SR / Rhythm Sequencer

Every producer knows this moment: you have a groove idea in your head, but the path to actually hearing it in your DAW takes too many steps — open a plugin, browse a kit, click through menus. Sometimes you just want to quickly sketch a rhythm with buttons, export it, and keep moving.

That’s exactly why I built SR Rhythm Sequencer — a free, browser-based tool for programming rhythmic patterns, with direct MIDI export for Ableton Live (and any other DAW that accepts standard .mid files).

What It Does

SR Rhythm Sequencer is a step sequencer with 11 percussion channels — kick, snare, clap, rim, closed/open hi-hat, low tom, cowbell, two conga lines, and claves. Each channel has its own MIDI note number following the General MIDI drum map, which means the result immediately “talks” to Drum Rack, EZdrummer, Battery, or any other sample-based instrument in your DAW.

Key features:

• Step grid programming — click squares, see the pattern visually, exactly like a hardware drum machine
• 16 or 32 steps per pattern, with adjustable BPM and swing
• Per-channel volume fader — each channel has its own volume slider that’s translated directly into MIDI velocity in the exported file, so the dynamics of the rhythm carry over once you open it in your DAW
• MIDI export — export the whole pattern at once, or channel-by-channel if you want separate files for each element
• Kit preview selector — 606, 808, 909, and 505 preview synthesis, so you get a feel for the pattern’s character before exporting

Why MIDI, Not Baked-In Sounds

I deliberately didn’t build fixed samples into the tool. The idea runs the other way — the MIDI file is an “empty” rhythmic structure that you fill with your own samples in the DAW. That means the same groove can sound completely different depending on whether you load it with your own recorded percussion, a classic 808 sample pack, or something entirely experimental. The tool gives you the structure; the sound is your choice.

How to Use It With Ableton

1. Open the tool in your browser (no install, no account)
2. Program the pattern by clicking the grid
3. Adjust volume per channel if you want dynamics
4. Export the .mid file (the whole pattern or per channel)
5. In Ableton, create a MIDI track with Drum Rack and load your samples onto the pads
6. Drag the .mid file directly onto the track

Done — the rhythm plays with your sounds, synced to the exact tempo you set.

Technical Details

The whole tool runs locally in the browser via the Web Audio API — no server, no data upload, no latency. The MIDI file is generated directly in JavaScript following the standard MIDI File format (Type 0), with precise note-on/note-off events and tempo meta-data, so it’s compatible with any DAW, not just Ableton.

SR Rhythm Sequencer is part of an ongoing series of tools I’m building for producers and DJs who want fast, functional solutions without unnecessary complexity. If you have ideas for new features, get in touch.