Systems overview§

As previously mentioned, 2step is best thought of as two independent modules in one: at the center is a shape generator that creates shapes of various kinds, which is then controlled and surrounded by a 64-step sequencer that triggers the shape generator and manipulates its parameters.

Shape generator§

The 2step shape generator core can create all kinds of shapes: square pulses, sawtooth and triangle forms, classic ASR envelopes, and much more, all at whatever voltage scale and offset you desire. We asked you to mentally divide 2step in two already to arrive here, but we're going to do it again: the shape generator itself is best thought of as two separate machines.

The core of the shape generator is a simple slew-limited voltage follower. It is given a target voltage, a slew rate, and a slew curve amount. Voltages can range from -8 to +8 volts, while the slew rate can vary from instantaneous to upwards of 3 hours.

Controlling the voltage follower is the state manager, which has five envelope-like states: delay, setting (attack), set (sustain), releasing (release), and released. A more detailed description can be found in the Shapes overview, but each time the state manager is triggered (which is done by the sequencer) it advances through each of these stages. Sometimes it's waiting out a length of time (delay, sustain), sometimes it's waiting for the voltage follower to achieve its target (setting, releasing), and at certain points (at the start of setting and of releasing) it will update the voltage follower with a new target voltage and slew.

In a way, you can think of the shape generator as a DASR-style envelope or a dual-slope generator, but with arbitrary set and release voltages and extra features like curve and repeats. But because 2step is such a state- and parameter-driven device, and because it ignores some of the usual structure and limitations of envelope generators, it's helpful to instead break it down in this really atomic way.

The fact that the envelope voltage targets are not fixed to 0V & 5V but instead can be arbitrarily chosen is why we choose the names "set" and "release" rather than "attack" and "release".

Sequencer§

The 64-step sequencer that you spend all your time interacting with is what controls the shape generator.

As mentioned, the sequencer is the part of the module that triggers the state manager within the shape generator. As with most step sequencers, you can toggle steps on and off in 2step in an 808-style interface. When a step is reached and it is turned on, the state manager will be triggered and the shape generator will advance through all of its stages.

What makes 2step so powerful is that the sequencer also controls those parameters being fed to the shape generator, and all of the parameters can be customized for each and every step in the sequence. Whether it's the timing, the set and release voltage targets, or slew rates or curves, or the number of repeats and their timing and decay, every parameter that the shape generator relies on is controlled and sequenced by the sequencer.

CV inputs can also be assigned to influence any parameter, and this mapping amount can also be customized for every step.

Last, not all parameters are sent to the shape generator; rather, some of them control the sequencer's own flow. You can use div, stride, and jump to manipulate how the sequencer advances through the sequence of steps, and these parameters can also be customized for each step.

Clocks§

Driving the sequencer itself is the global clock. By default, 2step boots up running on its internal clock, with its clock multiplier set to ×4 to start to facilitate 1/16th note sequencing. However, any external clock can be inserted and used at the cost of the w CV input, and any external reset can be inserted and used at the cost of the z CV input.

You can switch between internal & external clock, and enable/disable the external reset, in the system settings.

The stolen CV inputs never actually stop working no matter the clock configuration, so if you're really creative you can put in a signal that both provides CV voltages and still controls the clock or reset.

If you have chained 2steps together, you can start, stop, and reset all of them at once from any unit, which then controls the global clock. A future system setting will allow any unit to opt out of this automatic global control.

2step does not track, interpolate, or sync with any clock signal you give it; it reacts only and immediately to clock impulses. This means that it does not have the ability to subdivide the clock into faster divisions, but it also means that whatever clock signal you give it will be accurately respected.

Not clocks§

Channels do not need to always listen to the sequencer clock. By connecting their trigger even to other sources, you can configure various alternative operating modes for each channel by using the various channel settings:

• Clocked mode is the default operation: the global clock (external or internal) controls the sequencer, and the sequencer triggers the shape generator at the appropriate times.
• Independent mode decouples a channel from the global clock, instead listening for trigs and gates on any combination of the four CV inputs. This turns the channel into an independent envelope generator.
• Free-running mode again frees any channel from the global clock, but uses the channel's own shape generator end-of-chain as its trigger. This means the sequence autoadvances, and depending on the length of the programmed shapes can result in LFOs, audio waveforms, or both.