MotionShine01 / Steps
Sixteen per bar
Each row is a drum and each column a sixteenth note. Every fourth step is a beat, so it is easy to count.
Free tool
Drum machine, 16 steps, eight drums.
Click the steps to build a beat, press Play and change it while it loops. Eight drums made in the page: kick, snare, clap, closed and open hi-hat, two toms and a rim shot. Set the tempo or tap it, add swing for a laid-back groove, mute or solo any drum, or start from a ready-made beat like house, hip hop or reggaeton. Save it as a WAV for your video or a MIDI file for your music app.
Click a step for a hit, again for an accent, again to clear. Click a drum name to hear it. Space plays and stops.
Ready-made beats
Save
The beat is made and saved in your browser. Your pattern is kept on this computer only.
How it works
A grid, a loop, a groove.
02 / Sound
Made, not sampled
Drums are built from oscillators and noise the way analogue machines do it, so they play instantly with nothing to download.
03 / Swing
Push the off-beats
Swing delays every second sixteenth note a little, which turns a stiff beat into a groove.
Questions
Good to know.
How do I make a beat?
Start with the kick on steps 1 and 9, the snare on 5 and 13, and hats on every other step. Press Play and add or remove hits while it loops.
Can I use the beat in my video?
Yes. Save it as a WAV and add it in your editor. The sounds are made in the page, so there are no sample rights to clear.
What is the MIDI file for?
It holds the notes, not the sound, using General MIDI drum notes on channel 10, so GarageBand, Logic, Ableton or FL Studio can play it with their own drum kits.
What does swing do?
It plays every second sixteenth note slightly late, which gives a shuffle or a laid-back hip hop feel. Try 15 to 30 percent.
Is my beat saved?
Yes, in this browser, so it is there when you come back. Save a WAV or MIDI to keep a copy.