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

[sawtoothwave]

To update: I emailed Arturia and received a response that they are in fact working on a firmware update, but they couldn't share with me the expected timeline or the expected contents.

I find it encouraging that the product supposedly isn't yet abandonware, but disappointing that they won't share any more details, especially with customers who already made a purchase and are frustrated that the product doesn't live up to what was promised. I asked them to share that frustration uphill with management (who knows if they will or if management cares) but if you feel like emailing and expressing similar sentiments, maybe it'll have an effect.

Anyway, fingers crossed there's another update someday that actually does smooth things out.

[cnps]

In my latest session alone, my KSP:

1) ignored my efforts to turn on the Ch 2 arpeggiator entirely, until I powered cycled the KSP
2) [once I power cycled it] played the arpeggiator 2x as fast (and with triplets on) as it did the last time I had it on (same project, same settings, just played back differently)
3) inserted notes I never played into the arpeggio—some of which weren't displayed in the arpeggio indicator LEDs and some of which were.

This is in addition to all the bugs I mentioned in my previous post with regard to the clock and the sync.

I can't even imagine how frustrating this kind of unpredictability is to KSP users who 1) are professional musicians rather than hobbyists like me, and 2) have spent more time learning the deeper features on the KSP than I have, expecting it to be a central part of their live rig. Even for me, I started today's session planning to perform and record a live set, and I ended it right here, posting this message. Not exactly the creative path I was hoping to travel!

I hope some folks from Arturia are reading this thread and can provide some follow-up. IMO, it's totally understandable for a tool as complex and multifunctional as the KSP to have bugs... but this long after release—and especially almost a year after the most recent firmware update—I'd expect to be seeing edge-case bugs, not deal-breaking, show-stopping (sometimes literally) bugs. It's hard not to feel taken advantage of, as a customer, to have purchased in good faith a piece of equipment that was billed as something I could use as the brains for my entire rig and have it fail in so many fundamental ways.

I'd really appreciate if someone from Arturia could provide some feedback about the current and anticipated state of support for the KSP so I can make an educated decision about whether I can justify continuing to pour my limited time and energy into this instrument. Thanks.

Feeling you here.

I just sold my KSP today, moving on to a more professional brand. I will probably give a try to the KSP 2 or something later on, but as of now I don't think the brand/product is mature enough (yet).

No hard feelings, at least we tried (I like the idea of the product).

[cnps]

To update: I emailed Arturia and received a response that they are in fact working on a firmware update, but they couldn't share with me the expected timeline or the expected contents.

I find it encouraging that the product supposedly isn't yet abandonware, but disappointing that they won't share any more details, especially with customers who already made a purchase and are frustrated that the product doesn't live up to what was promised. I asked them to share that frustration uphill with management (who knows if they will or if management cares) but if you feel like emailing and expressing similar sentiments, maybe it'll have an effect.

Anyway, fingers crossed there's another update someday that actually does smooth things out.

I was like you but I've come to the conclusion, especially after the design/hardware limitations described by the Arturia staff on the forum, that any future firmware update, as good as it could be (and that's still a if), won't make this product as complete as I expected in the first place. I'm better off paying more bucks in the range of 600+ and other brands offer better deals for the ones of us simply wanting to use a sequencer 'on the fly' with a DAW, vsts and a couple synths, nothing too fancy, BUT it should work, fast, no time to be wasted on interface setup, and no bugs of any sort.

Good luck to all.

[ffernandez]

Which products are you looking for?

[sawtoothwave]

To update: I emailed Arturia and received a response that they are in fact working on a firmware update, but they couldn't share with me the expected timeline or the expected contents.

I find it encouraging that the product supposedly isn't yet abandonware, but disappointing that they won't share any more details, especially with customers who already made a purchase and are frustrated that the product doesn't live up to what was promised. I asked them to share that frustration uphill with management (who knows if they will or if management cares) but if you feel like emailing and expressing similar sentiments, maybe it'll have an effect.

Anyway, fingers crossed there's another update someday that actually does smooth things out.

I was like you but I've come to the conclusion, especially after the design/hardware limitations described by the Arturia staff on the forum, that any future firmware update, as good as it could be (and that's still a if), won't make this product as complete as I expected in the first place. I'm better off paying more bucks in the range of 600+ and other brands offer better deals for the ones of us simply wanting to use a sequencer 'on the fly' with a DAW, vsts and a couple synths, nothing too fancy, BUT it should work, fast, no time to be wasted on interface setup, and no bugs of any sort.

Good luck to all.

Willing to share what you're moving to instead? I could be convinced to pay more money than the cost of a KSP for something that actually works, but for a lot of what KSP does, I'm not sure what else in the market does it. I primarily use the KSP to record and loop multiple rhythmic/melodic MIDI/CV sequences at a time, to trigger my modular synthesizer. I can't really seem to find anything else that has multiple channels of live sequencing and looping in the same way—especially in as small a package—but maybe I'm missing something...

[ffernandez]

The most similar device would be the Endorphins ground control...it's more expensive though and for eurorack. I think it has midi but not sure.

To update: I emailed Arturia and received a response that they are in fact working on a firmware update, but they couldn't share with me the expected timeline or the expected contents.

I find it encouraging that the product supposedly isn't yet abandonware, but disappointing that they won't share any more details, especially with customers who already made a purchase and are frustrated that the product doesn't live up to what was promised. I asked them to share that frustration uphill with management (who knows if they will or if management cares) but if you feel like emailing and expressing similar sentiments, maybe it'll have an effect.

Anyway, fingers crossed there's another update someday that actually does smooth things out.

I was like you but I've come to the conclusion, especially after the design/hardware limitations described by the Arturia staff on the forum, that any future firmware update, as good as it could be (and that's still a if), won't make this product as complete as I expected in the first place. I'm better off paying more bucks in the range of 600+ and other brands offer better deals for the ones of us simply wanting to use a sequencer 'on the fly' with a DAW, vsts and a couple synths, nothing too fancy, BUT it should work, fast, no time to be wasted on interface setup, and no bugs of any sort.

Good luck to all.

Willing to share what you're moving to instead? I could be convinced to pay more money than the cost of a KSP for something that actually works, but for a lot of what KSP does, I'm not sure what else in the market does it. I primarily use the KSP to record and loop multiple rhythmic/melodic MIDI/CV sequences at a time, to trigger my modular synthesizer. I can't really seem to find anything else that has multiple channels of live sequencing and looping in the same way—especially in as small a package—but maybe I'm missing something...

[cnps]

Hey guys, I'll quote what I posted on Gearspace (this is where I listed the competing products such as sequencers), and the interesting reply (then further replies) I got - on the very inflammable thread of the KSP there - people are really there too trying to figure out this product usability and its potential adaptation in the future haha xD

https://gearspace.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-and-electronic-music-production/1294553-arturia-keystep-pro-25.html

[tartpop]

That guy obviously doesn't know what song mode is.