diff --git a/examples/APCmini.midizaprc b/examples/APCmini.midizaprc
index 3c25a38..d4c77ad 100644
--- a/examples/APCmini.midizaprc
+++ b/examples/APCmini.midizaprc
@@ -182,14 +182,14 @@ G#7 D7
 # meters, which actually have 8 different values, have to be squashed
 # into 5 LEDs per channel.
 
-?CP[16] C2[0,1] G#2[0:3,1] E3[0:5,5] C4[0:7,5] G#4[0:8,3]
+?CP[16] C2{0,1} G#2{0:3,1} E3{0:5,5} C4{0:7,5} G#4{0:8,3}
 
 # Here's an alternative decoding, which creates horizontal meters
-# covering the full range, with the first channel on top.  Note,
-# however, that this ranges across the entire 8x8 grid and will thus
-# clobber the rec/solo/mute controls!
+# covering the full range, with the first channel on top.  This is just
+# for illustration purposes -- as it ranges across the entire 8x8 grid,
+# it will clobber the rec/solo/mute controls.
 
-#?CP[16][-8] G#4[0,1] A4[0,0,1] A#4[0:3,1] B4[0:4,1] C5[0:5,5] C#5[0:6,5] D5[0:7,5] D#5[0:8,3]
+#?CP[16][-8] G#4{0,1} A4{0,0,1} A#4{0:3,1} B4{0:4,1} C5{0:5,5} C#5{0:6,5} D5{0:7,5} D#5{0:8,3}
 
 # This decodes the least significant digit in the time display (CC69) to
 # count off time on the 4 bottommost scene launch buttons.  Note that
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ G#7 D7
 # zeros in the value lists below to skip over all the non-digit
 # characters at the beginning of the ASCII table.
 
-?CC69[128] F7[0:49,1,0] E7[0:50,1,0] Eb7[0:51,1,0] D7[0:52,1,0]
+?CC69[128] F7{0:49,1,0} E7{0:50,1,0} Eb7{0:51,1,0} D7{0:52,1,0}
 
 # no feedback for faders (faders aren't motorized)
 
diff --git a/midizap.c b/midizap.c
index 4534216..f607d47 100644
--- a/midizap.c
+++ b/midizap.c
@@ -543,12 +543,12 @@ static char *debug_key(translation *tr, char *name,
 	sprintf(name, "%s%s%d[%d][%d]-%d%s", prefix, note_name(data),
 		note_octave(data), mod, step, chan+1, suffix);
       else if (n_steps) {
-	sprintf(name, "%s%s%d[%d][", prefix, note_name(data),
+	sprintf(name, "%s%s%d[%d]{", prefix, note_name(data),
 	        note_octave(data), mod);
 	int l = strlen(name);
 	for (int i = 0; i < n_steps; i++, (l = strlen(name)))
 	  sprintf(name+l, "%s%d", i?",":"", steps[i]);
-	sprintf(name+l, "]-%d%s", chan+1, suffix);
+	sprintf(name+l, "}-%d%s", chan+1, suffix);
       } else
 	sprintf(name, "%s%s%d[%d]-%d%s", prefix, note_name(data),
 		note_octave(data), mod, chan+1, suffix);
@@ -578,12 +578,12 @@ static char *debug_key(translation *tr, char *name,
 	sprintf(name, "%sKP:%s%d[%d][%d]-%d%s", prefix, note_name(data),
 		note_octave(data), mod, step, chan+1, suffix);
       else if (n_steps) {
-	sprintf(name, "%sKP:%s%d[%d][", prefix, note_name(data),
+	sprintf(name, "%sKP:%s%d[%d]{", prefix, note_name(data),
 	        note_octave(data), mod);
 	int l = strlen(name);
 	for (int i = 0; i < n_steps; i++, (l = strlen(name)))
 	  sprintf(name+l, "%s%d", i?",":"", steps[i]);
-	sprintf(name+l, "]-%d%s", chan+1, suffix);
+	sprintf(name+l, "}-%d%s", chan+1, suffix);
       } else
 	sprintf(name, "%sKP:%s%d[%d]-%d%s", prefix, note_name(data),
 		note_octave(data), mod, chan+1, suffix);
@@ -613,11 +613,11 @@ static char *debug_key(translation *tr, char *name,
       if (step != 1)
 	sprintf(name, "%sCC%d[%d][%d]-%d%s", prefix, data, mod, step, chan+1, suffix);
       else if (n_steps) {
-	sprintf(name, "%sCC%d[%d][", prefix, data, mod);
+	sprintf(name, "%sCC%d[%d]{", prefix, data, mod);
 	int l = strlen(name);
 	for (int i = 0; i < n_steps; i++, (l = strlen(name)))
 	  sprintf(name+l, "%s%d", i?",":"", steps[i]);
-	sprintf(name+l, "]-%d%s", chan+1, suffix);
+	sprintf(name+l, "}-%d%s", chan+1, suffix);
       } else
 	sprintf(name, "%sCC%d[%d]-%d%s", prefix, data, mod, chan+1, suffix);
     else
@@ -646,11 +646,11 @@ static char *debug_key(translation *tr, char *name,
       if (step != 1)
 	sprintf(name, "%sCP[%d][%d]-%d", prefix, mod, step, chan+1);
       else if (n_steps) {
-	sprintf(name, "%sCP[%d][", prefix, mod);
+	sprintf(name, "%sCP[%d]{", prefix, mod);
 	int l = strlen(name);
 	for (int i = 0; i < n_steps; i++, (l = strlen(name)))
 	  sprintf(name+l, "%s%d", i?",":"", steps[i]);
-	sprintf(name+l, "]-%d", chan);
+	sprintf(name+l, "}-%d", chan);
       } else
 	sprintf(name, "%sCP[%d]-%d", prefix, mod, chan+1);
     else
diff --git a/readconfig.c b/readconfig.c
index 1aa69a3..07d44a9 100644
--- a/readconfig.c
+++ b/readconfig.c
@@ -640,11 +640,11 @@ print_stroke(stroke *s, int mod, int step, int n_steps, int *steps, int val)
 	  printf("%s%d[%d]-%d%s ", note_name(d),
 		 note_octave(d), v, channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->steps) {
-	  printf("%s%d[", note_name(s->data),
+	  printf("%s%d{", note_name(s->data),
 		 note_octave(s->data));
 	  for (int i = 0; i < s->n_steps; i++)
 	    printf("%s%d", i?",":"", s->steps[i]);
-	  printf("]-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
+	  printf("}-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->step)
 	  printf("%s%d[%d]-%d%s ", note_name(s->data),
 		 note_octave(s->data), s->step, channel, suffix);
@@ -660,11 +660,11 @@ print_stroke(stroke *s, int mod, int step, int n_steps, int *steps, int val)
 	  printf("KP:%s%d[%d]-%d%s ", note_name(d),
 		 note_octave(d), v, channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->steps) {
-	  printf("KP:%s%d[", note_name(s->data),
+	  printf("KP:%s%d{", note_name(s->data),
 		 note_octave(s->data));
 	  for (int i = 0; i < s->n_steps; i++)
 	    printf("%s%d", i?",":"", s->steps[i]);
-	  printf("]-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
+	  printf("}-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->step)
 	  printf("KP:%s%d[%d]-%d%s ", note_name(s->data),
 		 note_octave(s->data), s->step, channel, suffix);
@@ -679,10 +679,10 @@ print_stroke(stroke *s, int mod, int step, int n_steps, int *steps, int val)
 	  int v = datavals(r, s->step, s->steps, s->n_steps);
 	  printf("CC%d[%d]-%d%s ", d, v, channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->steps) {
-	  printf("CC%d[", s->data);
+	  printf("CC%d{", s->data);
 	  for (int i = 0; i < s->n_steps; i++)
 	    printf("%s%d", i?",":"", s->steps[i]);
-	  printf("]-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
+	  printf("}-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->step)
 	  printf("CC%d[%d]-%d%s ", s->data, s->step, channel, suffix);
 	else
@@ -700,10 +700,10 @@ print_stroke(stroke *s, int mod, int step, int n_steps, int *steps, int val)
 	  int v = datavals(s->swap?val/mod:val%mod, s->step, s->steps, s->n_steps);
 	  printf("CP[%d]-%d%s ", v, channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->steps) {
-	  printf("CP[");
+	  printf("CP{");
 	  for (int i = 0; i < s->n_steps; i++)
 	    printf("%s%d", i?",":"", s->steps[i]);
-	  printf("]-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
+	  printf("}-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->step)
 	  printf("CP[%d]-%d%s ", s->step, channel, suffix);
 	else
@@ -714,10 +714,10 @@ print_stroke(stroke *s, int mod, int step, int n_steps, int *steps, int val)
 	  int v = datavals(s->swap?val/mod:val%mod, s->step, s->steps, s->n_steps);
 	  printf("PB[%d]-%d%s ", v, channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->steps) {
-	  printf("PB[");
+	  printf("PB{");
 	  for (int i = 0; i < s->n_steps; i++)
 	    printf("%s%d", i?",":"", s->steps[i]);
-	  printf("]-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
+	  printf("}-%d%s ", channel, suffix);
 	} else if (s->step)
 	  printf("PB[%d]-%d%s ", s->step, channel, suffix);
 	else
@@ -955,15 +955,16 @@ static char *parse_steps(char *tok, char *p,
 			 int *step, int *n_steps, int **steps)
 {
   int l, n;
-  if (sscanf(++p, "%d%n", &l, &n) == 1) {
+  char c = *p++, d = c=='[' ? ']' : '}';
+  if (sscanf(p, "%d%n", &l, &n) == 1) {
     p += n;
-    if (*p == ',' || *p == ':') {
+    if (c == '{') {
       int n_st = 1;
       static int st[MAXSTEPS];
       st[0] = l;
       while (*p == ',' || *p == ':') {
-	char c = *p;
-	if (sscanf(++p, "%d%n", &l, &n) == 1) {
+	char c = *p++;
+	if (sscanf(p, "%d%n", &l, &n) == 1) {
 	  p += n;
 	} else
 	  return 0;
@@ -996,7 +997,10 @@ static char *parse_steps(char *tok, char *p,
       *steps = 0;
       *step = l;
     }
-    return p;
+    if (*p == d)
+      return ++p;
+    else
+      return 0;
   } else {
     return 0;
   }
@@ -1051,7 +1055,7 @@ parse_midi(char *tok, char *s, int lhs, int mode,
   // step size / modulus
   *mod = 0;
   int step2 = 0, n_steps2 = 0, *steps2 = 0;
-  if (*p == '[') {
+  if (*p == '[' || *p == '{') {
     if ((p = parse_steps(tok, p, step, n_steps, steps))) {
       if (*n_steps) {
 	// only permitted on the rhs in mod translations
@@ -1059,9 +1063,7 @@ parse_midi(char *tok, char *s, int lhs, int mode,
       } else if (!*step || (lhs && *step<0))
 	// must be nonzero / positive on lhs
 	return 0;
-      if (*p != ']') return 0;
-      p++;
-      if (*p == '[') {
+      if (*p == '[' || *p == '{') {
 	// possible step size on lhs for mod translations (we just record it
 	// here, will be resolved later)
 	if ((p = parse_steps(tok, p, &step2, &n_steps2, &steps2))) {
@@ -1069,8 +1071,6 @@ parse_midi(char *tok, char *s, int lhs, int mode,
 	} else {
 	  return 0;
 	}
-	if (*p != ']') return 0;
-	p++;
       }
     } else {
       return 0;