PC changes by pattern (help needed) and the dreaded Blank pattern number screen glitch

Step KeyStep Pro
#1

I am running Keystep pro on FW 2.5.20. Did experiments in trying to implement and recall PCs by pattern for projects. Spent about 10 hours over a couple days figuring out the methods for each of my synths to do PCs from the keystep pro. It does work, and in real time, selecting them manually and was successful on Moog One, Novation Peak, Novation Mininova, Roland JV-2080.

See prior post on this topic:

Spent another at least 20 hours trying like hell to figure out how to implement these while playing a sequence and changing patterns. Did all the internet and forum searches. Reviewed arturias videos, read a ton of forum entries. Seems to be a common problem. I may have missed something or am doing something totally stupid, but man I haven’t been able to come up with a workable solution for me.

There are major problems in making this work in a performance stable manner as documented by many others. It would be SO awesome if this worked, it really would be a creative game changer live.

Here are my personal notes on my adventure over the past few days trying to get it to work. Like I state above, I have figured out all of the PC, MSB, LSB settings for the sythns I want to use and have successfully controlled all of them from my KSP. So my MIDI connections are OK, and my PC, MSB, and LSB messages are going over fine. Yeah it’s kind of an emotive dump. but well . there it is.

I include all of this so that maybe someone from Arturia or a user that has successfully implemented this can help me figure out what I am doing wrong. I hope it’s something simple that I have missed. I have also contacted Arturia support and will see how they respond. Skip to the last section ( Testing notes 5-3-26. ) where I try and do a granular evaluation if you want to limit your reading to something that doesn’t sound like a lunatic raving.

    • Had challenges with consistent PC changes by pattern. Intermittent. Challenges saving patterns, ends up saving to track level. Weird blank numbers on track 3 when saving patterns. Had to reboot. So I did these steps.
    • o Saved all my existing projects via MCC. Erased all patterns from the KSP, Did a factory reset and reperformed a firmware update (2.5.20) with the KSP directly plugged into computer (Mac Studio 2025) by usb (mentioned by others as preferred method to limit data drop)
    • o Rebooted. Changed all my midi settings to my synths and they all worked no issues. Documented I can change PC, MSB, LSB on all and they worked as above. Changed my Utility/ Launch Quant –Wait Load Pattern to 1 bar (suggested by others as a method to improve triggering)
    • Testing notes below. Note this is me talking to myself (not unusual) as a document to analyze my workflow.

Testing notes 4-29-26:

  • o Used Project 1 as test.
  • o Track 4 – Novation Peak. NOTE: doing save-pattern-click pad number causes major error -blank numbers-can’t interact with the track, Known glitch. Trying again.
  • o OK so made a quick pattern with PC commands. Did Save-pattern-pattern1 pad and it didn’t give me a ‘pattern saved “ message in the window, but didn’t totally glitch to blank pattern number. Did Save-Track 4 and it said “pattern saved”. Did a save-project. Turned off, set peak at another patch turned on. No change in peak. Hit play, pattern played stayed on the same patch (not the patch pc that I saved). Made it go to pattern 02 (empty) then back to 01 and it changed. So going to a blank pattern first while sequencer is playing and back worked (others have described this)
  • o Made a second pattern with a different PC. (B 06 on the peak). Did save-pattern-pattern 2 pad. and it saved this time and gave me the message “pattern saved” . did save-project. Reboot
  • o UGHH. Saved the PC for pattern 02 on pattern 01 as well. So it just does the PC for the last change on both patterns. Weird. This has worked before. Went to 01, changed the PC value to the first patch above. Save-pattern 1 pad. “pattern saved” Went to 02. Yep it’s the PC I just put in.
  • o Changed 02 to another. Save-pattern 02. Same result.
  • o Erased patterns
  • o Tried again. Same result used “save -track” method this time.
  • o NOTE: after each of the pattern save steps I also did Save-Project.
    • Give up for now. Too glitchy. Prob can use for track level PC? Need to test again.

Testing notes 5-2-26.

    • Test 1:
    • o Trying again with another project (erased patterns on PROJECT 1).
    • o Created a Pattern. Save-Project
    • o Used the Roland 2080 this time. ASSIGNED PC, MSB, LSB. IT WORKS REALTIME, CAN SELECT ANY PATCH on the 2080. Save-Track (‘Patterns Saved’), Save-project.
    • o Tried starting from a random patch on the 2080.
    • o NOT changing 2080 patch on sequence start
    • o NOTE: found out when I go to a blank pattern (e.g 03 in this case) and then back to pattern with PC it works.
    • Form internet search:
    • o Use Proper Sequence: Some users report that placing the desired PC on a blank pattern and switching to it, or ensuring the pattern is active, works better than trying to send it on the very first step.
    • Did this as well: From internet search
    • o Wait Load Pattern: Set Utility > Launch Quantize to 1 Bar instead of At End to prevent lag in PC message transmission.
    • o Did this
    • o But still doesn’t trigger when starting from scratch with all the sequences at 01.
    • o Did work however when you go to an unused pattern then go back. So brainstorming, maybe to use live you could have 01 as your unused pattern, then turn everything to 02 to trigger PC changes, and that would select the patches?
    • OK now have been able to send pattern specific PC changes to 2080. I don’t exactly know what the magic sequence of actions was BUT I STILL need to switch from a blank pattern.
    • I noticed that pattern 02 for some reason did not save the last time as a PC value (even though I did this)
    • So I set them and clicked Save-TRACK (‘patterns saved’) And if I start from a blank pattern (03 in this case) to 02, and 01 it does trigger the correct PC for each pattern on the 2080. Getting somewhere .
    • Test 2:
    • o I’m gonna start from scratch and keep track of my steps.
    • o I erased all the patterns on Track 3.
    • o Left pattern 01 BLANK
    • o Recorded a sequence on pattern 02
    • o Made changes to PC (2), MSB (81), LSB (1): this is User:002 on the roland 2028. The 2080 responded immediately with the correct patch.
    • o Exited back to project 1 home
    • o SAVE-TRACK – responded with “Patterns saved”
    • o Changed the patch manually on the 2080 to a random patch.
    • o Started sequence with 01(nothing on it) then changed to 02. Didn’t trigger 02 pc correctly. Ugh
    • o Checked the PC values. They are correct.
    • o Thought maybe its because 01 is 16 steps and 02 is 64 steps.
    • o Changed Pattern 01 to 64 steps.
    • o Touched the pattern button to see if I select pattern that way it would let me. Clicked pattern button 1. Got the disappearing pattern number glitch, had to reboot.
    • o Reboot:
    • o Changed pattern 01 to 64 steps (again).
    • o Saved track. “patterns saved”
    • o Saved Project
    • o Started sequence on track 3 (pattern 01) with another random patch selected on the 2080. While sequence playing switched to 02. UGH patch didn’t change didn’t work.
    • o Went to pattern 03
    • o Went back to pattern 02. Didn’t switch
    • o Checked pc , msb, lsb values they are correct for the one that I want.
    • o Went to pattern 04 (which I have done NOTHING with)
    • o Back to 02
    • o Worked
    • o Seems that you have to start from a completely fresh pattern on the ksp?
    • Test 3:
    • o Tried it again after selecting a random patch on the 2080
    • o It did not work.
    • o Save project
    • o Reboot
    • o Tried again starting from track 04 (empty).
    • o Back to 02. Didn’t work
    • o Hmm. Randomly doesn’t work
    • o Tried another couple things.
    • o Now it won’t save pc changes per pattern again

Testing notes 5-3-26.

Trying this again with step by step tracking on exactly what I am doing:

  • · Selected a new naïve project. Nothing on it since factory reset and Fw upgrade. (Project 2)
  • · Selected Track 4 (this controls Novation Peak on MIDI channel 13)
  • · Changed PC, MSB,LSB values FIRST before recording any patterns (shift-Utility, Track settings, PC send:ON, PC assign: 9, exit, MSB: 1, LSB: 2, exit to project 2 main screen. (this selected Patch A 008 on Peak)
  • · Save Pattern-pattern pad1 (pattern saved)
  • · Save – Project (project saved)
  • · Start sequencer
  • · Last step: 64
  • · Recorded pattern (real time)
  • · Works
  • · Stop
  • · Save -pattern-pattern pad 1 (saved pattern), exit
  • · Track 4, right arrow, 02 selected.
  • · Set PC, MSB, LSB values for a new patch on pattern 02 (as above) to PC:21, MSB:1, LSB:1 (selected A 020 on Peak)
  • · Exit to main project 2 screen
  • · Save-pattern-pattern pad 2 (Saved pattern), save-project (project saved)
  • · Recorded pattern (real time) using same as pattern 01 above, 64 steps
  • · Save-pattern-pattern2 pad (pattern saved)
  • · Save-project (project saved)
  • · Select Pattern 01
  • · Play
  • · 01 plays patch A 020 (not the one I saved originally as pattern 01, which was A 008.
  • · Stop
  • · Play again to see if it triggers. Stiil plays A 020.
  • · Checked parameters for both patterns: Both the same, the ones I saved for Pattern 02
  • · Test to see if it is triggering at all. Manually selected Patch A 037 on the Peak, Pattern 01 selected on Track 4, start sequence. Didn’t select A 020.
  • · Checked PC, MSB,LSB values. They are the same for both 01 and 02 patterns.
  • · Save-Project (project saved).
  • · Turned KSP off
  • · Turned KSP on
  • · Loaded Project 2
  • · Play
  • · Selected A 20 (correctly based upon values in the pattern, but not what I selected originally)
  • · Stop
  • · Changed PC, MSB,LSB on pattern 01 to what I wanted originally (selects A 008).
  • · Save-Pattern-patternpad1. BLANK SCREEN Glitch. (NOTE that I didn’t go back to the main screen I am still in Prog Change Assign. This might be the sequence that triggers the blank screen glitch. Perhaps you need to go to the main project screen before saving patterns)
  • · Shut off KSP,
  • · Turned KSP on
  • · Loaded Project 2
  • · Play
  • · Selected A 020 (correctly based upon values in the pattern, but not what I selected originally)
  • · Exited to Project 2 main screen
  • · Save-Pattern-patternpad1 (pattern saved)
  • · Save project (project saved)
  • · Play
  • · Works
  • · Set Peak manually to another patch(A028)
  • · Play
  • · Didn’t change patch
  • · Stop
  • · Selected another project (empty project 4)
  • · Project loaded
  • · Selected Project 2
  • · Project loaded.
  • · At loading changed the Peak patch to A008, the correct one. So It is sending PC info at project loading.
  • · Play
  • · Correctly plays
  • · While playing select pattern 02
  • · Plays A 008 (should have been playing A 020 based upon last change made to the pattern and saved)
  • · Checked PC, MSB, LSB values for pattern. They are the ones I changed pattern 01 to. (PC: 9, MSB:a, LSB:2).
  • · So again, using this method, It changes all patterns to the last saved PC values (i.e. is not saving them per pattern)
  • · What am I missing? Gotta be something wrong with my process.

So bottom line:

  1. With this firmware (2.5.20) there are errors requiring reboot that happen when doing the procedure: Save-Pattern-pattern pad. Although this seems intermittent. This has been discussed in other threads. It appears that the trigger for the glitch (at least the one I found) is trying to save a pattern when you are not on the main screen (e.g. where it says Project 2, BPM 120.00 BPM), the first screen). Trying to save patterns (using save-pattern, pattern pad) while in PC assign gives the blank pattern screen glitch
  2. PC, MSB, LSB information flows well when manually selected from Utility - track settings – PC assign (in real time) for Moog One, Novation Peak, Mini Nova, and the ol’ Roland 2080.
  3. There are major problems when trying to implement PCs, on a pattern level, while playing sequences and switching patterns. Its intermittent and frustrating. Cannot be used for a performance, at least for me at this time. This has been discussed in a few threads. But hoping someone may have found a solution, or Arturia can address in a new firmware update (if that would ever happen) Or someone out there may spot something I am doing wrong or at least describe the limitations. If the pattern level PC changes could work, that’s a game changer for using this in a performance. Right now it’s a no go for me. It DOES seem to be able to trigger PC by TRACK, and sends these at project opening. Need to do more testing to confirm.
  4. Still doing testing of my procedure. I think I must be doing something wrong at pattern save, or somehow there is a different method of changing PC values than Shift-Utility-Track settings-PC assign? Any help appreciated by this group. If it’s some dumb ass thing I would be very happy.

Thanks