Shapes§

Twelve parameters shape the shapes that 2step can produce. As mentioned in the systems overview, the shape generator in 2step proceeds through various envelope-like stages each time it is triggered (which is done by the sequencer), at times updating the target voltage and slew rate/curve of an internal voltage follower.

Here in detail is the lifecycle of those proceedings, including all twelve parameters:

1. Each time the shape generator is triggered, it resets into the delay state.
2. When the delay time is reached, it will enter the setting state and update the voltage follower with a new voltage target and slew (and slew curve).
3. Once the voltage target is reached, the shape generator is now set and it waits for the specified set time.
4. When the time is reached, the shape generator once again updates the voltage follower with a new voltage target and slew (and curve), this time corresponding with the releasing stage values.
5. When the voltage target is reached, the shape generator enters the released state.
6. If there are repeats (ratchets) enabled and still remaining on the count, the generator will return to the setting state after a repeat delay time. Upon each repeat, the delay and the voltage per repeat can be set to exponentially decay or grow.

You can explore the range of possibilities using the interactive quick reference. You can create everything from trigs and gates, basic envelope shapes, or LFO-like patterns to sweeping strikes, and crazy audio effects, and so much more.

Adjusting the shape§

To adjust a parameter, press or hold its corresponding button and turn the knob. Because there are only a few buttons and many parameters, you may have to press the button again, or use the page button to access some of them. You can see the necessary input in the interactive shape reference above.

There is a logic to the button groupings:

• All four time values are on the gate button: gate length and delay length, with repeat delay and its decay behind the page button.
• All four slope values are on the slew button: slew rate for setting and for releasing, and behind page is slew curve for setting and for releasing.
• All the voltage values are on the amt button: set and release voltage, and repeat voltage decay.
• The repeat count parameter is instead on the div button, as the repeat feature is the mul of 2step.

In general, the label of each parameter button tries to help remind you which of its parameters comes first.

The four parameters on each button are, like many things in 2step, arranged into a 2x2 grid displayed on the pagelights. You will see the active parameter in green as you step through the pages.

For more information and visual reference on accessing and adjusting parameters, see the Parameter Screen page.

Little consequences§

The slew-limiting design behind 2step's envelopes have a couple of small consequences worth nothing.

The first is that because the set and release slew define slope angles rather than time duration values as you'll find in most attack/release envelope generators, the impulse length will grow longer as the target voltage leaps a larger distance. A hi-hat style envelope, for instance, with a decaying release back to 0 volts, will ring for longer the harder you hit it (the higher you set the set voltage). This results in a pleasant and natural-sounding response.

The second is a consequence of the fact that the voltage target and slew are only updated at certain points in the envelope lifecycle—at the start of setting, and of releasing. So during the pre-delay period, for example, the previously active step continues to run. It's not until the delay is over and we begin setting that the new step takes over.

Additionally, the voltage value of each channel is continuous: there is no point in the trigger or envelope phases lifecycle where the voltage is reset to any particular value. So if your slew rate is set slow enough, it may appear like trigger events are having no effect when really the voltage follower is just still slowly chasing some target.

If you want a more traditional envelope-like behavior, you can enable the "reset voltage on release" channel option. On each trigger, this option instantly sets the channel voltage to whatever the current release voltage setting is before advancing each step.

In this section§

The remaining subpages in this Shapes section go into detail about all of these parameters. They're pretty brief, but if you're ansty to get going, skip them and head for the Sequencing section once you're done playing with the sliders on this page and have a feel for the shape generation.