# 16-Step Drum Sequencer ## Overview https://youtu.be/2KbqNbF3G1Q Build a Roland 808-style step sequencer to trigger multiple drum tracks in your digital audio workstation (DAW), such as GarageBand or Ableton, over USB MIDI. All built in CircuitPython, and easy to customize. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/117/504/medium800/projects_sixteen-0541.jpg?1673418294) ## Parts ### Adafruit KB2040 - RP2040 Kee Boar Driver [Adafruit KB2040 - RP2040 Kee Boar Driver](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5302) A wild Kee Boar appears! It’s a shiny **KB2040**! An Arduino Pro Micro-shaped board for Keebs with RP2040. (#keeblife 4 evah) A lot of folks like using Adafruit parts for their Keeb builds – but with the ItsyBitsy not being pin-compatible with the Pro Micro pinout, it... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5302) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5302/guides) ![Angled shot of short black microcontroller.](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/5302-07.jpg) ### Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver Breakout [Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver Breakout](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4886) Expand your project possibilities, with the **Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver Breakout** - a cute and powerful I2C expander with a lot of tricks up its sleeve. GPIO expanders work like this: you have a board with some number of GPIO but not enough for your... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4886) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4886/guides) ![Video of a Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver Breakout connected to a LED changing colors. ](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/product-videos/640x480/4886-05.jpg) ### Quad Alphanumeric Display - Red 0.54" Digits w/ I2C Backpack [Quad Alphanumeric Display - Red 0.54" Digits w/ I2C Backpack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1911) Display, elegantly, 012345678 or 9! Gaze, hypnotized, at ABCDEFGHIJKLM - well it can display the whole alphabet. You get the point. This is a nice, bright alphanumeric display that shows letters and numbers in a beautiful red hue. It's super bright and designed for viewing from distances... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1911) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1911/guides) ![Overhead video of an assembled 14-segment LED backpack, emitting the follow text in red LEDS: "AdaFruit 14-Segment Backpack"](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/product-videos/640x480/1911-04.jpg) ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/117/286/medium800/projects_5631-02.jpg?1672701185) ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/117/287/medium800/projects_5499-06.jpg?1672701362) ### PB86 Step Switch Breadboard-Friendly Breakout PCB - Pack of 12 [PB86 Step Switch Breadboard-Friendly Breakout PCB - Pack of 12](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5631) A couple of months ago we started carrying [packs of colorful step switches](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5517) reminiscent of the [16-step sequencer keys on TR-808 synthesizers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808). We gave folks the heads up that the... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5631) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5631/guides) ![Overhead shot of PCB panel contain two rows of five step-switch breakouts.](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/5631-02.jpg) ### Part: Large Solderless Breadboard quantity: 1 Large Solderless Breadboard [Large Solderless Breadboard](https://www.adafruit.com/product/443) ### Part: Hook-up Wire Spool Set quantity: 1 Hook-up Wire Spool Set - 22AWG Solid Core - 10 x 25ft [Hook-up Wire Spool Set](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3174) ### Part: Step Switch w LED quantity: 6 Three Pack PB86 [Step Switch w LED](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5499) ### Part: Colorful 12mm Square Tactile Button Switch Assortment quantity: 1 15 pack [Colorful 12mm Square Tactile Button Switch Assortment](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1010) ### Part: Pink and Purple Woven USB A to USB C Cable quantity: 1 1 meter long [Pink and Purple Woven USB A to USB C Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5153) ### Part: STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-pin Cable quantity: 1 100mm Long [STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-pin Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4210) ### Part: STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-Pin Cable quantity: 2 50mm Long [STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-Pin Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4399) - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/16-step-drum-sequencer/build-the-16-step-drum-sequencer.md) ## Featured Products ### Adafruit KB2040 - RP2040 Kee Boar Driver [Adafruit KB2040 - RP2040 Kee Boar Driver](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5302) A wild Kee Boar appears! It’s a shiny **KB2040**! An Arduino Pro Micro-shaped board for Keebs with RP2040. (#keeblife 4 evah) A lot of folks like using Adafruit parts for their Keeb builds – but with the ItsyBitsy not being pin-compatible with the Pro Micro pinout, it... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5302) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5302/guides) ### Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver Breakout [Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver Breakout](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4886) Expand your project possibilities, with the **Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver Breakout** - a cute and powerful I2C expander with a lot of tricks up its sleeve. GPIO expanders work like this: you have a board with some number of GPIO but not enough for your... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4886) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4886/guides) ### Adafruit 14-segment LED Alphanumeric Backpack - STEMMA QT [Adafruit 14-segment LED Alphanumeric Backpack - STEMMA QT](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1910) By popular request, you can now get our 14-segment LED backpacks without the LEDs! These backpacks feature an HT16K33 I2C LED driver, they're simple and easy to use - you can use [our very nice library for the backpacks to...](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-LED-Backpack-Library) In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1910) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1910/guides) ### Step Switch with LED - Three Pack of Red Plastic with Red LED [Step Switch with LED - Three Pack of Red Plastic with Red LED](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5499) These hinged momentary step switches are evocative of the [16-step sequencer keys on TR-808 sythesizers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808). Also sometimes used on A/V equipment, they're very tactile with a good clicky feel. And of course, the built in red... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5499) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5499/guides) ### Step Switch with LED - Three Pack of White with Red LED - PB86 [Step Switch with LED - Three Pack of White with Red LED - PB86](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5519) These hinged momentary step switches are evocative of the [16-step sequencer keys on TR-808 sythesizers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808). Also sometimes used on A/V equipment, they're very tactile with a good clicky feel. And of course, the built in red... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5519) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5519/guides) ### Step Switch with LED - Three Pack of Yellow with Red LED [Step Switch with LED - Three Pack of Yellow with Red LED](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5516) These hinged momentary step switches are evocative of the [16-step sequencer keys on TR-808 sythesizers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808). Also sometimes used on A/V equipment, they're very tactile with a good clicky feel. And of course, the built in red... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5516) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5516/guides) ### Step Switch with LED - Three Pack of Black with Red LED - PB86 [Step Switch with LED - Three Pack of Black with Red LED - PB86](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5502) These hinged momentary step switches are evocative of the [16-step sequencer keys on TR-808 sythesizers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808). Also sometimes used on A/V equipment, they're very tactile with a good clicky feel. And of course, the built in red... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5502) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5502/guides) ### PB86 Step Switch Breadboard-Friendly Breakout PCB - Pack of 12 [PB86 Step Switch Breadboard-Friendly Breakout PCB - Pack of 12](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5631) A couple of months ago we started carrying [packs of colorful step switches](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5517) reminiscent of the [16-step sequencer keys on TR-808 synthesizers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808). We gave folks the heads up that the... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5631) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5631/guides) ## Related Guides - [Adafruit LED Backpacks](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-led-backpack.md) - [Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-aw9523-gpio-expander-and-led-driver.md) - [Adafruit KB2040](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-kb2040.md) - [Fisher-Price USB Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/fisher-price-usb-controller.md) - [LED Masquerade Masks with n00ds](https://learn.adafruit.com/led-masquerade-masks-with-n00ds.md) - [Breakbeat Breadboard](https://learn.adafruit.com/breakbeat-breadboard.md) - [Super Nintendo USB Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/super-nintendo-usb-controller.md) - [Commodore Keyboard to USB HID with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/commodore-keyboard-to-usb-hid-with-circuitpython.md) - [DOOM Keeb](https://learn.adafruit.com/doom-keeb.md) - [See N Say Brain Transplant](https://learn.adafruit.com/see-n-say-brain-transplant.md) - [PB Gherkin 30% keyboard with KMK, CircuitPython, & KB2040](https://learn.adafruit.com/pb-gherkhin-30-keyboard-with-kmk-circuitpython-kb2040.md) - [Raspberry Pi Pico and LED Arcade Button MIDI Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/raspberry-pi-pico-led-arcade-button-midi-controller-fighter.md) - [Using QMK on RP2040 Microcontrollers](https://learn.adafruit.com/using-qmk-on-rp2040-microcontrollers.md) - [May Pad Macropad with the KB2040, KMK, and CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/maypad-macropad-with-the-kb2040-kmk-and-circuitpython.md) - [Arcade Fightstick](https://learn.adafruit.com/arcade-fightstick.md) - [How to Choose a Microcontroller](https://learn.adafruit.com/how-to-choose-a-microcontroller.md) - [Stepper Motor Turntable](https://learn.adafruit.com/stepper-motor-turntable.md) - [USB MIDI Keyset Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/midi-keyset.md)