Sonicbytes have announced ERA, a fully featured VSTi Step-Sequencer, which is scheduled to be released on 22nd March 2004, initially for Windows with an OS X version also planned.

The ERA bundle actually consists of two independent VSTi plugins: ERADRUM, for drumloops, and ERATONE, for melodies. The basic functionality is similar to well known analogue step-sequencers, but there's much more, check out the features below:

Features:

• Host synchronization for tempo, transport (play, pause, stop) and step-position.
• Global synchronization (mute, solo, play, record).
• Relative tempo from 1/32. to 32/1t.
• Sample accurate timing.
• Live and Step recording (step size and velocity adjustable).
• Global controllers for velocity, gate time, roll and delay.
• Realtime Shuffling of velocity, gate time, roll and delay.
• Selectable MIDI receive/send channel.
• Live pattern recall and arpeggiator transpose via note-on (keyboard).
• Well structured, lightweight user-interface with customizable definable color schemes.
• Strong editing options (reset, cut/copy/paste, +/-, move left/right, random).
• Quick drag/drop for copy/swap between programs, patterns, steps and rows.
• LEDs for visual feedback and live triggering of steps.
• Play modes for shift, split and pattern-select.
• Memory for 256 patterns up to 16 steps.
• Patterns can be chained together to any length.
• Panic function.
• Voice limiter (adjustable intelligent note-cutting).
• All controls can be used while playing, even program-change without discontinuity.

Per step control (rows):

• Main (mute/unmute, skip/hold, step-jump, dir-turn (both/left/right), tempo-change, sync-point, pattern-jump).
• Pitch (any note, even note-off).
• 12 percussion triggers (assignable).
• Velocity (more dynamics than only accent!).
• Chord (up/down 1-2 octaves, semitones, common chords).
• Gate time (duration from 1/8 step to 16 steps).
• Roll (note is triggered periodical up to 16 times, corresponding to chord/cut-up with adjustable length).
• Fills (like roll but preferred for percussion, soften/louder, different fill patterns).
• Delay (sample accurate delayed triggering to get the groove).
• 3 free assignable (control-change, pitch-bend, program-change, channel-aftertouch).