Your new definitive every-rack brain

Whether you're buying your first module or looking to unlock the potential of your megarack, you just met your new best friend.

Start with basic step sequencing. 4 channels out, up to 64 steps each. Internal or external clock. Adjust delay and gate timing, ratcheting, and more. Just hit the button and twist.

Next, recall that trigs are envelopes, and so can you: add parameters for set and release voltages, with slew and constant-time curve, and start generating your expressions and envelopes directly from your sequencer.

Why?

Because per-step parameter sequencing, is why. Easily select steps by hand, in intervals, or by euclidean patterns and raise the gate or set voltage to add accents. With 16 expressive parameters to map to, you'll experience euclidean layering like never before. It's so smooth you'll be doing it live. Then you'll grab the whole channel and slowly push the release slew to open it all up. Big drop? Press mem and the parameter reverts.

Now why not take one of the 4 CV inputs and map them to any of these parameters? Per-step. Don’t forget to use the built-in sample & hold CV source.

Twist it all up with flow control parameters: jump and stride your way into patches that more resemble landscapes, programs, or wavetables than anything called a sequence.

Drive it at audio rate to generate oscillations, noise, and process audio with effects like sample-rate reduction, slew-rate limiting, and envelope resynthesis.

Round it all out with 32 save slots, undo & redo, tap tempo, live looping and step fx, enough settings to completely rethink everything again, and a back-of-unit chaining system that synchronizes clock and scene information.

That’s 2step.

Specs§

Width: 8hp
Depth: 24mm
Power (+12V): 35mA
Power (-12V): 12mA

4 Output Channels: 16bit @ 48Khz thru 1k in-the-loop impedance
4 CV Inputs: 10bit @ 14Khz thru 100k impedance
CV/Output Range: -8V to +8V
Sequence Length: 64 steps maximum
Undo Buffer: 64 entries

Quick Reference§

Easily access reference information at any time by visiting 2step.help. (not yet online) 2step features 16 parameters for adjusting timings, slopes, voltages, ratchets, and flow:

Features§

4 CV inputs
- 2 of these optionally serve as main external clock/reset in
- -8V to +8V range
- Any input can be assigned as a trig source to any output channel
- Input meter displays for easy signal diagnosis
- Built-in S&H modulation source
  - Generates a unique value for every parameter for every step
4 output channels
- All channels output voltages from -8V to +8V
- Optional V/oct quantization
- Quality DAC wih sub-millivolt precision and high linearity
Dual-slew envelope core
- Two stage envelope with a delay, setting, set, releasing, released cycle
- Delay and gate timing parameters
- Slew rate and time-invariant curve parameters
- Arbitrary set and release voltages as parameters
- Detailed repeats/ratchets engine with delay, exp. time and value decay, and counts up to infinity
- Available end-of-chain trig source allows free-running LFOs
- Runs up to audio rate with shorter time settings
64 step sequencing engine
- Customize any envelope parameter for every step
- Additional sequencer parameters
  - Clock division slows channels down or let 2step operate as a sequenced clock divider
  - Stride and jump parameters reshape sequence flow
  - Also all customizable per step
- Map CV input and S&H to any parameter, customizably per step
- Generate even-interval or euclidean patterns with which to enable steps or edit values
  - Additional controls to rotate or fill in the pattern
  - Arbitrary pattern length: pattern then repeats to fill sequence
  - Add, subtract, or toggle (xor) patterns with each other
  - Three slots of pattern memory for key pattern recall (soon)
- Record sequence values from the buttons, knob, or CV input (soon)
Playable with live features
- No menu diving: immediate access to all parameters
- Manipulate and apply patterns on the fly
- Quick parameter revert for live adjustment with confidence and drop timing
- Live looping on each channel
- Live step FX: step repeat and ratchet blast
- Sequence-aware seamless patchload
  - Loads in time at the end of the sequence by default, can be rushed
  - Options to maintain sequence position and voltages through the load, reset them, or to use the loaded values
Full suite of system features
- 64-entry undo & redo buffer
- 32 patch save slots
  - Copy them as files on and off the device over USB (soon)
- Extensive list of system, patch, and channel settings
  - Many accessibility settings available
  - Customize the system interaction to suit your needs
  - Completely reshape channel behavior: disable the release stage, etc

Firmware§

Download prerelease firmware version 0.260403. Instructions are included.

Open Source§

2step is open source. The hardware is licensed under the Creative Commons cc-by-sa license with credits to Émilie Gillet's digital modules for guidance. The software will be visible source upon release, with an openish source license yet to be determined.

Schematic available on release.
Firmware source code available on release.

With its flexible layout, beautiful bi-color LEDs, quality components including a 16-bit DAC, and many other hardware features, 2step is a ready-made platform for building your own ideas. Powered by an RP2354 with a solderable JTAG debug header and software already provided for all input and output handling, 2step is a true hacker's dream.