Create a simple Drum beat in Hydrogen 07-28-2013, 12:12 AM
#1
Hydrogen is a GNU drum machine, go download it here. Today you'll learn how to create a simple beat using Hydrogen.
Create a new project
At the top left of the main window (not the Mixer) there is a tab called Project. If Hydrogen hasn't already gotten you a project opened, go there to create a new one. Here is a view of the main window:
![[Image: kDmq6td.png]](http://i.imgur.com/kDmq6td.png)
Explore the Interface
Lining the upper portion of the main window is pretty much a simple DAW. Double click the BPM to change it. Click the blue dots next to song and pattern to switch between listening to the pattern you're working on or the whole song. For the sake of starting off simple, we won't be getting too much into mixing.
Create a drum pattern
The bottom portion of the window is your drum machine. The default drum kit is GMKit. On the left side, where there are FX panels and parameters to mess with, you can choose sound library. Here you may browse other kits to take samples from and build your own drumkit from Hydrogen's built in sounds.
Samples will play where you've drawn them out to. Click on the grid to place the sample there. Press space and the pattern will repeat. You can also change the length of the pattern. Click Res. to change the quarter notes to eighth notes or sixteenth notes. Here's a simple pattern I created:
![[Image: uo2SMFV.png]](http://i.imgur.com/uo2SMFV.png)
Task: Create more patterns in different pattern slots.
Creating a song
Using the patterns you've created, and moving to the top portion of the window, you can choose where these patterns play, like the drum machine. As you can see below, I've created a Pattern 2 and assigned it to play only twice. Toggle to play the song rather than the pattern, and you will hear both patterns playing based on your assignments.
![[Image: 10eT01j.png]](http://i.imgur.com/10eT01j.png)
And you're now on your way to being the best producer ever :o
I hope y'all learned something from this tutorial, it took me a while to make it. Good luck everyone!
Create a new project
At the top left of the main window (not the Mixer) there is a tab called Project. If Hydrogen hasn't already gotten you a project opened, go there to create a new one. Here is a view of the main window:
Spoiler:
Explore the Interface
Lining the upper portion of the main window is pretty much a simple DAW. Double click the BPM to change it. Click the blue dots next to song and pattern to switch between listening to the pattern you're working on or the whole song. For the sake of starting off simple, we won't be getting too much into mixing.
Create a drum pattern
The bottom portion of the window is your drum machine. The default drum kit is GMKit. On the left side, where there are FX panels and parameters to mess with, you can choose sound library. Here you may browse other kits to take samples from and build your own drumkit from Hydrogen's built in sounds.
Samples will play where you've drawn them out to. Click on the grid to place the sample there. Press space and the pattern will repeat. You can also change the length of the pattern. Click Res. to change the quarter notes to eighth notes or sixteenth notes. Here's a simple pattern I created:
Spoiler:
Task: Create more patterns in different pattern slots.
Creating a song
Using the patterns you've created, and moving to the top portion of the window, you can choose where these patterns play, like the drum machine. As you can see below, I've created a Pattern 2 and assigned it to play only twice. Toggle to play the song rather than the pattern, and you will hear both patterns playing based on your assignments.
Spoiler:
And you're now on your way to being the best producer ever :o
I hope y'all learned something from this tutorial, it took me a while to make it. Good luck everyone!
![[+]](https://sinister.ly/images/modern/collapse_collapsed.png)
