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.