Arturia’s KeyStep 37 mk2 brings new generative tools to assist with forming musical ideas

Arturia has unveiled the KeyStep 37 mk2, the next-generation of its versatile 37-key controller and sequencer.

Expanding on the first-edition KeyStep 37, the mk2 version brings a number of upgrades, including a clearer OLED display, expanded connectivity, a more powerful 64-step sequencer – with eight-voice polyphony – and a 16-mode arpeggiator and an overall refreshed design.

The KeyStep 37 mk2 also brings new generative tools like Mutate, Spice and a Phrase Arpeggiator, all of which transform sequences or arpeggios instantly without stopping the music. There’s also Scale and Chord Modes to assist with musical idea generation like harmonies or melodies.

The unit also boasts new physical controls, with five more keys, two additional buttons and four knobs to control sub-menus. The addition of new tactile controls, Arturia says, “drastically enhances the overall playability of the instrument while keeping the same amount of functionality”.

Users also get new visual feedback, with a strip of LEDs over the keybed which indicate the notes being played on the keyboard at a given time. Of course, you’ve also got pitch bend and mod strips, as well as 37 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch. There’s also four mode-aware encoder knobs for fast Seq/Arq/Chord/Mutate editing without having to “menu-dive”.

The KeyStep mk2’s aforementioned expanded connectivity means users can control modular, vintage and modern gear alike alongside your DAW, while there’s also a controllable CV/Gate, MIDI DIN, Sync I/O and USB-C.

KeyStep 37 mk2 is more than keys,” says Arturia. “It’s a sequencer, arpeggiator, and musical nerve-centre that bridges hardware and software so you can compose, jam, and perform anywhere your ideas take you.”

Price-wise, the KeyStep mk2 clocks in at €189, €60 over the first KeyStep’s €129 price tag. For more information, head to Arturia.

Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer.