Arturia: BeatStep Pro — Loft Design

The Arturia BeatStep Pro being used alongside a Moog modular controller on a table top.

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Arturia

Arturia excels in crafting state-of-the-art software synthesizers, DAWs, and hardware controllers known for superior sound quality and user-friendly interfaces. Trusted globally by musicians, producers, and composers, Arturia drives innovation in music production, providing a diverse toolset that sparks creativity and enables refined musical expression. Arturia’s dedication to merging tradition with technology positions them at the forefront of electronic music's evolution.

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Challenge

While many portable MIDI controllers offer hands-on, tactile experiences that boost creativity and workflow efficiency, they can also present challenges. Their compact size may lead to controls feeling cramped or unintuitive, potentially hindering an otherwise smooth workflow. Additionally, some models may lack the extensive features found in their larger counterparts, limiting the range of expression and control. Many musicians also want to control multiple different (and sometimes vintage) instruments, which presents a connectivity challenge for most existing portable MIDI controllers.

Solution

Arturia partnered with Loft to design the next generation of MIDI controllers. With 16 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads, BeatStep is the perfect compact percussion instrument. The ultra-sensitive pads allow for dynamic performances. The 16 encoders can be assigned to adjust various parameters for further real-time control over your drum sounds. Its connectivity options let you interface BeatStep with a computer or iPad, a drum module, or an analog synthesizer. BeatStep is an instant design classic based on the simple mission of creating a stripped-down interface that does not get in the way of music creation.

Outcome

This degree of functionality and performance has never been seen before in a portable pad controller. BeatStep is highly versatile, capable of triggering clips in applications like Ableton Live, playing drums with BFD or EZDrummer, or adjusting synth parameters—or doing all of those at once! BeatStep is also a 16-step analog sequencer, and a force of nature when it comes to creating interesting musical phrases for analog synthesizers, MIDI drum machines, keyboards, and DAWs. Its advanced connectivity interfaces easily with a computer or iPad using USB, a drum module with MIDI, or the CV/Gate inputs on an analog synthesizer.