User Guide for the SEQ-16 AI Drum Machine

Unlock Your Beatmaking Potential: Free 16-Track Modular Sequencer with AI Generation, Song Mode, and WAV Export.

This powerful online sequencer features advanced Pattern Chaining for full-song creation. Perfect for producers of House, Techno, and Hip-Hop, this app allows you to generate unique ideas with AI and export them instantly as MIDI or WAV files.

Generate AI Variation button (per pattern only)

Generate AI Variation creates a new version of the pattern you're currently editing (the one shown on the grid). It does not change the whole song or all patterns at once. So: select pattern A if you want to vary A, select B to vary B, and so on. Use it when you like the overall song but want a different take on one section.

Variation slider

The Variation slider (below Generate Variation) controls how much the AI changes the pattern when you use Generate Variation. Lower = closer to what you have; higher = more change. It only affects that per-pattern variation.

2. Song Mode (Pattern Chaining)

Move beyond 1-bar loops by chaining patterns together in the Timeline Editor (located above the exports section).

Pattern Banks (A, B, C, D)

You have 4 unique pattern slots. Each slot stores a complete state (16 tracks of rhythm + settings).

• Select/Edit: Click a letter (A-D) to view and edit that specific pattern on the grid.
• Add to Chain: Clicking a letter also appends it to your Song Timeline.
• Management: Use the small Copy, Paste, and Clear links below each letter to move data between banks.

Timeline Editor

This bar represents your song structure (e.g., A - A - B - A).

• Reorder: Drag and drop blocks in the timeline to rearrange your song.
• Remove: Click the small × on a block to remove it from the chain.
• Ghost Preview: Hover over a bank button to see where the block will be added.
• Playback: When you press Play, the sequencer advances through this chain automatically.

Sequencer & playhead navigation

The beat header (step numbers 1-16 above the grid) also control the playhead position. Click a step number to jump to that step. When playback is stopped and focus is in the beat header, Arrow Left and Arrow Right move the playhead one step. This same playhead position is used by the Slicer for “current slice” and one-shot export.

3. Global Controls & Transport

The top section of the app manages your beat globally, affecting all 16 instrument tracks.

Master Bus Signal Chain Explained

The global controls are implemented as a Master Bus Effects Chain that processes the combined output. The chain is: Filter → Delay → Reverb → Compressor → Overdrive → Limiter. This "glues" the different drum voices together.

Transport & Master Function Buttons

4. The 16-Step Grid & Instruments

This application's main area features 16 individual track modules. Click pads to activate steps:

Track List:

• KICK 1, KICK 2: Kick Drums (Acoustic & Electronic).
• SNARE, RIMSHOT, CLAVES, CONGA: Percussion & Snare.
• LOW/MID/HIGH TOM: Tunable Toms.
• HI-HAT CL/O: Closed and Open Hats.
• CRASH, RIDE, COWBELL: Cymbals & metallic percussion.

Track Controls

Keyboard shortcuts

Elevate your workflow with tactile control and turn your keyboard into a live instrument! Use these shortcuts to freestyle in real-time while using Live Record, or quickly audition sounds while building your pattern.

One-shot export from the Slicer: Move the playhead to the desired step (click the step number or use ←/→ in the beat header when stopped). Press J to trigger the Slicer at that step to audition the slice. Then click Download Slice (one-shot) in the Slicer row to export that slice as a WAV file.

5. Per-Track Sound Design

Below the grid for each track are four dedicated sliders for deep sound sculpting.

6. Exporting (WAV & MIDI)

The core feature of this application is its ability to create production-ready files.

• Export Loops (1-32): Determines how many times the entire timeline chain repeats in the exported file.
• Export WAV: Renders a studio-quality .wav file of your song. This runs offline (faster than real-time) and captures all effects.
• WAV + stems: Check WAV + stems to also export single-instrument tracks (one WAV per instrument) in a ZIP. Optionally enable Effects on stems to apply master effects to each stem. Ideal for mixing in a DAW.
• Export MIDI: Downloads a standard .mid file containing all note data from your timeline. Import this into Ableton, FL Studio, or Logic to use your own VST plugins with the rhythm you created here.
• Slicer one-shots: Use Download Slice (one-shot) in the Slicer row to export the slice at the current playhead as a WAV. Use the beat header and J to audition before exporting.

7. Presets & Saving

• Save/Load Settings: Downloads/Uploads a JSON file containing your entire session state (Patterns, Chain, Sound Design, FX).
• Load MIDI: You can import a MIDI file to visualize it on the sequencer grid (it will be quantized to 16th notes).
• Share URL: Generates a unique link to your exact beat configuration to share with others.

Use the in-app Sample Library (top bar) to open the archive beside the sequencer in the same tab. The Archive Player still powers browsing and previews; you no longer need two browser windows for the main workflow. Fast path: search → preview → load (single hits or a full machine) → test in loop context.

Core Import Workflow

1. Open Sample Library: Click Sample Library in the top navigation. The right-hand machine drawer loads the archive next to the sequencer so you can drag from the list straight onto instrument rows.
2. Search intentionally: Start broad with machine families (Roland, Akai, Korg), then narrow with instrument terms (kick, snare, hat, clap, tom, perc).
3. Preview first: Use Play in the archive list to check transient, tone, tail length, and noise before loading.
4. Load one-shots or the whole machine: Drag a sample link from the archive onto the instrument lane you want (kick/snare/hats/perc, etc.). To load the entire mapped kit for a machine at once, expand that machine in the list and use ▶ Start … in the sequencer — the parent sequencer receives the kit over its sync channel (no second tab required when the app is already open here).
5. Refine in context: Replace weak sounds quickly. Build with small batches (2–4 sounds) instead of importing many at once. After a sample is loaded, you can drag its filename label onto another instrument row to swap with that row’s sample or move it if the target row is empty — no re-download from the archive.

Sample Library & drawer tips

• Use the docked panel: Keep the drawer open while digging; close it when you want more horizontal room for the step grid and mixer.
• Widen the window on desktop: On large screens the layout gives the main sequencer and the rail more breathing room — use that when jumping between long file lists and pattern editing.
• Swap loaded samples by name: Each loaded custom sample shows a draggable filename on its track. Drag it to another instrument to swap or move the sound without hunting the archive again.
• Keep a consistent slot map: Example: row 1 = kick, 2 = snare, 3 = closed hat, 4 = open hat. Consistency makes comparisons and filename drags faster.
• Maintain one reference groove: Keep BPM and your base pattern steady while auditioning so A/B decisions stay fair.
• Drop, then verify: Wait for visual/audio confirmation (and the filename row) before loading the next hit.

How To Choose Better Samples Faster

• Start with anchors: Choose kick and snare first. These define character and mix balance.
• Layer by role: Add hats and percussion after the backbone feels right.
• Keep variants, not duplicates: Save 2-3 meaningful alternatives (punchy/subby kick, dry/noisy snare), not dozens of near-identical files.
• Watch tails and overlap: Long hats and percs can clutter grooves. Shorter decays generally sit cleaner in dense patterns.
• Gain-stage early: Loudness can trick judgment. Balance levels while selecting so you are hearing fit, not just volume.

Archive Player Tips

• Featured 52 first: Great for quick, high-signal discovery.
• Use Load More intentionally: Expand breadth only when needed; do not overload your options too early.
• Search reset behavior: New searches show focused result pages first, which helps keep choices manageable.
• Mine strong machines deeply: If one machine gives multiple usable hits, keep exploring it before jumping away.
• Open Archive Player page

Using Your Own Samples (and Why 1MB Matters)

You can load your own one-shots directly into instrument slots. The 1MB per-sample limit is intentional: decoded PCM audio expands in memory, so a small compressed file can become much larger at playback time. Keeping imports small protects browser RAM, keeps loading snappy, and reduces glitches/dropouts on mobile and lower-power devices.

• Why expansion happens: Audio is decoded to raw PCM (uncompressed samples) for real-time playback and processing. Raw PCM uses far more memory than the source file on disk.
• Performance first: Smaller files mean faster decode times, less garbage collection pressure, and better timing stability during playback and export.
• Best target: Use short, clean one-shots (often 100-500ms for hats/percs, 300-1200ms for kicks/snares) unless long tails are musically required.
• Prep before import: Trim silence, normalize sensibly (avoid clipping), and fade tails to prevent clicks.

Pull Unique Drumkit (How It Works)

Use --> PULL UNIQUE DRUMKIT <-- when you want a fresh kit that still sounds musically matched. Instead of random picks, the server builds a kit from 48,000+ analyzed samples using acoustic DNA (h, a, d, p, b) and returns proxied URLs directly to the sequencer.

• Anchor-first logic: The first Kick becomes the kit anchor. Brightness, punch, attack, and duration are compared against this anchor so the full set feels coherent.
• Weighted matching: Candidates are ranked with a weighted Euclidean score, then selected from the top matches to preserve quality without sounding repetitive.
• Smart variety: The algorithm uses a top-10% shuffle rule, so each click gives a different but still "in-family" drumkit.
• Energy shaping: Chill favors softer punch and longer tails; Heavy favors stronger punch and fast attack for tighter impact.
• Stable loading: Samples are fetched in staggered steps (about 200ms apart) to reduce request spikes and improve reliability.

Tip: Program your pattern first, then pull a unique kit to remap the active instruments with a cohesive sonic character while keeping your groove intact.

Slicer-to-Instrument Re-Sampling

You can also re-purpose tiny moments from longer recordings: trigger a slice in the Slicer and drag that individual slice upward into a regular instrument slot. This is one of the fastest ways to turn textures, vocals, field recordings, or random breaks into playable drums.

• Design workflow: Find a slice with character, drag it to a drum lane, then shape with pitch/decay/tone like any other hit.
• Build cohesive kits: Sample multiple slices from the same source for kick/snare/perc families that naturally glue together.
• Resample iteratively: Once a slice works in the groove, duplicate the idea with nearby slices for subtle variation across A/B/C/D patterns.
• Creative texture: Turn non-drum content (ambience, foley, vinyl noise, voice consonants) into rhythmic percussion.

Additional Sample Workflow Tips

• Name mentally by role: Choose sounds for function (anchor kick, ghost snare, bright hat) rather than source prestige.
• A/B quickly: Keep one backup option per key slot and switch in-context to avoid decision fatigue.
• Avoid over-layering early: Nail core transients first, then add texture layers only if the groove asks for it.
• Check mono compatibility: Very wide or phasey samples can disappear in mono; center critical low-end elements.
• Leave headroom: Slightly lower per-track levels while building to prevent clipping as the arrangement grows.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Importing by filename only: Always preview first.
• Adding too many options: Curate early and commit faster.
• Ignoring arrangement context: Test each imported sound in a running loop, not in solo only.
• Overfilling the spectrum: If kick and bass region get muddy, swap sooner rather than over-processing.

Quick 5-10 Minute Kit Build

1. Pick one machine family or era.
2. Lock kick + snare.
3. Add closed/open hats.
4. Add one percussion accent.
5. Run a short 8-16 bar test loop.
6. Replace only the weakest element.

This approach keeps momentum high and gets you to a usable, mix-ready kit quickly.