Steam Step Sixteen Instructions
- June 13, 2024
- STEAM
Table of Contents
Steam Step Sixteen
Product Information
Controls and User Interface
The product features both keyboard and mouse controls for user interaction.
Keyboard Controls
- Press spacebar to start the sequencer.
- Press enter to access the main menu.
Mouse Controls
- Left click to interact with buttons, menus, and LED indicators.
- Click and drag to move sliders.
- Press Alt + Click to reset slider values to their default position.
User Interface Elements
1 Step Indicator LEDs [1-16] Displays the current step of the sequence when the sequencer is running. Press spacebar to start the sequencer.
Note: Clicking a step indicator will copy its step button value. Click another step indicator to paste the step.
2 Step Buttons [1-16]
Used to trigger the drum sounds. Click to turn a step on/off. Each channel has its own 16 step buttons.
Pattern Buttons [1-16] Used to select a pattern. In Song Mode, patterns
will be played back in order.
Note: In Song Mode, pattern changes are quantised to occur at the end of
the bar.
User Buttons
-
Song Mode Button: Enables patterns to be played back
sequentially. -
Save Button: Allows the user to save changes to the current
song. -
Load Button: Allows the user to load what was saved.
-
Copy Button: Allows the user to copy the currently selected
pattern. -
Paste Button: Enables the user to paste a copied pattern to
another pattern. -
Clear Button: Clears the currently selected pattern.
Note: Saving also automatically occurs when the program is closed.
Pattern Repeats
Determines how many times a pattern will repeat before progressing to the
next pattern. Repeat can be set to x1 (plays once), x2, x3, or x4. Click on a
repeat number to increment its value.
Matrix Section
If the current matrix is set to Drum Matrix, the user can input steps
across all drum channels without having to change channels.
Channels are displayed on the vertical axis while steps are represented on the
horizontal axis.
If the current matrix is set to Synth Matrix, the user can input steps on the currently selected synth channels. Notes/pitch are displayed on the vertical axis while steps are represented on the horizontal axis.
Matrix Switch
Toggles between the Drum and Synth Matrix. An LED is also used to indicate
which matrix is displayed.
Patch Drop Down Menu
Click this menu to select the sound/patch for the currently selected
Channel. There are 27 sounds to choose from spanning a variety of electronic
and acoustic percussive sounds.
Note: The same sound/patch can be loaded on multiple channels.
Channel Selection Slider
Use this slider to select the active channel. The active channel is displayed
in the text below and is also highlighted in the mixer section. There are 16
channels to choose from.
Drum Dancers [1-16]
Each drum channel has a dancer that will dance according to the rhythm
programmed on that channel.
FX Buttons
- Tape FX Button: Performs a classic tape stop effect. Toggle it off to resume playback.
- LFO FX Button: Randomises the pitch of all steps.
Global Sliders
These parameters are applied across all channels. There are global controls for Pitch, Delay Time, Reverb, Delay, LPF (Low Pass Filter), HPF (High Pass Filter), Distortion, and Volume.
Product Usage Instructions
To start the sequencer, press the spacebar. To access the main menu, press enter.
Use the left mouse click to interact with buttons, menus, and LED indicators. Click and drag to move sliders. To reset slider values to their default position, press Alt + Click.
The step indicator LEDs [1-16] display the current step of the sequence when the sequencer is running. Pressing the spacebar starts the sequencer. You can copy a step button value by clicking on a step indicator and paste it by clicking another step indicator.
The step buttons [1-16] are used to trigger the drum sounds. Click on a step to turn it on or off. Each channel has its own set of 16 step buttons.
The pattern buttons [1-16] are used to select a pattern. When in Song Mode, patterns will be played back in order. Pattern changes in Song Mode occur at the end of the bar.
The user buttons have various functions:
-
The Song Mode Button enables patterns to be played back
sequentially. -
The Save Button allows you to save changes to the current
song. -
The Load Button allows you to load previously saved
changes. -
The Copy Button allows you to copy the currently selected
pattern. -
The Paste Button enables you to paste a copied pattern to
another pattern. -
The Clear Button clears the currently selected pattern.
Note that saving also automatically occurs when the program is closed.
In Song Mode, the pattern repeats determine how many times a pattern will repeat before progressing to the next pattern. Click on a repeat number to increment its value.
The matrix section allows you to input steps across all drum channels or selected synth channels without having to change channels. Channels are displayed vertically, and steps are represented horizontally.
Use the matrix switch to toggle between the Drum and Synth Matrix. The LED indicator shows which matrix is currently displayed.
In the Patch Drop Down Menu, you can select the sound/patch for the currently selected channel. There are 27 sounds to choose from, including electronic and acoustic percussive sounds. You can load the same sound/patch on multiple channels.
Use the channel selection slider to choose the active channel.
The active channel is displayed in the text below and highlighted in the mixer
section. There are 16 channels available.
Each drum channel has a dancer that will dance according to the rhythm programmed on that channel. Enjoy the visual representation of your beats!
The FX buttons offer additional effects:
- The Tape FX Button performs a classic tape stop effect. Toggle it off to resume playback.
- The LFO FX Button randomizes the pitch of all steps.
The global sliders control parameters applied across all channels, including Pitch, Delay Time, Reverb, Delay, LPF (Low Pass Filter), HPF (High Pass Filter), Distortion, and Volume.
CONTROLS AND USER INTERFACE
Keyboard Controls
Press spacebar to start the sequencer.
Press enter to access the main menu.
(From the main menu the user can clear all patterns in the current song, load
other songs or view the credits)
Mouse Controls
Left click to interact with buttons, menus, LED indicators. Click and drag to
move sliders.
Alt + Click to reset slider values to their default position.
-
Step Indicator LEDs [1-16]
Displays the current step of the sequence when the sequencer is running. Press spacebar to start the sequencer.
[Note] Clicking a step indicator will copy its step button value, click another step indicator to paste the step. -
Step Buttons [1- 16]
These are used to trigger the drum sounds. Click to turn a step on/off. Each channel has its own 16 step buttons. -
Pattern Buttons [1-16]
These are used to select a pattern. When in Song Mode patterns will be played back in order.
[Note] In Song Mode pattern changes are quantised to occur at the end of the bar. -
User Buttons.
The Song Mode Button enables patterns to be played back sequentially.
The Save Button allows the user to save changes to the current song
The Load button allows the user to load what was saved.
The Copy Button allows the user to copy the currently selected pattern
The Paste Button enables the user to paste a copied pattern to another pattern.
The Clear Button clears the currently selected pattern.
[Note] Saving also automatically occurs when the program is closed. -
Pattern Repeats.
When in Song Mode these determine how many times a pattern will repeat before progressing to the next pattern.
Repeat can be set to x1 (plays once), x2, x3 or x4.
Click on a repeat number to increment its value. -
Matrix Section.
If the current matrix is set to Drum Matrix the user can input steps across all drum channels without having to change channels.
Channels are displayed on the vertical axis while steps are represented on the horizontal axis.
If the current matrix is set to Synth Matrix the user can input steps on the currently selected synth channels.
Notes/pitch are displayed on the vertical axis while steps are represented on the horizontal axis. -
Matrix Switch. Toggles between the Drum and Synth Matrix. An LED is also used to indicate which matrix is displayed.
-
Patch Drop Down Menu.
Click this menu to select the sound/patch for the currently selected Channel.
There are 27 sounds to choose from spanning a variety of electronic and acoustic percussive sounds.
[Note] The same sound/patch can be loaded on multiple channels. -
Channel Selection Slider.
Use this slider to select the active channel.
The active channel is displayed in the text below and is also highlighted in the mixer section.
There are 16 channels to choose from. -
Drum Dancers [1-16].
Each drum channel has a dancer that will dance according to the rhythm programmed on that channel. -
FX Buttons.
The Tape FX Button performs a classic tape stop effect. toggle it off to resume playback.
The LFO FX Button randomises the pitch of all steps. -
Global Sliders.
These parameters are applied across all channels.
There are global controls for Pitch, Delay Time, Reverb, Delay, LPF (Low Pass Filter), HPF (High Pass Filter), Distortion and Volume. -
BPM Slider.
Used to set the BPM (beats per minute). This determines how fast/slow the sequencer plays back. -
Channel Sliders.
These parameters are used to shape the current channel’s sound.
There are controls for Pitch, Decay, Reverb, Delay, LPF (Low Pass Filter), HPF (High Pass Filter), Distortion and Flanger. -
Synth Mixer Mutes [1-16].
These are used to mute/unmute synth channels 1-16.
Each mute button’s channel number will be lit when a sound is triggered on its channel. -
Synth Mixer Pan.
Used to set the speaker panning for synth channels 1-16. -
Synth Mixer Volume.
Used to set the volume level for synth channels 1-16. -
Drum Mixer Mutes [1-16].
These are used to mute/unmute drum channels 1-16.
Each mute button’s channel number will be lit when a sound is triggered on its channel. -
Drum Mixer Pan.
Used to set the speaker panning for drum channels 1-16. -
Drum Mixer Volume.
Used to set the volume level for drum channels 1-16.