Recording - June 2021 - 14

R&R

REVIEWED &
REVISITED

Arturia KeyStep 37

Get in step with more controls, more keys and an LCD screen
REVIEW BY DAVID BLASCOE

T

he KeyStep 37 is the latest entry in the wildly popular Arturia KeyStep
family of MIDI controllers and sequencers. It may be small, but it is
mighty, and now it comes with some well-chosen new features. 

First impressions

Given the compact 21.7 " x 5.78 " x
1.38 " size of the KeyStep 37, I was struck
by its premium quality build and by just
how heavy it is, weighing in at 3.5 lbs. The
Arturia Slimkey keybed is carried over from
the original KeyStep but now has 37 keys
instead of 32. The keys are velocity sensitive and aftertouch equipped and have a
snappy spring-loaded response. Colored
LEDs above the keys light up yellow when
playing and green during playback with
the built-in arpeggiator or sequencer. The
KeyStep 37 is bus-powered over USB, and
Arturia has you covered with an included
anti-ground loop USB adapter should
you run into computer-induced grounding
issues. Alternatively, you can purchase a
12v power adapter (sold separately).

Stepping out

The KeyStep 37 is designed to serve as
a central hub for your software, hardware
and modular gear-even simultaneously.
Its well-chosen I/O includes Eurorack-style
CV outputs for mod, gate and pitch, plus
sync in and out. MIDI I/O is available via
5-pin DIN or standard USB, and there's
even a 1/4 " sustain pedal jack. 

In use

I started off with the KeyStep 37 connected via MIDI to my Moog Sub Phatty.
The response between the two was tight
and immediate. Programming sequences
14 RECORDING June 2021

is a simple flip of the silver switch
on the upper left side of the control
panel. Set it to 'Seq', press record and
then enter your sequence step by step
(64-steps with eight-note polyphony).
Press Stop and then Play, and you're off!
The response is similar when driving the
semi-modular Moog Mother-32 over CV
with equally satisfying results.
Arturia includes a copy of Ableton Live
10 Lite. As a long-time Ableton Live user,
I can tell you the KeyStep 37 offers the
same power and immediacy of working
with hardware synths, not only in Ableton but also with your favorite soft synth
in any DAW, and the four new external
CC knobs make it even more satisfying,
with sixteen available parameters spread
across four banks. It was easy to assign
one MIDI channel to the Moog Sub Fatty
running a bass sequence while I played
leads over the top inside of Ableton, both
controlled solely from the KeyStep 37.

Striking a chord

New in KeyStep 37 is Chord Mode,
allowing you to trigger chords with a single key. The Type knob selects between
twelve chord choices (major, minor, userdefined, etc.), the Notes knob controls how
many notes are in your chord (2-16), Vel/
Notes controls the velocity sensitivity (fewer
notes to more notes based on how hard or
soft you play), and most interesting is the
Strum knob-as you increase the Strum

control, the chord's notes start cascading
further apart, just like strumming the strings
of a guitar, harp, or the touch strip on an
Omnichord. Things get very expressible
and interesting when Strum is combined
with the velocity control and recorded into
a sequence and further manipulated in real
time. While a monophonic synth can't play
chords, Strum is possible to a degree and
quite interesting. Lastly, Scale Mode allows
you to set a scale for your sequences, so it
contains no wrong notes.

Who is it for?

While the KeyStep 37 is indeed a compact, well-connected Slimkey-style MIDI
controller, its true power and appeal is in its
advanced sequencing capabilities. As with
the previous KeyStep models, it's fast and
easy to get sequences and arpeggios happening, so you can focus on creating music.
The fact that I had software, hardware and
modular gear all firing perfectly in sync with
the KeyStep 37 as the brain of it all was honestly just plain fun, and the new Strum and
Chord modes make this an impressive creative tool for performance and recording.
Equally impressive is its price tag.
David Blascoe is a Nashville-based session drummer and engineer. He was a
co-founding member of the chart-topping
CCM band Citizen Way, and he records
and tours with a roster of artists including
his personal project, Black Fuse.
@blackfusemusic 	

@davidblascoe

Price: $199 MAP
More from: arturia.com
http://www.arturia.com
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