Beat Dissected is a regular series in which we deconstruct drum patterns, showing you how to recreate them in any DAW. Just copy our grid in your own software to recreate the loop.
Spec
Tempo
120-125Swing
50-60Sounds
classic analogue hitsStep 1
Start by laying down a basic four-to-the-floor kick drum. Use a kick sound with some nice mid-range content (we will lay a lower 808-style kick beneath this later in the process).
Step 2
Next in is the off-beat clap. Something tight, clean and rounded.
Step 3
Now for the hats: this is a standard open hi-hat off-beat pattern with a closed hi-hat adding some shuffle to the groove on the 8th and 16th divisions.
Step 4
Now for the bounce. in the final step select a deep, raw 808 bass drum sample, or even a toned low sine wave. Increase its attack envelope for added bite (or decrease it for a looser, lazier groove). Roll away the highs so that it sits comfortably alongside the kick drum from Step 1.
01.47 PM
great pattern to start a track!
05.38 PM
Very nice tutorials !
But there is one point i dont understand at the moment. What do you mean with the swing ? Do you add a 16 Quantize and the turn the quantize to e.g. 55 % ?
Would be cool if you can answer my question .
best,
p
05.46 PM
Hi Patrick
Yes, you’re spot on. We use the convention where 50% is straight timing, and we’re referring to 16th-note quantisation.
We have a big feature about swing coming later this week which should explain all.
06.51 PM
Ah okay perfect.
Nice. Really looking forward to it.
08.29 AM
Why do you guys call a 16th a 15th? Like in the step 3 with the closet hat example. I’ve noticed this in your beat tutorials as well. Just curious. Thanks!
08.31 AM
Typo!
“I’ve noticed this in your OTHER beat tutorials as well”.
08.47 AM
Hi Sascha
We call them 16ths just like everyone else. There was a typo in step 3, which we’ve now fixed. Sorry about that!
Attack
03.36 PM
the audio aren’t streaming somehow.. actually the same goes for a few of the articles.
03.40 PM
Hi KZKV. Sorry to hear you’re having trouble. All working fine here in Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Are you using an up-to-date version of your browser?
07.17 PM
I also have to reload the page twice or thrice to make the audio play 🙁
Safari here on OSX
11.20 AM
I’ve followed this and cant seem to get the 808 bass line to roll along like it does in the sample. I’ve tried relaxing the attack a little but then it just gets lost and not as punchy. Any ideas as to what I’m doing wrong?
08.34 PM
attack, what is the software you’re using,
please let me know
09.10 PM
Marco, that’s Ableton Live 8 in the screengrabs.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/
12.00 PM
Great beat to start a track with, thanks.
02.00 PM
hi, i have a question
if you talk about swing than do you mean a 16th note 50 at 60%
sorry if it sounds a stupid question.
thx!
03.06 PM
Hey Kevin
You’ll find all you need to know here: http://www.attackmagazine.com/technique/passing-notes/daw-drum-machine-swing/
For Beat Dissected we’re always talking about 16th-note swing and we use the convention where 50% is straight timing.
09.12 PM
HI, I know I might be a bit late, but any chance of a link to the samples you used here ?
09.26 PM
Sorry Swiss, they’re long gone! More house samples coming soon…
03.32 AM
very nice tut ! 😀
12.12 AM
Can we please get the presets to build exactly like the example shown above?
04.01 PM
Nice Beat!
thanks!
Regards from Perú.
05.55 AM
Nice beat!
I realy like the kickdrum! Can u tell us how you do this, comes these realy original out of a analog machine? Can u tell us witch one
And do you have do some edits on it? I like to do my own kickdrums but i never get some like this! Sounds a little bit of cuting out of a finished track!
Thanks a lot!!
04.31 PM
one thing im curious Swing on all the track ? or just the hihats?
10.44 AM
Had to write in here as this is wrong, if you load up a standard 909 drum rack and put in those hats in that order it sounds nothing like that! the sound you are getting if using a 909 rack would be the same Hat sample in both to get that shuffle.
04.18 PM
HELLO, I COME LATE TO THE PARTY BUT IS THERE ANY CHANCE TO RELOAD THAT PAGE? THE GRIDS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND THE SOUNDS ARE MISSING… THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST INSTRUCTIVE AND INTERESSANT PATTERN ON ATTACKMAG. HOWEVER WE ARE NOT ABLE TO LOAD THE PAGE. THANKS A MILLION!!