The 8 Step Program manual is now online. [357K .pdf]
I can't think of a question that hasn't been answered after reading that.
Nice surprises are everywhere in that document. Loop, One Shot, and Step-Thru modes. A Preset Cue function. 100 presets resident in-the-box (optional foot controller acts as a remote). And one of the most extensive MIDI implementations that I've ever seen in a similar device, and at this price point. See pp. 20-23 in the link above.
Every available function (except current MIDI Clock and MIDI Channel) can be addressed with Program Changes or MIDI CC messages. Any slider position. Encoder. Preset save/load. Increment/decrement. Tempo division. Sequence length, glide, direction, or depth percentage (even proportionally raising the depth of sliders under maximum depth). All on-the-fly.
Certainly worth a look to anyone with some form of a MIDI controller. Using MIDI control over the individual sliders, even someone having a single Eventide stompbox could use it as the 'programmer'. Then use the 8 Step to play back ET parameter positions in sequences. Plus, there's a 1:1 relationship between presets in each device.
The sheer depth of this MIDI implementation may have tipped the scales for me.
