How to use BSP with Keystep Pro

[paulctorbert]

I would like to use BOTH BeatstepPro and KeystepPro simultaneously.....

Ideally, the BSP would play drums and basses sequences while the KSP would play melodies and chords....

What is the best way to implement this ?
What setyings do i need in MCC ?
Will i need a MIDI Merge Box ?

Respectfully,
Paul C Torbert 

[Andrew Henderson]

Perhaps I am wrong, but could you not decide which is the master and which would be the slave and connect the midi out of one, into the midi in of the other?  Pressing the transport on one, should start the other as well.  Just connect what synths etc, you would like to each the KSP and the BSP and make sure there are no conflicting midi channels and you should be good to go.

[megamarkd]

I would like to use BOTH BeatstepPro and KeystepPro simultaneously.....

Ideally, the BSP would play drums and basses sequences while the KSP would play melodies and chords....

What is the best way to implement this ?
What settings do i need in MCC ?
Will i need a MIDI Merge Box ?

Respectfully,
Paul C Torbert

As you haven't mentioned any other gear you are using, I'm going to go ahead and explain things with the idea that you are already versed at running your gear out of your BSP.  If you can post what instruments you are intending to run with the two sequencers, I can get more detailed, but I do think that you should be able to get going with a quick push off the starting line and a browse of the manuals for your instruments.

You won't need a MIDI merger, but I always recommend (if you have the money to spend) grabbing a merger as they tend to be a handy tool when you start running multiple sequencers.  A MIDI splitter (THRU) box also is always, always something super handy to have laying around.  Not every instrument comes with a THRU port, or "MIDI Echo" on the out port and that is when you will be either pulling out your hair, or reaching for your THRU box and getting on with loving life in a matter of moments!

If you have your BSP all sorted for the drum map you can get going without needing to use MCC for anything.  Run your BSP MIDI out into the KSP and set the KSP to external sync.  You will need to use different channels on the KSP tracks to that being used by the BSP, eg: SEQ1/2 and DRUM on the BSP on ch's 1, 2 and 10 respectively and Tracks 1/2/3/4 on the KSP to ch's 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively.  And just to be sure of no conflicts, set the Drum track on the KSP to ch11, but if you don't intend on using the KSP Drum Track, then this setting is redundant.

One thing to take into consideration is the BSP doesn't send a constant MIDI clock sync out, so you will need to run with it as your master with regards to sequencer transport controls.  And as the BSP doesn't have a real MIDI THRU function, you need to run with it at the head of your chain.

That's the simple quick reply to the question.  Like I mentioned above, I you want to post what instruments you plan to play with, it would help with finer details and a more tailored solution.  But I have to warn you, it you are going to run the two into a computer, I am of no help whatsoever!  I'm the electronic musician equivalent of an Amish, I run completely in the hardware realm, right down to recording!!  But I know there are many people here who can help you if you indeed want to play vsti's with your hardware sequencers, so don't be afraid to ask.

[Jan Juno]

Maybe i will slip in here.

Regarding the DAW Perspective can i say it is always good to have a proper preset running. In my case i use VST as well as Hardware side by side. I have 16 midi channels, at first my Hardware machines than my VSTs. On my Hardware Controller side i got the BSP and KSP. Both can control hardware or vst.

If you want to record audio you will need a soundcard which has inputs the more the better. If you want to record midi make sure to have your channels in your DAW prepared, know them weill and if possible use a freeze function when you don't use them just in case. See it as an orchestra each instrument will get their own midi channel.

In my case i at least i used the BSP in this setup and it worked well you will have some midi issuees here and there in terms of sync. But this obviously is conditioned to your computers hardware. You can fix that within moving the whole midi recording on your time line.I will for sure try the setup with the KSP and the BSP. So now to that why i here for:

I am currently not that hardware guy in terms of a eurorack/midi setup. There are so much possibilities and its hard to find a proper setup. Thats why i am thankful to this thread. So maybe megamarkd might help here, so here my gear:

4 x Racksynths (Midi i/o/t)
1 x RD8 (i/o/t or i/t/t, USB)
1 x Model D (i/t, USB)
1 x Mother 32 (Midi in, Tempo in it is CV)
1 X DFAM (which i like to hook to the Mother 32)

And obviously my DAW i use Ableton with a Tascam with 16 in and 8 out with a Komplete 6 both Midi In /Out. Audio i wouldn‘t change since i use a patchbay so this is already preped up, took me months to have it like that  i just dived into Eurorack with the two moogs so now my current Midi Setup isnˋt that fit. What i would like to keep on the current feature setup is the transposition latch on the BSP and the Mother 32. It makes dun to have the possibility to transpose 3 or 4 Sequences. In terms of CV/Gate/Pitch i am currently in early trial and error phase what i need is an „offline sync enviroment where the daw will be just slave for unsynced audio recording.

[paulctorbert]

Thanks to all of you for your replies !!!!!

@megamarkd

here is what i have currently:

BSP>midimergePort1>QuadraThru1>AkaiMPX8
                                                    >AlesisSR16(Thru)>Korg KaossilatorPro+

KSP>midimergePort2>QuadraThru2>ArturiaMicroBrute
                                                    >ArturiaKeystep32>BehringerNeutron
                                                    >M-AudioVenom
                                                    >WaldorfStreichfett

i have tried messing with "sync and transport" settings in MCC, but i am getting nowhere..... both the KSP and BSP trigger the K32 transport.....

MCC ver 1.12.0.1679

firmware:
BSP  2.0.1
KSP  1.3.2
K32  1.1.0

my Venom midi out port is dead and the editor/librarian is flakey (to be replaced with Blofeld when i save enough..... ramen diet time)

i use the Venom for basses on midi ch1, drums on 10, ch2 for melodies.... i use my mixer to blend or mute drums from the SR16/Venom/MPX8....
Streichfett channels 3 and 4 as it came....
the Neutron and MicroBrute are usually 2 and 4  but that looks like its gonna change.... i use them for melodies or leads....
the Kaossilator is for Performance Sampling Live and for drones and leads.....

so how do i do this?:

1.have the BSP start the KSP transport
2.disable "remote transport" on Keystep32 (currently BOTH BSP and KSP trigger the K32 transport)
3.be able to twist the Tempo knob and see(hear) EVERY device speed up or slow down......
(the K32/MicroBrute/Venom DO RESPOND to the BSP Tempo, but the KSP/SR16/Kaossilator DO NOT RESPOND to BSP Tempo knob changes)

again, THANKS to all of you for taking the time to try and help me.....!

i have no excuses, i brought this on myself.... i am a guitarist who turned to "the dark side" and started buying synth gear.....

[paulctorbert]

ya know i really consider doing stupid stuff, like......

connecting my Roland GR30 as another polyphonic voice source for the KSP.....

[paulctorbert]

and i should add, NO DAWs...... that is for recording only, in my world....

this is my "live rig".... what i cant do, is the job my sequencers fill...... i play guitar/synth guitar and some synth leads and vocoder....

KSP and BSP are the real backbone of "my band"......

i "improv" as segues between certain songs(each song is entirely sequence based), as i "setup patches" on my analog synths for the next sequenced song....

that said, Strats and Teles, Orange and Vox Amps, Roland VG and GR pedals, and Boss/Wampler/EHX pedals, Mackie console(soon to be Soundcraft), Sennheiser mics....

future purchases will be:
Waldorf Blofeld
Yamaha Reface CP30
Arturia MicroFreak

go here to see/hear a VERY Short snippet of my initial test of the Keystep Pro sequencing my Venom and Streichfett while the Kaossilator loops a vocal sample.....

https://youtu.be/DamtGyzsPKU

[megamarkd]

Wow, I've missed this thread somehow in my visits!  And also when reading paul's post outlining what he is running, I instantly thought "The KeystepPro has two MIDI outs, so one can be purely to run sync to the BSP while the other runs off to the QuadraTHRU2.  Set the MIDI Clock to send on say OUT1 and have that run the BSP. 

* megamarkd kicks himself for not thinking of this originally!

Of course that means you will not have Clock on the BSP if you have the KSP stopped, but you can run with the tracks muted if you only want to have the gear being sequenced by the BSP sounding.
As far as the KS32 goes, I don't own one yet so can't really say how that operates, but the way KeyStep OG works is you can have it so it has to be armed to run or just start when it receives a Play message via MIDI.  You can't turn off the MIDI transport control message transmission completely on either the BSP or the KSP, so and sequencer further down your line will always be receiving them.  It is down to whether you can tell them to ignore them as to if they will start playing or not.  Check the KS35 manual to see if there is a similar arm function to that present on the KS OG.

I am currently not that hardware guy in terms of a eurorack/midi setup. There are so much possibilities and its hard to find a proper setup. Thats why i am thankful to this thread. So maybe megamarkd might help here, so here my gear:

4 x Racksynths (Midi i/o/t)
1 x RD8 (i/o/t or i/t/t, USB)
1 x Model D (i/t, USB)
1 x Mother 32 (Midi in, Tempo in it is CV)
1 X DFAM (which i like to hook to the Mother 32)

And obviously my DAW i use Ableton with a Tascam with 16 in and 8 out with a Komplete 6 both Midi In /Out. Audio i wouldn‘t change since i use a patchbay so this is already preped up, took me months to have it like that  i just dived into Eurorack with the two moogs so now my current Midi Setup isnˋt that fit. What i would like to keep on the current feature setup is the transposition latch on the BSP and the Mother 32. It makes dun to have the possibility to transpose 3 or 4 Sequences. In terms of CV/Gate/Pitch i am currently in early trial and error phase what i need is an „offline sync enviroment where the daw will be just slave for unsynced audio recording.

Sorry it's taken me almost a month to get onto this, I don't know how I missed it!

All your instruments with TRHU ports will be easy to take care of using a MIDI chain, the only issue will be the two Moogs.  But also not an issue, as the KSP has two OUTs.  Now assuming you are running MIDI in/0ut your computer via USB, you can easily create two chains from the KSP each ending with a Moog.  Select to runs of synths and connect them THRU to In, with the first in the chain being fed by the KSP.  If you are wanting to sync your BSP with the KSP, you can by doing what I outlined above for Paul, and then have perhaps the DFAM on the end of the BSP chain.

Another thing to consider is that you can pull both the Moogs out of the MIDI chains and run them using CV and Clock from the BSP or KSP.  Same goes for the Model D.

If you want to give me some more info on exaclty what you are wanting to use to sequence each instrument, I can give you more a specific order in which to chain them and also how best to use the control voltage outputs on the two machines to run your semi-modulars.  Ironic I should notice this today, as I am rather brain dead from my first day of work after the shutdown of my industry and am not sure how I am even able to read all these words that are sitting adjacent one-another as sentences!  Lucky there is that squiggly red line to tell me if I have hit the correct buttons on the keyboard to make real words!!!!  I'll get some rest and try again later.