Steppy 1U Manual
Steppy 1U
4-Track 64-Step Programmable Gate Sequencer
Manual Revision: 2018.10.10
Steppy 1U Manual
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Compliance
Installation
Before Your Start
Installing Your Module
Overview
Quick Start: Create a Track
Load an Empty Preset
Connect a Clock & Program a Track
Save the Preset
Next Step
Front Panel
Inputs & Outputs
Controls
Reference
Play Mode
Select Mode
Edit Mode
Ratcheting
Tap Recording
Steppy Architecture
Copying Patterns
Copying Pages
Firmware
Firmware Version Display
Technical Specifications
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Steppy 1U Manual
Compliance
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Intellijel Designs, Inc. could
void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Any digital equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications.
This device meets the requirements of the following standards and directives:
EMC: 2014/30/EU
EN55032:2015 ; EN55103-2:2009 (EN55024) ; EN61000-3-2 ; EN61000-3-3
Low Voltage: 2014/35/EU
EN 60065:2002+A1:2006+A11:2008+A2:2010+A12:2011
RoHS2: 2011/65/EU
WEEE: 2012/19/EU
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Steppy 1U Manual
Installation
This module is designed for use within an
Intellijel-standard 1U row, such as
contained within the Intellijel 4U and 7U
Eurorack cases. Intellijel’s 1U specification
is derived from the Eurorack mechanical
specification set by Doepfer that is
designed to support the use of lipped rails
within industry standard rack heights.
Before Your Start
Intellijel Eurorack modules are designed to be used with a Eurorack-compatible case and power
supply. We recommend you use Intellijel cases and power supplies.
Before installing a new module in your case, you must ensure your power supply has a free
power header and sufficient available capacity to power the module:
● Sum up the specified +12V current draw for all modules, including the new one. Do the
same for the -12 V and +5V current draw. The current draw will be specified in the
manufacturer's technical specifications for each module.
● Compare each of the sums to specifications for your case’s power supply.
● Only proceed with installation if none of the values exceeds the power supply’s
specifications. Otherwise you must remove modules to free up capacity or upgrade your
power supply.
You will also need to ensure your case has enough free space (hp) to fit the new module. To
prevent screws or other debris from falling into the case and shorting any electrical contacts, not
leave gaps between adjacent modules, and cover all unused areas with blank panels. Similarly,
do not use open frames or any other enclosure that exposes the backside of any module or the
power distribution board.
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Steppy 1U Manual
You can use a tool like ModularGrid to assist in your planning. Failure to adequately power your
modules may result in damage to your modules or power supply. If you are unsure, please
contact us before proceeding.
Installing Your Module
When installing or removing a module from
your case always turn off the power to the
case and disconnect the power cable. Failure
to do so may result in serious injury or
equipment damage.
Ensure the 10-pin connector on the power
cable is connected correctly to the module
before proceeding. The red stripe on the
cable must line up with the -12V pins on the
module’s power connector. The pins are
indicated with the label -12V, a white stripe
next to the connector, the words “red stripe”,
or some combination of those indicators.
Most modules will come with the cable
already connected but it is good to double
check the orientation. Be aware that some modules may have headers that serve other
purposes so ensure the cable is connected to the right one.
The other end of the cable, with a 16-pin
connector, connects to the power bus
board of your Eurorack case. Ensure the
red stripe on the cable lines up with the
-12V pins on the bus board. On Intellijel
power supplies the pins are labelled with
the label “-12V” and a thick white stripe:
If you are using another manufacturer’s
power supply, check their documentation
for instructions.
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Steppy 1U Manual
Once connected, the cabling between the module and power supply should resemble the
picture below:
Before reconnecting power and
turning on your modular
system, double check that the
ribbon cable is fully seated on
both ends and that all the pins
are correctly aligned. If the pins
are misaligned in any direction
or the ribbon is backwards you
can cause damage to your
module, power supply, or other
modules.
After you have confirmed all the
connections, you can reconnect
the power cable and turn on
your modular system. You should immediately check that all your modules have powered on
and are functioning correctly. If you notice any anomalies, turn your system off right away and
check your cabling again for mistakes.
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Steppy 1U Manual
Overview
Steppy is a 4-track programmable gate sequencer with eight internal memory slots, external
clocking, various playback options, and a performance-first design aesthetic.
Each track features numerous parameters that govern its playback independently of the other
tracks. Specifically:
● Each track has its own length, which can range from 1-step to 64-steps, allowing for
polyrhythms, fills, or constantly evolving gate interactions between tracks.
● Each track has its own gate length, which ranges from very short to very long, with tied
gates possible at the extreme setting.
● Each track has its own clock divider, allowing patterns to play out over completely
different periods of time.
● Each track has its own swing setting, which offsets the timing of every other step.
● Each track has its own delay setting, which offsets the timing of every step.
● Each track has its own probability control, which sets the likelihood that each
programmed gate will fire when called upon by the pattern.
● Each track can be shifted (or ‘rotated’) forward or backward by a number of steps. So if
you’ve created a pattern that ‘feels’ like it has its downbeat on step 3, you can shift that
pattern two steps backward, so that the downbeat sits on step 1.
Tracks can be selected and modified in real time as the sequence plays. A SELECT button
allows you to access each track (and each page of 16 steps within that track) directly through
Steppy’s intuitive multifunction buttons array.
Tracks can be individually muted and unmuted, and a special performance mode (called
“Loopy”) enables you to touch any two gate steps and instantly create a performance that loops
between those steps.
In addition, each step within a track can be assigned a different number of ratchets (repeats),
and a special Tap Record mode lets you record patterns in real-time, rather than via a
step-recording grid.
Track patterns can be cleared without clearing their playback parameters, and all track patterns
(along with their individual playback and performance parameters) can be saved as a preset to
one of eight internal memory slots.
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Steppy 1U Manual
Quick Start: Create a Track
This tutorial is designed to get you up and running with Steppy as quickly as possible. Detailed
descriptions of all functions, features and methodologies appear later in the manual.
Load an Empty Preset
First thing’s first. Just so we’re all on the same page, it’s probably a good idea to load an empty
preset into Steppy’s active memory. To do so:
1. Press the red EDIT button at the bottom left to enter Edit mode.
The red Edit Mode LED lights, and any lit multifunction buttons glow red.
Edit functions are labelled in the text beneath the bottom row of multifunction buttons.
2. Press the LOAD button (bottom-right button).
The LOAD button will glow red, and the top row of buttons will be used to select which
patch you want to load (and subsequently clear).
If a top-row button has a solid red light, it means a preset is stored in that ‘slot.’ The
flashing red button indicates the currently loaded preset. If a button isn’t lit, then the ‘slot’
has no preset saved to it.
In this next operation, you are going to first load a preset into Steppy’s active memory.
You will eventually be clearing (erasing) this preset, so make sure to select one that’s
expendable.
3. Press whichever of the 8 top-row buttons corresponds to the preset number you wish to
load. In this example, we’ll assume you press the first (top-left) button.
The buttons will all flash briefly to confirm that you’ve loaded a preset.
4. Press and hold the LOAD button (bottom-right) for 1 second (long-press) to clear the
contents of the preset.
All buttons will flash, and the contents of the loaded preset will be deleted.
5. Press the red EDIT button to exit Edit Mode (turning off its red indicator LED) and return
to Play Mode.
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Steppy 1U Manual
Connect a Clock & Program a Track
1. Connect the output from an external clock module to Steppy’s CLK input.
An external clock is needed to make Steppy start stepping. Steppy will advance one-step
per clock pulse (unless you use the clock divider feature, discussed later in the manual).
Notice that the LED next to the CLK input flashes with each input trigger, and that a red
button “marches” across Steppy’s 16 multifunction buttons, beginning at the top-left
(step 1) and ending at the bottom-right (step 16) before repeating.
Notice, also, that the bottom-right button is constantly pulsing green. This indicates it’s
the last step in the pattern, which (in this case) means the pattern is 16-steps long.
Patterns can be of any length from 1-step up to 64-steps (requiring multiple Pages,
which gives you potential insight into some of the panel labels). For now, we’ll stick with
the default 16-step pattern length.
2. Connect a cable from Steppy’s OUT A jack to another module (such as a trigger input on
a drum module or an envelope). In this example, we’re triggering a kick drum sound on
an Intellijel Plonk.
Each Steppy preset consists of up to four Tracks (A, B, C, and D), each with its own gate
output. Because you previously loaded an empty patch, Steppy’s Play Mode defaults to
showing and controlling the gates and parameters for Track A.
3. Unless you got overly anxious and started pressing buttons already (it happens), then all
16 steps are currently off — meaning no gates are being sent to OUT A. Press one of
Steppy’s 16 multifunction buttons to assign a gate to that step. Press another, and
another.
You will see the OUT A LED flash every time Steppy plays a step with a gate. You
should also hear the sonic impact of those steps (assuming you’ve got everything
patched up right).
4. Continue to turn various steps on and off until you’ve got a kick drum pattern you like.
5. Next, patch OUT B into a gate or trigger input on another module (such as a snare drum
sound on a second Intellijel Plonk).
6. Press the black SELECT button in the upper left corner.
Its yellow LED lights to indicate you’re in Select mode, and the 16 multifunction buttons
will now take on different functionality, as indicated by their yellow color.
Select Mode functions are indicated by text labels with black backgrounds. Notice the
four left buttons in the top row are used for track selection, and that the Track A button is
currently lit (indicating Play Mode controls Track A).
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7. Press the button corresponding to Track B (causing it to light instead of Track A), then
press the black SELECT button again to exit Select Mode, and return to Play Mode.
8. The 16 multifunction buttons now control Track B, so start punching out patterns for your
snare module.
Save the Preset
1. Press the red EDIT button at the bottom left to enter Edit mode.
Edit functions are labelled in the text beneath the bottom row of multifunction buttons.
2. Press the SAVE button (bottom row, second from right).
Presets are saved into one of 8 locations, which map to each of the 8 multifunction
buttons in the top-row. If a button has a solid red light, it means a preset is already saved
in that ‘slot,’ and if you select it, you will overwrite that preset. The flashing red button
indicates the currently loaded preset, which you are actively modifying. If a button is off,
then the preset ‘slot’ is currently empty.
6. Decide which of the 8 preset slots you wish to save your work to, and press its
corresponding top-row button.
All the buttons will flash briefly to confirm that you’ve saved the preset.
Next Step
This has been a very simple and rudimentary tutorial designed only to help you get
comfortable with some operational basics and navigation. Steppy features numerous
additional techniques for modifying and fine-tuning your tracks, be it through pattern
length adjustments; gate length changes; clock division; swing; gate probabilities, or
playback and performance features such as the Page Follow ( ) and Loopy ( )
settings. All will be discussed, in depth, later in this manual.
So this next tutorial has but a single step:
1. Read the rest of the manual.
Knowledge is good.
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Steppy 1U Manual
Front Panel
Inputs & Outputs
A. OUT A - Gate output (+5V) for Track A. Corresponding LED lights when gate is high.
B. OUT B - Gate output for Track B. Corresponding LED lights when gate is high.
C. OUT C - Gate output for Track C. Corresponding LED lights when gate is high.
D. OUT D - Gate output for Track D. Corresponding LED lights when gate is high.
E. CLOCK (CLK) IN - Connect an external clock (or any other trigger source) to this input.
Each time the Clock input voltage goes high, the sequence advances one step (unless
you’re using the built-in clock divider). The corresponding LED lights every time it detects
an input pulse. Note that Steppy will not play without a CLK input.
NOTE: Steppy performs best when driven by a steady clock signal. Syncopated gate
sequences or random triggers may result in unpredictable gate lengths, delay settings,
swing and ratcheting patterns, since these are derived from the Clock input.
F. RESET (RST) IN - Accepts a trigger or gate signal, which resets all patterns (across all
four tracks) back to their first step. This is particularly useful if your tracks have different
lengths and you wish to re-align them to their first beats.
Controls
1. MULTIFUNCTION Buttons - These backlit button perform different functions depending
on Steppy’s current mode.
● Play Mode: In Play Mode, the buttons set and display gate patterns.
Play Mode is indicated when neither the yellow Select Mode nor the red Edit
Mode LEDs are lit. You can also tell you’re in Play Mode because (in general) the
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Steppy 1U Manual
majority of lit MULTIFUNCTION buttons are GREEN. See Play Mode for detailed
information.
Sixteen steps are displayed at one time, with steps 1-8 on the top row, and steps
9-16 on the bottom row. Patterns can be up to 64 steps long (spread across 4
pages); and four entirely different patterns can exist simultaneously (in
Tracks A-D).
A GREEN button indicates that a step is ‘on’ (meaning it will send a gate to the
corresponding output). A flashing GREEN button indicates the last step in a
sequence (sequences can be any length from 1 to 64 steps). A button turns RED
when it’s the active step in a sequence.
● Select Mode: In Select mode, the buttons perform the functions indicated by the
labels with the black backgrounds.
Enter Select Mode by pressing the black SELECT button. In Select mode, the top
row of buttons select the current track and page, and the bottom row turns mute
on/off for each track, as well as enabling the Page Follow ( ) function, the
performance looping feature ( ), pattern clearing and reset.
YELLOW buttons indicate the selected Track and Page (top row), as well as the
state of the Page Follow ( ) and Loopy ( ) features in the bottom row.
Buttons in the bottom row (immediately beneath the four Track buttons) light
YELLOW when the corresponding track is Muted.
Select Mode is indicated when the yellow Select Mode LED is lit. You can also
tell you’re in Select Mode because (in general) most buttons are YELLOW. See
Select Mode for detailed information.
● Edit Mode: In Edit Mode, the buttons select and modify various parameters, as
indicated by the labels beneath the bottom row of buttons.
Enter Edit Mode by pressing the red EDIT button. In Edit mode, the bottom row of
buttons select which parameter you wish to edit (GATE, CLK ÷, etc), and the top
row of buttons sets its value. In general, the leftmost button in the top row sets
the minimum value for a parameter, and the rightmost button sets the maximum
value, with interim values spread across the middle six buttons.
Buttons are RED in Edit Mode, with the red button in the bottom row indicating
the active parameter, and the lit button(s) in the top row indicating the parameter
value.
Edit Mode is indicated when the red Edit Mode LED is lit. You can also tell you’re
in Edit Mode when (in general) most buttons are RED. See Edit Mode for detailed
information.
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2. SELECT button - This button turns Select Mode on and off.
In Select Mode, the MULTIFUNCTION buttons perform the tasks indicated by the labels
with black backgrounds (visually linking them with the black color of the SELECT button).
The yellow LED next to the SELECT button turns on when Select Mode is on.
If pressed and released, the SELECT button functions as a toggle button — putting
Steppy into Select Mode, where it remains until the SELECT button is pressed again to
exit Select Mode.
If pressed and held, the SELECT button functions as a momentary switch — temporarily
putting Steppy into Select Mode while you press the desired MULTIFUNCTION button.
Releasing both the SELECT button and the MULTIFUNCTION button automatically exits
Select Mode. This is great if you want to make quick on-the-fly changes. For example, if
you’re currently viewing Track A and you want to view Track B, simply press and hold
the SELECT button while pressing the “Track B” MULTIFUNCTION button. Release both
buttons and Steppy returns to Play mode (which now shows the pattern for Track B)
without remaining in Select mode.
3. EDIT button - This button turns Edit Mode on and off.
Edit Mode uses the bottom row of MULTIFUNCTION buttons to select which parameter
to edit (as indicated by the labels below the bottom buttons, such as GATE, CLK ÷,
SWING, etc). Edit Mode uses the top row of MULTIFUNCTION buttons to adjust the
selected parameter value (with, in general, the ‘lowest’ possible value corresponding to
the leftmost button, and the ‘highest’ possible value corresponding to the rightmost
button).
When Steppy is in Edit Mode, it lights the red LED adjacent to the EDIT button.
Press and hold (long-press) the EDIT button to enable a special mode for programming
ratchets, as discussed in the Ratcheting section.
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Reference
The following sections discuss Steppy’s various modes, and the function of the buttons within
those modes.
Play Mode
Play Mode is Steppy’s default mode. In Play Mode, the sixteen Multifunction buttons are used to
program and display gate patterns, and are lit green when a gate is “on.” In Play Mode, neither
the yellow LED next to the SELECT button nor the red LED next to the EDIT button are lit.
Steppy can play back up to four tracks simultaneously (labeled A, B, C and D, and which appear
at the A, B, C, and D outputs). Each track contains a pattern with an independently assignable
length (up to 64-steps), along with several additional playback and performance parameters.
Steppy requires an external clock source (patched into the CLK input) to run, and will advance
one step for each pulse it receives (unless the clock is divided, as described later).
With Steppy in Play Mode and a clock sent to its input, Steppy will step through each step and
play back all four tracks, though the multifunction buttons can display only one track pattern at a
time (and only in 16-step blocks, called Pages). The Track displayed in Play Mode is selected
using the TRACK and PAGE buttons discussed in Select Mode.
In Play Mode (and with an incoming clock driving playback), a RED button steps left-to-right
across the top row of buttons, then left-to-right across the bottom row of buttons to indicate the
current position within the pattern. Gates can be turned on or off by pressing their respective
buttons, with a GREEN button indicating the presence of a gate.
NOTE: If there is no CLOCK input (or if the clock is very slow), and the RED position button is
currently lit on a step for which you’re trying to set a gate, you can tell whether or not a gate is
present by whether the RED button glows steady (no gate present) or flashes RED/GREEN
(gate is present).
You can set the length of the pattern by long-pressing (>1 sec) the button you wish to be the
final step in the pattern. Steppy indicates the pattern length by pulsing (in YELLOW) the button
that corresponds to the final step in the pattern. Gates that are contained within the chosen
pattern length glow GREEN, while gates that are outside the length of the current pattern glow
YELLOW.
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The following illustrations show identical patterns; but in the top example, the track length is set
to 16-steps, and in the bottom example, it’s set to 5-steps:
Track patterns can be as long as 64-steps. To create patterns that are longer than 16-steps, use
the PAGE select options (as discussed in Select Mode) to navigate to the page that contains the
desired final step, then long-press the desired step button. For example, if you wanted a 32-step
pattern, hold the SELECT button while you press the PAGE 2:4 button (which changes Steppy’s
display to the second page of steps, numbered 17-32). Long-press (>1 sec) the right-most
button in the bottom row to set the Track length to 32-steps.
NOTE: If a Track has multiple pages (meaning it’s more than 16-steps), then you can choose
whether or not you want Steppy to automatically update its page view such that the currently
playing gate is always visible, or if you want the display to remain on a particular page. This is
done with the Page Follow ( ) function, described later.
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Steppy 1U Manual
Select Mode
In Select Mode, the Multifunction buttons are used to select tracks for viewing & editing; to
select pages within those tracks; and for enabling/disabling various track display and
performance options.
Note: Steppy can be in both Select mode (yellow LED) and Edit mode (red LED)
simultaneously. If you’re currently in Edit Mode (discussed later), you can enter Select mode to
select which track you wish to edit.
1. SELECT button
Press this button to put Steppy into Select Mode. The yellow LED next to the SELECT
button turns on when Select Mode is on. In Select Mode, the labels with the black
backgrounds correspond to the buttons’ functions (matching the black color of the
SELECT button).
If pressed and released, the SELECT button functions as a toggle button — putting
Steppy into Select Mode, where it remains until the SELECT button is pressed again to
exit Select Mode.
If pressed and held, the SELECT button functions as a momentary switch — temporarily
putting Steppy into Select Mode while you press the desired Multifunction button.
Releasing both the SELECT button and the Multifunction button automatically exits
Select Mode. This is great if you want to make quick on-the-fly changes. For example, if
you’re currently viewing Track A and you want to view Track B, simply press and hold
the SELECT [1] button while pressing the TRACK B [2] button. Release both buttons
and Steppy returns to Play mode (which will now be showing the pattern for Track B)
without remaining in Select mode.
2. TRACK buttons
When in Select mode, these four buttons select which of the four tracks (A, B, C or D)
you wish to display/edit. A yellow button indicates the selected track.
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3. PAGE buttons
When in Select mode, these four buttons select which of the four pages (1, 2, 3, or 4)
you wish to display/edit. Each page displays 16 steps at a time, meaning there are a
total of 64 available steps per pattern. A yellow button indicates the selected page. A
flashing yellow button indicates that the pattern’s last step is on that page.
4. MUTE buttons
When in Select mode, these four buttons function as Track Mutes for the track
immediately above it. In other words, the left-most button mutes/unmutes Track A; the
next-to-left button mutes/unmutes Track B; etc. When a Track is muted, the
corresponding Mute button turns yellow.
5. PAGE FOLLOW button ( )
When in Select mode, press this button to enable the Page Follow function. Page Follow
is on when the button glows yellow.
If Steppy is in Play mode and currently playing a Track that extends across multiple
pages (that is, it’s longer than 16 steps), then activating Page Follow allows Steppy to
update its display to “follow” the page changes.
NOTE: If you’re in Select mode and you press a Page button to select a page, Steppy
will automatically turn off the Page Follow function, enabling to you make the desired
changes to the selected page.
6. LOOPY button ( )
When in Select mode, press this button to enable the performance looper feature
(“Loopy”). When Loopy is active, its button glows yellow.
When Loopy is activated, Steppy gives you the ability to loop small segments of a larger
pattern when you’re back in Play mode. Specifically, playback will loop between any two
buttons you hold while in Play mode. If you hold only a single button down, that single
step will repeat until you release the button. When Loopy is active, the yellow Select
LED and red Edit LED flash rapidly back-and forth. If Loopy is active and you hold a pair
of buttons in Play mode (to create a loop), the gates within the loop will have green
buttons and gates outside the loop will have yellow buttons.
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Steppy 1U Manual
For example, assume this is your current pattern:
If Loopy( ) is active, pressing one button loops playback of that single step,
repeating it over-and-over for as long as you hold the button. The button is red because
red indicates the current playback position, which is endlessly repeating on a single step.
The other buttons are yellow indicating they are programmed into the pattern, but are
not within the currently playing loop.
If Loopy ( ) is active, pressing two buttons loops playback between those steps,
inclusive of the buttons you hold. So in the following example, Steps 1-4 loop for as long
as you hold the buttons. Again, buttons outside the currently playing loop are yellow to
indicate they are programmed into the pattern, but are not within the currently playing
loop.
The standard Track position continues to advance normally as a loop plays. This means,
when you release the buttons, the pattern reverts to playing exactly the step it would
have played had you not looped a section.
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All edited track parameters (Swing, Delay, Probability, etc) are respected when looping,
and looping applies to all tracks when engaged.
7. RESET button
When in Select mode, press this button to reset all patterns (across all four tracks) back
to their first step. This is particularly useful if your tracks have different lengths and you
wish to re-align them to the first beat. This button replicates the functionality of the RST
input jack. Pressing the RESET button causes all 16 buttons to briefly flash green —
indicating the reset operation has occurred.
PANIC feature: In Select mode, if you long press the RESET button (i.e hold the RESET
button for >1 second), you’ll send a gate off to all the outputs. This is useful in the
unlikely event that one of the outputs gets stuck “on” when Steppy’s input clock is
stopped or removed.
8. CLEAR button
When in Select mode, the button performs two different functions depending on how
long it’s held down. Specifically;
● Short-press (button pressed and quickly released): Short-press the CLEAR
button to clear all steps from the active track (turning all gates to off). This causes
all 16 buttons to briefly flash red — indicating that the gates have been cleared.
Short-pressing the CLEAR button only clears the trigger pattern from a Track.
Any track parameters (such as Gate Length, Clock Division, or Probability)
remain part of the track and will affect any new pattern you create.
● Long-press (button pressed and held for 1-second): Press and hold the CLEAR
button for 1 second to clear the entire contents of a Track, meaning its gate
pattern plus all its Track parameters (such as Gate Length, Clock Division, and
Probability).
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Edit Mode
In Edit Mode, the Multifunction buttons select and modify various parameters (such as gate
length, clock division, swing, etc.), as indicated by the labels beneath the bottom row of buttons.
The red LED next to the EDIT button turns on when Edit Mode is on.
Note: Steppy can be in both Select mode (yellow LED) and Edit mode (red LED)
simultaneously. If you’re currently in Edit Mode, you can enter Select mode to select which track
you wish to edit.
1. EDIT button
Press this button to put Steppy into Edit Mode. The red LED next to the EDIT button
turns on when Edit Mode is on.
Edit Mode uses the bottom row of multifunction buttons to select which parameter to edit
(as indicated by the labels below the bottom buttons, such as GATE, CLK ÷, SWING,
etc). Edit Mode uses the top row of buttons [10] to modify the selected parameter value
(with, in general, the ‘lowest’ possible value corresponding to the leftmost button, and
the ‘highest’ possible value corresponding to the rightmost button).
Press and hold (long-press) the EDIT button to enable a special mode for programming
ratchets, as discussed in the Ratcheting section.
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2. Gate Length (GATE) button
When in Edit mode, press this button to edit the gate length for all steps in the selected
Track (each track has its own gate length setting). Gate Length editing is available when
the GATE button glows red.
When editing gate lengths, the top row of buttons sets the actual length. The leftmost
buttons pins the gate length to the width of the input pulse; the rightmost button makes a
gate last the full width of the step (allowing for ties). Middle values result in steadily
increasing gates of fixed length, with the shortest gates occurring toward the left, and
growing increasingly longer as you move to the right.
To set the Gate Length for the selected track, simply press the top row button
corresponding to the desired value. If you long-press (>1 sec) the value button, you
apply the Gate Length setting to all four tracks simultaneously.
In the following example, the Gate Length is set to a value slightly more than halfway
between “short” and “long.”
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3. Clock Division (CLK ÷) button
When in Edit mode, press this button to edit the clock rate at which the selected track
plays (each track has its own clock division). The playback speed is expressed as a
division of the input CLK. Clock Division editing is available when the CLK ÷ button
glows red.
When editing clock divisions, the top row of buttons sets the actual division, with no clock
division (/1) occurring at the leftmost button, and /64 occuring at the rightmost (meaning
the sequence advances one step for every 64 CLK input pulses).
To set the Clock Division for the selected track, simply press the top row button
corresponding to the desired value. If you press and hold the value button (long-press),
you apply the Clock Division setting to all four tracks simultaneously.
In the following example, the clock division is set to /4 (meaning the sequence advances
one step for every 4 CLK input pulses).
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4. SWING button
When in Edit mode, press this button to edit the swing percentage for the selected Track
(each track has its own swing rate). Swing options conform to MPC “standard” (with the
addition of 78%), and apply the delay to every other step in a pattern (thus, causing it to
‘swing’). Swing editing is available when the SWING button glows red.
When editing swing values, the top row of buttons set the values from 50% (no swing) on
the leftmost button, to 78% swing on the rightmost button.
To set the Swing amount for the selected track, simply press the top row button
corresponding to the desired value. If you press and hold the value button, you apply the
Swing setting to all four tracks simultaneously.
In the following example, Swing is set to 54%.
NOTE: If a track employs both a Swing amount and a Delay amount (discussed below),
those delays will be summed. Gate lengths are maintained, however if a step is swung
and/or delayed so much that the requested gate length would overlap into the next step,
then Steppy automatically shortens the gate to insure every step triggers.
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5. DELAY button
When in Edit mode, press this button to edit the amount of delay to apply to every step in
a track. Unlike Swing, which delays every other step, the delay parameter causes every
step to lag behind the clock at the selected rate. Delay editing is available when the
DELAY button glows red.
When editing delay values, the top row of buttons sets the amount all steps are delayed
(in percent). That is, delay options range from 0% (no delay) on the leftmost button, to
58% delay on the rightmost button.
To set the Delay amount for the selected track, simply press the top row button
corresponding to the desired value. If you press and hold the value button (long-press),
you apply the Delay setting to all four tracks simultaneously.
In the following example, Delay is set to 33%.
NOTE: If a track employs both a Delay and Swing (discussed above), those offsets will
be summed. Gate lengths are maintained, however, if a step is swung and/or delayed so
much that the requested gate length would overlap into the next step — then Steppy
automatically shortens the gate to insure every step triggers.
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6. Probability (PROB) button
When in Edit mode, press this button to set the probability that any step within the
pattern will actually play when requested. Probability editing is available when the PROB
button glows red.
When editing probability values, the top row of buttons set the probability percentage.
Pressing buttons toward the left result in low probability; pressing buttons to the right
result in a higher probability that any programmed step will play. The rightmost button
(100%) is the default. This means your pattern will play exactly as programmed every
single time.
To set a Probability for the selected track, simply press the top row button corresponding
to the desired value. If you press and hold the value button, you apply the Probability
setting to all four tracks simultaneously.
In the following example, probability is set to 75%. That means each step in the track
has a 75% chance of playing. Which means, on average, each step will play 3 out of the
4 times you programmed it to play.
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7. SHIFT button
When in Edit mode, press this button to enable pattern shifting. Pattern shifting allows
you to rotate the active pattern forward or backward by a specified number of steps.
Pattern shifting is available when the SHIFT button glows red.
When shifting patterns, the top row of buttons sets the amount of shift (by step). The
further a button is left-of-center, the more the pattern will shift to the left (up to 4 steps).
The further a button is right-of-center, the more the pattern will shift right (up to 4 steps).
When you press a button in the top row to set a shift amount, the display will flash rapidly
(the same number of times as the shift amount) to confirm the shift has occurred.
To set a Shift amount for the selected track, simply press the top row button
corresponding to the desired value. If you press and hold the value button (long-press),
you apply the Shift to all four tracks simultaneously.
In the following example, pressing the 2 > button shifts the pattern to the right by two
steps, meaning any gate that was once assigned to step 1 is now assigned to
step 3 (1+2); any gate that was once assigned to step 2 is now assigned to step 4 (2+2),
etc...
NOTE: Pattern shifting only affects those steps included within the programmed track
length. For example, if a pattern is 16-steps long, the pattern shift will affect only those
16-steps. Steps 17-64, because they are not active, will not be shifted.
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8. SAVE button
When in Edit mode, press this button to enable Preset saving. Steppy can store up to 8
presets (assigned to each of the 8 buttons in the top row of multifunction buttons). A
preset contains the settings assigned to all 4 tracks, plus the patterns within those tracks
(as shown in Steppy Architecture, later in this manual).
To save a preset:
a. Press the red EDIT button to enter Edit mode.
b. Press the SAVE button.
c. The SAVE button glows red and the top row of buttons lights, displaying the
status of the eight presets. If a button is lit solid, it means a preset already exists
on that button. If a button is not lit, it means there is no preset assigned to that
button. A rapidly flashing button indicates that it’s the currently active preset.
d. Press one of the 8 buttons in the top row.
All buttons will flash quickly to indicate that the preset has been saved.
9. LOAD button
When in Edit mode, press this button to enable Preset loading. Steppy can store up to 8
presets (assigned to each of the 8 buttons in the top row of multifunction buttons), and
the Load function lets you choose which of these to load into active memory for
performance.
To load a preset:
a. Press the red EDIT button to enter Edit mode.
b. Press the LOAD button.
The LOAD button glows red and the top row of buttons lights, displaying the
status of the eight presets. If a button is lit solid, it means it contains a preset to
load. If a button is not lit, it means there is no preset (and, thus, nothing to load).
A rapidly flashing button indicates that it’s the currently active preset.
c. Quickly press one of the 8 buttons in the top row.
All buttons will flash quickly to indicate that the preset has been loaded and is
now active (further indicated by the fact that the button corresponding to the
loaded preset is now flashing rapidly).
You can also delete a preset from memory using the LOAD button. To do so:
a. Press the red EDIT button to enter Edit mode.
b. Quickly press the LOAD button followed by the top-row button corresponding to
the preset you want to delete.
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This loads that preset into active memory (as indicated by the rapidly flashing
button).
c. Press and hold the LOAD button for 1 second (long-press). All buttons will flash,
and the contents of the previously selected preset will be deleted.
NOTE 1: To erase ALL presets from memory, turn off Steppy, then press-and-hold the
LOAD button while you power it back on.
NOTE 2: If you power Steppy off and back on, it will reload that last saved or loaded
preset — it does not retain any unsaved pattern or track changes. So remember to
always save your work if you wish to return to it later.
10. Value buttons
Use this top row of buttons to set values for the parameters you select with the bottom
row of buttons. In general, this row behaves like a horizontal value slider, with lower
values to the left and higher values to the right. The specific values assigned to each
button depend on the parameter being edited, and these exact values are detailed under
each parameter button’s description, above.
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Ratcheting
Steppy has a special Edit mode for creating and editing ratchets. Unlike Steppy’s other
editing functions (which apply equally to every step in a pattern), ratchet editing is
applied per-step.
In normal (non-ratcheting) operation, each step in a sequence fires off a single gate.
Ratcheting occurs when one or more of those steps fires off multiple gates before the
next step. Each step in a pattern can be programmed to trigger as many as 12 gates in a
single step, and each step can have a different number of ratchets (repeats).
The following example illustrates a 4-step pattern. The top line shows how the pattern
plays without ratcheting. In the second line, step 1 has been set to ratchet four times. In
the bottom line, step 1 has been set to ratchet eight time, and step 3 to ratchet two
times.
To Create and Edit Ratchets:
1. Select the Track and Page you wish to edit (using techniques previously
discussed).
2. Press and hold (long-press) the EDIT button until its corresponding red LED
begins to blink.
The blinking red Edit Mode LED indicates you’re in ratchet editing mode. Any
steps that currently contain multiple ratchets are indicated by solid red step
buttons.
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3. Press whichever of the 16 multifunction buttons corresponds to the step you wish
to ratchet.
If you press buttons 1-8, the bottom row of buttons will then be used to assign the
number of ratchets. If you press buttons 9-16, the top row of buttons will then be
used to assign the number of ratchets.
4. In this example, we’ll press the bottom-left button, which corresponds to step 9,
so the top row of buttons will be used for assigning the number of ratchets.
Ratchets range from 1 (no ratcheting, at the far left); to 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and random
(every pass produces a random number of ratchets).
5. In the following example, we have assigned eight ratchets to step 9.
6. Press and quickly release the EDIT button to exit ratchet editing for that step.
Alternately, you could press the step button a second time to exit ratchet editing
for that step.
7. If you want to add ratchets to other steps in the pattern, repeat steps 3-6, above.
8. If you want to copy a ratchet setting from one step to another, press the button
corresponding to the step you want to copy from, then (while continuing to hold
that button), press the button corresponding to the step you want to copy it to.
9. When you’re done entering and editing ratchets, press and hold (long-press) the
EDIT button.
The red Edit LED stops blinking and Steppy returns to Play mode.
SHORTCUT: After assigning ratchets to a step (as mentioned in “step 5” above), you
can press another step button in that same row to edit its ratchets without needing to
back out of ratchet editing. For example, if you created ratchets on Step 9, you could
press any of Steps 10-16 to then edit those ratchets.
NOTE: Ratcheting automatically makes the step’s Gate length equal to 1 “tick” (a clock
pulse is divided into 24 ticks).
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Tap Recording
Tap Recording is a special, alternate way to program trigger patterns into Steppy. Instead of
manually turning steps on/off in a grid, Tap Recording lets you tap out your rhythms in real-time.
Tapped recordings always play back in sync with the clock input (using whatever Clock Division,
Gate, Probability, Ratchets and any other settings you’ve currently assigned to a Track.
To enter TAP Recording Mode:
1. Hold the SELECT button while pressing the EDIT button.
The yellow SELECT LED and red EDIT LED will pulse slowly in unison.
To exit TAP Recording Mode:
1. If currently in TAP Recording Mode (both LEDs pulsing), press the EDIT button to exit
the mode.
To use TAP Recording Mode:
Each of the four buttons on the top-left correspond to the four track patterns (A, B, C and D).
With a CLK signal at the CLK input, tap these buttons to record trigger patterns in real time into
the corresponding track.
Each of the four buttons on the lower-left also correspond to the four track patterns (A, B, C and
D). Only in this case, pressing a button clears any trigger assigned to the next step. To clear
multiple steps, hold the button down. The longer you hold the button, the more steps you clear
(you can even clear an entire pattern this way).
Each of the four buttons on the upper-right illuminate when the corresponding Track plays
Step 1 of its pattern.
The four buttons on the bottom-right light sequentially to provide visual indication of the
incoming clock (tempo).
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Steppy Architecture
The following diagram illustrates the architecture of a Steppy preset:
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Steppy 1U Manual
Copying Patterns
You can copy the pattern from one track to another (without copying its edit parameters). To do
so:
1. Press the SELECT button to enter Select Mode.
2. Hold the button corresponding to the track you want to copy from (A, B, C or D).
3. While holding the source track’s button, press the button corresponding to the track you
want to copy to (A, B, C, or D).
The display flashes rapidly.
4. Release both buttons.
You have now copied the pattern from one track to another. Note that this only copies
that pattern itself. Various edited parameters (such as Swing, Probability, etc) are not
copied.
Copying Pages
Similar to the way you can copy patterns from one track to another (described above), you can
also copy from one Track Page to another. Copying pages is useful if, for example, you
originally created a one page pattern, decide to extend its length to two pages, and wish to copy
the pattern from the original page to the second page.
1. Press the SELECT button to enter Select Mode.
2. Hold the button corresponding to the page you want to copy from (1, 2, 3 or 4).
3. While holding the source page’s button, press the button corresponding to the page you
want to copy to (1, 2, 3, or 4).
The display flashes rapidly.
4. Release both buttons.
You have now copied the pattern from one page to the other.
NOTE: Copying pages does not automatically extend the pattern length. For example, if you
have a one page pattern that ends on Step 16, copying Page 1 to Page 2 will not automatically
extend the pattern length to 32 bars. If you wanted the pattern to now play for 32 steps, go to
Page 2 (by holding down the SELECT button while clicking the PAGE 2 button), then long-press
(>1 sec) the 16th button (bottom-right) to define that step as the “final step” in the pattern. In this
case, because we’re on Page 2, the 16th button corresponds to Step 32.
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Firmware
v1.0
● Initial release
Firmware Version Display
Steppy displays the current version number during start up. Specifically, the top row of buttons
indicates the first digit in the FW version, and the second row of buttons indicates the second
digit. For example, if Steppy was running firmware version 2.4, then it would light the second
button in the top row and the fourth button in the bottom row, as show below:
Technical Specifications
Width
28 hp
Maximum Depth
29 mm
Current Draw
15 mA @ +12V | <1 mA @ -12V
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