EchoStep

A MIDI-generating x0x step sequencer plugin by echolevel

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I wanted a really minimal step sequencer with NO built-in drum synth or sample player functionality and I couldn't find anything that fit the bell, so I wrote this for my own use.

It's free, use as you please, but don't blame me if anything goes wrong. I'll try to fix any real howler bugs if they crop up, and I'll consider any reasonable requests for improvements and fixes for OS/DAW-specific quirks, but I make no promise of support beyond that.

Enjoy!


Features:

* 8 tracks

* Only one track's steps are visible at a time (piano rolls and grid irritate me)
* No built-in sound generation: the point is for this to be agnostic, and simply output MIDI notes to other instruments. I mostly use it with Sitala 2.

* Pattern lengths no more than 16 steps, but polyrhythms can be achieved by shortening individual tracks (middle-click on the desired final step)

* 16 patterns that can be cued with low (C0+) MIDI notes; the next pattern will
start when the current pattern has finished

* Clean, resizeable, themeable, uncluttered UI (I'm no UI engineer but I've done my best). If the 'LED' step display on each pad is too much clutter for you, disable it in the config menu.

* Global swing and randomise amount controls. Randomise doesn't affect empty tracks, ie won't introduce notes to a silent track. Each track can opt out of swing/randomise using the SW and RN buttons.

* The Random knob doesn't make any persistent changes; if you want persistent randomisation of steps, right-click a pattern to choose Sparse, Moderate or Dense random fills, or 'true' randomisation which fully rolls the dice on which steps/accents are enabled

* Global gate control allows longer note durations - useful when triggering non-percussive sounds

* Step timing divisions from eighth to thirty-second (including triplets)

* Normal and Accent velocity levels can be adjusted, defaulting to 100 and 127 respectively

* All knobs can be MIDI-learned and automated in DAW envelopes

* Right-click track buttons, knobs and pattern buttons to see context menus for things like pad config (name and MIDI note); editing functions; and MIDI learn/clear buttons

* Left-click step buttons to toggle actie step; right-click step buttons to toggle accent

* You can also paint steps and accents on/off by holding left or right mouse button and dragging across multiple steps

* The theme system is pretty straightforward - you can make your own by copying and editing one of the XML files created in EchoStep's user directory after you first run the plugin

* MIDI Mappings can be saved and loaded as XML files: they consist of note assignations per track and track names

* Lots of tooltips that hopefully explain anything else that needs an explanation


echolevel.co.uk