Making Sound Machines - Plinky 12 Toadstep

Toadstep turns the Plinky 12 into a four-track sequencer and groovebox built for making riffs quickly and changing them while they play. Its large touch controls keep the important parts of a pattern directly under your fingers, so pitches, rhythms and variations can be shaped without repeatedly stopping to edit small parameters. The approach takes inspiration from sequencers such as the RYK M185 and Metropolis, but develops the idea into something distinctly Plinky.

Step repetition and ratcheting allow each stage to occupy more than a single pulse, letting patterns stretch far beyond a conventional 16-step loop or collapse into tight bursts of repeated notes. Slide, probability, velocity and gate length can be adjusted per step, while the various randomisation functions are useful for introducing controlled instability. It can produce straightforward bass lines and drum patterns just as readily as shifting polymetric phrases and semi-generative sequences.

Each of the four tracks can play its own sound from the internal polytimbral synth engine or sequence an external instrument over MIDI, while two tracks may also be routed through the CV outputs. This makes Toadstep equally convincing as a self-contained groovebox or as the centre of a larger hardware setup. XY modulation can morph the internal sounds as a pattern runs, with tape delay and shimmer reverb available for adding space and movement. External audio can also be mixed and processed through the effects section.

Eight patterns are available per track and can be chained into longer arrangements, giving an improvised idea somewhere to go once it begins to develop. Sounds and songs can be saved to an SD card, while the web editor provides a more detailed way to create and organise presets. All in all, Toadstep is a very immediate four-track sequencing playground with plenty of options to experiment with rhythm.

Features:

• Four-track MIDI/CV sequencer and self-contained groovebox
• 16 × 16 RGB pressure-sensitive capacitive touch surface
• Large touch faders designed for fast, direct interaction
• All four tracks can sequence the internal synth engine or external MIDI instruments
• Two tracks can additionally be routed through the CV outputs
• Step repeating and ratcheting for patterns extending beyond 16 steps
• Per-step slide, probability, velocity and gate length
• Extensive randomisation functions
• Eight patterns per track with complete pattern chaining
• Polytimbral Plinky 12 synth engine with a different sound for each track
• XY modulation for morphing between sounds
• Tape-style delay and reverb with shimmer
• External audio processing and mixing through the onboard effects
• Web-based sound editor
• SD-card storage for presets, samples and songs
• Stereo audio input and output
• CV clock and reset inputs, configurable clock output, two CV inputs and two CV outputs
• TRS and USB MIDI plus class-compliant USB audio output
• Second MIDI output configurable as two trigger outputs
• USB-C powered
• Dimensions: 305 × 305 × 12 mm
• Toadstep panel designed by Toadstool Tech

About the Plinky 12 system: Blocks, Chords and Toadstep are three distinct instruments built around the same pressure-sensitive touch hardware and polyphonic synth engine. Their panels can be exchanged, and Plinky 12 automatically recognises which one is fitted and loads the corresponding instrument.