🎵 NOTE LENGTH REFERENCE
| Note | Grid Steps | @140 BPM | @174 BPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole (1/1) | 16 steps | 1714ms | 1379ms |
| Half (1/2) | 8 steps | 857ms | 690ms |
| Quarter (1/4) | 4 steps | 429ms | 345ms |
| 8th (1/8) | 2 steps | 214ms | 172ms |
| 16th (1/16) | 1 step | 107ms | 86ms |
| 32nd (1/32) | ½ step | 54ms | 43ms |
| Dotted 1/8 | 3 steps | 321ms | 259ms |
| Triplet 1/8 | 1⅓ steps | 143ms | 115ms |
📐 READING THE BEAT GRID
BEAT: 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
STEP: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
STEP: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Kick
Snare
Hat
Ghost
Steps 1, 5, 9, 13 = beat boundaries (thicker border). Half-time = snare on 9. Backbeat = snare on 5 & 13.
Steps 1, 5, 9, 13 = beat boundaries (thicker border). Half-time = snare on 9. Backbeat = snare on 5 & 13.
🔊 BASSLINE ACCOMPANIMENT GUIDE ▾
DUBSTEP / DEATHSTEP
Bass fills gaps between kick & snare. Syncopated, off-beat. Sidechain hard duck (~300ms release). Sub follows root, mids do the talking.
RIDDIM
Bass IS the groove. Drums are just a frame. Triplet bounce: DUH-duh-DUH. Focus 80-300Hz. Simpler drums = busier bass.
DRUM & BASS / NEURO
Bass & drums interlock as one unit. Rolling 8th/16th movement. Subtle sidechain. Reese bass 100-500Hz.
TRAP / HYBRID
808 kick IS the bass. Long sustained, pitched to key. No sidechain needed. Sub-dominant 30-80Hz. Distortion adds harmonics.
INDUSTRIAL / MIDTEMPO
Bass drones under mechanical drums. Sustained, evolving textures. Heavy sidechain pump. Distortion is a feature.
HALF-TIME
Bass carries ALL movement. Slower phrases, 2-4 beats per note. Slow sidechain release. Sub-heavy. Space is sacred.