Problems with Beatstep Pro

[nectarios]

Hello,
Got a Beatstep Pro a few days ago.
First impression is very good. I've already made a tune using just that and my modular and there is nothing better than something that inspires and makes things so precise and fun. A real game changer this thing is.

I am having some problems with it though.
For starters I am on Snow Leopard (10.6. so no joy using the software as its not compatible with Snow Leopard which I do not want to upgrade to a newer OS as its the most stable from my experience.

So my first problem is that the clock in/out is not working. It is but its sending some very fast clock out. Clock does nothing when I send clock via Make Noise Maths.

One way that I've found around this is to use one of the 8 drum triggers and make 16th trigger sequence and use the Beatstep as clock is this way and clock Maths, Rene...everything.
That works but not always, which brings me to my second problem.

Another problem is that does not happen very often but happens on every session is that after a while (over an hour) Beatstep sends random CV/Gate values, so random notes from VCOs, random triggers/clocks from the drum sequencer. I have to stop and run Logic Pro 9 and hope it might work but most times I have to switch it off and on until luck helps and it starts working as expected.

The SHIFT and >> does not copy patters from the first 16 steps to the available beats to easily get a 64 steps.

I also had ground noise but a 6€ USB charger did the trick.

Note that I am using the USB connection to connect to my mac.
I will try using MIDI to sync it to Logic Pro, to make sure that its not Snow Leopard and Beatstep Pro issue when connecting via USB.

Is there a chance of making a Snow Leopard version of the Beatstep Pro software? That would be great.

Build quality is great. Love the lights and interface, so great job on making this.

Nectarios.

[sbDigisound]

I wonder whether the previous posters issues with CV are also being replicated via MIDI as I have a similar sounding problem :-

Every now again a sequence on either channel will either skip a note, there is a very brief pause or no note off is sent to the sound module and a note sustains longer than normal.

It is a very irregular occurrence and I don't seem to be able to induce it but it happens regularly.

Sync is internal, it isn't connected to a PC and it happens with a direct connection to a modules MIDI in port - ie no thru box.

So reducing it down to the simplest set up ie MIDI out BSP to a single sound module and issue persists. Either sequence channel.

Just now a stuck note required a transport stop and start to clear it.

[faktoid]

I am not sure what is wrong withe the BSP.
I use it in ableton and it has its own mind.
I create an empty pattern and every now and then it plays a note..
I fill the pattern and every x cycle it changes the pattern a little bit an restarting the pattern helps a bit.
No, i do not have any swing or randomness values set.

There is a small clip named ghost sends that someone made, that is a bit alike my problem...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNObwTheUA4
Yes, firmware is up to date.
It is like it is already said above: great build quality, crappy software...
I hope this will be fixed or someone enlightens me, what I am doing wrong...

[sbDigisound]

Sounds like I am not alone...

Very disappointing.

Arturia - is this a known issue or some defective units?

And if a known issue when do we get aa fix?

[faktoid]

For the moment I only use it to record the built sequences immediatly into ableton.. not exactly the best usage.
At least this is fine and the gernerating of patterns is very simple and elegant.
As I do not use CV Devices it is ok for me...
But I hope and in a way I am shure about this arturia will provide a general fix soon..
Not that this is more than hope

[Terrym]

Hi all as mentioned in other threads have you been clearing all pattens after your first firmware update .even if theres nothing in the pattern please clear all by pressing shift and clear ptn on all 3 sections as i found the firmware corrupts anything stored .
i have  2 bsp and cannot repeat your problems i have one setup on cv equipment and one on midi /daw work.

There is a firmware update coming very soon.

hope this helps

Terrym

[faktoid]

OK, will try that.
Thank you for support..
I must have overlooked that advice

[nectarios]

Hi all as mentioned in other threads have you been clearing all pattens after your first firmware update .even if theres nothing in the pattern please clear all by pressing shift and clear ptn on all 3 sections as i found the firmware corrupts anything stored .
i have  2 bsp and cannot repeat your problems i have one setup on cv equipment and one on midi /daw work.

There is a firmware update coming very soon.

hope this helps

Terrym

I haven't done any firmware update, I just used it straight out of the box. Do I still need to clear all sequences on all three sequencers and try to build sequences with no sequences stored what so ever?

Is there a way to see what firmware I am on without using the software that is not compatible on my OS?

[nectarios]

I wonder whether the previous posters issues with CV are also being replicated via MIDI as I have a similar sounding problem :-

Every now again a sequence on either channel will either skip a note, there is a very brief pause or no note off is sent to the sound module and a note sustains longer than normal.

It is a very irregular occurrence and I don't seem to be able to induce it but it happens regularly.

Sync is internal, it isn't connected to a PC and it happens with a direct connection to a modules MIDI in port - ie no thru box.

So reducing it down to the simplest set up ie MIDI out BSP to a single sound module and issue persists. Either sequence channel.

Just now a stuck note required a transport stop and start to clear it.

Same here, MIDI hasn't made things any better. The OCT pads don't change octaves, so its actually worse. Timing is not tight, it wasn't with USB either...
I am in standalone mode right now and still get the same problems...drum sequencer has all 16 steps on yet occasionally drops triggers...

[nectarios]

Ok, the clearing pattern bit works, everything seems to work fine. So I clear patterns every time and start a fresh until there is a new firmware that remedies the patterns that are saved in memory?

[Terrym]

Hi, you must update the firmware as soon as possible as the factory firmware had many bug. Even if you have not used the bsp  I would go through all seq and clear the patterns .
As regards to the change OCT you must press the seq button then the  OCT button + -.

regards


Terrym

[Terrym]

Ok, the clearing pattern bit works, everything seems to work fine. So I clear patterns every time and start a fresh until there is a new firmware that remedies the patterns that are saved in memory?

if you save your patterns to the mcc thats fine .but just incase its not fixed on the next firmware just clear all patterns then load or add your patterns
 some people have been adding steps then turning them off then starting a new pattern and getting ghost notes so its best to start afresh and clear the pattern first.

regards

terrym

[nectarios]

Do you know if there is going to be a Snow Leopard compatible, software? Is there a way to update firmware whilst on Snow Leopard?

[sbDigisound]

Hi all as mentioned in other threads have you been clearing all pattens after your first firmware update .even if theres nothing in the pattern please clear all by pressing shift and clear ptn on all 3 sections as i found the firmware corrupts anything stored .
i have  2 bsp and cannot repeat your problems i have one setup on cv equipment and one on midi /daw work.

There is a firmware update coming very soon.

hope this helps

Terrym

Hi,
And thanks for your reply and advice which I have just seen.

No, I hadn't heard about clearing parts after an update and will try this tomorrow morning. I really hope it is similarly effective.
It seems odd that "ghost notes" appear so occasionally and inconsistently though...

Would be delighted to see this fix this issue.

Thanks again and will report.

[faktoid]

I cleared the patterns, but

the ghost notes still appear, even in an empty new ableton set with nothing else init but the BSP track.
Strange is that they don't follow a pattern, some cycyles it seems so and the it starts to drift and alter...

After fiddling around with the tempo knob, I run BSP as an ableton slave via usb, the ghost disappear...
I have to include this tempo knob fiddling in my workflow as it seems to help for the moment...

Oliver