In this video demo from Musikmesse 2015, Arturia demonstrates their new BeatStep Pro, by using it to sequence 8 (count ’em) MicroBrute and MiniBrute synthesizers.
In other words – you’re probably going to need more synths…..
Also – ‘analog tuning’!
The BeatStep Pro has an impressive feature set for a US $300 step sequencer. It was originally introduced at the 2015 NAMM Show, with a Spring 2015 release date. As noted in the video, there are still some features under development, but they’re expecting the sequencer to ship in a month or two.
via sonicstate
Awesome Sequence.
Why!?!? Every damn time someone does a demo at these functions they just suck. How do I get hired into a company to do demos and explain functions that haven’t been stated 15 billion times? I want an application. Does one need a degree in marketing or interior design? All of those sounds were horrible, no sense of groove or melody, punch, or anything. I really love the idea of the Beatstep Pro, but why does the demo have to sound like butt?
i thought it was a pretty good demo.
I always felt that the best way to get into doing demo videos is to have pretty hands and a fairly poor understanding of music. It also helps to only know the important functions of the piece so that way the consumer has no clue what the equipment actually does and ends up purchasing the item anyways out of curiosity.
Link to your music?
https://soundcloud.com/nick_force
The bassline on (Faded Love) and (Traveler) was all Minibrute.
duplicate post
well, I linked to my music, but apparently the mods won’t approve my posts.
Go play with your punchy vengeance loops and let us do our weird stuff in peace.
Vengeance Loops? I don’t use that crap. It’s called layering, HP/LP-EQing, saturation, compression, reverb and more eqing. I go to great depths in custom layering and synthesizing all of my drums into something new and build damn near every one of my sounds from scratch. I even made my own synth vox that appears in a lot of my tracks. In no way does my music sound like main room club tracks or any trendy genre. You guys can down-vote me all you want, but i’d like to hear your work. Preferably something with a mini or micro brute. Ya know, to keep this on topic.
and this is called hardware sequencing. hence the difference.
no layering, no eq, no comp, no reverb, no undo, no copy, no paste…..
Well, ya see. The thing here is he really didn’t do any sequencing or showcase the BeatStep Pro at all. He muted/unmuted the kick, added some “high hat” triggers, then transposed the bass with a little knob twiddling. Using two synths to create a “open and closed high hat” is amateur and that snare was…. well I don’t know. He most certainly could have layered two synths to create something a little more closely to resemble a SD. There was no real focus on the BSP at all. Things such ass real time note changes via the encoders, loop length and some clever cv control could have been done to chain a few arps together running off the CV pitch from one of the two instrument track. Hell, he could have triggered more note variation just via the drum gates. The reason this gets to me so much is that people just see all this gear and think “hey this guy is really working it”. I do my fair share of jamming and sometimes it really sucks, but you better believe if I’m going to do a demo for a large event as such I’m going to have my $($%# worked out and really showcase the product I’m showing off.
Like seriously, how does one apply to be a demo guy?
have you tried contacting any synth companies?
Firstly, full disclosure: I work for CMI Music & Audio who are the Australian distributor for Arturia. I am their Ableton & Native Instruments Product Specialist but I also use Arturia hardware and software from time to time in product demo’s and retailer training. I am also an Ableton Certified Trainer since 2008, have had classical piano training, and have won multiple battle DJ titles in Australia.
Speaking from my own experience, here’s what it takes to be a demo guy/product specialist.
1. Extensive product knowledge from years of experience (I’ve been a DJ since I was 12 – I’m now 40), and have used a lot of music production hardware and software for the past 15 years. This ranges from Reason, Ableton Live since version 2, Logic Pro, Cubase, Komplete, Traktor, various plugins, lots of synths eg. JP8000/8080, Yamaha AN1x, Access Virus Ti Polar; various hardware samplers eg. Akai S900, Boss SP505, Roland S550. etc. etc.
2. The ability to communicate effectively to newbies and professionals – I gained this by working at various music, DJ, and Apple retailers since 1999. And not only that, you have to be approachable and give be confident. I’ve seen too many demonstrators be the complete opposite of this, in that they are condescending and arrogant.
3. Further to point 2. you need to be confident and authentic when presenting and performing. For example, you may not like what Arturia’s product demonstrator came up with for the Beatstep Pro demo, but he’s genuinely enjoying himself because he loves that kind of music. You can see it as he performs – it’s authentic. People will instinctively know when you’re faking it.
But did he communicate what the Beatstep Pro does effectively? Definitely.
4. Ability to learn software and hardware quickly and effectively. And also, enjoying RTF’nM!
As I said this is my own experience from being in this business and dealing with other Product Specialists/Demonstrators who share the same qualities.
Thank you for the information, Arsenio Fabay. I kind of figured what you have stated are the necessary qualifications. I have extensive knowledge of hardware and software sequencers, synths, samplers, FX, and send/returns. The only thing I haven’t been in contact with are tape/DAT/ huge expensive mixing councils and analog modular systems. Most things I can figure most functions without the manual although I do read them. My music theory not the best, but I’m still able to play keyboards, drum machines.
I guess he went over a few features of the Beatstep Pro, but he did not go over basic features of how programing specific note values or length of notes via the encoders. I don’t believe he even touched any of the encoders on the BSP. He did seem to enjoy himself, but it seems the demo’s main focus was to just show that it can trigger a butt-ton of synths at once. It didn’t showcase how to actually program anything other than xox some high hats and muting. I used to do realtime note/mod programing on the Korg MS2000 via the 3×16 analog style step sequencer in live performances. Programing pitched note data into it on the fly was not the most elegant as you could easily fall out of key but with some practice it could be done via the sequencer potentiometers then quick value “+/- data” button pressing to hit specific notes. Or program your sequence, then just turn the Osc mix knob to bring in your melody. There was nothing of this sort on the demo above. I don’t know why I’m even still spending time in this thread.
It was a demonstration, Squirrel Chucker… Not a tutorial.
The beatStep Pro is intended to sequence multiple units. He demonstrated that it can in fact do that.
Sounds like he did his job. And entertainingly, to boot.
No, he didn’t demonstrate anything of the BSP. I’m like the only one who realizes he didn’t even touch the BSP!
A picture of Willy Wonka with the phrase “Your music music must have such groove, melody, punch and anything.”
http://youtube.com <— off you go then
next time don’t speak
fool
Admin: Personal attack deleted.
Keep comments on topic and constructive.
Things that only happen at trade shows:
Chaining 8 nearly identical keyboard synths to one sequencer.
They are *their* synths
Also happens in multitimbral synths. Just saying. 🙂
Why is it that everytime someone does a demo and its posted on this site someone has the gall to post that they thinks it sucks or they can do it better? Love synthtopia but some of you guys are twats.
Because. Internet.
Great little demo, of arturia products, shows the versatility of their brute series, although a pad in the mix might have been nice. and the BeatStep pro. wow. 8 seperate channels sequencing and being able to play in live (once implemented) seems like a serious bit of kit. I just hope they don’t rush their deadline and not have it’s features live up to their full potential
I like how genuinely impressed Nick is at the end of the video.
I like how genuinely impressed I was during the whole thing. I’m not really the brute series’ biggest supporter either. But that looked like a butt-load of fun to me.
This is a genius marketing stunt. It’s quite a feat – I mean, if you’ve ever tried to get more than a couple analog machines to work together nicely…
I’m pretty stoked about the Beatstep Pro. I think it’s what I’ve been looking for. It does look quite large, though. Like, it seems bigger than the microbrutes?
pretty cool device with nice features for analog gear. I can see where this is huge for getting enough going to for a jam. Unfortunately for non analog this is like being in a wheelchair, because there is VERY limited info to whats happening or the deeper control is just not there for everyday use. AFAIK the best hardware sequencer is the Cirklon which has 64 tracks, 5 midi ports, cv breakout boxes, and unlimited amount of bars and scenes. Not mention a screen where you can see every steps value for note, length, delay, velocity, midi cc, and intertrack modulation, accumulators, randomization
Not that the Cirklon isn’t a *smashing* looking sequencer but, consider the price before comparing. A Cirklon with the CV upgrade is about $1800USD. You can buy 3/4 of that entire table from the video for $1800USD!
The most convoluted drum box of all time?
However does provide an insight into what Beat Step Pro can do.
He forgot the “cool” shades tho….
I have one on pre-order – this is just a really nicely designed bit of kit that can operate outside a DAW environment and I cant wait to wire one in.
So it has 3 tracks, out of which 1 is for drums.
I would have bought it if it had 8 tracks.
(To me the Roland JD-XA is worth its price for the sequencer alone)
drum “track” has 16 tracks with 8 gates. plus 2 melody tracks. actually that’s three sequencers. two sequencers, f.ex. for bass and melody, with pitch, velocity and gate length per step and one sequencer controlling 16 separate drum sounds per step. i pre-ordered one as it came out. it’s convincing to me.
I would love to do a similar routine with Reaktor Synths and Drum Machines.
one of my fave things to do is look at objects and make things in reaktor inspired by hardware objects.
it helps me learn reaktor better..and makes me feel the need to buy less stuff. (stuff is fun. but learning to make your own stuff in reaktor is more fun for me)
you should really try to make that type of sequencer using event tables and stacked macros. and have that jam. it’ll be a wonderful experience for you.
j
0=0
This is nothing compared to the timbre wolf demo.
I like that demo, shows a good range of micro/minibrute sounds and gives a fair impression of the Beatstep pro.It should be good when they finish all the Beatstep’s functions.
Are those 1/8in CV outputs? I have a MU format modular (Mos-Lab) that uses 1/4in jacks. Would I need a 1/8in to 1/4in converter for each CV output?
Not to be rude.
But just think for a minute about your question……
Yeah you need adapters.
Want. Immediately.
I wonder how easy it is to sync a few beatstep pros together?
I can imagine one beatstep running a rack in Reason7/8 and one running hardware or a few iPads, 4 melody lines and 16 drum tracks would be pretty killer.
Syncing two beatstep pros shouldn’t be a problem scince they have sync-in and -out.
MIssing these two was the main problem of the old beatstep non-pro, which was only able to sync-in via usb-midi.
I’m really looking forward to the beatstep pro