Beat Maker

This free beat maker is a step-sequencer drum machine that runs in your browser. Program eight drum sounds and a bass line on a grid, chain patterns into a song, then share a link or download a WAV file. Every sound is synthesized live by your browser, with no recorded samples and no sign-up.

What the beat maker does

A step sequencer splits one bar into 16 steps, each one a 16th note. Each row is one sound and each square is one step: light a square and that sound plays there every time the loop comes around. There are nine rows:

• Kick, Snare and Clap for the main pulse and the backbeat.
• Closed hat and Open hat. A closed hat cuts off a ringing open hat, the way a real hi-hat pedal does.
• Tom, Rim and Cowbell for fills and extra percussion.
• Bass, a one-octave synth line from C up to the next C, with a choice of octave (1 to 4) and sound (Saw, Square or a round Sub).

How to use it

A starter beat is ready when the page opens, so press Play (or the space bar) straight away. A white column shows the step you are hearing.

• Add hits. Tap a square once for a loud hit, again for a soft (dimmer) hit, and a third time to clear it. With a mouse, drag along a row to paint several steps.
• Write a bass line. Pick a note on the Bass note keys, then tap a step in the Bass row. Tapping a bass step while a different note is selected changes its note. A note holds until the next one, up to four steps.
• Tempo and feel. Set 60 to 200 BPM with the + and – buttons or the arrow keys. Swing delays every second 16th note, up to a third of a step at 100% for a triplet shuffle.
• 16 or 32 steps. Choose 32 for a two-bar pattern. On a phone, swipe sideways on the grid to reach every step.
• Mixer. The Mixer view has a volume slider, Random and Clear for each track. M and S mute or solo a track, and tapping a track name plays its sound.

Patterns and songs

You get four patterns, A to D, for a groove, a fill and a breakdown. Copy and Paste duplicate a pattern. If you pick another pattern while the beat plays, it switches at the end of the bar.

To build a song, select a pattern and press + Add to put it on the end of the chain, up to 16 long. Tap a pattern in the chain to remove it, or press Undo to drop the last one. Turn on Song to play the chain in order while the grid follows along.

Presets, saving, sharing and WAV export

The Presets tab has six starter beats we wrote for this tool: Hip-hop, House, Rock, Reggaeton, Lo-fi and Trap. Each sets its own tempo and swing, with the groove in pattern A and a version with a drum fill in pattern B.

Your current beat saves itself in your browser, and My beats keeps up to 20 named beats. The Share & WAV tab gives you a link that holds the whole beat, so anyone who opens it hears what you made. Download WAV renders the loop (or the song chain) one, two or four times into a WAV file whose length matches the bars exactly. Sounds still ringing at the end wrap to the start, so the file loops cleanly.

Tips for better beats

• Start with kick and snare. A kick on step 1 and a snare on steps 5 and 13 gives you a backbeat to build on.
• Use soft hits. Mix soft and loud closed hats so the rhythm breathes instead of ticking like a clock.
• Try a little swing. 20% to 50% loosens up hip-hop and lo-fi grooves.

FAQ

Is this beat maker free?

Yes. Every feature, including WAV export and share links, is free in your browser with no sign-up.

Does it use recorded samples?

No. Every sound is built from oscillators and noise with the Web Audio API.

Can I use the WAV file in other software?

Yes. The file is a standard 16-bit, 44.1 kHz mono WAV that you can drop into any audio editor or music program.

Where are my beats stored?

Your beats are saved in your own browser on this device. Clearing browser data removes them, so copy a share link or export a WAV to keep a beat safe.

Want to play melodies too? Try our Piano, or test your memory for sounds and colors in Simon.