Arturia has announced that the BeatStep Pro – the company’s new flagship hardware step sequencer – is now shipping.

The BeatStep Pro has been designed to let you work with MIDI-, USB-, CV/Gate-, or DIN Sync-equipped gear.

Here’s a new video, demonstrating the BeatStep Pro being used to sequence 10 synths at the same time:

In the video, Sébastien Rochard, Arturia Product Manager, jams with 10 analog synthesizers and one computer using Ableton Live.

BeatStep Pro has been designed from the ground up to provide a hands-on hardware sequencing experience. It offers 16 touch-sensitive knobs, for entering of pitch, gate, velocity amounts, and timing shifts per step.

It includes two independent (color-coded) monophonic step sequencers, each with dedicated displays to show the current playback position and bank length of the currently selected sequence.

EQUENCER 1 and SEQUENCER 2 offer up to 64 steps per sequence, 16 sequences per project, and 16 projects, making BeatStep Pro one of the more powerful step sequencers ever made. Each sequencer has its own 1V/Oct CV (Control Voltage) and (10V) GATE outputs to connect to suitably-equipped analog synthesizers, together with a separate VELO (Velocity) output to allow for even more possibilities when working with a modular synth system setup.

An additional DRUM sequencer allows for 16 separate tracks of sequencing. Record in quantised realtime via the 16 pressure sensitive pads or use the 16 step buttons for a classic drum machine workflow. when working in SEQ1 and SEQ2 mode, the pads can control pitch transposition as well as accessing various musical scales — such as Chromatic, Major, Minor, Dorian, Mixolydian, Harm Minor, Blues, and also a User setting — while the DRUM sequencer itself also has eight DRUM GATES at its disposal (to send gate outputs from the corresponding pads for triggering external devices).

BeatStep Pro is also a controller. Switching from PROJECT to CONTROL MODE means users can trigger clips in their favourite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), play drum sounds from an external module, or adjust parameters in their favourite plug-in. Possibilities are (almost) endless, limited only by (lack of) imagination.

Beatstep Pro also offers performance effects, including a realtime ROLLER/LOOPER touch strip; PROBABILITY, RANDOMNESS, and SWING settings.

Features:

• 2 monophonic step sequencers
  • Up to 64 steps per sequence
  • Note, velocity and gate time settings per step
  • Note tie
• 16-track drum sequencer (one track per pad)
  • MIDI controller mode
  • Fully customizable for knobs, step buttons and velocity and pressure sensitive pads
  • Send MIDI CC, note data, program changes
• 16 Projects, each with 16×2 sequences, 16 drum sequences and a controller map.
• Performance controls
• Randomizer with Amount and Probability settings
• Real-time looper/roller touch strip
• Independent swing amount per sequence
• Touch sensitive knobs
• Tap Tempo
• Connectivity
  • CV/GATE outputs (1 volt per octave CV, 10 volt gates)
  • 8 drum gate outputs
  • Clock sync with multiple standards
  • MIDI In/Out with supplied MIDI adaptors
  • USB class compliant
• Kensington lock

BeatStep Pro has a street price of about US $249. See the Arturia site for details.