Synth grid

How to play Synth grid

Tap cells in the grid to add or remove notes. Each row is a different pitch and each column is a beat. Press play to start the loop. Adjust tempo, volume, and the wave shape. Layer different rows for chords. Tap clear to wipe the pattern. The loop runs until you stop it. Save your beat as a short audio file.

Tips

• Start with a kick on every fourth beat, then build around it
• Three notes a chord, do not stack everything
• Use the same scale across rows, no random pitches
• Slow tempo at first, speed up once the loop sounds right

About Synth grid

Step sequencers come from the early days of electronic music. The EMS Synthi 100 in 1971 had a giant patch grid. Roland's TR 808 drum machine in 1980 took the same idea, sixteen buttons in a row, and turned it into the heartbeat of hip hop, techno and pop music. Our pocket version is a starting point. Sixteen steps, a few rows, web audio. Drop a beat in two minutes and share the loop with a friend.

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