An envelope machine for audio, MIDI and control voltage.
It can be one of these, or all of them at once:
Every step can have its own envelope, shape, effects and overrides. Each lane runs its own step count and clock, so one pattern can be polyrhythmic and polytempo.
No other plugin does all of this. It is like 20 plugins in one.
$49.00
One license covers 2 computers
Tap to hear raw sound output from Stepsicle
Think of a separate ShaperBox or LFOTool on every step. Each lane also runs its own step count and clock.
Control your external gear in time. Each step has its own curve, sent out as control voltage. Here it moves the filter cutoff of an ARP 2600 from the VST, synced to the DAW tempo.
No 303 clone would send plain MIDI out, so I built one that does. The acid voice came later.
Draw a different envelope curve on every step.
Play analog and modular gear straight from the pattern.
Chain patterns into full arrangements.
Every step carries its own envelope curve, so a filter or volume can move differently on each note.
Play the sequence live, then drag it into your DAW.
Stepsicle has a built-in API and MCP server, so scripts and compatible AI assistants can build and change patterns with you.
Ask in plain language, for example:
Every change lands in the pattern, so you can keep editing by hand.
Stepsicle is a step sequencer plugin and standalone app: one 16-step instrument for sequencing MIDI, shaping audio, and controlling analog hardware with calibrated CV. The same patterns move between all three workflows:
Each step stores note, velocity, gate length, slide, accent, rest, skip, tie, octave, nudge, note delay, and trigger probability. Build precise acid lines, evolving effects, polyrhythms, and playable arrangements without spreading the work across several plugins.
A 303 line depends on how notes connect. Stepsicle drives a TD-3, a TB-303 MIDI setup, any hardware synth, or any soft synth that responds to velocity and overlapping notes.
Stepsicle is the sequencer rather than a fixed synth voice. One pattern can play the box on your desk, a software instrument, the built-in Acid Synth for quick monitoring, or a modular oscillator through CV.
Read more on the 303 MIDI sequencer page.
Build up to 128 patterns and chain them into arrangements. Every pattern keeps its own settings:
MIDI input modes let you transpose from a keyboard, play only while a note is held, or select patterns from incoming notes.
Instead of looping one LFO shape, Stepsicle lets every step carry its own breakpoint curve. Run up to 16 envelope slots per pattern. Each slot can:
Linear, exponential, logarithmic, and S-curve segments can start from 24 built-in shapes or a saved custom shape.
Fifteen zero-delay-feedback filters include ladder, diode, and state-variable low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch designs. Drive, low-end fatness, RAT, Tube, Hard Clip, and Fuzz stages can sit around the filter with up to 8x oversampling.
The effects chain holds 15 insert effects, including delay, reverb, distortion, phaser, chorus, bitcrusher, stutter, tape stop and stereo width. Drag them into any order and run up to 8 of each per pattern.
Read more on the envelope shaper page.
Analog oscillators and audio interfaces do not track voltage perfectly. Stepsicle sweeps the connected oscillator, measures the returned pitch with two detection methods, and builds a 128-point correction table for that instrument. Save profiles per synth or store the calibration with the DAW project.
Route up to 18 CV outputs: pitch, gate, and up to 16 envelope voltages.
CV requires a DC-coupled interface. Expert Sleepers ES-series hardware and compatible MOTU, RME, and Antelope outputs are suitable; AC-coupled consumer outputs cannot hold the required voltage. In CV mode, connect those outputs only to synth or modular CV inputs, not mixers, monitors, or headphones.
Read more on the CV sequencer plugin page.
Drag the current pattern into the DAW as a Standard MIDI File at 480 PPQ, or Shift-drag the complete chain. Swing, nudge, and note delay are baked into the exported notes.
The built-in API and MCP server expose patterns, steps, envelopes, routing, and generation tools to scripts and compatible assistants. Use them to build or transform patterns, apply rhythm and groove ideas, and automate repeatable setup without replacing hands-on editing.
The practical difference is consolidation: one pattern format can move from a MIDI synth to an audio-effects chain or a calibrated modular patch without buying or learning separate Stepsicle tiers.
Stepsicle works as a VST3 plugin in 64-bit Windows and macOS hosts, including Ableton Live, FL Studio, REAPER, Bitwig, Cubase, and Studio One. It also runs as a standalone application.
No. Stepsicle can sequence any MIDI hardware or software instrument. The slide, accent, and tie controls are especially useful with 303-style destinations, and the built-in Acid Synth can monitor a pattern without external routing.
One Stepsicle Full license includes:
Yes. Pitch, gate, and envelope voltages require a DC-coupled audio interface. MIDI and audio-effects use do not require one.
One license includes MIDI, effects, and CV.
One license covers 2 computers
Early Access
Free for Mac and Windows