diff --git a/docs/pentlyas.md b/docs/pentlyas.md
index e1fd61e..121206f 100644
--- a/docs/pentlyas.md
+++ b/docs/pentlyas.md
@@ -155,9 +155,11 @@ cannot, as it controls the length of the sound effect.  Place a
 vertical line (`|`, Shift+backslash) before the part of the pitch or
 timbre that you want to loop.  Otherwise, the last step is looped.
 
+Steps of an envelope are separated by spaces is one word.  A step
+can be repeated with a colon and an integer: `8:3` means `8 8 8`.
 By default, a sound effect plays one step every frame, which is 60
-steps per second.  But this can be slowed down with `rate 2` through
-`rate 16`.
+steps per second on NTSC or 50 on PAL.  To slow this down, use
+`rate 2` through `rate 16`
 
 Sound effect names are exported with the `PE_` prefix, such as
 `PE_closed_hihat`. Use these values with `pently_start_sound`.
@@ -174,7 +176,7 @@ Examples:
     pitch 10 0
 
     sfx tri_kick on triangle
-    volume 15 15 15 2 2
+    volume 15:3 2 2
     pitch e' c' a f# e
 
 Drums
diff --git a/src/musicseq.pently b/src/musicseq.pently
index af1d6d6..8c9d0c7 100644
--- a/src/musicseq.pently
+++ b/src/musicseq.pently
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ sfx quiethat on noise
   timbre | 0 1
 
 sfx openhat on noise
-  volume 6 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
+  volume 6 5 4 4 3:3 2:3 1:5
   pitch 12
   timbre | 0 1
 
 sfx snarehat on noise
-  volume 6 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
+  volume 12 10 8 6 3:3 2:3 1:5
   pitch 4 10 10 12
   timbre 0 0 | 0 1
 
@@ -81,11 +81,11 @@ sfx stickshatlo on noise
   timbre 1
 
 sfx longkick on noise
-    volume 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
+    volume 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 4 3 3 2:3 1:4
     pitch 10 0
 
 sfx longsnare on noise
-    volume 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
+    volume 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 4 3 3 2:3 1:4
     pitch 4 10
 
 drum kick kick
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ instrument dut
 instrument feat_wah
   volume 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3
   decay 1
-  timbre 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
+  timbre 2:6 1:6 0
 
 instrument feat_power
   timbre 0
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ instrument bf98_osti
   detached
 
 instrument orchhit
-  volume 8 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 0
+  volume 8:3 7:3 6:3 5:3 4:3 3:3 2:3 1:3 0
   timbre 1
   pitch | 12 0 -12
 
diff --git a/tools/pentlyas.py b/tools/pentlyas.py
index 4e94028..dde5f62 100755
--- a/tools/pentlyas.py
+++ b/tools/pentlyas.py
@@ -523,12 +523,28 @@ def set_volume(self, volumes, linenum=None):
             raise ValueError("volume steps must be 0 to 15")
         self.volume, self.volume_linenum = volumes, linenum
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def expand_runs(words):
+        if isinstance(words, str):
+            words = words.split()
+        words = [word.rsplit(":", 1) for word in words]
+        # words is [[word], [word, "runlength"], [word], ...]
+        words = [(word[0], int(word[1]) if len(word) > 1 else 1)
+                 for word in words]
+        # words is [(word, runlength), ...]
+        words = [word
+                 for word, runlength in words
+                 for i in range(runlength)]
+        return words
+
     @staticmethod
     def pipesplit(words):
         pipesplit = ' '.join(words).split('|', 1)
-        out = pipesplit[0].split()
+        pipesplit = [PentlyEnvelopeContainer.expand_runs(part)
+                     for part in pipesplit]
+        out = pipesplit[0]
         if len(pipesplit) > 1:
-            afterloop = pipesplit[1].split()
+            afterloop = pipesplit[1]
             looplen = len(afterloop)
             out.extend(afterloop)
         else:
@@ -1430,8 +1446,8 @@ def add_volume(self, words):
         if len(words) < 2:
             raise ValueError("volume requires at least one step")
         obj = self.cur_obj[1]
-        obj.set_volume([int(x) for x in words[1:] if x != '|'],
-                       linenum=self.linenum)
+        vols = [int(x) for x in obj.expand_runs(words[1:]) if x != '|']
+        obj.set_volume(vols, linenum=self.linenum)
 
     def add_decay(self, words):
         self.ensure_in_object('decay', 'instrument')