We’ve been watching this tiny Raspberry Pi Pico-based step sequencer project from Tod Kurt develop online and quite frankly it’s awesome! If you hanker after building your own Tod is now offering a short run of the PCBs for sale to help you on your way.
When fully assembled this tiny 8-step sequencer pumps out both USB MIDI and Serial MIDI over a 3.5mm TRS Jack. As such it’s perfect for composing patterns using your favourite synthesizer hardware or hooking up to your laptop for virtual sound sources. It looks perfect with its 80’s era step switches with integrated LEDs which, if we close our eyes, we can imagine clicking gloriously!
Although this is just the PCB, Tod has thoughtfully collated all the parts into a BOM and even supplies a link to a Digikey cart with most of the parts. All the code and hardware are open source and the 3D printed enclosure designs are posted on Printables.
If this project catches your eye but you don’t have a synth to connect it to, you could do much worse than check out Tod’s other projects. The MacroPadSynthPlug turns an Adafruit MacroPad RP2040 kit into an awesome and versatile synthesizer, for example, and he has many other equally cool products!
