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A free firmware update means that Arturia do-it-all KeyStep Pro MIDI keyboard and sequencer now does even more. Owners can download version 2.0 now.

We like to talk about new products, but for many musicians, it is the updates to ones they have already bought that are the most important.

You can get an overview of what’s new in the video above.

The new version 2.0 firmware for Arturia KeyStep Pro MIDI keyboard and sequencer, which adds both new performance features and stability/workflow improvements.

*Here are the bullet points:

• Global transpose – Transpose multiple melodic tracks at the same time
• Global value offset – Apply a relative offset for any of the five main controls for every step across the selected track pattern
• Arpeggios in sequences – You can now record arpeggios into a sequence
• Recording Chord Mode – Record Chord Mode chords into a sequence
• Arpeggios while stopped – Create and play arpeggios while KeyStep Pro isn’t playing
• MIDI Thru – MIDI Out 2 can now be set to Thru mode
• Mono Mode – The mono mode has been refactored for a smoother experience
• Arpeggio swing – You can now add swing amount to arpeggios using Shift
• Step Listen – Trigger sequence steps without playing a sequence so you can preview your notes
• Workflow and UX – various workflow improvements to performance, functionality, and ease of use

For all of us, the KeyStep Pro was already one of the best devices on the market for melodic sequencing and flexible hardware control, and these subtle yet useful improvements look set to make it even better.

Find out more and download the update for free on the Arturia website.

The Oxi One, a new MIDI sequencer and controller has just landed on Indiegogo.

Is there anything that this flexible MIDI sequencer and controller can’t do? In fact, there is a lot going on with Oxi One. With multiple modes and connectivity options mean that this has ‘studio hub’ written all over it, meaning the instrument looks like it has enough features for it to become the central hub of your studio or live setup, should you want it to be.

Multi gives you access to eight tracks, each with its own independent parameters, meaning that you can run up to 32 tracks at a time. Chord endows you with chord generation features, to enable you to create progressions. Mono gives you control of a monophonic track, and Poly offers up to seven voices, with 4 CCs and multiple parameters per step. This is just the start, too, with more modes set to be added in future firmware updates. You can use up to 128 steps per sequencer.

The Oxi One can operate as a keyboard, with four different piano layouts. There is an eight-octave range, and you can control pitchbend, pressure, modulation and velocity using dedicated knobs. You can choose to play in specific scales and get the ‘right’ chords for that scale, with plenty of different voicings and variations.

Other features include four arpeggiators with multiple modes, a song/arranger mode, four LFOs – routable to internal parameters, MIDI and voltage control – and four loopers. Connectivity includes eight CVs, eight gates and 1 CV input, so you are all set for controlling modular gear, as well.

The Oxi One can be battery-powered and is compatible with Bluetooth MIDI.

You can find out more on the Oxi One Indiegogo website.

The funding target has already been met, but if you are quick you can still grab a unit for €530. The regular price will be €699.

Delivery is estimated to be in November 2021.

Sonible has announced that smart:EQ. The world’s first multitrack EQ plugin. It is another step forward for the AI-powered processor. Its intelligent EQ plugin, has just got even smarter. As well as working on single audio tracks, this can also operate across multiple channels, making it “the world’s first multitrack EQ plugin”.

Can smart:EQ 3 fix your mix with a single click? Smart:EQ 3 is designed to work with a single click – press the button and it will analyse any given audio track and amend spectral deficiencies, including disturbing resonances, unwanted notches or an overall spectral imbalance. In addition, you can adapt the so-called smart: filter to your requirements, and it is said to provide the basis for further creative steps.

On the group view, offers intelligent cross-channel processing, and is designed to help you correct cluttered and clashing frequency regions within a group of up to six channels. It enables you to arrange multiple audio tracks in a ‘sonic hierarchy’ of three layers; each track is then analysed and fixed, with the AI-powered algorithms employing spectral mixing techniques to ensure that each track gets its assigned space.

Over in the EQ view, carried over from the previous version, there is an even leaner and hopefully more intuitive interface than before, with new features to improve your workflow. These include filter widgets, a dynamic mode that adapts to the incoming audio signal in real time, and the option to switch between linear phase and zero latency filters.

Behind all of these features is the latest version of Sonible smart:engine, which is now even more powerful.

That smart:EQ 3 is available now for the introductory price of €89, increasing to €129 on 7 June. It is offered for PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats, and you can download a 30-day demo.

Find out more on the Sonible website.