This keyboard is a joke full of bugs, better call it "keystep TOY"

[Wildhomenetwork]

What's wrong with this keyboard ?

There is so much bugs it's a stupid joke.

I can't even list all of it here !!! Maybe you should release your product when it's finished !!!

There is so much bugs than i just can't use it to work on it.
the sequencer is so buggy is so many ways, i can't record anything serious on it. I can't even imagine use it on stage... !!

I made a list as as soon as I realise there is too many for remember :

The worst :
When  you play for exemple some long bass note with just after some short note in staccato, in record mode, the staccato notes are not recorded, even theses are well play in real time (=> well deserved to the midi chanel)...

In the manual P82 : "Step-editing a pattern : Hold the Step button of an existing event and press the key. The velocity value will be remembered." => it could be cool, but it doesn't work.

Sometimes when you past some steps, and copy to another step, the new step is totally buggy : the main encoders leds arn't ON anymore on the new one (and you have no control on it), the new step led is not lighting, but there is some information on it (there is some trigger and gate information coming out of this step you absolutely can't erased, or control, or toggle off...). Truely a joke...
In every way, the past function is a joke : Anything you want to past is somewhat lost, sometimes, it's past, but not really, sometimes, it just say : there is nothing in the copy buffer, and you can redoing the thing a lot of time without any working it... and suddenly, it works. why is that ? you don't event know !

P98 : "SOLO takes priority over Mute" : would be cool if it do it, but it doesn't... When Muted track is soloed, is still muted...

Another bug (with an example) : on the first track sequencer, we play and rec on the fourth patern. Anytime we press Stop, it come back on the first pattern without our consent. it's a bug only shown in the first sequencer

another one : some of your recorded -- and editing because every live recorded with or without quantized is a joke, with a lot of note that doesn't record well -- pattern disappear or going messed up when you going to another pattern and come back. it's often just one chord who is just messed up without reason when it's well played just the last time you launch the pattern...
 

You can add up the lack of this features :

We can't erase just one page in a pattern (in drum mode in mono, if you copy by mistake, you have to toggle off until 16 steps in 32 tracks, and this is just a "toggle off", not an erase function...)
We can't erase just a note in a chord while in overdub.
We can't erase a step you can just "toggle it off"
There is a lot of things we can't erase or correct in a subtle way.

With the drum sequencer, we can't have (for exemple) a binary beat with some triplet hit-hat added. Goodbye all of the hip hop based drum pattern, good bye, possibilitie of add some triplet break at the end of your binari beat !
The swing is just foward, it can't be backward (why ? goodbye half of the swing of the world cultural music...!)

You can't charge some midi files, read live some external midi and rec it, there is not software sequencer where you can edit your pattern... This would be ok if the sequencers weren't a JOKE full of bugs and wierd things...

I just don't know how to temper my wrath 
The worse on that is that i still didn't even try to use it intensively or enter my musics on it ! All this bugs have just showed up on very simple test with the manual ! Ha, the manual is also a joke, full of nonsense and false informations or mispell words (ok, it's not the priority).
Oh, and i get the last update, so i can imagine that the first release was even worse... !

I hope arturia will work very hard to at least transforme this joke on the usable and multi track keyboard/sequencer they promised they sell... ! 

[agion]

Unfortunately I have to agree with this post a bit. I have the similar experience that this product is a bit prematurely released. If we as users have found this many bugs in this short time it can not have gone through very rigid testing prior to release. I almost feel like a tester when I’m in front of the KSP now, don’t let the customers be beta testers. I wish the Keystep Pro team at Arturia to get into task force mode and start releasing fixes very soon.

That said, I am not a unsatisfied customer yet, I can feel the potential for the KSP under my finger tips! And I am having fun

Make me a happy customer, make it stable first and keep implement the features suggested by the community (at least the ones that fit )

[al80]

the worst for me is that keystep "pro"  is missing many features and functions from the original keystep.not happy so far with it

[NickG]

This unit is really frustrating.

I have started a thread explaining my issues between the KSP and Ableton but haven't had any replies yet (hopefully early doors lol).

Just read the post on this thread by johndoe and see some similarity to my problem. johndoe, you state that when playing back a recorded session from your DAW that it plays both the session and the original KSP session recording simultaneously. My problem is a little worst as I can't get the Daw to playback the midi instruments connected to the KSP at all but like your's it always starts playing back the sequences stored in the KSP. If I press stop on the KSP I hear nothing from the gear connected to the KSP but I can see the note led's of each track lighting up in the correct sequence, just nothing sent to the synths and drums over midi.

I assume that the data received on the KSP is coming thru the USB Midi route as I can disconnect the midi in/out cables from the KSP and still see the same sequencer led responses. I thought that the USB might be the problem (and it still may be), but I am able to load analogue Lab 4 and I can play the instruments on that via the KSP without issue. However, if I try to do the same with any of the Arturia VST's it doesn't work and can cause the Scarlett audio interface to freeze and corrupt the driver so that I have to reboot in order for it to function properly again.

Was wondering if you could tell me if you had to customize the KSP Utility settings in order to get the daw to playback midi tracks? I have tried various customizations but nothing seems to make any difference.

I wish I had confidence in the problem(s) being fixed by the next firmware update but with all the different issues being reported here and nobody reporting the same issue I'm having I'm not at all sure that it will help me.

I guess I'll have to shelve it and go back to the Keylab 49 and Beatstep Pro for the time being but that is so annoying as I have been waiting for this since it was first announced and I pre ordered it in January. I have limited space and was hoping that this would replace them both as one unit and the poly sequencers would be so nice to use.

[johndoe]

Ok actually to fix my problem I have to mute the KSP track and it's fine then, no more notes conflict - it will play the Midi recorded clip from Ableton.

I still can' get my heard around default note length in Step Seq mode though (is there a way to make the gate length longer by default?), and in Live Seq rec the first note(s) sometimes are not recorded. Also, the Quantize isn't clean or I'm doing something wrong. Is there a latency to compensate btw?

[johndoe]

This unit is really frustrating.

I have started a thread explaining my issues between the KSP and Ableton but haven't had any replies yet (hopefully early doors lol).

Just read the post on this thread by johndoe and see some similarity to my problem. johndoe, you state that when playing back a recorded session from your DAW that it plays both the session and the original KSP session recording simultaneously. My problem is a little worst as I can't get the Daw to playback the midi instruments connected to the KSP at all but like your's it always starts playing back the sequences stored in the KSP. If I press stop on the KSP I hear nothing from the gear connected to the KSP but I can see the note led's of each track lighting up in the correct sequence, just nothing sent to the synths and drums over midi.

I assume that the data received on the KSP is coming thru the USB Midi route as I can disconnect the midi in/out cables from the KSP and still see the same sequencer led responses. I thought that the USB might be the problem (and it still may be), but I am able to load analogue Lab 4 and I can play the instruments on that via the KSP without issue. However, if I try to do the same with any of the Arturia VST's it doesn't work and can cause the Scarlett audio interface to freeze and corrupt the driver so that I have to reboot in order for it to function properly again.

Was wondering if you could tell me if you had to customize the KSP Utility settings in order to get the daw to playback midi tracks? I have tried various customizations but nothing seems to make any difference.

I wish I had confidence in the problem(s) being fixed by the next firmware update but with all the different issues being reported here and nobody reporting the same issue I'm having I'm not at all sure that it will help me.

I guess I'll have to shelve it and go back to the Keylab 49 and Beatstep Pro for the time being but that is so annoying as I have been waiting for this since it was first announced and I pre ordered it in January. I have limited space and was hoping that this would replace them both as one unit and the poly sequencers would be so nice to use.

I didn't customize the KSP utility settings, and I'm only using USB. Make sure in Ableton Sync etc. it's all ON in preferences.

[NickG]

Okay, thanks Johndoe, I thought that might be the case. I've reloaded the firmware for probably the 3rd or 4th time now and performed a factory reset this time after loading as I read today that it would be necessary. No change though.

Yes I have looked at sync settings, they are all on. I've just about exhausted all options. Guess I'll just have to wait for a firmware update and hope. Until then I'm getting myself better aquainted with the sequencer.

I can see how muting would fix the issue with double playback but it's a workaround that shouldn't need doing like so many other things. I could work around my problem by playing back through the focusrite scarlett midi interface but that's not really an acceptable solution and I still have a few recording issues from the KSP like Ableton not seeing any data on channel 10 for the drums and it splitting the recording on one of the channels into 4 beat sections unless I switch monitoring in Ableton from auto to in. Also during any attempt to playback I get a Back to Arrangement error occur and Ableton starts locking tracks until I click the Back to Arrangement icon only for it to happen again a bar or two later.

Certainly need a lot of patience with Arturia gear. I had multiple issues when I first  got the BSP but it ended up working fine.

[johndoe]

Me too NickG same here I was excited as it's my first sort of advanced Midi controller, I waited since January not to buy any other since it was exactly what I needed, no more, no less.

The first week has been really frustrating considering the many bugs and also the fact I had to learn myself from scratch, since not coming from the Keystep (although I watched quite a few things before about it).

I'm getting more at ease with it now (even though I think it's not syncing well at times) and I believe Arturia tech team is going to do what's necessary to fix these issues rapidly and implement some of the missing features.

Let's keep us posted on that

[Wildhomenetwork]

Aaaaand another one which is really wtf... !

between pattern in the same project, the drums track doesn't change the time division even if the good time division is well saved.

For example : the 1st pattern is in 1/16 and the second in 1/32. When i change from p1 to p2, the time division in P2 is showing 1/32 but it runs in 1/16. i have to reactive the 1/32. when i get back to P1, time division is showing 1/16 but runs in 1/32...
a bug only in the drums track, whatever poly or mono mode.

I can't believe the arturia developpers tried to play the KSP even once... it's a shame....!

[NickG]

Hi again,

It seems all the issues are different but mostly related to the USB Midi interfacing.

Aaaaand another one which is really wtf... !

between pattern in the same project, the drums track doesn't change the time division even if the good time division is well saved.

For example : the 1st pattern is in 1/16 and the second in 1/32. When i change from p1 to p2, the time division in P2 is showing 1/32 but it runs in 1/16. i have to reactive the 1/32. when i get back to P1, time division is showing 1/16 but runs in 1/32...
a bug only in the drums track, whatever poly or mono mode.

I can't believe the arturia developpers tried to play the KSP even once... it's a shame....!

I understand your comment about the developers but I think in reality it does get tested by multiple dvelopers and some of the great moderators on this forum but maybe not on multiple platforms.

I wonder then if half the faults are due to how the KSP programming responds with different PC USB controllers / processor architectures and MB BIOS Programming platforms of which haven't been tested with the KSP. I would have thought that some correspondence goes on between hardware manufacturers and DAW software producers so I'm a little surprised that (in my case) Ableton hasn't got such a master piece of new hardware listed in the controller options. It has been known about in it's finished format for longer than the general release. I'm not sure who is responsible for that. Ableton or Arturia but I wouldn't have thought it would be that hard to do.

Anyway, let's hope they are taking note on all these issues and respond with some fixes sooner rather than later.

Having said all that, many of the problems I'm reading about here on the forum are internal programming issues so that partially blows my theory away.

NickG

[Wildhomenetwork]

Hi NickG, thanks you for your implication,

Sorry, but no. 

All my other controllers are doing fine with my interface, and I use a PC with Reaper, which is the less buggy DAW in the market.
Anyway, this is not some USB issues because, i don't use often the usb sync.
Any of those bugs are shown with ARTURIA Micro Freak,  ROLAND TR-8S, and MOOG Sub Sequent 37, in MIDI, with no multiple sync and still when there is no sync at all.
I know my stuff, so please, don't make excuse for this keyboard to arguing that me or my gears are the problem.

Another bug I just find ?

After FOUR F****ng hours of implementing drums, the step edit mode have some issues, and all my drum tracks are buggy : the steps are lit, but doesn't send any data. I can't change the data in it => when in step edit mode or when i hold the step, all the knobs leds are off, and when i turn knob, nothing change. I can shut off the step, but when i reactivate it, it's still buggy. I've lost four hours of job. 

Thanks you Arturia, really !

I start to suspect a hardware flaw in my device, or else this keyboard is a fraud 

[NickG]

Hi Wildhomenetwork,

Hi again,

It seems all the issues are different but mostly related to the USB Midi interfacing.

Aaaaand another one which is really wtf... !

between pattern in the same project, the drums track doesn't change the time division even if the good time division is well saved.

For example : the 1st pattern is in 1/16 and the second in 1/32. When i change from p1 to p2, the time division in P2 is showing 1/32 but it runs in 1/16. i have to reactive the 1/32. when i get back to P1, time division is showing 1/16 but runs in 1/32...
a bug only in the drums track, whatever poly or mono mode.

I can't believe the arturia developpers tried to play the KSP even once... it's a shame....!

I understand your comment about the developers but I think in reality it does get tested by multiple dvelopers and some of the great moderators on this forum but maybe not on multiple platforms.

I wonder then if half the faults are due to how the KSP programming responds with different PC USB controllers / processor architectures and MB BIOS Programming platforms of which haven't been tested with the KSP. I would have thought that some correspondence goes on between hardware manufacturers and DAW software producers so I'm a little surprised that (in my case) Ableton hasn't got such a master piece of new hardware listed in the controller options. It has been known about in it's finished format for longer than the general release. I'm not sure who is responsible for that. Ableton or Arturia but I wouldn't have thought it would be that hard to do.

Anyway, let's hope they are taking note on all these issues and respond with some fixes sooner rather than later.

Having said all that, many of the problems I'm reading about here on the forum are internal programming issues so that partially blows my theory away.

NickG

Sorry if you thought I was judging your gear mate, you must have misunderstood what I was saying.

My point was that as many of the problems being experienced differ from one user to another the discrepancies may be due to a lack of pre-launch testing across the multiple platforms and interfaces that we use.

I've been using my pc, running Ableton, with BSP, KL 25 and KL49 as controllers and Focusrite Saffire 6, Scarlett 2i4 and 18i20 interfaces successfully. All my gear is Midi connected but the PC interface to the KSP is USB so no matter how much I connect with Midi there will always be an element of USB programming to get the KSP talking with the DAW.

My KSP will only allow me to record to Ableton (with bugs) and no audible playback from DAW to KSP at all and I know it's not my gear that's at fault so I wasn't blaming you at all.

NickG

[Wildhomenetwork]

Sorry for the rude answer,

i just discover bugs after bugs in this KSP, so i'm pissed off. so sorry, it's obviously not your fault...

For me, a lot of bugs are not even related to the sync (usb or midi) The sync works pretty good by the way : I meet some midi sync bugs like "ghost in the machine", but I was prepared for this kind of bug, because midi has always issues with SYNC, DAWs, USB, Clocks, specially when the sync is bilateral. The only problem about sync is my DAW can't send midi on the KSP, and i think this is not a bug, just another "DLC" in comming... this piece of gear is just not finished yet...


By the way, the most bugs i discover are linked to the sequencer itself.

I just found another one on the drums track : My seventh step on the kick track (C0) is stuck with a big velocity. I can set the velocity on this step at 0 but it always send between 90 and 120... And that do it on all patterns shows of my kick track ! Only on the seventh steps. (and step 23, 39 and 55) it force the groove i don't wanna on my track. And i can assure you that my KSP have bad taste, regarding groove ! 

[NickG]

Hi Wildhomenetwork,

No apology required mate, I fully understand and sympathise.

I think we nearly all have 339 reasons to feel a bit pissed off. It's a drain on the productive juices spending hours trying to figure out what does and doesn't work and why.

We all just want it to assist our workflow not add to it.

NickG

[johndoe]

Hi guys since you have a bit more practice with it, could you perhaps help me out here:

1. is there a latency to compensate for the KSP in Ableton using USB only? While I'm using the KSP *Real Time Recording Mode*, I feel like the notes I'm live recording are not perfectly on grid (the first note anyway, as I check the clips in Ableton later on). what is the default Quantization setting of KSP Real Time mode, where can I monitor it at any given time and which setting do I need to manage to play synced on grid? I ordered a Midi soundcard Scarlett 18i20, I hope going full Midi will prevent possible DAW sync issues.

2. now in *Step Recording Mode*, how to set the default length of notes while recording? It seems to only enter very short notes, making it unplayable and bad/stuttering sounds with my source synth or vst (whereas in Real Time Recording it's fine, it will record the right sequence/notes length). Do I need to change the gate of each note afterwards, there's no global gate adjustment setting for the whole track before/after playing notes?

Thanks.