Architecture of Grace
← The Drum Machine

Make a hit on the Drum Machine

Eight steps, from a beat to a whole song. Every picture is the real Drum Machine, as it looks in the Studio.

★Start here · the Drum Machine

Four banks of 24 pads. Each bank has one job.

The whole Drum Machine on a phone: the 24 pads, the bank, the kits, tempo, loop length, Play, Record the loop, and the beat.
The whole Drum Machine on a phone.
The Bank menu. BankA drums · B chords · C notes · D chops of a record.
The 24 pads. The padsTap one. Near the middle plays louder.
Play, Record the loop, Undo and Clear the loop. Play and recordRecord the loop keeps what you tap. Undo takes it back.
Tempo and Loop length. The feelHow fast, and how many bars.
More, Timing and repeat: Line up taps to, Swing, Repeat, Repeat speed, Click and Every hit full. HelpersIn More, under Timing and repeat: swing, Repeat and Click.
+ Add the loop to My Track: one tap, and the loop is on My Track. Keep itYour loop on My Track, with no gap. Save as .wav and the turntables are in More.

1Pick a beat

Bank A. 198 beats in 24 styles.

Beat: ◀, the Style menu (Famous styles), ▶, the Beat menu (Boom bap, 90s hip-hop), and the line that says what is playing.
  1. Under Beat, pick a style. Then pick a beat.
  2. Press ▶ Play.
  3. Tap ◀ or ▶ to hear the next beat. It keeps playing.
  4. Each beat brings its own drums and tempo. Most are 4 bars, with a fill at the end.
  5. Does your head nod? Keep it. If not, try another.

Try this: Famous styles → Boom bap (90s hip-hop). Or Trap, drill and phonk → Ice-cold trap.

2Make the beat yours

Change one or two hits. Not more.

The steps for pad 1, the kick: every bar of the loop, each beat in four steps.
  1. Tap a pad to pick it. Its steps show below the beat.
  2. Tap a step to add a hit. Tap it again to take it away.
  3. Listen. Keep what makes it better.

Try this: Turn on Record the loop. Tap the snare near its edge, just before beat 2. A soft “ghost” hit makes it groove.

3Set the feel

Tempo, length and swing.

Tempo 90 beats a minute, Loop length 4 bars.
  1. Tempo: 85 to 95 for hip-hop. 120 to 128 for dance.
  2. Loop length: the beat sets it. Pick 8 or 16 bars for a longer part.
  3. Swing is in More → Timing and repeat. Each beat brings its own. 54 to 58 % makes it bounce.

4Add chords

Bank B. Four chords, one a bar.

Bank B, Chords: the electric piano in C major. Pad 1 is C, 5 is G, 6 is Am, 4 is F. Pads 9 to 24 are richer chords.
  1. Pick Bank B. Pick an instrument and a key.
  2. Turn on Record the loop.
  3. On the first beat of each bar, tap pads 1, 5, 6, 4.
  4. Hold each pad for the whole bar.

Try this: Those are the chords of a thousand hit songs. For a sad song, pick Minor. For a smooth sound, try pads 9 to 24.

5Add the bass

Bank C. Same key as the chords.

Bank C, Notes: the electric bass in a key, 24 notes from low to high.
  1. Pick Bank C. Set Key and Scale the same as bank B (C, Major).
  2. Now pads 1, 5, 6, 4 are the chords' own low notes.
  3. Record them with the kick: same bars, same pads as the chords.

Try this: Kick and bass together hit hardest. Let the bass rest when the kick rests.

6Sprinkle chops

Bank D. A record, cut into 24 chops.

Bank D, Chops of a record: Paper Kites at 90, starting at bar 1, each pad plays 2 beats.
  1. Pick Bank D. Pick a record. Press Use its tempo.
  2. Tap the chops to find a sound you like.
  3. Record one in the gaps, near the end of bar 2 and bar 4.

Try this: A little goes a long way. One chop every two bars is plenty.

7Mix it

Each pad has its own volume, pitch and place.

A pad's settings, under its steps: Volume, Pitch, Left and right, Reset this pad and Clear this pad's hits.
  1. Open the pad's settings under its steps.
  2. Kick and snare loudest. Hi-hats softer, about 70 %.
  3. Move the hi-hats a little left, the chops a little right.
  4. Pitch a chop down 3 to 5 steps for a deep, dark sound.

Try this: Add an effect adds echo, reverb and more to the whole loop. One is often enough.

8Build the song

A song is your loop in parts: quiet, fuller, then everything.

+ Add the loop to My Track: one tap, and the loop is on My Track. On the Mixing Desk it starts right on the bar.
  1. Chorus: with everything playing, press + Add the loop to My Track.
  2. Verse: on bank D, Clear this pad's hits on the chops. Add the loop to My Track again.
  3. Intro: clear the drums and the bass too, so only chords play. Add the loop to My Track again.
  4. Undo brings every part back.
  5. Open the Mixing Desk, the last room in the Studio. Put each part on its own track. Set where it Starts at bar and how many times it Plays.
Intro4 bars
Verse8 bars
Chorus8 bars
Verse8 bars
Chorus8 bars
Ending4 bars

⚡Five secrets of hit songs

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