Arturia KeyStep Mk.2 – A Subtle But Strong Evolution
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Nearly a decade after its original release, it has spawned numerous versions and clones. Now the original gets a well-deserved refresh with the KeyStep Mk.2.
When Arturia launched the first KeyStep back in 2016, they almost single-handedly redefined what keyboard controllers ought to be. Not just a compact keyboard, it incorporated a polyphonic sequencer, an arpeggiator, performance controls and, most importantly, three types of connectivity.
Traditional MIDI was there, along with CV/Gate and Sync. This made the KeyStep the darling of modular and Eurorack musicians looking for ways to incorporate keyboard inputs with their bleeps and bloops! But the KeyStep could be used by anyone, whatever the need.
Now, the KeyStep Mk.2 takes that original concept, refines it, adds to it and reinstates the KeyStep as the premier backpack-sized, affordable Swiss Army Knife of the controller world. What’s more, it’s a bit cheaper too! Let’s take a look…
The Arturia KeyStep Mk.2
The first thing you’ve probably noticed is the OLED screen and large, single, clickable encoder, and a metal one at that! (No more sticky knobs) This means that all editing is now directly accessible from the hardware and displayed on-screen.
There’s a Mutate function, borrowed in part from the likes of the MiniFreak. This feature delivers on-touch phrase modification to your sequences. It introduces melodic and rhythmic variations on the fly for lots of fun. The arpeggiator has also been expanded. It now features 16 modes, 9 pattern variations, octave control, time division and more.
Sequencer Workflow
The sequencer workflow has also been given a shot in the arm. It supports real-time or unquantized recording, editing and pattern chaining. The Chord mode now also features scale locking and sequences can be turned into real-time arp patterns that follow the notes you’re playing.
More MiniFreak-inspired functions come in the form of Splice and Dice, transpose and double patterns. At the rear, there’s a new On/Off switch, the USB port is now of the C variety, and all the other connectivity remains. In fact, the CV/Gate connections now have two Mod outputs!
There’s still a bunch of Shift-enabled functions attached to the keyboard, but just like the original, they’re pretty straightforward, and you will soon gain muscle memory. Oh, and there’s a lovely blue base to the unit, the same colour as the aforementioned Shift button. Oh, and it retains the velocity AND aftertouch, which for a unit this price is fantastic.
More Information
The KeyStep Mk.2 reestablishes itself as the most affordable and useful controller on the market for every type of music maker. I was a little late to the KeyStep game, but even though I’ve got a Pro, this little one will still find a use in my studio and at shows.
The Arturia KeyStep Mk.2 is available now for €129.00.
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3 responses to “Arturia KeyStep Mk.2 – A Subtle But Strong Evolution”
very cool to see good, solid feature updates, but recent arturia aesthetic direction is unbearably boring..
It is a pity they got rid of DC power. I really enjoyed having my old KeyStep Mark 1 integrated in my pedalboard and using USB only for data. What a shame… Hopefully, they won’t repeat the same mistake with the KeyStep 37 Mark 2 when they release it.
Nice. Here’s to the pro (and other versions) with tasty updates & functionality, coming soon as poss.