The only caveat is that it doesn’t work with all devices (devices that identify themselves as a USB Hub or that require an additional driver probably won’t work) but the Arturia BeatStep was on the list of known “good” devices so I ordered one. I discovered that HobbyTronics make a ready-to-go USB/MIDI Host board that can be used to easily add 5-pin-DIN inputs and outputs to a USB-only device.

But… if you want it to sync to your MIDI clock, you’re pretty much going to have to hook it to a computer via USB as there’s no dedicated MIDI IN port on this device. I’m on a mission to remove my computer from my performance setup, and I’ve built a lovely MIDI and CV Master Clock in order to do this – but I really don’t want to give up or replace my BeatStep.

I truly love this piece of kit – it performs a really basic set of functions extremely well, intuitively, with no fuss. We’ve all probably got a piece of gear that’s joined at the hip to our laptops and DAWs for me it’s my Arturia BeatStep that I picked up for a song on eBay. Here’s a handy little project that is really easy to build and gives great value, either in extending the life of another piece of gear or extending its versatility.