Gabber Hardcore Kick
Genre: Gabber / Hardcore · Tempo: 175 BPM · Time signature: 4/4 · Length: 16 steps · Style: early-90s Rotterdam gabber and hardcore kick programming
Open this pattern in the interactive Patchpad (with playback)
The pattern
| Instrument | Steps (1 = start of the bar) | Velocity | Timing and chance |
|---|
| kick | 1, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16 | 100-127 | step 8: late by about 17% of a step, plays 60% of the time; step 12: late by about 17% of a step, plays 50% of the time; step 16: late by about 17% of a step, plays 70% of the time |
| perc1 | 2, 6, 10, 14 | 45 | step 2: plays 60% of the time; step 6: plays 60% of the time; step 10: plays 60% of the time; step 14: plays 60% of the time |
| hat-open | 3, 7, 11, 15 | 80 | on the grid, always plays |
| clap | 5, 13 | 85 | step 5: plays 80% of the time; step 13: plays 80% of the time |
Digitakt II
Tracks
- T1: kick (distorted)
- T2: hat-open
- T3: clap
- T4: perc1
Settings
- Kick (T1): FX page OVER 90 (before the filter, OD.RT PRE) turns a sine-like kick into the clipped square-ish hardcore kick; AMP page DEC 70 keeps the sustain long as the genre needs.
- Steps 8, 12, 16 (extra kicks, T1): TRIG page 1 µtime +4 and PROB 60/50/70. The sources describe adding slight micro-timing to prevent a machine-gun feel at 175 BPM.
- Hat-open (T2): AMP page DEC 35 so it stays short and cuts between the kicks.
- Clap (T3): FX page REV 30, AMP page DEC 60.
Digitone II
Tracks
- T1: kick (ALGO 1, FM click-into-boom, overdriven)
- T2: hat-open (FM noise)
- T3: clap (FDBK noise + MOD retrigger)
- T4: perc1
Settings
- Kick: SYN page 1 ALGO 1, MIX -64, RATIO C 0.50, RATIO A 1.00; SYN page 2 Operator A LEV 80, ATK 0, DEC 8, END 0 (a fast click that falls away, leaving the low carrier); LEV (B) 0. AMP page ATK 0, DEC 80, SUS 0, REL 10. FX page OVER 100 for the clipped hardcore kick.
- Hats: SYN page 1 ALGO 1, MIX -64, RATIO C 1.00, RATIO A 11.00, FDBK 110; SYN page 2 Operators A & B LEV (A) 90, LEV (B) 0; FLTR page 1 TYPE HP, FREQ 100. AMP page DEC 12 (closed); lock AMP page DEC to 40 on the open-hat steps.
- Clap: same noisy ALGO 1 setup as the snare (FDBK 100, LEV (A) 60), AMP page DEC 40; MOD page 1 MODE ONE, WAVE Square, SPD 60, DEST AMP: Volume, DEP 50 to retrigger a few quick pulses inside one envelope for the clap splash.
- Steps 8, 12, 16 (extra kicks, T1): TRIG page 1 µtime +4, PROB 60/50/70.
Syntakt
Tracks
- T9: kick (BD HARD)
- T10: snare (SD HARD)
- T12: hat-open (OH METALLIC)
- T1: clap (CP VINTAGE)
Settings
- Kick (T9, BD HARD): SYN page SNAP 60, DEC 90, OVER 110 to clip it hard; the genre depends on the overdriven kick body.
- Clap (T1, CP VINTAGE): SYN page SPCR 40, DEC 60, OVER 40.
- Hat-open (T12, OH METALLIC): SYN page DEC 40; only the one Analog Cymbal voice exists, so there is no separate closed hat here (this pattern has none).
- Steps 8, 12, 16 (kick, T9): TRIG page µtime +4, PROB 60/50/70.
Notes
Every-beat kick at 175 BPM (inside the 160-180 range described for the style), where the sound is the overdriven kick, plus offbeat open hats and extra probability-gated kick doubles pushed slightly late. Kick placement of the doubles is an original arrangement.
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