Rolling techno drum pattern

138 BPM · 50% swing · 16 steps · MM-RYTM

Rolling techno is built for long, driving sets: a short kick on every beat and the bass rolling on the three sixteenths after it (kick, bass, bass, bass).

The pattern

Rolling techno drum pattern at 138 BPM, 16 steps. Each number is the velocity of the step, 9 the loudest and 3 a ghost note; an empty cell is a rest.

Voice	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Kick (BD)	9				9				9				9
Snare (SD)					5								5
Closed hat (CH)	8	5		7	8	5		7	8	5		7	8	5		7
Open hat (OH)			9				9				9				9
Clap (CP)					8								8

The sounds in MM-RYTM: kick Carassi, snare Psy 12, hats 909, clap 909.

Why it works

The kick is short, its tail cut so the bass can roll right after it. Clap and snare are bright on 2 and 4, the open hat is loud on every off-beat and the closed hats keep the sixteenths with accents (8, 5, 0, 7). No swing at all (50%): it runs like a machine.

Two variations

Add a ghost snare on step 15 to make the loop turn faster.
Every sixteen bars, drop the kick for one bar and keep the hats: the return hits harder.

Program it on any drum machine

Set the tempo to 138 BPM and the swing to 50% (50% is straight).
Program one voice at a time from the grid, starting with the kick, then the snare and clap, then the hats.
Use the numbers as velocities: on a machine with only accents, accent the 8s and 9s and leave the 3s and 4s as soft notes.
Or skip all that: open the beat below in MM-RYTM, every step, sound and effect is already set.

Play it, download it

General MIDI drum notes: kick 36, snare 38, clap 39, closed hat 42, open hat 46, low tom 45, high tom 50, cymbal 49. One bar, swing included.

Change it, then press SHARE in the header of MM-STUDIO: you get a link to your own version.

From Maudite Machine

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