Drum Machine Basics

The FlowState drum machine is a 16-pad step sequencer inspired by classic hardware like the MPC and TR-808. Program beats by clicking pads and sequencer steps—no musical knowledge required.

Opening the Drum Machine

Click the Drums tab in the bottom panel. You'll see:

• 16 Pads — Each pad triggers a different drum sound
• Step Sequencer — 16 steps representing one bar of music
• Kit Selector — Choose from different drum kits
• Pattern Controls — Tempo, swing, and pattern management

The Pads

FlowState's drum machine has 16 pads arranged in a 4x4 grid. Each pad is assigned a different sound:

• Row 1 (bottom) — Kick, Snare, Clap, Rim
• Row 2 — Closed Hi-Hat, Open Hi-Hat, Crash, Ride
• Row 3 — Tom Low, Tom Mid, Tom High, Percussion
• Row 4 (top) — Additional sounds or custom samples

Programming a Beat

1. Select a pad
   Click on a pad to select it. The pad highlights and the sequencer shows steps for that sound.
2. Click steps to activate
   Click any of the 16 steps in the sequencer grid. Active steps light up—the drum will play on those beats.
3. Press Play to hear your pattern
   Press Space or click Play. The step indicator moves across the grid, triggering sounds on active steps.
4. Add more sounds
   Select different pads and add steps to build up your beat layer by layer.

Classic Beat Patterns

Here are some foundational patterns to get you started. Steps are numbered 1-16:

Four-on-the-Floor (House/Techno)

• Kick: 1, 5, 9, 13 (every beat)
• Snare: 5, 13 (beats 2 and 4)
• Hi-Hat: Every step (1-16)

Hip-Hop Boom Bap

• Kick: 1, 7, 9
• Snare: 5, 13
• Hi-Hat: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 (every other step)

Trap Beat

• Kick: 1, 8, 11
• Snare: 5, 13
• Hi-Hat: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8... (every step, with rolls)

Step Velocity

Velocity controls how hard a drum hit sounds. Higher velocity = louder and often brighter sound.

• Click a step — Sets default velocity (100%)
• Shift + click — Sets soft velocity (50%)
• Right-click → Set Velocity — Choose exact value (0-127)

Swing & Groove

Swing pushes off-beat notes slightly later, creating a looser, more human feel:

• 0% swing — Perfectly quantized, robotic
• 25-35% swing — Subtle groove, works for most genres
• 50%+ swing — Heavy shuffle feel

Adjust swing with the Swing knob in the pattern controls area.

Changing Drum Kits

FlowState includes multiple drum kits. To switch:

1. Click the Kit dropdown in the drum machine header
2. Browse available kits (808, 909, Lo-Fi, Acoustic, etc.)
3. Click a kit to load it—your pattern stays, only the sounds change

Available Kits

• 808 — Classic TR-808 sounds, deep kicks, crisp hats
• 909 — Punchy TR-909, great for house and techno
• Lo-Fi — Dusty, vinyl-style drums
• Acoustic — Real drum recordings
• Trap — Modern 808-based with hard snares
• Vintage — Classic drum machine collection

Pattern Management

Saving Patterns

Patterns are saved automatically with your project. To manage multiple patterns:

• Pattern slots — Click A, B, C, D to switch between patterns
• Copy pattern — Right-click a slot → Copy to...
• Clear pattern — Right-click → Clear all steps

Pattern Length

By default, patterns are 16 steps (1 bar). You can extend this:

• 16 steps — Standard one-bar pattern
• 32 steps — Two-bar pattern for more variation
• 64 steps — Four-bar pattern for complex beats

Adding Drums to the Timeline

Once you've programmed a beat, add it to your arrangement:

1. Locate the drum track
   Look for the "Drums" track in your track list. If there isn't one, it's created automatically when you use the drum machine.
2. Pattern clips appear automatically
   When you start playback, the drum pattern plays. Pattern clips can be dragged and arranged like any other clip.
3. Extend or duplicate
   Drag the edge of a drum clip to loop it, or Alt-drag to duplicate across your timeline.

Keyboard Shortcuts

1-8	Trigger pads (bottom row)
Q-I	Trigger pads (second row)
A-K	Trigger pads (third row)
Z-,	Trigger pads (top row)
Space	Play/Pause pattern
←/→	Shift pattern left/right
C	Clear selected pad's steps

Next Steps

• Advanced step sequencer techniques
• Exploring and customizing drum kits
• Mastering swing and groove
• Chop your own drum samples