An 8-track, 64-step sequencer for Akai MPC standalone (tested on an MPC Live with MPC OS 3.9; 32-bit ARM), loaded as a VST2 plugin by MPC's own plugin host, with a native MPC screen skin. It does not make sound: it sends MIDI to other tracks (typically a drum program), with step conditions and step and CC locks.
A short demo, and how to map StepRunner-8 to a drum program:
- 8 tracks × 64 steps (4 pages of 16), notes 36–43 = pads A01–A08 of a drum program by default
- Per track: length, speed (1/8x … 2x), direction (FWD / BWD / FBWD / BFWD), MIDI channel, note, velocity, gate, mute
- Per step: step conditions (1ST, A:B, FILL, PRE, NEI …), probability, velocity / length / pan locks, eight CC locks, micro-timing and ratchets
- Euclidean generator per track, random generators for trigs and every lock
- 8 patterns (cue the next one while playing), pattern length, shuffle, copy / paste of steps, pages, tracks and patterns
- PERFORM tab: mutes, live effects (loops, fill, stop CC, build, echo, ghost notes, fade out …), PERFORM ALL offsets and 8 STATE slots per pattern that recall the whole sequencer
- CC locks go back to the pad's own value after the locked step (base values)
- CREATE DEFAULT MAP writes MIDI Learn mappings for the CC locks into your saved MPC project, so the CC knobs drive the pads of a drum program without mapping each one by hand
- Undo / redo
The full user manual with screenshots is in docs/MANUAL.md.
Map StepRunner-8's CC locks to any drum pad or plugin parameter in your browser, no MIDI Learn needed. It recognises the StepRunner-8 version in your project: all 8 CC knobs and the pan knob from version 1.2, the first 5 CC knobs and the pan knob for 1.1 and earlier.
See it in action in the demo video on YouTube:
Download StepRunner-8-<version>-mpc-armv7.zip from Releases and follow INSTALL.md inside the
zip (it runs install.sh on the device as root over SSH; it backs up MPC.settings first).
StepRunner-8-demo-projects.zip on the Releases page holds two MPC projects, already mapped with
CREATE DEFAULT MAP:
- DEMO - Drum Synth - empty: StepRunner-8 driving MPC's Drum Synth.
- DEMO - Drum Track - empty: StepRunner-8 driving an empty Drum Track; load your own samples on pads A01–A08.
Unzip, copy the .xpj files to your MPC and open one.
- Load StepRunner-8 on a plugin track.
- Make a drum track with your drum program. Set its MIDI input to the port StepRunner-8 (enable the port as a Track input in Preferences → MIDI if it is not listed).
- Press play on the MPC: StepRunner-8 follows the MPC's tempo and transport.
- For CC locks on drum pads: save the project, open SETUP → CREATE DEFAULT MAP, pick the drum track, then close and reopen the project as the message says. Saving the project as a new name first is recommended.
Needs Docker and a checkout of mpc-vst-plugins (its tools):
MPC_VST=/path/to/mpc-vst-plugins ./test.sh # offline test (x86, ASan), must print PASSED
MPC_VST=/path/to/mpc-vst-plugins ./build.sh # build/steprunner8.so and the skin
MPC_VST=/path/to/mpc-vst-plugins ./release.sh # dist/StepRunner-8-<version>-mpc-armv7.zipOr let GitHub build it: Actions → Release → Run workflow (see .github/workflows/release.yml).
Developer notes are in PROJECT_NOTES.md; the history (it started as "Trig Seq") is in PROJECT_HISTORY.md.
MIT, see LICENSE. Community software, not affiliated with or endorsed by Akai Professional.
StepRunner-8 is free and developed in my spare time. If it's earned a place in your MPC workflow and you enjoy using it, a small donation helps keep new features coming.
