Arturia BeatStep Pro and BM3: current status
Hi there!
Just received my BeatStep Pro, lovely device by the way.
What works (as of 3.0.0)
So, without Focus Action bindings, data is properly forwarded to the currently selected pad in BM3, in the key range C1 -> D#2.
Since the default root key for samples is C3, this will playback ~2 octaves down. You can adjust the root key of your samples in the Edit screen > MAPPING tab:
Alternatively, you can also turn "PITCH" to OFF so the sample will be triggered regardless of the note on key.
Then, if you have setup Focus Actions for the BeatStep Pro, everything is triggered as expected, macro knobs works, etc.
Bugs (as of 3.0.0)
There is a bug where using the BeatStep Pro transport buttons will result in a unterminated SysEx message, that will then ditch all incoming MIDI data (note on, etc.). The only way to recover is to re-launch BM3.
I'll look into this a.s.a.p.
I will also write a quick article and provide a Focus Action template when 3.0.1 drops.
Thanks for all the reports! I will also try out more features the BeatStep Pro has to offer to ensure everything is working smoothly.
Cheers,
Mathieu.
Comments
thanks. As mentioned in the other thread, this also seems to happen with Arturias KeyStep.
@mathieugarcia
Hi Mathieu,
Do you have any updates on the beatstep pro? I just picked one up last week and love it.
Is it just me or does low power mode not work? The only way I can get beatstep pro to work with my ipad is with a powered USB hub.
@NoirFlux It needs external power, pretty sure. The stop-play on power up stops the error being generated on the ipad but I think it still need the juice. You have some non hub options using the y cable supplied, you can give it power from either a usb powerpack or the mains/wall power.
I posted this on another thread but ill repost here because it seems more relevant.
......
I love beatmaker 3 but want to sequence from my beatstep pro.
Beatstep pro has three sequencers
(Drum,Monosynth1,Monosynth2)
I have tried these combinations and in the end went with a midiflow (pre ab3) solution.
No. 1 with focus actions mapped to pads
Configure focus actions and turn off omni
Great, the 16 bsp pads trigger each of the beatmaker pads (16 pad mode) I can record a drum sequence on my bsp and it plays in beatmaker.
I can now make another bank and add synths for my bsp mono1 and mono2
Flaws with this approach
If I have the sequence playing and bring a synth bank to the foreground the drum pattern is played on the synth due to the focus actions. Also if I want to make changes to the samples on the drum pattern while the bsp plays the sequence its impossible because the forward actions bring the current triggered pad to the foreground.
No. 2
Map a bank to a bsp channel
Bank one drums channel 10
Bank two synth 1 channel 11
Bank three synth 2 channel 12
Very easy to map on bsp (select sequncer then press CHAN + a number)
In BeatMaker 3 click on the three dots for the bank and configure device and channel.
For example drums, device atruria beatsteppro channel 10.
Flaws in this approach
Only pad 10 triggers on the drum bank
It seems configuring a bank to a device and midi channel only allows you to trigger the pad with the corresponding midi channel number. (Like you have already reported oscar and 5plink)
No. 3 use midiflow to remap notes from the bsp to differnt midi channels for the drum pads in beatmaker3
The MidiFlow config,
maps a pads note to c4 (= c3, it seems bm3 uses the other middle c, this is always contentious)
Maps pad 1 to midi ch.1, pad 2 to 2 etc
Sends all midi to a virtual midi port called MidiDrums
In bm3 I set the bank to listen to midi input from MidiDrums on All ports
Here is the config if you want to use
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lrl5txhpa6hese1/preset.mflw?dl=0
This works for me. Hope its useful.
FWIW A good solution for me would be when a banks midi is configured using just one channel then a cc note would trigger each pad. I hope this is the final solution but if not Ill just fudge it back with the blessed MidiFlow (thx Johannes)
Okay thanks! I will have to look into the midiflow option too. I always thought midiflow was pretty complicated but I haven't opened it in a while.
Hey, so I emailed Artruria and they gave me instructions. I got the beatstep pro to work in lowpower mode without a USB hub.
1) I had to do a hard reset on the hardware:
First, don't forget to use the save & export functions in the Midi Control Center to backup:
Your Projects/Sequences
Your device configuration
Second, here is how to hard reset your device:
Turn OFF your unit
Press and Hold the following buttons: PRST LNK + << + >> + LST STEP
Then turn ON the unit and continue to hold the buttons until the lights start blinking one by one.
Then you can release the buttons and wait for the process to complete.
2) I went into the midi control center, downloaded the latest update then updated the beatstep pro
3) I turned the beatstep pro off, then held shift + stop then turned it on again. Then I plugged the USB with camera connection into my iPad pro and it came on without the too much power message. It has to be in this order.
I can use it as a USB controller or I can use only one of the step sequencers. I tried to use 2 step sequencers at a time but then it crashed.
Hi richtowns. I too have a bsp and want it to sequence/control beatmaker 3. Seems a straightforward ask to have the three bsp sequencers on three midi channels triggering three channels on the beatmake but am having the same problems that you outlined. I dont have midiflow so havent tried that solution yet. Have you discovered any other workaround or are you stil going with the approach 3 that you outlined? Thanks
@Echolalia Yes, when I use BM3 with BSP I still use option 3. I dont use it much, Im kind of waiting for the 'global' macro function and macros mappable to midi CCs. BM3 an amazing beatmaker but ATM I prefer using the BSP with modstep/aum. Im amazed at what BM3 can do and the updates are huge improvements, it's just not made it into my way of working yet.
BTW The latest update 2.03, there was mention of a omni midi mode fix but I havent investigated any further if that fixes this issue.
I dont have a BSP, but unless there is some kind of driver issue with the BSP, then this only mapping channel to same numbered pad has long since been fixed, if you look about the forum, in the last few days i have shown external MIDI control in a few different ways and they all worked perfectly.
So maybe it is a bug with the BSP driver, or maybe even a bug with hardware MIDI in general in BM3 ?
Ok, thanks for the respones. I will investigate further.
Yes, it works as a midi controller. It's just that the real beauty of the BSP is that it's a sequencer. For me, incorporating its sequencer functions is the problem, as listed previously. Like I say, its a workflow problem more than a technical fault.
Yeah i dont really get it, we are using all kinds of IOS external sequencers just fine, and MIDI is just MIDI, so it should work exactly the same.
I just prefer one bank, one instrument. Im just a bit stubborn like that. I understand the workaround of mapping every instument you use to one bank (there are after all 128 slots) but that approach seems cluttered to me.
I have had multiple banks running from multiple MIDI channels from an external sequencer, like i said, it is either a hardware driver issue or wrong set up, unfortunately i dont have a BSP to set it up to test
Hi richtowns, I tried that template you uploaded and it works thanks a lot
but the transport on the bsp is now intermittently freezing triggering/restarting the bm3 so I,m having to press the transport on the bsp multiple times to get bm3 to respond again. I,m not massively aufait with midi or midi flow; do you think there's another element I need to add to the midi flow template? any ideas really appreciated.
btw you mentioned using modstep and aum which I have considered but I need a sampler with similar capabilities to the bm3 to use within such a setup and the sampler on modstep seems too primitive for chopping etc. do you use anything else in particular? thanks for your help in advance.
@Echolalia Im glad it (kind of) worked for you. For sampling I use virsyn Reslice, I completely recommend it. Its no way as good as BM3 but its very good al the same, like all the virsyn stuff.
Tomorrow Ill hook up my BSP and see if I can get the transport to work. Im pretty sure I got the BSP to start and stop BM3 but it was a while ago. BSP by default sends both Midi Transport messages and midi cc on/off when you press play stop etc so there is definitely room for problems.
that would be great if you have time. There was a bug with the first release of bm3 and bsp where there was an 'unterminated syses command' that stopped the transport of the bsp working but that was fixed in the first update but this is similar in feeling. I did change the midi cc transport commands from the bsp onto a diff channel from the sequencers. So atm, there is the drum channel input via the virtual midi port and seq 1+2 input via irigmidi 2. Will def checkout reslice too
Cheers
Thank you for your tuto ! The first thing I made when I bought BM3 is to configure it to work with my BSP, and I went to every stages you mentioned, but without finding a real solution. I just have a question : do you think I can have the same result using Midiflow Channels (only compatible inside Audiobus 3) ? Because Midiflow costs a little bit more and I really don't need all its features, because I already bought all the Midiflow apps suite for AB3 (except Midiflow Channel). So if I could spend 3 € instead of 7 €, why not !
Thank you for your help,
Cyril
@Echolalia Transport worked fine for me. I have my BSP set to factory defaults so its sending midi transport and cc 54 when I press play.(annoyingly cc54 is also sent by default by selection pad 15! I diagress).
BM3 reacts to the play and the stop button, midi clock looks like it might be master only but by using the Midi Link Sync app to convert between midi and ableton link I get everything in sync and responding.
Im not sure why its not working for you. I only have the BSP plugged into the ipad using the usb3 cck. To troubleshoot I suggest getting rid of the irigmidi from his setup and see if that changes anything but I dont know why that might be.
Good luck.
FWIW I had an enjoyable time today messing around with some sample, Ruismaker, Zeeon and BM3. I had Viking synth going for a while but kept getting hung notes so thats ditched and replaced by another Zeeon which probably is better anyway.
@cyril777 I dont see why not. I havent bought the ab3 midiflow for the same/opposite reason. Ive just about got by.
The midiflow config maps midi channel 10 notes (my drum channel on the BSP) from c2-d#3 to c4 on midi channel 1-16 depending on the incoming note, i.e. C2 on midi channel 10 is mapped to C4 on midi channel 1, c#2 on channel 10 is mapped to c4 on midi channel 2 etc. So, you need to remap the channel and remap the note for each pad you want to use/translate. Hope that makes sense. Here is a section of the rules/screendump of the midiflow config
Thanks for the detail. By the way, do you have to buy the "controller remapping" and "controller connection" IAP for your setup ?
Ops, that does seem like an important omission. Yes, you need the controller remapping IAP, Ive had it for so long I completely forgot. I just checked and I only have that one. Looks like its $€£3.99
Sorry for the confusion.
(It might be worth thinking about the same option in midiflow for Audiobus, midi channels plus midiflow scales. Those would be a penny cheaper than the IAP and maybe more useful in the future if your using ab3. STOP! Hold on now, on second thoughts Im not sure BM3 is AB3 midi ready, yet! So, you would also need the midiflow adapter €$£1.99 also!! Ill stop talking now!)
@richtowns tried it again yesterday too and it was a lot more reliable so that's positive. I'm not too impressed by the irgmidi2; sometimes stops working for no reason so would be unreliable in a live situation. unfortunately atm it's the only way i have to interface into my iPad until I get an alternative. thanks a lot. Feel like I am making some progress.
Anyone can make a video tutorial for the beat step pro with BM3 ? I m very interest about it !!!
Wish I had one. Looks awesome for a controller with Beatmaker 3. I didn't even know this thread existed. Very cool.
Sorry to revive this dead topic, but has this been fixed at this point?
Do the Beatstep Pro sequencers sync with BM3? And do they sync
with Ableton Link as well? I use Ableton Link all the time with other
musicians and BM3 so this is a must for me. I ordered a Beatstep pro
that should be at my house tomorrow.
@KraftC
I haven't used a Beatstep, but I believe this is an area the BM3 developer is actively working on for the next update.
I know for sure that he is keen to make the app work with as many external controllers and devices as possible.
Fair enough. Thanks again @tk32