This is a simple online drum machine that features 12 different synthesized drum voices which you hit to make a pattern. It’s playable via mouse clicks on the pads, but if you’re after a quicker response then use your computer keyboard (the keys). With a mixer, a circular loop recorder and a striking deck this brings together a simple interface through which to craft and shape beats in real-time.

Twelve pads are spread across three rows that make up the main playing surface. From the top row you have cymbal options like the Ride, Closed Hat, Open Hat, and Crash. The second row features three toms and a Cowbell. And in the bottom row we have the Kick drum, Rim, Snare and Clap. In the corner of each pad is the corresponding keyboard key displayed so you don’t need to look away from the screen if you’ve forgotten the layout.

How to Use the Online Drum Machine

The Kick, Rim, Snare and Clap are assigned to the keys: Z, X, C, V. Cymbals are set to Q, W, E, R, while Cowbell and Toms use A, S, D, F. You can also use a pointer on the pads. The higher you place your tap or click, the quieter the hit will be. So tapping on the bottom of a pad is louder than tapping at the top. If you hold down the Shift key when playing then it will force max velocity on accentuated beats.

Next, when you have your sound, hit the Roll the loop button to begin playing back the current scene using the loop motor. To record additional hits into the pattern, press Catch the hands to arm the recorder. When armed, any strikes you play will be recorded and incorporated into the existing loop.

Use the Motor speed slider to vary the tempo between 60 to 180 beats per minute. Find the proper groove for your music idea. The tape length selector determines how long your loop is. There are options for one, two and four bars. Naturaly, longer loops allow for more variation, while shorter loops are easier to handle.

This is where you specify how close to the beat your newly captured hits will be aligned. In Timing Free you record at the time you hit it. If your timing isn’t perfect then Snap 1/16 and Snap 1/8 will ensure your hits is aligned to the next subdivision. This keeps your groove tighter. The Pocket drag slider gives it a more human feeling. It adds swing to the sixteenth note and nudges them further into the beat to produce a shuffling kind of groove. The Loose hands slider adds a touch of randomness by adding small timing variations between repeats. This makes the rhythm sound less robotic and more like a human performance.

Strike grain slider controls the texture and brightness of the synthesized percussive sounds. The higher settings make the sounds more metallic and sharp. You can control the balance of the kit here; there is a mixer at the bottom of the widget. There are twelve level faders each representing one of the voices in the kit. This means that if you want your snare and kick to punch through the mix, adjust their levels up or down individually. By using the solo or mute buttons for each channel you can listen out for certain elements within the kit. Pressing the mute button will hide the channel completely while pressing the solo button will mute all other channels but the one chosen. Finally, there’s the master volume slider which controls the overall output level of the instrument itself.

You can switch between different patterns with scene buttons. There are three scenes: A, B, and C that each store an independent loop. When you click one of the scene buttons it will recall the pattern in that scene right away. You can use the Bank into button to save what’s currently playing on the screen into the active scene. That way you can create several variations and then select which one you want to play at any given moment. To clear the current pattern and get a clean slate, just hit the Vacuum this tape button.

There’s a built-in fill effect triggered by the Spiral into One button. It sets up a build-up of tom hits before moving into a kick and crash on the following downbeat. It is perfect for building drama when you want an ending or transition to another section of your loops. With the Guide pulse option, a click track will pulse at every beat, allowing you to record new parts in time. You can see where the recorded hits are located in the loop via the radar display in the center.

When playing with the track, build it up from scratch; layering beats on top of each other. Begin with the snare and kick that lie down the foundation. Bring in some hi-hat to drive the rhythm and fill in gaps. Use the toms for accents and fills. Tweak the looseness and swing controls until the feel is spot-on. If you mess up, don’t be shy about hitting the undo button and taking away the final hit.

As you interact with the interface it provides feedback visually. When pads are struck they will light up and indicate how hard the pad was struck. It also shows where your hand is located on the radar, giving you visual feedback about what part of the loop you’re on. If you want a quick reminder of how something works, use the help button on the top right. It displays a brief overview of how the controls work. The widget can be expanded into a full screen, which makes it easier to view the controls and pads. It is especially useful when using it on a tablet or smaller monitor. To enter fullscreen just click the button in the header.

Sound quality is enhanced with good speakers/headphones so you can hear the full range of the synthesised sounds. One thing to remember about this is it’s a live synthesiser. It doesn’t load any sample files from the server. All sounds are created on the fly. Because of this, there’s little if any latency and an instant response. While the loop is playing, you can alter things such as swing and grain. The changes will instantly take effect so you can change the sound as you go.

Begin with a simple four-on-the-floor kick. Add a snare on beats two and four. Now add some closed hi-hats on the offbeats. When you feel like you’ve got the hang of it, lock it in by hitting the roll button. Now arm the recorder and layer in some accenting crashes or tom fills. And when you’re done, save your creation as a scene for future reference.

It is a flexible tool with both timing controls and velocity sensitivity. For example, you can make very precise, steady beats suitable for electronic music. Or you can make looser swung grooves more suited to jazz or funk. Then there’s the mixer to fine tune the balance. There is also the scene memory to switch from one section to another as you build the structure of your piece.

Listen to the distinct sounds of each voice on the drums. They have their own personality. The kick drum is thumpy and deep. Crisp, wired sounding snare. The cymbals range from wide washes to tight ticks. The toms provide melodic punctuations. Clap and cowbell add extra energy and texture. Experiment with muting the cymbals and hear how this alters the pulse. Gradually reintroduce these instruments.

While you’re recording use the undo function freely. This will let you try stuff and never mess up the pattern. Add in a hit here or there and if you don’t like it, simply undo it. The other button is the vacuum button which lets you start all over again. This encourages playfulness with building rhythms. Try something out and see how it sounds. You’re experimenting and learning what’s working.

After mastering these fills, experiment with this one as well, the spiral fill. This will put some more polish on your loop. It is a nice way to close out a phrase or change sections. It schedules a fill that leads into a kick and crash on the next downbeat, but you also have the option of setting the swing and tempo to match your groove. Your timing remains in check as the fill lands squarely on the downbeat. It is meant to show you when to hit it.

As the loop plays, look at the radar. See that your hits are represented by these dots. That way you can have a spatial feel for what pattern you are hitting. You can also see the gaps in your rhythm and determine where you want to put some additional hits. Set your master volume to a comfortable level. Adjust anytime you wish. Pay attention to the individual channel volumes as well. Too loud kick? Turn down on the mixer. Not enough cymbals? Bring ’em up. Part of the creative process is mixing and balancing the elements so they properly sit in the sound stage.

There’s no requirement to engage every control at the same time. Begin with just the roll button and pads. Gradually incorporate additional elements. The looseness and swing sliders has great power. Let them humanize your beats. Timbre is altered by the grain slider. Brighten or darken the sound with it.

It’s easy to play because it has been mapped out logically. Keys are broken up into logical groups. The top row contains cymbals. The middle row has toms. The bottom row has kicks and snares. This is similar to how a real drum kit is laid out. You can easily travel around from one section to another with your hands. This makes it easier to think while you’re playing.

While the loop plays, you can jump from scene to scene. It creates an arrangement that could be performed live. Scene A is a verse. Jump to Scene B for the chorus. Scene C can be a bridge or breakdown. The transitions are seamless. Timing stays consistent. It’s easy to create an entire song. Use the help panel for a quick reference. The interface stays uncluttered, and the help panel is hidden by default. When you want to access it, just click on the button. Get some tips about more advanced playing tricks. Once you’re finished, close the panel. You can play without interruption. The panel is available when needed.

Is it in fullscreen? (optional) That’s up to you. Do you like it compact? That is fine. Does it need to be fullscreen? That is fine. Either way, give ‘em a try and decide what suits your setup best. In terms of how it works, it’s all the same stuff. The controls are the same. It is just a different size.

The instrument responds to the pressure of your fingers on its touch screens. Use them if available, whether it’s a tap, stylus, or pressure sensitive input. It brings an extra dimension to your playing. How hard you press can control the dynamics. It is more expressive than just on-off trigger switching. If your device does this, explore it.

Be sure to bank your patterns. Bank your patterns into a scene before switching. Otherwise you will lose what you have done if you don’t bank. There is no cloud storage that the instrument autosaves to. It uses the scene memory to persist. Consider each scene a snapshot of where you were in the process.

Try various tempos. For example, slow tempos are suitable for hip hop or ambient. Dance music works nicely on the fast end of things. At extremely high speed, you don’t notice the swing control as much. At a moderate tempo you hear it more. Tweak it to suit your taste. There is no wrong or right setting here.

When recording, use the guide pulse to help with keeping time. This will allow you to put your hits in the right spot. Once recorded turn off the guide pulse. Playing back can become distracting if it’s left on. Your goal is to hear your drum kit clearly. The guide pulse is a tool. Not a feature to leave on indefinitely.

It has a special visualizer for the radar display. You can see how it’s a loop and that part is round. Where the hits occur, there are circles on that round thing. And the pointer indicates what time you are at. It is so easy to see the pattern. And you get a quick idea of where the next one will be.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: There’s an undo button. Experiment with things. Be crazy with it. Make something awesome and if it doesn’t go as planned just undo it. Do it again. Taking risks is how creativity happens. So have at it, this thing won’t hurt you.

It’s a powerful mixer. You can use it to shape your sound. Solo channels that you’re working on. Turn down channels you aren’t working on. Get a balance in your mix. All of this will make a big difference and make your beat sound professional.

The fill is a spiral. It is a fun effect. Use sparingly. Too much of this can overwhelm. Best used in big moments. Transitions, endings are good spots to use it. Adds excitement and energy. Listeners will appreciate the variation.

Keyboard shortcuts work well. Master them and get faster. They help you focus on the music with muscle memory. You don’t have to stare at the keys. Close your eyes. Keep them on the screen. It feels more like playing an instrument.

Velocity control is key to expression. Your beat becomes interesting with dynamic changes. Vary the loudness of each hit. Accentuate important beats. Soften others. It gives your beat flow and movement. A static beat can become boring.

Timing controls add feel. Swing creates a shuffle feel. Looseness makes it human. Free timing makes it raw. Pick the style that fits your genre. There’s no one right answer.

Scene management is useful. Organize your ideas. Label them mentally. Keep related beats together. That helps you structure your project. Build a full arrangement. Remember, it’s more than a loop generator.

Sound quality is high. It is synthesized, but it is rich. Cymbals shimmer. Kicks punch. Snares crack. Toms boom. Take time to listen. Enjoy the sonic texture. Playing it is a joy.

Interface is clean. It is not cluttered. Every control has a purpose. Find what you need quickly. Reduces frustration. Lets you stay in the zone. Flow state is important for creativity.

The instrument is easy to access. Works on most moddern browsers. No plugins are required. Loads quickly. It is ready to use. Start making music immediately. There is no barrier to entry.

Community is growing. More people are using online tools. It is a trend. But this instrument stands out. It is well designed. It is fun. It is practical. Great addition to your toolkit.

Got everything you need. There are pads. Loops. There is a mixer. Controls. All here. Use it. Create. Make music. Waiting for you. Just start playing.