Swing adds a human, rhythmic feel to your beats by slightly delaying certain notes. Without swing, drum patterns can sound robotic. With the right amount, they come alive.
What is Swing?
Swing shifts the timing of off-beat notes (the "ands" between beats):
- 0% swing — Perfectly quantized, mechanical timing
- 50% swing — Moderate shuffle feel
- 66% swing — Triplet feel (classic MPC swing)
- 75%+ swing — Heavy shuffle, almost lazy feel
How it works: Swing delays every other 16th note. At 50%, the off-beat notes land exactly between the original position and the next beat. At 66%, they're pushed toward a triplet feel.
Adjusting Swing
-
Open the Drums panel
Press 1 or click "Drums" in the bottom panel. -
Find the Swing control
Look for the "Swing" knob or slider (usually near the tempo/groove settings). -
Adjust the amount
Turn the knob or drag the slider. Start around 50% and adjust to taste. -
Listen while playing
Keep your pattern playing and adjust swing in real-time to hear the effect.
Swing by Genre
| House | 0-20% | Tight, driving |
| Techno | 0-10% | Mechanical, precise |
| Hip-Hop | 50-66% | Head-nodding groove |
| Boom Bap | 55-65% | Classic MPC feel |
| Lo-Fi | 60-70% | Lazy, laid-back |
| Trap | 0-30% | Tight with slight shuffle |
| Jazz | 66% | Triplet swing |
Groove Templates
FlowState includes groove templates that apply swing patterns from classic drum machines:
MPC 60
The legendary Akai MPC swing. Slightly behind-the-beat feel that defined golden-era hip-hop.
SP-1200
E-mu SP-1200 groove. Crunchy timing that adds grit to boom bap beats.
TR-808
Roland 808 timing. Tight but with subtle humanization.
Triplet
Pure 66% triplet swing for jazz and shuffle feels.
Applying Groove Templates
- Click the Groove dropdown (next to Swing)
- Select a groove template
- The template applies timing variations to your pattern
- Adjust the strength/amount to blend with your original timing
Swing on Specific Sounds
Sometimes you want swing on hi-hats but not on kicks. Here's how:
- Global swing — Affects all sounds equally
- Per-sound swing — Right-click a row to adjust swing for just that sound
- Common approach: No swing on kick, full swing on hi-hats
Tip: Keep your kick and snare tight (low or no swing) while adding swing to hi-hats and percussion. This keeps the backbone solid while adding groove on top.
Velocity and Groove
Swing works best combined with velocity variation:
- Accent downbeats (louder on 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Softer off-beats (the swung notes)
- This mimics how a real drummer plays
Finding the Right Amount
The right swing amount depends on your genre and feel:
- Start at 50% — A good middle ground
- Play your beat — Listen to the groove
- Adjust up or down — More swing = lazier feel, less = tighter
- Compare to reference tracks — Match the feel of songs you like
Using Voice Commands
Adjust swing with your voice:
Add some swing to the drums
Make the hi-hats more groovy
Give me that MPC swing
Tighten up the drums
Common Mistakes
- Too much swing — Makes beats feel sloppy. Start subtle.
- Swing on everything — Keep kick/snare tight, swing the details.
- Wrong genre — House and techno usually need less swing than hip-hop.