ArturiaKeystep - Portable MIDI Controller, Sequencer and Arpeggiator - 32 Slimkeys, 8-Memory Polyphonic Step Sequencer, 8-Mode Arpeggiator, CV-Compatible - White

It is almost perfect. I'm going to give it 5 stars anyway, as 4 isn't enough. The only thing really lacking is more arpeggiator options (adding in more octave ranges, and different rhythms). Aside from that, it is a great controller. I'm going to echo what everyone else has said and say the build quality is surprisingly great. Pictures of it make it look much more plastic and lightweight than it actually is. It's a solid build, very sturdy, and the keys have a slight bit of resistance to them, which helps with velocity in particular.Lots and lots of connectivity options, and you can power this with either your usual 9V FX pedal adapter, or via whatever you'd charge a smartphone with (mains, power bank, computer etc). I think you can even power it via an iPad.I use it to control an Elektron Digitone, and if you're looking for the same thing then I'd recommend this. Very easy to change channels on the fly., and it worked right out of the box with no additional setting up or firmware updating. I feel most controllers are geared towards soft synths (often not even having the 5 pin MIDI sockets) so it's good that this covers all possible connectivity bases as I don't use a computer 90% of the time when I'm writing/performing.£100 doesn't normally buy you something as extensive as this. Great value and highly recommended.

The keystep is well made and conveniently designed to power from 9v or mini usb. It's easy to find out what it does and how it works, although some reviews are negative, aparently due to misunderstanding it's intended functions. It is basically a control keyboard with a sequencer/arpeggiator built in. Ìt has midi, usb and cv outputs to run almost any voice module that can receive an external source and will transmit control and clock info to all these simultaneously, albeit only one sequence at a time. Presumably, it is intended as a sketch pad for ideas before syncing it to a DAW, where it is then seen as a control device with the advantage of being able to transmit any of the stored x8 sequences to a midi track. The arp and live keyboard midi out can also be recorded, obviously to more midi tracks if required. WARNING: This is not a synthesiser and it is not supposed to be. If it's not what you need don't buy it and blame it because you made a mistake.

Bought this recently to expand my set up and am very pleased and impressed with just how easy this keyboard is to use. Synced perfectly with my daw.Great for sequences and fantastic arpeggios. I make Industrial/EBM music and this is perfect for making those bone crunching bass lines we all know and love. Excellent midi keyboard too. Nice action with the keys.I’d thoroughly recommend this product.

I like it can be used with MIDI as well as CV for us with analogue synths and has a sequencer and Arpeggio mode as well. A couple of niggly things: When using CV if the USB lead is plugged into something different than the sound output then it will pick up a hum. This happened when the keyboard was plugged into the laptop and my USB Audio interface was plugged into a USB hub. This solution is to make sure they are both plugged into the laptop or both plugged into the USB hub, also the keys are slightly smaller than a standard piano, as described but is still playable.

Using this with any softsynth or hardware synth, especially with the Arturia V Collection, this keyboard has features of use to musicians and composers alike. Surprisingly playable keys, light enough to take with you out and about, and pretty tough in coping with gigging. Set this up or program it, and you have a surprisingly powerful bit of kit for a great-value cost. Works alongside other controllers, and although the keys are slightly slimmer than larger keyboards, the fingers don't miss - and the feel is good.

Hardware synthesizers are a new game for me. In fact, I've really only ever used soft synths for the last twenty years, and very rarely ventured beyond preset patches. Last year, though, I started recording (properly) again and I wanted to catch up on all I'd been missing (ignoring) in the synth world. I bought a second hand Arturia Minibrute and fell in love with it - but although the Minibrute has an arpeggiator, it doesn't have a sequencer. A little internet research later and I discovered that you can integrate an external sequencer and one particular YouTube video convinced me that the KeyStep was what I was looking for. I was amazed to find it at this price and assumed it was probably less fabulous than the YouTube video was suggesting. I was wrong.This is a well built, well featured sequencer/arpeggiator that has all the connections I need to allow me to connect to the Minibrute and all my software instruments (via midi and USB respectively). All the features are already described in the product listing so no need to duplicate that here. There's also a very fair and constructively critical review in SOS that's worth reading. I haven't done more than scratch the surface and I am already impressed. Of course, being a fussy git I have also found a few limitations, but no show stoppers.After forty years of playing in bands and writing and recording music, I am finally building a more integrated studio and while the KeyStep is only a small part of it, I think it will be an important one.