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Making tracks, Sequencer / arpeggiator (or drum) tracks, The three arpeggiators – Arturia KeyStep Pro Keyboard with Advanced Sequencer and Arpeggiator User Manual

Page 69: What is an arpeggiator

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5. MAKING TRACKS

In this chapter, we'll have a look at the process of creating (drum) sequences and arpeggios.

What's the use of having tracks if you have nothing to fill them with?

5.1. Sequencer / Arpeggiator (or Drum) Tracks

The KeyStep Pro has four Tracks, each with its own independent sequencer or arpeggiator.

Sequencer

Arpeggiator

Drum Sequencer

Track 1

Yes

No

Yes

Track 2

Yes

Yes

No

Track 3

Yes

Yes

No

Track 4

Yes

Yes

No

Each track has a pair of buttons labelled Seq and Arp (or Seq and Drum on Track 1). These

buttons let you set the functionality for their associated track. The currently selected option

is lit up and only one mode can be active at any time.

5.2. The Three Arpeggiators

One of the unique features of the KeyStep Pro is that it has three arpeggiators. What

makes it even more unique is that these arpeggiators can run in different scales and time

signatures simultaneously!

5.2.1. What is an Arpeggiator?

An arpeggiator breaks up a chord into individual notes: hold down a chord on the keyboard

and the arpeggiator will play the notes in the chord one by one at equal time intervals. You

can keep adding notes to the arpeggio: simply holding down more keys will add them to the

arpeggio. If you happen to have 16 fingers you can use all of them to create a maximum-

length arpeggio, but a better way to extend arpeggios is to make use of the HOLD key. We'll

explain this in the next sub-section.

To activate the arpeggiator, select a track with an arpeggiator (Track 2, 3 or 4) and press the

Arp button. It lights up in white to show that Arpeggio mode is currently active on that track.

Now hold a chord and hear the arpeggio play.

: Pressing 'Play' is optional. However, if you want to record your arpeggio in the sequencer on the

same track, pressing 'Play' is required.

Arturia - User Manual Keystep Pro - Making Tracks

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