set the double little switches in the back of the keystep?

[@loopeneihui9086]

An med I think, it has to be switched to internal. Otherwise the keystep wouldn‘t start to play the sequence, because there is no external clock source.

[@littleBIGsynths]

Yes! The switches are set to "Internal" (Both at the bottom position). So the Keystep is the Master clock. 👍 Thanks for watching. 🙂

[@Niven42]

When you do it this way, what settings do you use for the internal clock? Every time I use the Keystep as my master clock, my Volcas go crazy fast. I know there’s a few different settings in Arturia Midi Control Center, but what seems to work the best?

[@twiglet2214]

Nice demo thanks.I have the Keystep Pro which presumably will work the same but i'm new to multiple synth ( side chaining ? ) so what do you think - shall i give it a whirl ?

[@zorbanongreco]

Thanks. Subbed. 🐂💨💨💨💨💨💨💨

[@littleBIGsynths]

Haha Thank you very much! 😁👍

[@Civilian2.0]

Great video! - Could I connect the Keystep to my larger Arturia midi controller (61 keys), and just use the arp and sequencer from the keystep, but play it using the larger keyboard? How would I do that? Many thanks.

[@mattwoodman3017]

thank you for this awesome review !!! QUESTION: Can this also be linked to my DAW and trigger VST;s WHILE jamming with hardware like you have shown in this video??? thank you !!!

[@littleBIGsynths]

I don't have much experience with the software side, BUT I believe everything should work nearly the same. As long as you can set the VST's to receive on separate channels, it should work. For example, if you have a hardware synth hooked up, receiving the sequence on MIDI channel 1 and a VST loaded up, set to channel 2... then you can use the keyboard to play the VST live. Or vice versa: sequence the VST while playing the hardware synth live. Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@mattwoodman3017]

@@littleBIGsynths Thank you! you answered my question,That is exactly what I was looking for (with your example description)!