Drum Machine
16-step beat maker with presets, swing and WAV export.
About this tool
Click squares on the 16-step grid to place kick, snare, clap, hi-hats, toms and rim hits, press Play, adjust tempo, swing and volume, load presets, share a pattern code and export the loop as a WAV.
Programming a beat on a step sequencer
A step sequencer divides a 4/4 bar into 16 sixteenth notes; beats 1, 2, 3 and 4 fall on steps 1, 5, 9 and 13 (shaded). Most grooves are built in layers. Put the kick on beat 1 and the snare or clap on beats 2 and 4 (steps 5 and 13), the backbeat of rock, pop and hip-hop. Add hi-hats on every eighth note (odd steps) or every sixteenth for drive, then move or add kicks for syncopation. House music puts the kick on every beat ('four on the floor') with open hats on the off-beats, and reggaeton's dembow places snares on the 4th, 7th, 12th and 15th sixteenths. Swing delays every off-beat sixteenth, up to a full triplet shuffle, turning a stiff pattern into a groove. Tempo runs from 50 to 220 BPM: around 85–95 for hip-hop, 120–128 for house and 90–100 for reggaeton. Every drum is synthesised with Web Audio, so there are no samples to load; exported WAV loops of 1 to 8 bars repeat seamlessly in a DAW or video editor. Patterns aren't stored, so copy the short pattern code to keep or share a beat. Honest limits: these are simple electronic drum sounds, not recorded kits. The drum pad plays drums live, and the metronome keeps time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a basic beat?
Put the kick on step 1, the snare on steps 5 and 13, and hi-hats on every odd step, then press Play.
What does swing do?
It delays the off-beat sixteenth notes, from straight timing up to a triplet shuffle, for a looser groove.
Can I save my beat?
Copy the pattern code and paste it back later with Load. Nothing is stored on the site.
Can I use the beat in other software?
Yes. Export 1 to 8 bars as a WAV loop and import it into any DAW or video editor.
Is anything stored or sent?
No. It all runs in your browser, and nothing you do is stored or sent anywhere.