BeatStep Pro and Reason

Want to talk about music hardware or software that doesn't include Reason?
zwei
Posts: 13
Joined: 02 Apr 2015

07 Sep 2015

Update:
So with the help of eauhm I got this working. It was a little bit tricky so I decided to make a mini how-to here: http://imgur.com/a/374ZL



Hi!
I am having some trouble setting up the BeatStep Pro in the "correct" way. Right now Reason identifies it as one Midi Controller. The issue being that BSP has 3 separate sequencers divided on Midi Channel 1, 2 and 10. What I would like to do is to get Reason to see it as one Midi Controller per channel so I can assign BSP 1 to a Thor, BSP 2 to a Subtractor and BSP 10 to a Redrum by using the "Lock Midi Controller to Device" option. Now I have to use busses which means that Reason does not record the midi data from BSP.

Anyone have any idea how I could achieve this?

Thanks!
Last edited by zwei on 07 Sep 2015, edited 1 time in total.

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Olivier
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07 Sep 2015

:reason: V9 | i7 5930 | Motu 828 MK3 | Win 10

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freeQlow
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07 Sep 2015

When and if you get it figured out, let us know. That Beat Step has had my curiosity since NAMM.
I've had difficulty with their midi hardware, but I like this concept.

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Olivier
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07 Sep 2015

I will defenitely get one myself because of its CV capabilities. In the thread i link to i explain how to work with a multi midi channel controller. Its not supported natively but the workaround isn't that hard either.
:reason: V9 | i7 5930 | Motu 828 MK3 | Win 10

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freeQlow
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07 Sep 2015

CV, Din, Midi, 1/8" as well
1 drum sequencer with 3 additional pattern sequencers?

zwei
Posts: 13
Joined: 02 Apr 2015

07 Sep 2015

freeQlow wrote:When and if you get it figured out, let us know. That Beat Step has had my curiosity since NAMM.
I've had difficulty with their midi hardware, but I like this concept.
See my first comment for a small update.

Regarding the BeatStep Pro I just want to give some words of caution. As with all Arturia products its just not fully there yet. It is super fun to get songs going with. But some of the functionality is not there. Not even some stuff that was in the Manual (e.g copying sequences between sequencer 1 and 2.) But they are working on fixing bugs and introducing missing features.

zwei
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Joined: 02 Apr 2015

07 Sep 2015

Thank you so much! That got it going.

Do I have MIDI-OX open all the time though?

zwei
Posts: 13
Joined: 02 Apr 2015

07 Sep 2015

freeQlow wrote:CV, Din, Midi, 1/8" as well
1 drum sequencer with 3 additional pattern sequencers?
1 drum sequencer and 2 pattern sequencers.

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Olivier
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07 Sep 2015

zwei wrote:
Thank you so much! That got it going.

Do I have MIDI-OX open all the time though?
Yes, Midi-Ox is the program splitting the midi.. so you need to keep it open
:reason: V9 | i7 5930 | Motu 828 MK3 | Win 10

siler
Posts: 2
Joined: 25 Jan 2015

10 Sep 2015

Koshdukai just posted a solution to this very problem using new midi-channel aware remote files:

http://koshdukaimusicreason.blogspot.co ... emote.html

This will eliminate the need to use any external software.

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Olivier
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11 Sep 2015

siler wrote:Koshdukai just posted a solution to this very problem using new midi-channel aware remote files:

http://koshdukaimusicreason.blogspot.co ... emote.html

This will eliminate the need to use any external software.
That is awesome, thanks for the link !!
:reason: V9 | i7 5930 | Motu 828 MK3 | Win 10

zwei
Posts: 13
Joined: 02 Apr 2015

11 Sep 2015

siler wrote:Koshdukai just posted a solution to this very problem using new midi-channel aware remote files:

http://koshdukaimusicreason.blogspot.co ... emote.html

This will eliminate the need to use any external software.
Wow, nice! I'll add that link to the top of my original post.

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Olivier
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11 Sep 2015

zwei wrote:
siler wrote:Koshdukai just posted a solution to this very problem using new midi-channel aware remote files:

http://koshdukaimusicreason.blogspot.co ... emote.html

This will eliminate the need to use any external software.
Wow, nice! I'll add that link to the top of my original post.
I think that stuff deserves a seperate tutorial thread, it's a recurring question. :) might set one up tonight.
:reason: V9 | i7 5930 | Motu 828 MK3 | Win 10

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Koshdukai
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21 Sep 2015

Hey all!

Thanks for mentioning my solution, siler and eauhm for spreading it on other threads where appropriate :)

btw, V.1.0.0 of the codec had an issue that's fixed on V1.0.1 (I think I stumbled on it and updated it last week, when I tried to use it instead of my older original version).

...basically, I had to make it as generic as possible for public release when I found the time to make a post about it but forgot to rename the Model options on the .luacodec file (that's why I hate doing stuff in a hurry :P), so those were still using the names used on my personal custom version. That's fixed now with 1.0.1 and should work as intended.


PS: zwei (and Friday), as you may suspect, I own a BeatStep Pro so naturally I'll end up doing a specific Remote Codec+Map for it when I find the time. It'll supersede this solution with the generic multi-channel Codec, meaning, it'll still allow it to play its Sequencers 1, 2 and Drum into Reason (just make Reason the MIDI Clock Master sending to the BSP and set it's Sync to slave to USB or MIDI if you're using MIDI DYN).
The difference will be that BSP's Controller mode will work as expected with Reason, a bit like my SparkLE Codec at least but with more knobs available :)
I'm just waiting for its firmware to settle down so I won't have to do too many updates to my Codec.
Last edited by Koshdukai on 21 Sep 2015, edited 1 time in total.

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Olivier
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21 Sep 2015

Koshdukai wrote:Hey all!

Thanks for mentioning my solution, siler and eauhm for spreading it on other threads where appropriate :)

btw, V.1.0.0 of the codec had an issue that's fixed on V1.0.1 (I think I stumbled on it and updated it last week, when I tried to use it instead of my older original version).

...basically, I had to make it as generic as possible for public release when I found the time to make a post about it but forgot to rename the Model options on the .luacodec file (that's why I hate doing stuff in a hurry :P), so those were still using the names used on my personal custom version. That's fixed now with 1.0.1 and should work as intended.
I'm going to take some time soon to see if I understand enough of your technique to implement it into the codec that I use for my Akai mpk and make it channel aware.
:reason: V9 | i7 5930 | Motu 828 MK3 | Win 10

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Koshdukai
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21 Sep 2015

eauhm wrote:I'm going to take some time soon to see if I understand enough of your technique to implement it into the codec that I use for my Akai mpk and make it channel aware.
I guess the easiest way is for you to make 2 versions of your own Codec+Map. Version A will listen only to MIDI Channel 1 (if that's the one used for the keyb and controls) and the Version B will listen only to MIDI Channel 10 (if that's the one used by the Pads).

How to make the Codec "listen" to a specific MIDI channel you'll easily see on my generic codec, if you didn't know already from basic MIDI protocol byte-sequence knowledge :)

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Olivier
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27 Feb 2016

@Koshdukai: I just received my Beatstep Pro, got it rigged into reason using your multi channel codec. Works like a charm :)

On the Beatstep pro, sofar its been all that i've expected it to be. Its quite a solid piece of gear. Using it with Kong is effortless. The built-in randomness and probability is very usefull in making patterns. I've got the unit Midi Synced to reason over USB currently. This way the notes are off by about 8 subticks. Which is easily corrected. Also been using it with my modular. Great piece of kit, do recommend !
:reason: V9 | i7 5930 | Motu 828 MK3 | Win 10

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Koshdukai
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27 Feb 2016

eauhm wrote:@Koshdukai: I just received my Beatstep Pro, got it rigged into reason using your multi channel codec. Works like a charm :)

On the Beatstep pro, sofar its been all that i've expected it to be. Its quite a solid piece of gear. Using it with Kong is effortless. The built-in randomness and probability is very usefull in making patterns. I've got the unit Midi Synced to reason over USB currently. This way the notes are off by about 8 subticks. Which is easily corrected. Also been using it with my modular. Great piece of kit, do recommend !
Cool, glad to know :D

Yeah, love my BSP too. I thought it wouldn't find its own place between the mobile practicality of an iPad and the power of a DAW on a laptop but it carved it's niche very rapidly and easily on my setup.

I planned to make a specific Codec+Map for it's Controller part but... the generic Channel-aware codecs I did work so well with it that I haven't had a good excuse to work any further on that ;)

dmbenjamin
Posts: 2
Joined: 12 Dec 2017

27 Jun 2018

Hi,

I don't know if its because of Reason 10 but don't work correctly anymore.

SEQ 2 still working with current rank and cant be lock with any other. DRUM don't work at all with KONG.

Any idea ?

And if anyone have an issue to make control midi center from arturia working... dont recognize Beatstep pro and ive already all tried... new usb cable... waiting everything is booted before to turn on BSP... everything but dont work.

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Koshdukai
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27 Jun 2018

The "Can't be locked" might be related with it somehow being considered by Reason as the Master Keyboard. To fix this, go to the Preferences, Surfaces and click the button "Use no master keyboard"

DRUM not working with Kong might be that you changed the notes being sent by BSP which became out of the regular Kong range/octave, maybe?

Is it working with a regular instrument, like ID8 ? If yes, check the notes/note range being generated by DRUM and see if those are the notes (range) expected by Kong.

About MCC, you can't use it while also running Reason connected to the BSP port, because MIDI ports are exclusive. Only 1 application (either Reason or MCC) can use that port, not both.

It's a Windows limitation (if you're on Window, that is).

unclenofun
Posts: 46
Joined: 26 Sep 2018

03 Oct 2018

Seems like I'm resurrecting an old topic here but I have to ask. Even with the possible current issues, I'm considering getting a beatstep pro. The only question I have now is, while I can see that you can route the 3 channels (one to beats, two to melodies say) is reason capable of recording all 3 at once?

What I'm after is a creative player (much like my monome) something that will inspire different ways of creating and playing and will compliment my Reason, nektar, electribe set up. (I'm still quite new to any kind of hardware)

If it is possible to record multiple lanes at the same time then perfect! But is this more of a live thing?

I realise you could use the 3 sections individually but that just seems like a waste of its capabilities

Am I anywhere near the mark?

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Koshdukai
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03 Oct 2018

Yes, you can record all seq lanes from BSP to Reason in-sync to Reason's BPM or sync Reason to BSP's BPM.

There's even a 4th MIDI channel that you can use, for MIDI control, if needed, remote mapping those rotary knobs (in Control mode) to things in Reason :)

unclenofun
Posts: 46
Joined: 26 Sep 2018

04 Oct 2018

Koshdukai wrote:Yes, you can record all seq lanes from BSP to Reason in-sync to Reason's BPM or sync Reason to BSP's BPM.

There's even a 4th MIDI channel that you can use, for MIDI control, if needed, remote mapping those rotary knobs (in Control mode) to things in Reason :)
I can record ALL sequence lanes at the same time? As separate channels in Reason? That sounds great if so

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Koshdukai
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04 Oct 2018

unclenofun wrote:
04 Oct 2018
Koshdukai wrote:Yes, you can record all seq lanes from BSP to Reason in-sync to Reason's BPM or sync Reason to BSP's BPM.

There's even a 4th MIDI channel that you can use, for MIDI control, if needed, remote mapping those rotary knobs (in Control mode) to things in Reason :)
I can record ALL sequence lanes at the same time? As separate channels in Reason? That sounds great if so

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
If you have a recent Reason version, yes, it's been possible for some years to record simultaneously from multiple controllers into their respective sequencer tracks.
The MIDI Channel aware Codecs will present the BSP to Reason as (up to) 4 independent controllers. You just need to lock each one to the right seq track, enable track recording on those tracks and record away, not forgetting to use MIDI sync to keep both Reason and the BSP in-sync.

unclenofun
Posts: 46
Joined: 26 Sep 2018

04 Oct 2018

Koshdukai wrote:
unclenofun wrote:
04 Oct 2018
I can record ALL sequence lanes at the same time? As separate channels in Reason? That sounds great if so

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
If you have a recent Reason version, yes, it's been possible for some years to record simultaneously from multiple controllers into their respective sequencer tracks.
The MIDI Channel aware Codecs will present the BSP to Reason as (up to) 4 independent controllers. You just need to lock each one to the right seq track, enable track recording on those tracks and record away, not forgetting to use MIDI sync to keep both Reason and the BSP in-sync.
Sweet, thanks. I'm on R10.1. Not made the most recent upgrade just yet.

I'm getting on that then!

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